Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c8.37

c8.37

**Virāṭ Purusha.** The Purusha-Sūkta further states that the Virāṭ Purusha sacrificed Himself to Himself. X, 81, 1, makes this clear by stating that the Supreme God chooses (by way of what is called His *līlā*) to offer up the whole Universe as an oblation to Himself. The Universe is periodically dissolved in Him who remains the sole Creator to recreate it: "*Ya imā visvā bhuvanāni juhūt ṚishirHotā nyasīdat Pitā naḥ.*" This only means that creation includes a process of evolution and its ultimate dissolution by involution in the Source from Which it arises. As we have seen, Creation originates with the desire of Brahma: "*Saḥ akāmayata bahu syāṁ prajāyeya,*" "Let Me be Many, let Me grow." This indicates three stages in creation, viz. (1) His Will "to be", called *Bhūḥ*, (2) Process of "being", manifestation, called *Bhuvaḥ*, and (3) the manifestations themselves called *Svaḥ*. These three correspond to: (1) *Prāṇa*, the life breathed into creation; (2) *Prakṛiti*, processes of biological evolution; and (3) *Prakriyā*, what *Prāṇa* grows into. These three stages in creation are indicated in the three constituent elements of the word *Yajña*, viz. (1) *Ya* = *saṁyata, antasthaḥ*, implicit, implied; (2) *Jana* = *janma*, manifestation, what is rendered explicit; (3) *As* = the growth itself, the manifested state. Thus the Vedic philosophy of creation is that "we are all evolved out of His will, by His will we are emancipated and merged in Him after growth or expansion": "*Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante Yena jātāni jīvanti Yat prayantyabhisaṁvisanti.*"