puruSha sukta

Thread by @RangaTheDude on Thread Reader App – Thread Reader App

A speculation on AV pAThabheda of the puruSha sukta Rik:

Purusha sukta is found in all the 4 vedas - RV 10.90, Taittiriya Aranyaka 3.12, Vajasaneyi 31.1, SV 6.4 and AV 19.6. It’s also quoted in the kAThaka brahmana fragments. Despite the deviations in words, the number of mantras, all except AV, have “sahasrashIrShA puruShaH”.

AV alone, (both vulgate and paippalada) has “sahasrabAhuH puruShaH”. IMO, this is not accidental. Granting that the compilation and consolidation of AV corpus still needs close study,

There definitely was a phase where AV was systematizing as “kshatra veda” - refer Kaushika for the copious rAjakarmANi (royal sacrifices). IMO it is in this phase, the variant of “thousand armed” in AV crept in from “thousand headed” puruSha. After all “bAhU rAjanyaH kR^itaH” - arms of puruSha are associated with royalty

Ignoring the application in puruShamedha (vaitAna sutra of AV has brahmA doing anumantraNa), secondary AV literature has applications in a Saturn pacification ritual and the ritual donation of land and gold.

As per shAntikalpa, After AjyabhAga offering, havis is offered to the sun with viShAsahi mantras and for Saturn, sahasrabAhu, kena pArShNI and prANAya namaH mantras are deployed.

In the ritual donation of land/gold, kAmasUkta, kAlasUkta and puruShasUkta are deployed as per AV parishishta.

I suspect the AV ritual with targeted deployment of AV puruShasUkta is lost to us.

interesting thought. However, we know it is also called the brahmaveda :-)

My speculation for that is the copious “adhyAtmic” sUktas that are either upaniShadic precursor or at the same layer. This could even be a conscious attempt to reinforce the brahma’s role in shrauta.