PurushasuktaIts relationship to the caste systemArvind Sharma, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, Vol. !, "o. # $Oct., !%&'(,pp. %)*#+# ,onte-t.i/ Veda has ten 0ooks or 1andalas.Each 1andala has Suktas or Hymns.2radition associates a .ishi 3ith each Sukta.1andala !+ is considered the latest in .i/ Veda4,omprises !%! hymnsAddressed to A/ni, Indra, Varuna and various other devas"adistuti sukta is in praise of riversPurusha sukta is the %+th sukta, very si/ni5cant to Hindus "asadiya sukta is the !%th sukta, pro0a0ly the most cele0rated hymn in the 3est, 3hich deals 3ith creation. !st Anuvaka of Purushasukta has !' verses.2hey descri0e the creation of 6niverse from Purusha.Purushasukta 7.%+ Verses %*!8 descri0e the evolution of the 6niverse from Purusha thus /ivin/ a description of the spiritual unity of the universe. Purusha Sukta presents the nature of Purusha or the cosmic 0ein/ as 0oth immanent in the manifested 3orld and yet transcendent to it. 1anifestation of the 6niverse is descri0ed to have started 3ith the ori/ination of Virat or the cosmic 0ody $Prakriti( from the Purusha. In Virat, omnipresent intelli/ence manifests itself 3hich causes the appearance of diversity. In these verses, it is held that Purusha throu/h a sacri5ce of himself 0rin/s forth 0irds, forest*d3ellin/ and domestic animals, the Vedas, and the meters of the mantras. His mouth 0ecame the 9rahmana, arms 0ecame the .a:anya, and thi/hs 0ecame the Vaisya, and from his feet 3ere 0orn the Sudra. ;rom the Purusha came all deities * the moon from the Purusha