Puruṣa-Sūktam

tat cha̲ṁy yorāvṛ̍ṇīmahe | gā̲tuṁ ya̲jñāya̍ |

gā̲tuṁ ya̲jña-pa̍taye | daivī̎ sva̲stir-a̍stu naḥ |

sva̲stir-mānu̍ṣebhyaḥ | ū̲rdhvaṁ ji̍gātu bheṣa̲jam |

śanno̍ astu dvi̲pade̎ | śañcatu̍ṣ-pade ||

om̐ śānti̱ḥ śānti̱ḥ śānti̍ḥ ||

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 the devas grant us peace. May all human beings be happy, may all the birds and the beasts also be happy. OM…peace, peace, peace.

(pūrva nārāyaṇāya)

sa̱hasra̍ śīrṣā̲ puru̍ṣaḥ | sa̲ha̲srā̲kṣas sa̲hasra̍ pāt |

sa bhūmi̍ṁ vi̲śvato̍ vṛ̲tvā | atya̍tiṣṭhad daśāṅgu̲lam || 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.

puru̍ṣa e̲veda(g)m̐ sarvaṁ̎ | yad bhū̲taṁy yac ca̲ bhavyam̎ |

u̲tāmṛ̍ta̲tva syeśā̍naḥ | ya̲d anne̍nā ti̲roha̍ti || 2 ||

The Supreme Being indeed is all this, what has been and what yet shall be. It is He who confers on all, the immortality by which alone they live.

e̲tāvā̍n asya mahi̲mā | ato̲ jyāyām̐ (g̍ ś) ca̲ pūru̍ṣaḥ |

pādo̎ ‘sya̲ viśvā̍ bhū̲tāni̍ | tri̲pād a̍syā̲mṛta̍m di̲vi || 3 ||

So mighty is His grandeur, yea greater than this is the Supreme Being. All creatures comprise one fourth of Him, three fourths is the eternal life above.

tri̲pādū̲rdhva udai̲t puru̍ṣaḥ | pādo̎ ‘sye̲hā ‘bha̍vā̲t puna̍ḥ |

tato̲ viśva̲ṅ vya̍krāmatɘ | sā̲śa̲nā̲na̲śa̲ne a̲bhi || 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.

tasmā̎d vi̲rāḍa̍jāyata | vi̲rājo̲ adhi̲ pūru̍ṣaḥ |

sa jā̲to atya̍ricyata | pa̲ścād bhūmi̲m atho̍ pu̲raḥ || 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.

yat puru̍ṣeṇa ha̲viṣā̎ | de̲vā ya̲jñam-ata̍nvata |

va̲sa̲nto a̍syāsī̲dājyam̎ | grī̲ṣma i̲dhmaḥ śa̲rad-dha̲viḥ || 6 ||

Then the devas performed a sacrifice. The Primeval Being Himself was the offering. Spring became the ghee, summer the wood, and autumn the rice offering.

sa̲ptāsyā̍san pari̲dhaya̍ḥ | triḥ sa̲pta sa̲midha̍ḥ kṛ̲tāḥ |

de̲vā yadya̲jñam ta̍nvā̲nāḥ | aba̍dhna̲n puru̍ṣaṁ pa̲śum || 7 ||

Then seven were the enclosing sticks, His kindling brands were three times seven. In that sacrifice of the devas, the Primeval Being was prepared to be offered.

taṁy ya̲jñaṁ ba̲rhiṣi̲ praukṣan̍ɘ | puru̍ṣam jā̲tama̍gra̲taḥ |

tena̍ de̲vā aya̍janta | sā̲dhyā ṛṣa̍yaś ca̲ ye || 8 ||

This, the Supreme Being, the first-born being, was purified by sprinkling water. Thus was performed the first sacrifice by the devas and rishis of yore.

tasmā̎d-ya̲jñāt sa̍rva̲ huta̍ḥ | sambhṛ̍taṁ pṛṣadā̲jyam |

pa̲śūm̐ (gs) tām̐ (gś) ca̍kre vāya̲vyān̍ɘ | ā̲ra̲ṇyān grā̲myāś-ca̲ 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.

tasmā̎d-ya̲jñāt sa̍rva̲ huta̍ḥ | ṛca̲ḥ sāmā̍ni jajñire |

chandā(g)m̐ si jajñire̲ tasmā̎tɘ | yaju̲s tasmā̍d-ajāyata || 10 ||

From that great general sacrifice, Rig and Sama hymns were born, from there the various metres were born, and the Yajur had its birth from it.

tasmā̲d-aśva̍ ajāyanta | ye ke co̍bha̲yāda̍taḥ |

gāvo̍ ha jajñire̲ tasmā̎tɘ | tasmā̎jjā̲tā a̍jā̲ vaya̍ḥ || 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.

yat puru̍ṣa̲ṁ vya̍dadhuḥ | ka̲ti̲dhā vya̍kalpayanɘ |

mukha̲ṁ kim-a̍sya kau bā̲hū | kā (v)ū̲rū pādā̍ (v)ucyete || 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?

brā̲hma̲ṇo̎ ‘sya̲ mukha̍māsītɘ | bā̲hū rā̍ja̲nya̍ḥ kṛ̱taḥ |

ū̲rū tada̍sya̲ yad vaiśya̍ḥ | pa̲dbhyā(g)m̐ śū̲dro a̍jāyata || 13 ||

The Brahmin was His mouth, of both His arms was the Raja made. His thighs became the Vaishya, from His feet was the Shudra produced.

ca̲ndramā̲ mana̍so jā̲taḥ | cakṣo̲ḥ sūryo̍ ajāyata |

mukhā̲d-indra̍ś cā̲gniś ca̍ | prā̲ṇād vā̲yur-a̍jāyata || 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.

nābhyā̍ āsīda̲ntari̍kṣam | śī̲rṣṇo dyauḥ sama̍vartata |

pa̲dbhyāṁ bhūmi̲r diśa̲ḥ śrotrā̎tɘ | tathā̍ lo̲kā(g)m̐ a̍kalpayanɘ || 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.

vedā̲hame̲taṁ puru̍ṣaṁ ma̲hāntam̎ | ā̲di̲tya va̍rṇa̲ṁ tama̍sa̲s tu pā̲re |

sarvā̍ṇi rū̲pāṇi̍ vi̲citya̲ dhīra̍ḥ | nāmā̍ni kṛ̲tvā ‘bhi̲vada̲n-yadāste̎ || 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.

dhā̲tā pu̲rastā̲dyamu̍dāja̲hāra̍ | śa̲kraḥ pravi̲dvān pra̲diśa̲ś-cata̍sraḥ |

tame̲vaṁ vi̲dvāna̲mṛta̍ i̲ha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā̲ aya̍nāya vidyate || 17 ||

The first creator [Brahmā] 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]

ya̲jñena̍ ya̲jñam a̍yajanta de̲vāḥ | tāni̲ dharmā̍ṇi pratha̲mā nyā̍sanɘ |

te ha̲ nāka̍ṁ mahi̲māna̍ḥ sacante | yatra̲ pūrve̍ sā̲dhyās santi̍ de̲vāḥ || 18 ||

The gods sacrificed through sacrifice, thus were the first ordinances established. Those great Beings who base their lives upon sacrifice verily reach the highest Spiritual Realm where all the Sadhyas (Nitya Suris) dwell.

(uttara nārāyaṇāya)

a̲dbhyaḥ saṁbhū̍taḥ pṛthi̲vyai rasā̎cca | vi̲śva ka̍rmaṇa̲ḥ sama̍varta̲tādhi̍ |

tasya̲ tvaṣṭā̍ vi̲dadha̍d-rū̲pam-e̍ti | tat puru̍ṣasya̲ viśva̲mājā̍na̲m-agre̎ || 19 ||

In the beginning, this universe arose from Vishvakarma [the Universal Architect] through water, earth, fire and the other elements. He excelled Aditya, Indra and the other gods. Fashioning the form thereof, Tvashta proceeded, thus was the universe created in the beginning from the Primeval Being.

vedā̲ham-e̲taṁ puru̍ṣaṁ ma̲hāntam̎ | ā̲di̲tya va̍rṇa̲ṁ tama̍sa̲ḥ para̍stātɘ |

tam e̲vaṁ vi̲dvān-a̲mṛta̍ i̲ha bha̍vati | nānyaḥ panthā̍ vidya̲te ‘ya̍nāya || 20 ||

I know this mighty Supreme Being whose splendour is like the sun, beyond the reach of darkness. He alone who knows Him becomes immortal here, there is no other path to liberation.

pra̲jāpa̍tiś carati̲ garbhe̍ a̲ntaḥ | a̲jāya̍māno bahu̲dhā vijā̍yate |

tasya̲ dhīrā̲ḥ pari̍jānanti̲ yonim̎ | marī̍cīnāṁ pa̲dam-i̍cchanti ve̲dhasa̍ḥ || 21 ||

In the womb moves Prajapati [the Lord of creatures]. He, never being born, is manifested in variegated forms. The wise discern the Source from whence He arises. The first patriarchs sought the position which Marichi and the others had obtained.

yo de̲vebhya̲ āta̍pati | yo̍ de̲vānā̎ṁ pu̲rohi̍taḥ |

purvo̲ yo de̲vebhyo̍ jā̲taḥ | namo̍ ru̲cāya̲ brāhma̍ye || 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.

ruca̍ṁ brā̲hmaṁ ja̲naya̍ntaḥ | de̲vā agre̲ tada̍bruvanɘ |

yas tva̲i̲vaṁ brā̎hma̲ṇo vi̲dyātɘ | tasya̍ de̲vā asa̲n vaśe̎ || 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-ca̍ te la̲kṣmīś-ca̲ patnyau̎ | a̲ho̲ rā̲tre pā̲rśve |

nakṣa̍trāṇi rū̲pam | a̲śvinau̲ vyāttam̎ |

i̲ṣṭaṁ ma̍niṣāṇa | a̲muṁ ma̍niṣāṇa | sarva̍ṁ maniṣāṇa || 24 ||

Beauty and Fortune are your two consorts; on each side of you are day and night. The constellations are your form, the Ashwins your mouth. Being such, grant me whatever I desire: the yonder world and all other happiness.

tat cha̲ṁy yorāvṛ̍ṇīmahe | gā̲tuṁ ya̲jñāya̍ |

gā̲tuṁ ya̲jña-pa̍taye | daivī̎ sva̲stir-a̍stu naḥ |

sva̲stir-mānu̍ṣebhyaḥ | ū̲rdhvaṁ ji̍gātu bheṣa̲jam |

śanno̍ astu dvi̲pade̎ | śañcatu̍ṣ-pade ||

om̐ śānti̱ḥ śānti̱ḥ śānti̍ḥ ||

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 sacrifice. May the medicinal herbs grow in potency, so that diseases can be cured effectively. May the devas grant us peace. May all human beings be happy, may all the birds and the beasts also be happy. OM… peace, peace, peace.