Inventor: Maharshi Ved Vyas (Expert in Gynaecology and Attributed author of Mahabharat)
Time Period: Mahabharat Period
Location: Bharatvarsh
Description: In the Mahabharat, there's an event of the birth of 100 Kauravas, which involves an ancient cloning technique called Kumbh Garbh. Gandhari, the wife of King Dhritarashtra, conceived a mass of flesh (which was nothing else but protein) after being pregnant for an unusually long period of 2 years. Maharshi Ved Vyas, upon seeing this, divided the mass (protein) into 101 pieces and placed them in pots filled with ghee and some Ayurvedic herbs and medicine. Over time, these pieces developed into 100 sons (Kauravas) and one daughter (Dushala).

Evidence:

Mahabharat (Adi Parv), Sambhav Parv:-

1. Part of Verse 18

धृत्पूर्णे कुण्डरतं क्षिप्रमेव विधीयताम् ।। 18।।

Meaning: Maharshi Ved Vyas says Gandhari to arrange for 100 pots as soon as possible and fill those with ghee.

2. Part of Verse 22

ततस्तांस्तेषु कुण्डेषु गर्भानवदधे तदा ।। 22।।

3. Verse 23

शशंस चैव भगवान् कालेनैतावता पुनः ।

उद्घाटनितान्येतानि कुण्डानिति सौवलीम् ।। 23।।

Meaning: Maharshi Ved Vyas says to Gandhari, “These pots should be opened only after a fixed period of 2 years”

Connection between Cloning and the Concept of Kumbh Garbh: Both cloning and the ancient concept involve the creation of offspring without the natural process of conception. In cloning, genetic material from a single organism produces genetically identical copies. In the ancient concept, the division of the mass of flesh by Maharshi Ved Vyas led to the creation of multiple offspring with identical genetic material. Both instances demonstrate the manipulation of biological processes to generate offspring. Hence, we can say there is no difference between cloning and the concept of Kumbh Garbh.

Contributor: Hans Spemann and Hilde Mangold (1938), Ian Wilmut (1996)
Location: Germany (first successful animal cloning) and the United Kingdom (first successful mammal cloning).
Description: Cloning is creating genetically identical copies of an organism. In the context of mammals, it involves transferring the nucleus of a donor cell into an egg cell whose nucleus has been removed, resulting in the development of an embryo genetically identical to the donor organism.

Concept of Cloning and Kumbh Garbh in Mahabharat

Conclusion: The methodology and scientific understanding behind cloning in modern times have been inspired by ancient Indian texts like the Mahabharat and Vedas like the Atharv Ved. These events and the science embedded within convey that the ancient Indians were very rich in scientific and medical knowledge with the fusion of realized knowledge in it. They have performed such complex experiments centuries ago and are now constantly inspiring modern science.