Purusha Vichaya Sharira: Difference between revisions

<p style="text-align:justify;">Purusha Vichaya literally means detailed (or comprehensive) search or analysis of the person (or [[purusha]]). The preceding two chapters explained the developmental phase of an embryo to foetus and the birth of the child. This chapter deals with factors that help transform the child into a fully grown [[purusha]]. An important message from this chapter is the view that the [[purusha]] is a microcosm mirroring the universe, or the macrocosm. This is briefly indicated in the preceding chapter [Cha.Sa.[[Sharira Sthana]] 4/13], where it is said that the [[purusha]] epitomizes the universe. All the structural forms that exist in the universe also exist in [[purusha]] and vice-versa. A study of the [[purusha]] is not simply restricted to exploring the anatomy and physiology of a human being. Rather, the [[purusha]] is said to be formed of the same shad dhatu ([[panchamahabhuta]], or the five fundamental elements, and the supreme consciousness) that the universe is made of. Thus, it signifies an interdependence between the microcosm and the macrocosm. This study underscores that a person – or a human being – should not be seen in isolation, but in the context of harmony between man and the environment. </p>