How did Mahabharata's Abhimanyu learn to fight in mother's womb? Recent research may answer
Abhimanyu in Mahabharata | Wikimedia Commons
Expectant mothers who engage in regular conversations significantly raise their unborn babies' language skills, according to a study by researchers from Italy and France.
This research marks the most compelling evidence to date that fetuses actively listen and learn during the final weeks before birth, implying scientific backing to a notion Indians have long believed due to popular stories andlessons from the Epic Mahabharata.
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According to ancient Indian scriptures,Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra— the latter Krishna's sister—was still in his mother's womb whenhe first heard his uncle Krishna narrating thesecret of penetrating the almost impenetrable military formation known as the Chakravyuha,an ancient defence tactic to safeguard the most important member of the army (usually the king).
On the 13th day of the great war of Mahabharata, Abhimanyu — while fighting for the righteous Pandavas — successfully penetrated the chakravyuhacreated by the Kuruarmy. But he did not know how to get out of the military formation once inside it and was thus killed.
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What does the study say?
The study saysthat "language exposure before birth may help newborns acquire language with ease",suggesting a potential correlation between prenatal communication and postnatal language development.
Researchers found that infants, aged one to five days old, exhibited a preference for the language they heard in the womb, indicating a remarkable connection between prenatal experiences and language recognition.
The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
The research also unveils that hearing their native language stimulated specific brain regions associated with language learning.
This suggests that these neural pathways begin to form and develop during the gestational period.
How the study was conducted?
The study involved 33 French newborns, whose mothers were native French speakers and communicatedpredominantly in French during the last trimester of pregnancy.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) caps with ten sensors were placed on the infants' heads to measure brain activity.
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Results revealed enhanced neural oscillations associated with language processing when the babies heard their native language, showcasing the profound impact of prenatal language exposure.
While the research did not specifically inquire about direct communication between mothers and unborn babies, it suggests that "prenatally heard language" can stimulate brain development.
What is the bottom line?
This researchadds a new dimension to humanity's understanding of early cognitive development and reinforces the importance of communication during pregnancy for optimal brain development in newborns.