Virat Purusha
Sk. I. Ch. 18 & Sk. II. Ch. I.
Vyâsa drew upon his inspiration and wrote the Bhâgavata. He taught this Purâna to his son, the wonderful Suka. Suka did not marry, as Rishis in his time did. He left his home and roamed about the world at large, stark naked. The separation was painful to Vyâsa and he went out in search of his son. While he passed near a tank, the Apsarasas, who were freely indulging in play, hastily drew up their clothes, feeling ashamed. “Strange!” exclaimed Vyâsa, “I am old and covered. But when my young son, wholly uncovered, went this way, you remained unmoved.” And the Deva-ladies replied, “Thy son knows not man and woman, but thou knowest.” This exalted Suka was the worthy propounder of the Bhâgavata Purâna.
Râjâ Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna, the successor of Râjâ Yudisthira on the throne of Hastinâpura, forgot himself in a fit of anger and placed a dead serpent round the neck of a Rishi. For this he was cursed by the Rishi’s son to meet with untimely death at the end of a week. The Râjâ became penitent and deemed the curse an act of God. He prepared himself for death and took up his abode on the sacred banks of the Ganges in company with all the Rishis. The Râjâ asked what a man on the point of death should do. The Rishis present could not give any satisfactory answer. At this time Suka appeared, followed by a host of boys, who took him to be a mad man. Suka was then only sixteen with long flowing hairs and well-built body, blooming with nature’s beauty. All rose up as they saw the very young Rishi, and gave him the first seat. He related the Bhâgavata Purâna to Parikshit in seven days.
The Râjâ repeated his question to Suka — “What is a dying man, specially one who desires to attain Moksha, to do? What are the duties of men and what are they not to do?”
Suka replied: — “A man on the approach of death is to give up all fear of death and is to cut off all likes and dislikes by dispassion. He is to leave his house, bathe in pure water and duly make his âsana in some solitary place. He is then to meditate on the three lettered Pranava with mind concentrated by Dhârâna and Dhyâna till he attains samâdhi. If, however, his mind gets distracted by Rajas and Tamas, he is again and again to practise Dhârâna.”
“What Dhârâna is it that speedily brings on concentration and purity of mind?” was the next question.
Suka replied: — “Dhârâna of the Sthûla aspect of Bhagavâna, by a fully controlled mind.” He then went on dilating on the Sthûla or Universe aspect, called Virât Purusha or Mahâpurusha. The present, the past, the future is manifest in that aspect. The Virâta Purusha is the soul of an Egg-like body with a seven-fold cover of earth, water, fire, air, âkasa, Ahankâra, and Mahat, respectively.
Pâtâla is His feet, Rasâtala His heels, Mahâtala His ankles, Talâtala His legs, Sutala His knees, Vitala the lower portion of His thighs, and Atala the upper portion.
Bhûr Loka is His loins, Bhuvar Loka His navel, Svar Loka His breast, Mahar Loka His throat, Jana Loka His mouth, Tapas Loka His forehead, and Satya Loka is the head of the thousand-headed Virât Purusha. Indra and other Usra Devas (the world Usra meaning, literally, a ray of light) are his hands.
The Dik or space gods are his ears. The twin gods Asvini Kumâra are his nose.
Agni is His mouth.
The firmament is His eyes and the Sun-god His sight.
Day and night are His eye-lashes.
The graceful movement of His eye-brows is the abode of the Supreme.
Water is His palate, taste His tongue.
The Vedas are known as His Brahmâ-randhra.
Yâma is His tusk.
The objects of affection are His teeth.
His enchanting smile is Mâyâ.
The endless creation is His side-glance.
His lower lip is shame, and the upper greed.
Dharma is His breast. Adharma His back.
Prajâpati is His generative organ.
The Mitrâ-Varuna gods are His sense of taste.
The seas are His belly, the mountains His bony system and the rivers His veins and arteries.
The trees are the hairs of the Universe-bodied.
The powerful wind-god is His breath.
Time is His movement.
His play is the flow of Gunas.
The clouds are His hairs.
Twilight is His clothing.
Prakriti is His heart.
His manas is the moon, which is the source of all transformations.
Mahat is His Chitta.
Rudra is His Ahankâra.
Horses, mules, camels and elephants are His nails.
All the other animals are His loins.
The birds are His wonderful art.
He is the abode of Manu, Buddhi and Man.
Gandharva, Vidyâdhara, Chârana and Apsaras are His musical notes.
The Asuras are His strength.
The Brâhmana is His mouth, the Kshatriya His hands, the Vaisya His thighs, and the black Sûdra His feet.
The Devas severally and collectively are His havis or sacrificial ghee, and yajna is His karma.
This is Virât Purusha. This is how the Universe-aspect of Purusha is realised in meditation, more as a means of concentration, than as the end. When the mind is sufficiently fixed by Dhârâna or contemplation of Virât Purusha, it has next to meditate on the Purusha in the heart.