IKS06 The Ancient Blueprint of Life

Vedic Philosophy of Purushartha and the Cosmos

Dr Sudheendra S G summarizes key themes and concepts from the provided source, focusing on the intricate relationship between the human purpose (Purushartha), the soul (Purusha), matter (Prakriti), and the Vedic understanding of creation and human existence.

I. The Purpose of Education: Fulfilling Purushartha

The Indian Vedic learning system fundamentally defines education as a means to "fulfil one man’s purpose in life." This purpose is termed "Purushartha," a concept deeply rooted in the Rig Veda. The learning incorporated into an individual's life is therefore tailored to the specific "purpose the man wants to achieve in his life." Understanding Purushartha requires delving into the "navidisa sutra of chandogya Upanishad in Saama veda" and the explanations found in the Brahmanda Purana.

II. Brahmanda Purana: Creation, Purusha, and Prakriti

The Brahmanda Purana, an ancient text recompiled by V. R. Ramachandra Dikshithar in the 1920s, serves as a foundational text for understanding creation and life in the Vedic context.

• Cosmic Creation: "Basically Brahmanda purana is all about creation of our cosmos and life."
• Purusha and Prakriti: The Purana introduces two fundamental terms:
• Purusha: Refers to "the self or atman" (soul). Every life is identified as Purusha.
• Prakriti: Represents "matter."
• The core interaction is that "Purusha interacts with prakrithi."

III. Nabhi and the Journey of the Atman: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

The Brahmanda Purana offers a profound explanation of the "nabhi" (umbilical cord) and its role in the soul's entry into the body, drawing striking parallels to modern scientific discoveries.

• Nabhi as a Conduit for Consciousness: Beyond its biological function of transferring "food and carbohydrates," the nabhi is described as "the source through which our conscious or atman travels into the human body."
• Tvasta: The Vedic Blueprint (DNA): The nabhi also carries an element called "tvasta." According to the Rig Veda, "the entire functioning of the body, about how the digestive system has to work, how the heart should pump, how the lungs should function are all programmed in this tvasta and this tvasta will then drive the human body to perform all the actions and processes." Crucially, the text states, "Twasta of rig veda is what we call as DNA today."
• Nabhi as a "Factory Reset" Mechanism (Stem Cells): The Purana offers a remarkable analogy to mobile phone technology: "Similarly nabhi or the stem cells In umbilical cord contains the entire backup of the human body and its functionalities." This is likened to a phone's "backup image" for "factory reset settings."
• Mahabharata and Stem Cell Inspiration: The story of Gandhari and the 100 foetuses in the Mahabharata is presented as a "practical example" of this concept. Vedavyasaru is depicted as removing "the stem cell from the nabhi of Gandhari" to save the foetuses. The text explicitly states that "researchers themselves today admit that this concept of storing umbilical cord of stem cells was inspired by brahmanda purana of vedas." This highlights the idea that "the basic concepts explained behind it can trigger new ideas to restore mankind."
• Journey through Chakras: Once the "Purusha ie the atman enters the body and travels through the bone marrow from the mooladhara chakra to the top." The "mooladhara chakra is the energy point through which purusha or atman enters the body and starts to travel upwards in the bone marrow towards the brain."

IV. Maya: The Illusion of Interaction

Upon entering the body, the Purusha begins its interaction with Prakriti, leading to the creation of "maya," or illusion.

• Interaction through Senses: "As purusha one he enters the body, he starts to interact with prakriti through his five senses. He experiences life through five senses and this experience creates an illusion in him and this illusion is called as maya."
• Sprishya and Parya (Tangible and Intangible): Brahmanda Purana categorizes existence into two stages:
• Sprishya (Tangible): "Something that can be touched, felt and seen," and "anything that our five senses can sense." Prakriti itself is sprishya.
• Parya (Intangible): "Something that can only be experienced but cannot be touched, felt or seen." This refers to experiences that only the "conscious it purusha can sense."
• Maya as Intangible Feeling: The source provides an example: while a flower and its smell are tangible, "the happiness that our mind of purusha feels when he smells a good smell and the feeling of asaihya or bibitsa a man experiences when he smells a bad smell is what we call as parya or intangible and this intangible feeling that purusha experiences by his interaction with prakriti is called as maya." This suggests that feelings like happiness or disgust "never actually exist and it is created through illusion in our mind."
• Yoga and Control of Maya: The text briefly mentions "yoga" as "a school of philosophy in Indian education system...which trains a man or educates a man on how he can control the illusions maya creates in our mind."

V. Purushartha: The Aim Defined by Maya's Influence

The "level of influence of maya over a purusha determines his purushaartha."

• Purushartha Defined: It is composed of "Purusha and artha," meaning "what does a purusha or a atman wants. It determines his aim."
• Obstacles to the Atman's Journey: The journey of the Purusha towards the brain through the seven energy points is obstructed by "maya the illusion created by the interaction of purusha with nature ie prakrithi."
• Levels of Purushartha: This obstruction causes the "purusha [to] get stuck at different level of energy points and this creates different purusharthas." These are broadly divided into "three levels: Artha dharma and moksha." The briefing concludes by stating that "Learning is based on purushartha," setting the stage for further exploration of these levels.