Purusha sooktam
From the Bhakti List Archives
• March 1, 1995
tasmAdashvA ajAyanta | ye ke cobhayAdata: | gAvoham jagnyire tasmAt | tasmajjatA ajAvaya: || (tasmAd) From that (ajAyanta) were born (asvA:) horses, and beings with (eke ca) only one and (ubhayAdata:) two rows of teeth. (gAva:) Cattle (jagnyire) were made (tasmAt) from that. (tasmAt) From that (jAta) were born (ajA:) goats and (Avaya:) sheep. The most common interpretation I have seen for 'ye ke cobhayAdata' is all animals with two rows of teeth. The one here, I have seen only in "aNNa" 's thamizh translation. However, it appeals to me as innately right. As for animals with one row of teeth, I cannot think of any except whales with their baleen. Someone with a better knowledge of zoological orthodonty may be able to help me here =). All the animals specifically mentioned here, presumably had been tamed, and were counted as wealth in Rgvedic society. >From that were born stately horses Beasts with one and two rows of teeth Cattle too, were born thereof And goats and sheep with them created. *** yat puruSHam vyadadhu: | katidhA vyakalpayan | mukham kimasya kau bAhoo | kavooroo pAdA ucyete || (yat) The (puruSHam) purusha (vyadadhu:) that they divided, (katidhA) into what forms , how, (vyakalpayan) did they shape him ? (kim) What (Aseet) became (asya mukham) of his mouth ? (kau) What are (ucyete) now called (asya bAhoo) his arms ? (asya ooroo) His thighs, (asya pAdau) his feet, (kau ucyete) what do they call them now ? This verse begins a series of questions and answers as to how the purusha was divided up, and what each of the parts of his body (kosha roopa - the form that contained all) became, in the sarvahut rite of creation. Aniruddha Narayana had advised Bramha that to make his body the havis, Aniruddha the havirbhokta, and meditating on Narayana, merge himself, offer himself up to Narayana's form of fire. (mAm ca havirbhbhujam dhyAtvA manmanAbhootva mayyagnau nivaacaye) And by just feeling the touch (madanga sparsha maatreNa) of his, Bramha's body, in which all of the worlds are contained (jagat-kosha bhootas-tvat-kAyo) would become huge (brmhishyate) and become the bramhanda, the great all. The different classes of animals that came forth from this (tasmAt udbhootAni prANi jAtAni), Bramha would be able to establish for them different and appropriate forms (yaTHA puram nirmAya) and assume the role of creator (sraSHTHA bhavishyasi) that he had in previous eons. Those samskrt quotes are from the P.S. samhita of the sAkalya brAmhaNam, referred to before. Like most brAMhaNa verses, this ends with " evam srSHTHiyagnyam yo jAnAti sa janmaneeha mukto bhavati " - Who knows the rite of creation thus, will be liberated in this very birth. So now the details of this 'ritual dismemberment' of the purusha's body, the bramhAnda, are given in the next few verses as an account of this creation rite. When they had Divided him up, Into what forms Dis they cast Him ? And what of his mouth, His arms, his thighs, His feet ? What did they make them ?
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