Purusha Suktham

[Guest guest]

Greetings Nanda:

 

Your request to Prof. V. K. is wonderful and I am looking forward to

read his article elaborating the essence of Purusha Suktam and

explaining the linkage between Purusha Suktam and Vedantic philosophy. I

also want to thank Prof. V. K. for his article on "Practical

Advaita."

 

An excellent translation of Purusha Suktam is also available at the Web

Site: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/3410/ maintained by V.

Sundar (email - vsundar2) Shri Sundar's homepage contains

the following passage which summarizes the central message of the

Purusha Suktam:

 

vedAhametam purusham mahAntam

Aditya varNam tamasaH parastAt |

tam evam vidvAn amRta iha bhavati

na anyaH panthA vidyate 'yanaaya ||

 

This great Purusha, brilliant as the sun,

Who is beyond all darkness,

I know him in my heart.

Who knows the Purusha thus,

Attains immortality in this very birth.

I know of no other way to salvation.

 

Another article on Purusha Suktam was published by the Ramakrishna

Mission <rk on 23 Sep 1996 in the Newsgroup:

soc.religion.hindu.

 

"The Rg Veda is the oldest scripture known to the mankind (said to be

composed around 000BC). It contains highly philosophical as well as

devotional verses. The Purusha Suktha forms an integral part of the Rg

Veda Samhita.

 

Purusha Suktham is used traditionally almost in all Hindu rituals or

religious ceremonies. The Prurusha or Primieval Being is the Lord of

immortality. From Him was born the Virat (immense being).The Purusha

Suktha deals with the subject of manifestation of

the phenomenal world from the Purusha. The Purusha Suktha answers

cryptically the questions "How the One became Many".

 

"The Purusha Suktha - An Exegesis " by Swami Harshananda (published by

Ramakrishna Mission, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore 50019, INDIA ) is a

handy edition for sincere tudents of Vedanta. The language is simple,

yet explanative. Copies are available from the publisher at US$5

(inclusive of postage)."

 

Several articles on the relevance of Purusha Suktam in Vishistadvaita

philosophy are also available in Bhakti archives maintained by Mani

Varadarajan (http://thondar.busi.utc.edu/bhakti/archives/)

 

--

Ram V. Chandran

Burke, VA

[Guest guest]

An interesting note on Purusha Suuktam -

 

This is used by Vaishnavaites and claim that it emphatically ascertains

that Vishva Purusha is none other than MahaaVishnu. - It says in the later

part,

 

hriischate lakshmiischa patnyou - aho raatre parshve -

 

He is the Lakshmi's husband - who stays with Him day and night.

 

In Sreevaishnavism (VishishhTaadvaita) - Lakshmi (shree) is given the

prominent role.

One can approach the Lord only through the mother since mothers are more

compassionate and ready to hug the baby, however dirty the baby may be.

She wants to make sure that she stays right there - day and night for the

fear that NaaraayaNa may turn some bhakta's away because of the dirtiness

of the child. So she is here to greet and pick up the jeeva and to clean

him up and present the jeeva to the Lord asking Him to overlook his

shortcoming and bless the child.

 

Lakshmi is the prakriti that include the body, mind and intellect.

NaaraayaNa is beyond these - the consciousness that illumines. One cannot

approach NaaraayaNa since He cannot be objectified. One has to use the

very equipments to go beyond the equipments.

 

Another aspect is Lakshmi (the wealth) is always with the NaaraayaNa. If

one goes after NaaraayaNa Lakshmi automatically comes since He carries her

all the time ( that is His badge - or identification). If one goes after

wealth without caring for NaaraayaNa, she is going to blast Him and ruin

him from routs - that is what happened to Ravana who went after Seeta.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

-

 

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623