Line 23: |
Line 23: |
| | | |
| == अन्नात्पुरुषः॥ Purusha Originates from Anna == | | == अन्नात्पुरुषः॥ Purusha Originates from Anna == |
− | In Taittriya Upanishad, the teaching of brahmavidya, starts with an exposition of how Brahman creates and manifests himself in the Universe.<blockquote>तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः संभूतः । आकाशाद्वायुः । वायोरग्निः । अग्नेरापः । अद्भ्यः पृथिवी । पृथिव्या ओषधयः । ओषधीभ्योऽन्नम् । अन्नात्पुरुषः । (Tait. Upan. Brah. 2.1)<ref name=":2">Taittriya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80 Brahmanandavalli Anuvaka 1])</ref></blockquote>From that Brahman, who is also this atma, the individual self of the seeker, was born akasa, the elementary space. From akasa was born vayu, the elementary winds. From vayu was born agni, the elementary fire. From agni were born apah, the elementary waters. From apah were born osadhls, the elementary vegetation. From osadhls was born anna, the elementary food. And from anna was born purusa, the man.<ref name=":0" /> | + | In Taittriya Upanishad, the teaching of brahmavidya, starts with an exposition of how Brahman creates and manifests himself in the Universe.<blockquote>तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः संभूतः । आकाशाद्वायुः । वायोरग्निः । अग्नेरापः । अद्भ्यः पृथिवी । पृथिव्या ओषधयः । ओषधीभ्योऽन्नम् । अन्नात्पुरुषः । (Tait. Upan. Brah. 2.1)<ref name=":2">Taittriya Upanishad ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80 Brahmanandavalli Anuvaka 1])</ref></blockquote>From that Brahman, who is also this atma, the individual self of the seeker, was born akasa, the elementary space. From akasa was born vayu, the elementary winds. From vayu was born agni, the elementary fire. From agni were born apah, the elementary waters. From apah were born osadhls, the elementary vegetation. From osadhis was born anna, the elementary food. And from anna was born purusa, the man.<ref name=":0" /> |
| | | |
| === Annamaya Purusha === | | === Annamaya Purusha === |
Line 114: |
Line 114: |
| The Mahabharata records another touching story of a host giving up his all, in fact his very life, to satisfy the hunger of the guest. The host in this other story is a bird, a pigeon, and the guest a hunter who has earlier encaged the bird-wife of the pigeon. The story is in a way a premonition of the story that the mongoose tells towards the end of Yudhisthira's asvamedhayajna: the story of the brahmana who gathers his food grain by grain, like a pigeon, and gives up what he has gathered for the sake of a guest, putting his own life and the life of his entire family in jeopardy. | | The Mahabharata records another touching story of a host giving up his all, in fact his very life, to satisfy the hunger of the guest. The host in this other story is a bird, a pigeon, and the guest a hunter who has earlier encaged the bird-wife of the pigeon. The story is in a way a premonition of the story that the mongoose tells towards the end of Yudhisthira's asvamedhayajna: the story of the brahmana who gathers his food grain by grain, like a pigeon, and gives up what he has gathered for the sake of a guest, putting his own life and the life of his entire family in jeopardy. |
| | | |
− | The story of the self-sacrificing pigeon is told, in the apaddharma-parvan of santiparvan, to Yudhisthira by Bhisma, who says that in earlier times it was told to Mucukunda by Parasurama, when the former had sought to know the dharma of looking after one who comes to the abode seeking protection. | + | The story of the [[Atithi Satkara by Kapotadampati (कपोतदम्पती)]] where a couple of self-sacrificing pigeons offer themselves as food to a hunter, in the apaddharma-parvan of santiparvan, is told to Yudhisthira by Bhishma. Bhishma says that in earlier times it was told to Mucukunda by Parasurama, when the former had sought to know the dharma of looking after one who comes to the abode seeking protection. |
| | | |
| Such is the foundation of the Bharitya Sanatana culture. This is the difference between western culture and our eternal Sanatan culture. The reason for poverty and hunger caused by scarcity can be traced to neglecting our civilizational principles. Culture cannot sustain on a hungry stomach. Basic necessities of life and wisdom that shape our life in family life and those who are instrumental in building and sustaining our family, like women, food, and beauty should never be on sale. Anna, Veda and beauty when commodified have dangerous consequences that destroy life and wellbeing. The principles enshrined in our shastras clearly reveal the degradation of ‘modern’ lifestyles due to the disconnect with our traditional systems and kind of life. | | Such is the foundation of the Bharitya Sanatana culture. This is the difference between western culture and our eternal Sanatan culture. The reason for poverty and hunger caused by scarcity can be traced to neglecting our civilizational principles. Culture cannot sustain on a hungry stomach. Basic necessities of life and wisdom that shape our life in family life and those who are instrumental in building and sustaining our family, like women, food, and beauty should never be on sale. Anna, Veda and beauty when commodified have dangerous consequences that destroy life and wellbeing. The principles enshrined in our shastras clearly reveal the degradation of ‘modern’ lifestyles due to the disconnect with our traditional systems and kind of life. |