ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Social Bases of Religion This passage from the Rig Veda, perhaps the oldest religious text in the world, describes how Purusa, the primordial being, was sacrificed to create the world. This myth relates how the original unity of existence was destroyed in order to create the diversity that exists in the world, including the heavens, the earth, and the Gods. By dying, Purusa also gave birth to the caste system, and the relative positions and responsibilities of the various castes can be traced back to their original positions on his body.
