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PURUSHA SUKTHAM
The pleroma was the place from which human souls emerged. Originally, it was the substance of the realm of God. When the substance was drained off and separated into different vessels, souls formed. The souls took on individual egos because they saw themselves as disconnected from the world. In truth however, each soul was the same thing. This is easily seen in the idea of the Sea from which every human soul came and into which every soul returned during Instrumentality. It is the original state of the human soul.
In gnosticism, the term "Creator" is reserved for the Demiurge and his Archons. "Salvation" for gnostics means, literally, the fusion of the divine element of man (the "pneuma", which is different from the soul) with the ultimate godhead." That is the gnostic story.
Verse 13
THE CREATION OF CASTE FROM HIS BODY
brAhmaNo asya mukhamAseet | bAhoo rAjanya: krta: ooru tadasya yad vaishya padbhyAm shoodro ajAyata || 13 |
His mouth formed the Brahmin (teacher or Priest), his two arms were made the Rajaanya (Kshathriya or warrior), his two thighs the Vaisyaa (traders or Agriculturist) and from his feet the Soodhra (worker or servant) was born.
This verse is usually used to support the caste system and to support that Brahmins are somehow superior to the rest of the members. There is no mention of any superiority or hierarchy intended here. It is primarily intended to establish the organic oneness of mankind and all living creatures and even the material world.
The caste system evolved only when a hierarchy is implied. This was brought into the Vedic thought only by the 8th C AD with the writing of Manusmriti. According to Manu Dharma Sastra, the Brahmins held 'spiritual power' (Priests); the Kshatriyas held executive 'secular power' (Kings); the Vaisyas held 'economic power' and the Sudras held 'labor power'. I should assume that this was the period when Brahmins who were relegated to the past took over the new religious movement. Caste system came in prominence once again by the 8th century as the brahminic domination came into effect. In direct contrast is the period of Mahabali which was overthrown by Vamana incarnation of Vishnu. This must have been sometime between the third and the sixth century. In the sixth century the Brahmin immigration and domination came in effect in Malabar through the suicide terrorism of the Brahmin Whether this portion was interpolated later after the 6th century or not cannot be asserted since the verse itself does not speak of any domination of one class by the other. It only speaks of interdependence..
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