In this portion of my blog, verses 10.90.2 to 10.90.7 are explained. Please note all the 16 verses which are discussed in my blog are taken from Rig Veda, composed by Narayana Rishi. Purusha Suktam also appears in Yajur Veda and some paragraphs also can be found in other scriptures too.
Verse 10.90.2:
पुरु॑ष ए॒वेदं सर्वं॒ यद्भू॒तं यच्च॒ भव्य॑म् । उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्वस्येशा॑नो॒ यदन्ने॑नाति॒रोह॑ति ॥ Verse 2
puruṣa evedaṃ sarvaṃ yad bhūtaṃ yac ca bhavyam | utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yad annenātirohati ||
Translation: Purusha is indeed what was before, what is now & what shall be. He is the Lord of immortality (āmṛtatvasyeśāno) and expands or grows beyond through food (offered during sacrifice or yajna) (annenātirohati)
In this verse we look at various interpretations of the word; annenātirohati (expands or grows thorough food).
- All living beings including humans grow through food. Food that grows our Mind is what we gather by reading books, understanding scriptures and what our Gurus teach us. In a Yajna, Purusha was sacrificed in the Mind of the Sages and Food was offered as sacrifice to the Fire, so that the growth of the Universe is sustained – symbolically. But Purusha expands beyond as he is the ruler (yeśāno) of what expands through food as he is ten thumbs higher as mentioned in the previous verse.
- The word “Food” is also used metaphorically to indicate something which is perishable. Food is perishable just like all living beings who are also subject to death. The cycle of birth, existence & death continues in this world. When birth happens, death is inevitable. But as the Verse says: Purusha is the Lord of Immortality – he does not perish.
- Just like living beings grow through food, the Universe too grows by the creation of matter, energy & space. In modern cosmology, the mysterious Dark Energy is the cause of the accelerated expansion of Universe. (Pls. refer my note on Big Bang Theory in the previous post). Something is causing the Universe to move apart, instead of bringing it together. What really is Dark Matter & Dark Energy? This is the dilemma facing the astrophysicists today.
Verses 10.90.3 & 4:
ए॒तावा॑नस्य महि॒मातो॒ ज्यायाँ॑श्च॒ पूरु॑षः । पादो॑ऽस्य॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॑ त्रि॒पाद॑स्या॒मृतं॑ दि॒वि ॥ Verse 3
etāvān asya mahimāto jyāyām̐ś ca pūruṣaḥ | pādo ‘sya viśvā bhūtāni tripād asyāmṛtaṃ divi ||
Translation: Whatever we see here in this world, is all his glory, but then Purusha is greater! All the worlds’ existence or entities is only one fourth of It (Purusha). Three fourths of Him are in eternal realm & beyond the Universe.
त्रि॒पादू॒र्ध्व उदै॒त्पुरु॑ष॒: पादो॑ऽस्ये॒हाभ॑व॒त्पुन॑: । ततो॒ विष्व॒ङ्व्य॑क्रामत्साशनानश॒ने अ॒भि ॥ Verse 4
tripād ūrdhva ud ait puruṣaḥ pādo ‘syehābhavat punaḥ | tato viṣvaṅ vy akrāmat sāśanānaśane abhi ||
Translation: Three parts higher rises Purusha above the Universe, in which only one part of its glory here manifests again & again, pervading all living (biological) & non-living (material) world.
Pāda means foot or part or quarter. Purusha pervades this world with just one foot. The other three feet are beyond this Universe. This means Purusha has four feet and often been wrongly interpreted has an animal. Because of this wrong interpretation, it is sometimes stated that Purusha animal was sacrificed at the Yajna. Purusha or the Cosmic Spirit (Brahman) is clearly explained in Verse 10.90.1 of my previous blog on Purusha Suktam (<Click here to view). Now, we will look at various interpretations of Pāda or foot and its similar usage in other scriptures, as given below:
- In Bhagavad Gita Verse 10.42 Lord Krishna says that He pervades the entire Universe with a single part of himself and this is stated below:
Despite all of Krishna’s effort of providing knowledge of his manifestations to Arjuna, it becomes clear that he has not understood Krishna’s divine quality. Arjuna’s is vision is limited and he insists on wanting to see Krishna’s various manifestations. The entire Universe is only a one small fragment of His infinite Being, says Krishna. (All these manifestations are limited, just like a wave in the ocean. Human Beings are like a wave, we are born attached to the ocean, exist for a while and then merge back into the ocean, indicating our finite existence in this world). Therefore, imagine what would the glory of Krishna’s un-manifest FORM!).
2. Rig Veda 1.164.45:
चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः । गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेङ्गयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति ॥
catvāri vāk parimitā padāni tāni vidur brāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ | guhā trīṇi nihitā neṅgayanti turīyaṃ vāco manuṣyā vadanti ||
Translation: Speech consists of four feet (padāni) or parts which the wise men know. Three of them are hidden in the cave of mind, which are neither analyzed nor defined nor understood by ordinary speakers, only the fourth part of the speech is used by ordinary men to communicate.
The four feet or parts of speech are: Nama (Noun), Akhyata (Verbs), Upasarga (pre-verbs or affixes) & Nipata (irregular accepted forms, words used to strengthen the basic meaning). An ordinary person like me will use speech as whole, without understanding the finer structure or grammar. But at a level higher than this, language is analyzed in four layers of consciousness: 1) Para – Language known only to the unknown, language of the Divine. 2) Pashyanti – closer to us from Para, a language existing in the unconscious layers of the mind. 3) Madhyama – further close to our consciousness or in our sub-conscious mind 4) Vaikhari (manifested or existing at the conscious level of our mind or what we normally use). This language is what is further subdivided into: Nama, Akhata, Upasarga & Nipata as stated above.
3. Three fourths of Purusha:
The invisible three fourths of Purusha is established in spheres of light. As per Brahma Sutras, both Light (Jyoti in Sanskrit) & Space (Kham in Sanskrit) are nothing but Brahman and three fourths of immortal Purusha resides there. These three out of four are also referred to as the “Trinity – Sat (Truth/ Pure Existence), Cit (Intelligence/Consciousness) & Ananda (Bliss or pure state of happiness)”. Thus, sat-cit-anadam is known as existence-knowledge-bliss which are in their original “pure state” which are in that transcendental sphere beyond the Universe.
One fourth of Purusha also resides in all mortal humans like us. He expresses himself as Sat (existence) in our Sthula Sharira or Gross Body, as Cit (Consciousness/Intellect) in the Linga or Sukshma Sharira or Subtle body and Ananda (Bliss) in the Karana Sharira or Causal body. This triple “pure state” is nothing but Brahman (Supreme Reality), where Purusha resides. But due to ignorance or Maya, humans are unaware of this pure states within us. Reaching this state is the final destination for man. Beyond this there is nothing more to achieve!
Verse 10.90.5:
तस्माद्विराळजायत विराजो अधि पूरुषः । स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः ॥ Verse 5
tasmād virāḻ ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ | sa jāto aty aricyata paścād bhūmim atho puraḥ ||
Translation: From Purusha, was created Virat, the embodied being from within (adhi and not ādhi) Himself (pūruṣaḥ). Virat is the therefore the huge manifested form of Purusha and He, Purusha is sovereign (virāj) over it. After the process of manifestation, Virat who is Purusha himself, then transcends and creates the Universe (bhūmim) and its various other forms and grows gradually & immensely. This the start of the creation process of Purusha.
(Virat which is appearing in the material world is only imaginary. This is meant for people who cannot grasp the idea of Purusha being formless. Virat is introduced to make them understand that Virat arose from Purusha to create this Universe).
Verses 10.90.6 &7:
यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत । वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः ॥ Verse 6
yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā devā yajñam atanvata | vasanto asyāsīd ājyaṃ grīṣma idhmaḥ śarad dhaviḥ ||
तं य॒ज्ञं ब॒र्हिषि॒ प्रौक्ष॒न्पुरु॑षं जा॒तम॑ग्र॒तः । तेन॑ दे॒वा अ॑यजन्त सा॒ध्या ऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ॥ Verse 7
taṃ yajñam barhiṣi praukṣan puruṣaṃ jātam agrataḥ | tena devā ayajanta sādhyā ṛṣayaś ca ye ||
Translations: These two verses mention the “Yajna of creation”.
The celestial beings or “Devas” then visualize the Universal Yajna of creation in their MIND, together with Purusha, connecting on a mental & spiritual level, in deep meditation. Then the spring season (vasanto) is Ghrta (Ghee), summer (grīṣma) is fuel or firewood and the autumn (śarad) is havi (havi is oblation offered into the fire consisting of milk, butter, grain, soma etc.) – Verse 6.
Comment on Verse 6: Prakriti thus begins the process of creation. While the ghee is poured into the fire, it burns with greater intensity and brightness and carries the offerings to Purusha above. In Vedic ages, this is how the sages communicated with the Gods through Agni (Fire) as their prime medium. In Agnihotra sacrifice, each mantra ends with “idam na-mama” meaning “this is not mine”. This is a reminder that the world we live in transient and we have to let go of our attachment for material objects. Prakriti then evolves into living, non-living & psychic (soul or mind related) forms.
The visionary Rishis, accomplished Sages & sādhyāḥs (scholars who guide the process of manifestation) sanctify (by sprinkling water-praukṣan) on the primordial Purusha, by placing Him on the Vedi (sacrificial altar, made of Kusha or Darbha grass (barhiṣi). – Verse 7
Comment on Verse 7: Purusha is symbolically offered by the Rishis & others in their mind. The nature is the altar or vedi and Purusha is the offering. This is where Nature (Prakriti) meets Purusha (Offering) and the evolution begins.
References: (English Translations of verses are taken from the following books. Comments on Verses are by various translators & self )
- The Principal Upanishads by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (Translation of Katha Upanishads taken from this book)
- Rig Veda by Dr. Tulsi Ram