The gods performed the sacrifice to overcome the demons, the representatives of sin. Therefore the horse sacrifice removes all sin.
After much fantastic symbolism the following lesson in the form of a mantra is extracted from the parable of Creation:—
“From the unreal lead me to the real, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to immortality.”
The Upanishadic treatment of the Purusha myth differs somewhat from the Vedic, and is intended to strengthen the Monotheistic tendencies displayed in some of the hymns.
When the Universal soul, according to this later doctrine, took at the beginning “the shape of a man” ... he “beheld nothing but himself”.
“He said first This, I am. Hence the name of ‘I’ was produced. Therefore, even now a man, when called, says first, ‘It is I’, and tells afterwards any other name that belongs to him. And, because He, as the first of all of them consumed by fire all the sins, therefore he is called Purusha....
He was afraid; therefore man, when alone, is afraid. He then looked round. Since nothing but myself exists, of whom should I be afraid? Hence his fear departed; for whom should he fear, since fear arises from another.
He did not feel delight. Therefore nobody, when alone, feels delight. He was desirous of a second. He was in the same state as husband (Pati) and wife (Patni).... He divided this self twofold. Hence were husband and wife produced. Therefore was this only a half of himself, as a split pea is of the whole.... This void is thus completed by woman. He approached her. Hence men were born.”
The first two “mortals” then assumed the forms of all creatures, male and female in turn. They were, in order, the first cattle, the first horses, the first asses, the first goats, the first sheep, and so on. “In this manner He created every living pair whatsoever down to the ants.” Then he reflected and said: “I am verily this creation, for I created this all.”
The lesson then follows. Men say, “Sacrifice to this, sacrifice to this, sacrifice to one or the other god?” But these words are “not proper”, because “He is really this creation; for he verily is all the gods”.
Thus the first Being, as a commentator remarked, “whose nature comprehended all elements, who is eternal, who is not conceived by thought, sprang forth by himself.... He consumed all sins, for unless one is in a worldly state he cannot consume sins.... Being mortal he created immortals.”[145]
From the myth of the chaos-giant Purusha we pass to the higher pantheistic conception of Brahmă, the soul of the Universe.