Meditations on Transcendence

**Ode to the Virata Purusha and Dharma** O Virata Purusha, cosmic form divine,   Thou art the vast expanse, the universe entire,   From thee, all beings and duties align,   In your boundless form, we find our desire. Thousand heads, thousand eyes, thousand feet,   Thou encompass the heavens and the earth,   Every being, every heartbeat,   Pulses with the rhythm of your eternal worth. The Brahmana, thy head, wisdom's seat,   Kshatriya, thy arms, the force of right,   Vaishya, thy thighs, sustain and greet,   Shudra, thy feet, the support in night. O Purusha, we are but cells in thee,   Our Dharma, the function of thy grand design,   To serve, to protect, to nurture, to be,   Is to walk the path where the divine and mortal entwine. Thou art the source, the end, the way,   In following thee, we find our bliss,   Through Dharma's light, we humbly sway,   Towards liberation's eternal kiss. In your vast form, we see our place,   A part of the cosmic, eternal flow,   O Virata Puru

**Dharma and the Cosmic Body: A Path to Liberation** **Synopsis:**   Dharma, the moral and ethical duty, is intrinsically tied to one's Varna, or societal role, which in turn is a reflection of the cosmic order. This cosmic order is symbolized by the Virata Purusha, the universal form of the Supreme Being. By recognizing our position within this divine body and acting accordingly, we align with the cosmic function, leading us toward liberation. The Vedas describe the Purusha as the universal being from whom all creation emerges. In the *Purusha Sukta* of the Rigveda, it is stated, *"Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt, sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vṛtvātyatiṣṭaddaśāṅgulam"* (Rigveda 10.90.1), meaning the Purusha has a thousand heads, eyes, and feet, encompassing the entire universe. Each part of this body symbolizes a function within the cosmos, and every being is a cell within this divine structure. The Brahmanas, as the head, embody knowledge and wisdom; the Kshatriyas, as

Vasur Vasurmanah Satyah Samaatma Sammitah Samah      | Amoghah Pundarikaksho Vrishakarma Vrishakritih           ||12||   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In shadows cast by ancient lore, Where dharma’s light once brightly bore, The form of Vrusha, pure and grand, Emanates truth across the land. Through avatars in myriad guise, Their essence melts the darkened lies, As layers peel, the soul stands bare, In proximity, the mind grows clear. The siddhi found in dharma's light, By avatars’ grace, dispels the night, Their stories told in simple prose, Unveil the truth beneath our woes. Apara dharma, transient thrall, Through sense and matter’s heavy pall, Dissolves when hearing tales divine, Of Vrusha’s deeds, the heart aligns. In daily rites, through sacred sound, Where Vrusha's virtues do abound, We cleanse the layers that obscure, To find the essence, pure and sure.