Purusha Suktam
sahasra SIrshA purusha: | sahasrAksha: sahasrapAt |
sa bhUmim vishvato vRtvA | atyatishTad daSAngulam
A thousand heads had Purusha, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet ;
He covered earth on every side and covered ten fingers breadth beyond.
2.
purusha evedaGM sarvam | yad bhUtam yac ca bhavyam |
utAmRtatvasyeshAnaH | yad annenAtirohati
The Purusha is all that yet has been and all that is to be;
The Lord of immortality who waxes greater still by food.
3.
etAvAn asya mahima | ato jyAyAGSca pUrusha: |
pAdo 'sya vishvA bhUtAni | tripAdasyAmRtam divi
So mighty is His greatness, yea greater than this is Purusha,
All creatures are one-fourth of Him, three-fourths eternal life in Heaven.
4.
tripAd Urdhva udait purusha: | pAdo 'syehAbhavatpuna: |
tato vishva.n vyakrAmat | sASanAnaSane abhi
With this three-fourths, Purusha went up: one fourth of Him again was here,
Thence He strode out on every side over what eats not and what does.
5.
tasmAt virAd ajAyata | virAjo adhipUrusha : |
sa jAto atyaricyata | pashcAd bhUmimatho pura:
From Him Viraj was born; again Purusha from Viraj was born,
As soon as He was born He spread eastward and westward o’er the earth.
6.
yatpurushena havishA | devA yajnam atanvata |
vasanto asyAsI-dAjyam | grIshma idhma Saraddhavi:
When Gods prepared their sacrifice with Purusha as their offering
Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn and summer the wood.
7.
saptAsyA san paridaya: | tri: sapta: samida: krtA: |
deva yad yajnam tanvAnA: | abadhnan purusham paSum
Seven fencing logs had He, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared,
When Gods celebrating the sacrifice bound the Cosmic Person as the offering.
8.
tam yajnam barhishi prokshan | purusham jAtam agrata: |
tena devA ayajanta | sAdhyA RshayaS ca ye
They balmed as offering on the grass Purusha born in the earliest times,
With Him the deities and all Sadhyas and Rishis sacrificed.
9.
tasmAd yajnAt sarvahuta: | sambhRtam prshadAjyam |
pashUGs tAGS cakre vAyavyAn | AraNyAn grAmyAs ca ye
From that great general sacrifice, the dripping fat was gathered up:
He formed the creature of the air and animals both wild and tame.
10.
tasmAd yajnAt sarvahuta: | Rca: sAmAni jajnire |
chandAGMsi jajnire tasmAt | yajus tasmAd ajAyanta
From that sacrifice, Richas and Sama-hymns were born:
Therefrom the meters were produced, Yajus had its birth from it.
11. tasmAdashvA ajAyanta | ye ke cobhayAdata: |
gAvoham jagnyire tasmAt | tasmajjatA ajAvaya:
From it were horses born and all creatures with two rows of teeth:
From it were generated the cows, from it the goats and sheep born.
12. yat puruSHam vyadadhu: | katidhA vyakalpayan |
mukham kimasya kau bAhoo | kavooroo pAdA ucyete
When they divided the Purusha how many portions did they make?
What do they call His mouth, arms? And what do they call His thighs and feet?
13. brAhmaNo asya mukhamAseet | bAhoo rAjanya: krta: |
ooru tadasya yad vaishya | padbhyAm shoodro ajAyata
The Brahmin was the mouth and Rajanya, the warrior-princes were both arms,
His thighs became Vaisya and His feet became Sudra.
14. candramA manaso jAta: | caksho sooryo ajAyata |
mukhaadeendrascAgnischa | prANAdvAyurajAyata
The moon was engendered from His mind, from eyes the Sun had its birth,
Indra and Agni sprouted from His mouth and Vayu from His breath.
15. nAbhyA Aseedantariksham | sheerSHNau dhyau: samavartata |
padbhyAm bhoomir disha: shrotrAt | tathA lokAm akalpayan
Forth from navel came atmosphere, the sky was fashioned from His head,
Earth from His feet, from His ears the regions; they formed the worlds.
16. vedAhametam puruSHam mahAntam | AdityavarNam tamasastu pAre |
sarvANi roopANi vicitya dheera: | nAmAni krtvAbhivadan yadAste
Knoweth I this great Purusha, who represents the class of Adityas,
Beyond all darkness and encompassing all forms of existence in His constant form.
17. dhAtA purastAdhyamudAjahAra | shakra: pravidvAn pradishashcatasra: |
tamevam vidhvAnamrta iha bhavati | nAnya: panthA ayanAya vidhyate
Only he who truly knows Him (Purusha) attains happiness here;
No other known or knowable way exists for real growth.
18. yagnyena yagnya-mayajanta deva: | tAni dharmANi prathamAnAsann |
te ha nAkam mahimAna: sacante | yatra poorve sAdhyA: santi devA:
Gods, with sacrificial celebrations offered to the sacrifice: these were the earliest of Holy rituals, These mighty powers reach up to Heaven: where Sadhyas, the Gods of old and heavenly beings dwell.