PURUSHA CHARACTERISTICS

THIS POSTING IS BASED ON "JNANA SINDHU'
WRITTEN BY AVADHUTHA CHIDANANDA --

'PURUSHA LAKSHANA PRAKARANA'
(PURUSHA CHARACTERISTICS CHAPTER)

PURUSHA (SANSKRIT PURUṢA, पुरुष) IS A COMPLEX 
CONCEPT WHOSE MEANING EVOLVED IN VEDIC 
AND UPANISHADIC TIMES. DEPENDING ON SOURCE 
AND HISTORICAL TIMELINE, IT MEANS THE COSMIC 
MAN OR IT MEANS SELF, CONSCIOUSNESS, AND 
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE.

THE MEANING OF PURUSHA EVOLVED TO AN ABSTRACT 
ESSENCE OF SELF, SPIRIT AND THE UNIVERSAL 
PRINCIPLE THAT IS ETERNAL, INDESTRUCTIBLE, 
WITHOUT FORM AND ALL PERVASIVE.

PURUSHA IN MUNDUKA UPANISHAD --

SPLENDID AND WITHOUT A BODILY FORM IS THIS 
PURUSA, WITHOUT AND WITHIN, UNBORN, WITHOUT 
LIFE BREATH AND WITHOUT MIND, HIGHER THAN THE 
SUPREME ELEMENT. FROM HIM ARE BORN LIFE 
BREATH AND MIND. HE IS THE SOUL OF ALL BEINGS.

ISHA UPANISHAD --

पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि
I am He, the Purusha within thee.

— Isha Upanishad, Hymn 16 Abridged

PURUSHA IN ALL

THOSE WHO SEE ALL CREATURES IN THEMSELVES 

AND THEMSELVES IN ALL CREATURES KNOW NO FEAR.

THOSE WHO SEE ALL CREATURES IN THEMSELVES

AND THEMSELVES IN ALL CREATURES KNOW NO GRIEF.
HOW CAN THE MULTIPLICITY OF LIFE
DELUDE THE ONE WHO SEES ITS UNITY?

BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD DEVELOPS THE 

CONCEPT OF THE PURUSHA AS FOLLOWS --

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS ONLY BRAHMAN (SELF). 

IT WAS ALONE, UNDIFFERENTIATED AND UNMANIFESTED. 

IT IS CALLED PURUSHA. THE WORD “I” WAS BORN WHEN 

PURUSHA BECAME CONSCIOUS OF HIMSELF. PURUSHA 

WAS NOT HAPPY BEING ALONE. SO HE PROJECTED OUT 

OF HIMSELF A PAIR – THE MALE PRINCIPLE AND THE 

FEMALE PRINCIPLE. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE 

UNIVERSE OF LIVING BEINGS. URGE TO REPRODUCE IS 

A COSMIC URGE; THERE IS NOTHING TO FEEL 

EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT.

THE ENTIRE CREATION IS SELF, THE COSMIC PERSON 

HIMSELF. THE FOOD THAT WE EAT AND THE ENERGY 

THAT IS DERIVED FROM IT IS ALSO HE ALONE. HE 

MADE THE UNIVERSE DIFFERENTIATED BY NAME AND 

FORM. HE ENTERED ALL THESE DIFFERENTIATED 

ENTITIES OF THE UNIVERSE UP TO THE TIPS OF THEIR 

NAILS LIKE A SWORD IN ITS SCABBARD, LIKE THE FIRE 

IN ITS SOURCE. HE IS THE PERSON THAT BREATHES, 

SEES, SPEAKS, HEARS, AND THINKS. HE IS THE SELF 

THAT SHOULD BE MEDITATED UPON AS A TOTALITY. 

EVERYTHING BECOMES ONE IN HIM. THIS WHOLE 

UNIVERSE IS LIKE FOOTPRINTS WHICH ULTIMATELY 

LEAD TO HIM ALONE.

THAT SELF WHICH IS THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS ALSO 

THE SELF IN ME, IN YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE. 

THEREFORE I AM ALL THIS TOTALITY, BRAHMAN.

PURUSHA IN KENA UPANISHAD --

PURUSHA IS THE GREAT PRINCIPLE OR FORCE
WHOSE PRESENCE IS NECESSARY TO AWAKE
CREATIVE ENERGY AND SEND IT OUT WORKING
INTO AND ON SHAPES OF MATTER. FOR THIS REASON
PURUSHA IS THE NAME USUALLY APPLIED TO
CONDITIONED BRAHMAN.

PURUSHA IN KATHA UPANISHAD --

BEYOND THE GREAT ATHMAN IS THE UNMANIFESTED.
BEYOND THE UNMANIFESTED IS PURUSHA(THE
COSMIC SOUL). BEYOND PURUSHA THERE IS
NOTHING ELSE. THAT IS THE END,THAT IS THE GOAL.

REFER ALSO PURUSHA SUKTHA IN RIG VEDA---
(Only few examples given here)

THE PURUSHA (THE UNIVERSAL BEING) HAS THOUSAND
HEADS, THOUSAND EYES AND THOUSAND FEET
(THOUSAND SIGNIFIES INNUMERABLE WHICH POINTS
TO THE OMNIPRESENCE OF THE UNIVERSAL BEING),

HE ENVELOPS THE WORLD FROM ALL SIDES (I.E. HE
PERVADES EACH PART OF THE CREATION), AND
EXTENDS BEYOND IN THE TEN DIRECTIONS
( REPRESENTED BY TEN FINGERS ),

THE PURUSHA IS INDEED ALL THIS (CREATION) IN 
ESSENCE; THAT WHICH EXISTED IN THE PAST, AND 
THAT WHICH WILL EXIST IN THE FUTURE,


 EVERYTHING (I.E THE WHOLE CREATION) IS WOVEN 
BY THE IMMORTAL ESSENCE OF THE GREAT LORD 
(PURUSHA); 
BY BECOMING FOOD OF WHICH (I.E. BY 
GETTING CONSUMED IN WHOSE IMMORTAL ESSENCE 
THROUGH SURRENDER) ONE TRANSCENDS THE 
GROSS WORLD (AND BECOMES IMMORTAL).

THERE, IN THE CREATION, HE PERVADES ALL THE
LIVING ( WHO EATS ) AND THE NON-LIVING ( WHO
DOES NOT EAT ) BEINGS.

THE MOON WAS BORN FROM HIS MIND AND THE
SUN WAS BORN FROM HIS EYES,
INDRA AND AGNI (FIRE) WERE BORN FROM HIS
MOUTH, AND VAYU (WIND) WAS BORN FROM
HIS BREATH.

VICHARA FOR OUR READERS-- PL. ANALYZE

( ALL GREAT SAINTS LIKE ADI SHANARACHARYA,
  RAMANA MAHARSHI, SWAMI NITHYANANDA, SWAMI
  VIVEKANANDA,SWAMI SIVANANDA HAVE DECLARED
  THAT " THIS WORLD WAS NOT THERE, IS NOT THERE,
  WILLNOT BE THERE", IT IS MITHYA(REAL-UNREAL)
  LIKE DREAM, WHOLE EXPERIENCE PLAYED OUT 
  ONLY IN MENTAL PLANE, YET VEDAS, UPANISHADS
  DESCRIBE THIS WORLD, CREATION OF UNIVERSE,
  AS IF THEY ARE REAL !!!!

  OUR EXPERIENCE SHOWS WHAT ABOVE SAINTS
  TOLD IS CORRECT, AS IN SAMADHI STATE WORLD,
  BODY VISION DISAPPEARS.)

PURUSHA CHARACTERISTICS  --(PURUSHA LAKSHANA PRAKARANA)

Parameshwara teaching Shanmuga

'Parameshwara teaching Shanmuga' postings are based on

'Jnana Sindhu' writings of great CHIDANANDA AVADHUTHA 

of very high spiritual level based on VEDANTHA

(UPANISHATHS). He had given the copy of the book to the 

parents of a future Avadhutha even before the baby was 

born, telling parents Goddess will take birth as their son & 

to give the book to the boy when he would be twelve 

year old, who is destined to become an Avadhutha by name 

AJATHA NAGALINGA SWAMY at NAVALAGUNDHA 

in north Karnataka.

Karthikeya did Namaskara to His Father & requested Him

to explain 'PURUSHA CHARACTERISTICS(LAKSHANA)'

Hara told as follows --

My Son ! now I shall tell you 'Purusha Lakshana', hear with

concentration. 'Purusha Lakshana' is actually experienced in 

practice,even then Vedas have described it by giving ordinary

comparisons, I shall tell you the same.

'Pura' means body, one who is residing in that is called 

'Purusha', Even if Purusha is residing in body, he is not

influenced by it in the least, just as lotus leaf which  is always 

in water is not affected by water.

Purusha resides in this body(Deha Pura) made out of 

24 principles. 

My Child ! first I shall explain to you about this body, 

then you think you are Purusha & know its characteristics.

This body has 2 shoulders, 2 thighs, 2 hands, 2 forelegs, 

2 hadadi(feet ?) thus there are 10 main parts.

Ida, Pingala named 2 bazars(row of shops)-- These are 2 Nadis

on either side of Sushumna Nadi(Spinal chord)

72000 Nadis as minor roads.

7 coloured skin covering is comparable to 7 rounds of Forts.

Shoulder is  load bearing(Alaveri - ಆಳಾವೆೇರಿ ? ) part.

Determination to achieve desire(sankalpa) is road used by 

thieves(chora marga)

Discarded stuff(poo-mala) is mud of phlegm.

On the fort(skin) grass like growth of hairs numbering Three 

and half crores, comparable to supporting stems driven on 

ground, which have built decorations of desire.

Well containing blood, waist string, garland of muscles, 

mud puddle of semen, walls of fat & flesh, Skeleton made 

out of bones like temples,decorative high structure(gopura).

Three types of  heat, pains(thapa thraya) called house.

Face comparable to Palace.

32 teeth comparable to pillars. 

This way body-town exists. 

To North of this town there are two doors called Ears. 

Two eyes, below that two openings of nose, mouth opening,

opening for procreation(Linga), anus opening to discharge

waste, thus there are Seven openings.

Totally there are Nine Openings called Nava dwaras, giving 

good looks to this town called body, for which Mind is the

keeper of the place, intellect is Minister, memory bank called 

as Chitta is Clerk, Ten Soldiers--Five parts of senses

(5 Jnanendriyas) & Five parts of Action(karmendriyas). 

Five Pranas are Drivers, various types of doubts are droughts.

This way when the town-body is ready, then Athma(Soul)

enters the body, next Prakriti puts garland called 
Ego(Ahankara). Due to this Athma(Soul) forgets himself, 
gets called as Jeeva, by the influence of Self-Pride(abhimana) 
forgets that he is Ishwara & thinks by ignorance 
he is body-town. 

By the influence of Prakriti, telling 'I am body', Jeeva 
undergoes cycle of birth,death, drowning himself in sorrow, 

unable to find the shore, wanders aimlessly as if in dream ! 

Through the face of sensual equipment, enjoying various types 

of sensual pleasures, through the face of mind, carrying out

various sensual actions, entrapped himself in doubts, 

Purusha himself became 'Jeeva'.

Lust(desire), anger, unhappiness, showy due to ego(dambha), 
tamasa(bad characteristics), sins, greed for money(lobha),
 love, desire to possess(moha), sex, head weight due
to ego(mada), cheating(kapata) etc.having these bad qualities,
he is being called 'Jeeva', even though in reality he is GOD --
'Paramathma'.  

He hears through ears, he is happy through mind, he tastes 
through tongue, eats through mouth, this way Athma himself
has made this body as his house, people without knowing 
Him due to ignorance are having wrong notions(bhrame)
He sees through eyes, smells through nose, enjoys inside 
this body in various ways, makes humorous actions, runs due 
to fear, people are not knowing this Athma.

Seeing their child's hands & feet, calling it as son, ignorant 
people show excess love &  play with it. Wife says that child
should be named after her father, husband says it should be 
named after his father, thus fighting breaks out. Athma which
has no name & form, people telling name has to be kept is 
height of ignorance !  

The child which has not even one sign that it is theirs, call it 
as their son. People light lamps to God as a son is born, but
nobody tells " Para Shiva has born & come". This day is Hari;s
(Vishnu'S) day or Shivaratri, telling so people resort to fasting
which is limitation of mind(bandhaka), when I have taken form 
of body, they forget me & earn sins. Athma has taken body to
eat, wear cloths & not for fasting. Ignorant people forget 
themselves as to who they are & with Dvaitha bhava(thinking 
God is other than me), they succumb to limitation of mind.

My Son ! I, myself have taken the form of fire & resides in the 
stomach of all living beings as 'fire of digestion' to digest the
food eaten by them, this being the fact, fasting is for whom ?
Fire in Sun & Moon, resulting bright light in them are due to 
Me, I reside in bodies of all living beings, from all Vedas, I am
the one gaining knowledge. At all times, in all states I am 
only there, I only took on body in all living beings & being 
called as Purusha. Leaving the body, I become the witness 
to everything & is being called as Mahapurusha. When I take
on body or when I leave the body, I am the only ONE being 
there & nobody else. Great Munis realize me in their heart sky
(hridaya-akasha) as bright light, knowing their Jeeva is 
Paramathma Himself ! Ordinary worldly people whose intellect 
thinks of duality(dvaitha), are not in a position to see me !

My Child ! By my will only I became Jeeva. By My own Maya
I take many births, under go suffering, experience Happiness,
Sorrow, undergo Birth & Death. Everything is Myself Only & 
there is nothing else!

I am not Male nor Female nor Transgender, I am formless,
nameless(to have name form should be there), no body parts,
no birth & death, I don't reduce or increase, mainly Vedas 
do not know me as a whole, even Agasthya, Narada etc. can 
tell about Me, only what they have seen, heard, actually 
nobody knows fully about me !

In this world there are two types of Chandalas(dog meat 
eater) --
1) One who has forgotten teaching of Guru.
   One who has lost respect from Guru,is he not a Chandala ?

2) One who gives back abuse,blame,hate to the first person
     who did the same.
    When I am pervading everything, one who gives back 
    hatred, is he not Chandala ?

For Hell there are three doors -- Desire(kama), Anger(krodha),
                                                  Greed(lobha)
If you get rid of them, you will be saved from Hell.

If you think that you are all pervading Athma, you attain
Jeevanmukthi ie, get liberated while living itself.

This body-town(Deha Puri) made out of 24 principles, in which 
residing Jeeva himself is Purusha. You are that chinmatra
(Pure thought,intelligence) there is no doubt about it. Your 
Body is Pura(township), Jeeva residing in that is Purusha.
You have been enveloped by power of Maya(avarana shakthi),
you have forgotten yourself. So if you destroy that covering
by Viveka ie, knowledge of Athma(which is real) & Anathma
(which are illusory,unreal), you become Paramathma Himself.
For you to understand clearly, I explained to you that body is
township(Pura), Dehi(Jeeva) who resides inside body is 
Purusha. If you think you are that Purusha, there is no need
to analyse or contemplate.

This knowledge should not be told to bad people who are 
egoistic, who argue on difference between Jeeva & Athma,
atheists(those who do not believe in God). Karthkeya drowned
in ocean of happiness on hearing this explanation by 
Shankara & started to pray lotus feet of Shiva.

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