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I asked a Pundit about how the universe is created and where from human came first. While he was describing as mentioned in Vedas, he said that human are created from different parts of the body of Brahma as below.

Brahmin are created from the Mouth of Brahma.

Kshatritya are created from the Arms of Brahma

Vaishya are created from the Thighs of Brahma.

Shudra are created from the Legs of Brahma.

This nice question describes how the entire universe is created by brahma. However,I wish to know, where from human came first? Is it the same way I listen above?

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    "Mouth of Brahma..." No, it's from Vishnu or Supreme God.
    – user6981
    Jan 28, 2018 at 16:34
  • Purusha suktam say something about how varna created at first, not how humans created.
    – user9554
    Jan 28, 2018 at 16:35
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    @Secret It's from Purusha and interpretation varies.
    – The Destroyer
    Jan 28, 2018 at 16:54
  • @TheDestroyer Is Brahma interpreted as Purusha?
    – user6981
    Jan 28, 2018 at 17:09
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    I think the pundit wanted to say "brahman" not Brahma, brahma is prajapati the God from hiranyagarbha, while purusha is addressed to supreme brahman- the origin of hiranyagarbha too Jan 28, 2018 at 17:39

3 Answers 3

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Almost yes but replace bramha with purush in purush sukta Purusha sukta (puruṣasūkta ) is hymn 10.90 of the Rigveda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being".

11 When they divided Puruṣa how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?

12 The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made. His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.

Rigveda 10.90.11

Although morden scholarship says that it is later added verse because in whole rigveda doesn mention caste.

But this doesn't make it only creation theory in rigveda there are many like hiranyagarbha sukta It finds mention in one hymn of the Rigveda (RV 10.121), known as the Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta, suggesting a single creator deity (verse 8: yo deveṣv ādhi devā eka āsīt, Griffith: "He is the God of gods, and none beside him."), identified in the hymn as Prajāpati .

  1. IN the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created beings. He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. What God shall we adore with our oblation?

2 Giver of vital breath, of power and vigour, he whose commandments all the Gods acknowledge -. The Lord of death, whose shade is life immortal. What God shall we adore with our oblation?

Rigveda (RV 10.121) )

Along there is devi sukta too.The Devīsūkta (ungrammatically split as Devi Sukta), also called the Aṃbhṛnīsūkta , is the 125th sūtka (hymn) occurring in the 10th mandala of the Ṛgveda

  1. I TRAVEL with the Rudras and the Vasus, with the Ādityas and All-Gods I wander. I hold aloft both Varuṇa and Mitra, Indra and Agni, and the Pair of Aśvins.

2 I cherish and sustain high-swelling Soma, and Tvaṣṭar I support, Pūṣan, and Bhaga. I load with wealth the zealous sdcrificer who pours the juice and offers his oblation

3 I am the Queen, the gatherer-up of treasures, most thoughtful, first of those who merit worship. Thus Gods have stablished me in many places with many homes to enter and abide in.

4 Through me alone all eat the food that feeds them,—each man who sees, brewhes, hears the word outspoken They know it not, but yet they dwell beside me. Hear, one and all, the truth as I declare it.

The Rig Veda/Mandala 10/Hymn 125

And the Nasadiya Sukta The Nasadiya Sukta (after the incipit ná ásat, or "not the non- existent"), also known as the Hymn of Creation , is the 129th hymn of the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda (10:129). It is concerned with cosmology and the origin of the universe .

  1. THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?

2 Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was there, the day's and night's divider. That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever.

3 Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was indiscriminated chaos. All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit.

4 Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit. Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non- existent.

5 Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it? There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder

6 Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?

7 He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not.

Rigveda:10:129

So there are many on vishwakarma too:— http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10081.htm

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Since you are asking from Vedas perspective, so I am giving the answer from Rig Veda. In Rig Veda, Mandala 10, Sukta 90 it is mentioned that, Brahmins came from Purusha's mouth, Kshatriya from His arms, Vaishya from His thighs and Shudra from His feet. This Sukta is also known as Purusha Sukta.

बराह्मणो.अस्य मुखमासीद बाहू राजन्यः कर्तः |
ऊरूतदस्य यद वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत ||

The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made. His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.

Now, there are various Puranas and other scriptures that confirm the same. I am giving some examples below:

Shrimada Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 5.

विप्रो मुखाद्ब्रह्म च यस्य गुह्यं राजन्य आसीद्भुजयोर्बलं च
ऊर्वोर्विडोजोऽङ्घ्रिरवेदशूद्रौ प्रसीदतां नः स महाविभूतिः ॥ ८.५.४१ ॥

The brāhmaṇas and Vedic knowledge come from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the kṣatriyas and bodily strength come from His arms, the vaiśyas and their expert knowledge in productivity and wealth come from His thighs, and the śūdras, who are outside of Vedic knowledge, come from His feet. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full in prowess, be pleased with us.

Vishnu Purana, Book 1, Chapter 6.

PARÁŚARA.--Formerly, oh best of Brahmans, when the truth-meditating Brahmá was desirous of creating the world, there sprang from his mouth beings especially endowed with the quality of goodness; others from his breast, pervaded by the quality of foulness; others from his thighs, in whom foulness and darkness prevailed; and others from his feet, in whom the quality of darkness predominated. These were, in succession, beings of the several castes, Brahmans, Kshetriyas, Vaisyas, and Śúdras, produced from the mouth, the breast, the thighs, and the feet of Brahmá.

Manu Smriti, 1.31.

लोकानां तु विवृद्ध्यर्थं मुखबाहूरुपादतः ।
ब्राह्मणं क्षत्रियं वैश्यं शूद्रं च निरवर्तयत् ॥ ३१ ॥

With a view to the development of the (three) regions, He brought into existence the Brāhmaṇa, the Kṣatriya, the Vaiśya and the Śūdra, from out of His mouth, arms, thighs and feet (respectively).—(31)

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The creation hymn of Rig Veda is the oldest creation theory proposed in Hindu scripture. It is also the oldest recorded creation theory in the history of humankind. It is very poetic, and it talks about possibilities and speculations.

Later in Samkhya philosophy, we find a fully formed creation theory. Vedantins later adopted the Samkhya view on creation. So that theory becomes the standard Hindu creation theory. It can be found in any standard text on Samkhya or Vedanta (for example, Advaita Vedanta a philosophical reconstruction written by Eliot Deutsch, Professor of Eastern Philosophy, University of Hawaii).


Creation Hymn (Nasadiya)

Rig Veda X.129

Prajapati Paramesthin

"There was neither non-existence nor existence then. There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then. There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day. That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse. Other than that there was nothing beyond.

Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning, with no distinguishing sign, all this was water. The life force that was covered with emptiness, that One arose through the power of heat.

Desire came upon that One in the beginning, that was the first seed of mind. Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom found the bond of existence in non-existence.

Their cord was extended across. Was there below? Was there above? There were seed-placers, there were powers. There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.

Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen - perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not - the One who looks down on it, in the highest heaven, only He knows - or perhaps even He does not know."


Translated by Wendy Doniger O,Flaherty

Rig Veda An Anthology (Penguin Books)

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