2. Puruṣa Sūktam
Purusha Sūkta (puruṣasūkta) is hymn 10.90 of the Rig-Veda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being" or "Soul". The Purusha Sūkta gives a description of the spiritual unity of the universe. It presents the nature of Purusha or the cosmic being as both immanent in the manifested world and yet transcendent to it. From this being, the Sūkta holds, the original creative will (identified with Viśvakarma, Hiraṇyagarbha or Prajāpati) proceeds which causes the projection of the universe in space and time.
śrī gurubhyo namaḥ hariḥ oṁ
tacchaṁyor āvṛṇīmahe | gātuṁ yajñāya |
gātuṁ yajña-pataye | daivī svastir astu naḥ |
svastir mānuṣebhyaḥ | ūrdhvaṁ jigātu bheṣajam |
śaṁ no astu dvipade | śaṁ catuṣpade ||
We worship the Supreme Being for the welfare of all.
May all miseries and shortcomings leave us forever so that we may always chant in the sacrifices and for the Lord of Sacrifices!
May the medicinal herbs grow in potency, so that diseases can be cured effectively!
May devas grant us peace!
May all human beings be happy, may all the birds and the beasts also be happy!
oṁ śāntiś śāntiś śāntiḥ | hariḥ oṁ śrī gurubhyo namaḥ hariḥ oṁ |
Om Peace Peace Peace.
sahasra śīrṣā puruṣaḥ | sahasrākṣaḥ sahasra pāt |
sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vṛ̱tvā | atyatiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam || 1 ||
The Supreme Being has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.
Pervading the cosmos on every side He fills a space ten fingers beyond.
puruṣa evedaguṁ sarvam | yad bhūtaṁ yac ca bhavyam |
utāmṛtatva syeśānaḥ | yad annenā tirohati || 2 ||
The Supreme Being indeed is all this, what hath been and what yet shall be.
It is He who confers on all immortality by which alone they live. 2.
etāvān asya mahimā | ato jyāyāguś ca pūruṣaḥ |
pādo’sya viśvā bhūtāni | tripād asyām ṛtam divi || 3 ||
So mighty is His grandeur, yea greater than this is the Supreme Being.
All creatures comprise one fourth of Him, three fourths eternal life above. 3.
tripād ūrdhva udait puruṣaḥ | pādo’syehā’’bhavāt punaḥ |
tato viśvaṅ vyakrāmat | sāśanānaśane abhi || 4 ||
With three fourths the Supreme Being rose up; one fourth again remained here.
Thence He moved forth to every side, over what eats and what eats not. 4.
tasmād virāḍ ajāyata | virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ |
sa jāto atyaricyata | paścād bhūmim atho puraḥ || 5 ||
From Him was Viraj (Shining Forth) born, again from Viraj emerged the Primeval Man.
When born he spread to the east and west, beyond the boundaries of the world. 5.
yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā | devā yajñam atanvata |
vasanto asyāsīd ājyam| grīṣma idhmaś śarad-haviḥ || 6 ||
Then the devas performed a sacrifice. The Primeval Being Himself was the offering.
Spring became the ghee, summer the faggots, and the autumn the rice offering. 6.
saptāsyāsan paridhāyaḥ | triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛ̱tāḥ |
devā yad yajñam tanvānāḥ | abadhnan puruṣam paśum || 7 ||
Then seven were the enclosing sticks, His kindling brands were three times seven.
In that sacrifice of the Devas the Primeval Being was bound as the victim. 7.
tam yajñam barhiṣi praukṣan | puruṣam jātam agrataḥ |
tena devā ayajanta | sādhyā ṛṣayaś ca ye || 8 ||
This the Supreme Being, the first born being, was purified by aspertions.
Thus was performed the first sacrifice by the devas and rishis of yore. 8.
tasmād yajñāt sarva hutaḥ | sambhṛtaṁ pṛṣad ājyam |
paṣūguṁs tāggaś cakre vāyavyān̍ | āraṇyān grāmyāśca ye || 9 ||
From that general sacrifice the dripping ghee was gathered up.
He formed the creatures of the air and the animals both wild and tame. 9.
tasmād yajñāt sarva hutaḥ | ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire |
chandāguṁsi jajñire tasmāt | yajus tasmād ajāyata || 10 ||
From that great general sacrifice, Rik and Sama hymns were born,
There from the various metres were born, the Yajus had its birth from it . 10.
tasmād aśva ayājanta | ye ke cobhayādataḥ |
gavo ha jajñire tasmāt | tasmāj jātā ajā vayaḥ || 11 ||
From it were horses born, from it all animals with two rows of teeth.
Cows were born there from, from it were goats and sheep produced. 11.
yat puruṣaṁ vyadadhuḥ | katidhā vyakalpayan |
mukhaṁ kim asya kau bāhū | kā vūrū pādā vucyete || 12 ||
When they contemplated the Primeval Being in how many ways did they conceive of Him?
What was His mouth ? What were His arms? What were His thighs and feet called?
brāhmaṇo’sya mukham āsīt | bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛ̱taḥ |
ūrū tad asya yad vaiśyaḥ | padbhyāguṁ śūdro ajāyata || 13 ||
The brāhmin was his mouth, of both His arms was the Raja made.
His thighs became the Vaiśya, from His feet was the Śūdra produced. 13.
candramā manaso jātaḥ | cakṣos-sūryo ajāyata |
mukhād indraś cāgniś ca | prāṇād vāyur ajāyata || 14 ||
The Moon was created from His mind, and from His eye the Sun had birth.
From His mouth were Indra and Agni born, from His breath came the wind. 14.
nābhyā āsīd antarikṣam | śīrṣṇo dyauḥ samavartata |
padbhyāṁ bhūmir diśaś śrotrāt | tathā lokāguṁ akalpayan || 15 ||
From His navel came the astral world, and from His head the world beyond.
Earth from His feet and space from His ears, thus did they create the worlds. 15.
vedāham etaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam | āditya varṇaṁ tamasas tu pāre |
sarvāṇi rūpāṇi vicitya dhīraḥ | nāmāni kṛ̱tvā’bhivadan yadāste || 16 ||
I know the mighty Supreme Being, whose colour is like the Sun, beyond the reach of darkness. He the Omniscient One, creates from Himself all the manifold forms and calls them by various names.
dhātā purastād yam udājahāra | śakraḥ pravidvān pradiśaś-catasraḥ |
tamevā vidvān amṛta iha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā ayanāya vidyate || 17
The first creator [Brahma] knew the Supreme Being, he in turn made Him known to Shakra [Indra] who proclaimed it in the four directions. Hence even today he who knows Him and the creation thus; as permeated, pervaded and possessed by the Supreme Being verily attains immortality. There is no other way. [For spiritual perfection]
yajñena yajñam ayajanta devāḥ | tāni dharmāṇi prathamā-nyāsan |
te ha nākaṁ mahimānas sacante | yatra pūrve sādhyās santi devāḥ || 18
The gods sacrificed through sacrifice, thus were the first ordinances established. Those great Beings who base their lives upon sacrifice verily reaches the highest Spiritual Realm where all the Sādhyas (Nitya Sūrīs) dwell.
adbhyas saṁbhūtaḥ pṛthivyai rasācca | viśvakarmaṇas samavartatādhi |
tasya tvaṣṭā vidadhad rūpam-eti | tat puruṣasya viśvam ājānam agre ||19
In the beginning this universe arose from Viśvakarma [the Universal Architect] through water, earth, fire and the other elements. He excelled Āditya, Indra and the other gods.
Fashioning the form thereof Tvaṣṭā proceeded, thus was the universe created in the beginning from the Primeval Being.
vedāham etaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam | āditya varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt |
I know this mighty Supreme Being whose splendour is like the sun, beyond the reach of darkness.
tam evaṁ vidvān amṛta iha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā vidyate’yanāya ||20
He alone who knows Him becomes immortal here, there is no other path to liberation.
prajāpatiś carati garbhe antaḥ | ajāyamāno bahudhā vijāyate |
tasya dhīrāḥ parijānanti yonim | marīcīnāṁ padam icchanti vedhasaḥ ||21
In the womb moves Prajāpati [the Lord of Creatures], He never becoming born is manifested in variegated forms. The wise discern the Source from whence He arises, the first patriarchs sought the position which Marīchi and the others had obtained.
yo devebhya ātapati | yo devānāṁ purohitaḥ |
purvo yo devebhyo jātaḥ | namo rucāya brāhmaye || 22 ||
He who gives light and heat to the gods, the First, Foremost agent of the gods.
To Him, to the Resplendent, to the Holy One salutations be.
rucaṁ brāhmaṁ janayantaḥ | devā agre tad abruvan |
yas tvaivaṁ brāhmaṇo vidyāt | tasya devā asan vaśe || 23 ||
Thus spake the gods at first, as they begat the Bright and Holy One;
The brahmin who may know you thus, shall obtain dominion over all the gods.
hrīś ca te lakṣmīś ca patnyau | aho rātre pārśve |
nakṣatrāṇi rūpam | aśvinau vyāttam |
iṣṭaṁ maniṣāṇa | amuṁ maniṣāṇa | sarvaṁ maniṣāṇaḥ || 24 ||
Beauty and Fortune are your two consorts, each side of you are day and night.
The constellations are your form, the Aśvīns your mouth.
Being such grant me whatever I desire; yonder world and all other happiness
tacchaṁyor āvṛṇīmahe | gātuṁ yajñāya |
gātuṁ yajña-pataye | daivī svastir astu naḥ |
svastir mānuṣebhyaḥ | ūrdhvaṁ jigātu bheṣajam |
śaṁ no astu dvipade | śaṁ catuṣpade ||
We worship the Supreme Being for the welfare of all.
May all miseries and shortcomings leave us forever so that we may always chant in the sacrifices and for the Lord of Sacrifices!
May the medicinal herbs grow in potency, so that diseases can be cured effectively!
May devas grant us peace!
May all human beings be happy, may all the birds and the beasts also be happy!
oṁ śāntiś śāntiś śāntiḥ | hariḥ oṁ śrī gurubhyo namaḥ hariḥ oṁ |
Om Peace Peace Peace.