This question is from one of the passages of Sri Aurobindo's Essays in Philosophy and Yoga. He writes: "...there is One Spirit which supports the stir of the Universe, not many. In the individual the One Purusha has three stages of personality; He is One, but triple, trivṛt. The Upanishads speak of two birds on one tree, of which one eats the fruit of the tree, the other, seated on a higher branch, does not eat but watches its fellow;..." (CWSA 13, pg.52) When he says 'in the individual the One Purusha has three stages', What does he mean by the phrase IN THE INDIVIDUAL? and are the three stages, Prakriti, Kshara and Akshara consciousness🙂?

The Gita talks of three purushas too, but it does not refer to these as stages or realisations of the “individual”? Or does it? I always looked at the triple purushas of the Gita a little differently. Your clarification will help.

The three stages through which the Purusha discovers and recovers himself are the physical, vital and mental Purusha with corresponding physical, vital and mental personalities. During its identification with these three it is the bird tasting the sweet, bitter fruits. Turning away and knowing itself as the bird sitting above the nature it tastes its own delight.

Affectionately,

Alok Da

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The Gita talks of three purushas too, but it does not refer to these as stages or realisations of the “individual”? Or does it? I always looked at the triple purushas of the Gita a little differently. Your clarification will help.

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