Loka purusha samya siddhanta (लोक पुरुषः साम्य सिद्धांतः)
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Loka Purusha Samya siddhanta is considered as one the principles of Ayurveda based on which the functioning of human beings, diseases and their management is understood. The core idea of this theory is that the human being is the miniature reflection of the universe. What lies in humans is a representation of something similar present in the universe. In other words, Purusha (human) epitomizes the Loka (Universe). Therefore human should not be seen or studied in an isolated manner but in the context of harmony between man and the environment. There exists an interdependence between human and unsiverse and, association between them must be known in order to understand the imbalances and find the ways to reestablish the harmony.
Introduction
What is purusha
अस्मिञ्छास्त्रे पञ्चमहाभूतशरीरिसमवायः पुरुष [१] इत्युच्यते | (su SU sha 1/22)
षड्धातवः समुदिताः ‘पुरुष’ इति शब्दं लभन्ते; तद्यथा- पृथिव्यापस्तेजो वायुराकाशं ब्रह्म चाव्यक्तमिति, एत एव च षड्धातवः समुदिताः ‘पुरुष’ इति शब्दं लभन्ते||४|| (Cha Sha 5/4)
What is loka
तस्मिन् क्रिया, सोऽधिष्ठानं; कस्मात्? लोकस्य द्वैविध्यात [२] ; लोको हि द्विविधः स्थावरो जङ्गमश्च; द्विविधात्मक एवाग्नेयः, सौम्यश्च, तद्भूयस्त्वात्; पञ्चात्मको वा; तत्र चतुर्विधो भूतग्रामः संस्वेदजजरायुजाण्डजोद्भिज्जसञ्ज्ञः [३] ; तत्र पुरुषः प्रधानं, तस्योपकरणमन्यत्; तस्मात् पुरुषोऽधिष्ठानम् ||२२|| (su SU sha 1/22)
Principle
‘पुरुषोऽयं लोकसम्मितः’ इत्युवाच भगवान् पुनर्वसुरात्रेयः|
यावन्तो हि लोके (मूर्तिमन्तो [१] ) भावविशेषास्तावन्तः पुरुषे, यावन्तः पुरुषे तावन्तो लोके; इत्येवंवादिनं भगवन्तमात्रेयमग्निवेश उवाच- नैतावता वाक्येनोक्तं वाक्यार्थमवगाहामहे, भगवता बुद्ध्या भूयस्तरमतोऽनुव्याख्यायमानं शुश्रूषामह इति||३||
तमुवाच भगवानात्रेयः- अपरिसङ्ख्येया लोकावयवविशेषाः, पुरुषावयवविशेषा अप्यपरिसङ्ख्येयाः; तेषां यथास्थूलं कतिचिद्भावान् सामान्यमभिप्रेत्योदाहरिष्यामः, तानेकमना निबोध सम्यगुपवर्ण्यमानानग्निवेश!|
षड्धातवः समुदिताः ‘पुरुष’ इति शब्दं लभन्ते; तद्यथा- पृथिव्यापस्तेजो वायुराकाशं ब्रह्म चाव्यक्तमिति, एत एव च षड्धातवः समुदिताः ‘पुरुष’ इति शब्दं लभन्ते||४|| (Cha Sha 5/4)
Why is lok compared with purush?
There are so many animals and plants in the lok. But why is lok compared with purush only? Acharya Sushruta has mentions Purush is the most important creative factor of the nature and another creation are made for purush .Being the most important entity of the lok, purush is compared with it.
Lok and purush are similar in many ways –
Agnishomiya - It has been written that the lok is agnishomiya. It has been written in that shukra is saumya and artava is agneya. Thus, purush which is made up of shukra and artava is also agnishomiya. Therefore, both lok and purush are agnishomiya.
Sad-dhatvamak - Charaka has described that lok is sad–dhatvatmak and is composed of panchmahabhut and avyakta bramha. Like that, purush is also sad-dhatvatmak and is composed of panchmahabhut and avyakta bramha.
Charaka has mentioned this “pind bramhand nyaya” that there is a big similarity among all the components of lok and purush. Whatever present in the lok are also present in the purush and viceversa. Although Charaka has explained this siddhant in chapter garbhavkrantisharir, he explained this separately in next chapter purushvichayasharir. In garbhavkranti sharir chapter, he has explained the similarities only in panchbhautik bhavas of purush and lok. In the next chapter purushvichaysharir, he has explained the similarities in adhyatmik and bhautik bhavas of purush and lok. Chakrapani has mentioned about the nomenclature of the chapter purushvichaysharir.
The similarities between lokgata bhavas and purushgata bhavas are explained in purushvichaysharir. Charaka has explained the similarities between twenty four lokgata and purushgata bhavas which are tabulated in Table 1
| Sr No | Lokagata Bhavas | Purushagata bhavas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prithvi | Murti |
| 2 | Aap | Kleda |
| 3 | Teja | Abhisantapa |
| 4 | Vayu | Prana |
| 5 | Viyat | Sushirani |
| 6 | Brahma | Antaratma |
| 7 | Prajapati | Manas |
| 8 | Indra | Ahankara |
| 9 | Aditya | Adana |
| 10 | Rudra | Rosha |
| 11 | Soma | Prasada |
| 12 | Vasu | Sukham |
| 13 | Ashvini | Kanti |
| 14 | Marut | Utsaha |
| 15 | Vishvadeva | Sarvendriyani sarvendriyartha (All sense organs and their objects) |
| 16 | Tamas | Moha |
| 17 | Jyoti | Jnana |
| 18 | Sarga | Garbhadhana |
| 19 | Krtyuga | Balyam |
| 20 | Treta | Youvana |
| 21 | Dvapara | Sthavirya |
| 22 | Kaliyuga | Atura |
| 23 | Yuganta | Marana |
Utility
एवमेतेनानुमानेनानुक्तानामपि लोकपुरुषयोरवयवविशेषाणामग्निवेश! सामान्यं विद्यादिति||५
Thus, O Agnivesha, analogies between various features and phenomena could be drawn from the macrocosm to understand the microcosm (and vice versa).
Identification of the purusha (man/individual) with the loka (universe) -the effect
लोके विततमात्मानं लोकं चात्मनि पश्यतः| परावरदृशः शान्तिर्ज्ञानमूला न नश्यति||२०||
If one perceives himself as extended across entire universe and vice versa (i.e., identifies his true Self with the Brahman), he is said to possess transcendental and worldly vision and his serenity of mind based on this wisdom never fades away. [20]
पश्यतः सर्वभावान् हि सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा| ब्रह्मभूतस्य संयोगो न शुद्धस्योपपद्यते||२१||
When a person realizes the presence of everything in all situations, he becomes one with Brahman, the pure. He no longer has any connection with the forces of attachment, which are the cause of misery.