Myth, Ritual and Religion, Vol. 1 (of 2)Lang, Andrew
Religion
Myth, Ritual and Religion, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Lang, Andrew
Myth; Mythology; Religion; Rites and ceremonies
"Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. On
every side enveloping the earth, he overpassed (it) by a space of ten
fingers. Purusha himself is this whole (universe), whatever is and
whatever shall be.... When the gods performed a sacrifice with Purusha
as the oblation, the spring was its butter, the summer its fuel, and the
autumn its (accompanying) offering. This victim, Purusha, born in the
beginning, they immolated on the sacrificial grass. With him the gods,
the Sadhyas, and the Rishis sacrificed. From that universal sacrifice
were provided curds and butter. It formed those aerial (creatures) and
animals both wild and tame. From that universal sacrifice sprang the Ric
and Saman verses, the metres and Yajush. From it sprang horses, and all
animals with two rows of teeth; kine sprang from it; from it goats and
sheep. When (the gods) divided Purusha, into how many parts did they cut
him up? What was his mouth? What arms (had he)? What (two objects) are
said (to have been) his thighs and feet? The Brahman was his mouth; the
Rajanya was made his arms; the being (called) the Vaisya, he was his
thighs; the Sudra sprang from his feet. The moon sprang from his soul
(Mahas), the sun from his eye, Indra and Agni from his mouth, and Yaiyu
from his breath. From his navel arose the air, from his head the sky,
from his feet the earth, from his ear the (four) quarters; in this
manner (the gods) formed the world. When the gods, performing sacrifice,
bound Purusha as a victim, there were seven sticks (stuck up) for it
(around the fire), and thrice seven pieces of fuel were made. With
sacrifice the gods performed the sacrifice. These were the earliest
rites. These great powers have sought the sky, where are the former
Sadhyas, gods."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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