("Hymn to Primitive Man") The hymn in the Rig Veda
(10.90) that recounts the formation of the material and social universe as the
outcome of a primal sacrifice is known by this name.
According to the book, there was once a primal man who was
sacrificed and mutilated.
The brahmins originated from the primeval man's lips, the
kshatriyas from his shoulders, the vaishyas from his thighs (a popular
euphemism for the genitals), and the shudras from his feet, as did the four
traditional main social groupings (varnas).
This poem is thought to be one of the most recent hymns in
the Rig Veda, since it clearly represents the sacrificial paradigm that was so
fundamental to subsequent Brahmana literature.
It is also notable for articulating the four varnas for the
first time, as well as the symbolic functions associated with each: speech and
the authority of the sacred word for brahmins; protection and military valor
for kshatriyas; generation and production for vaishyas; and service to others
for shudras.
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