The Purusa Sukta - An Exegesis

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About the Book Purusha Sukta is one of the Vedic hymns par excellence. It is, however, as much enigmatic as it is popular. It is, in fact, adoration, worship and philosophy rolled in one.

The author of this book, Swami Harshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, has succinctly yet effectively given an exegesis with free translation of this Sukta throwing light on its import and value.

Preface Chanting of the Vedic mantras, especially the Santimantras and some of the Silktas, is very common even now during the performance of the Hindu rituals-be they in a temple or in one's own home. And, almost always, the Purusasukta finds a place in such recitations.

Common and popular though it is, very few persons-including most of the priests who chant it-know its meaning, and much less the beauty and sublimity of its philosophy.

A humble attempt has been made in this monograph to present the abstruse, but sublime, teaching of this important Sukta in as simple a manner as the subject permits.

We earnestly hope that this attempt will enable the readers to be enlightened, at least to some extent, in understanding this difficult text.

Introduction Man loves to live a happy and peaceful life. He hankers for the freedom that can enable . him to get this. The sages of India, over the millennia, have intuitively perceived that tattvajnana, knowledge of the Truth, resulting in a mystical experience of the same, can alone vouchsafe this peace and bliss. Tattvajnana must be preceded by tattvavicara or the inquiry into the basic principles of life. These principles cover three aspects: the jiva or the individual self, the substratum of the 'I' consciousness; the jagat or the external world which is the datum for its experiences; and Isvara or the Supreme Being considered as the primeval cause and controller of the former two.

The Vedas, the basic scriptures of Hinduism, are primarily concerned with this tattvavicara and tattvajnana. They deal with the esoteric wisdom that can help us to unravel the mysteries of life which are ever beyond the ken of the senses and the sensuous mind. The Purusasukta is not only an integral part of this Veda, but also one of the most important expositions of its teaching.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages