Purusha Suktam

puruṣa sūktam is one of the great Vedic hymns for understanding the universe as the manifestation of the Cosmic Person. Its earliest well-known form is Rigveda 10.90, and related recensional forms are also preserved in Yajurveda and Atharvaveda traditions, including the Taittiriya Aranyaka usage familiar in many South Indian recitations.

This Vedic hymn gives a sacred grammar for seeing unity inside diversity. puruṣa here is not an ordinary individual; he is the all-encompassing reality whose being exceeds the universe while also becoming its support. The famous images of a thousand heads, eyes, and feet teach that all beings are expressions of one cosmic life, not isolated fragments.

ō-ntachCha̠ṃ yōrāvṛ̍ṇīmahē । gā̠tuṃ ya̠jñāya̍ । gā̠tuṃ ya̠jñapa̍tayē । daivī̎ sva̠stira̍stu naḥ । sva̠stirmānu̍ṣēbhyaḥ । ū̠rdhva-ñji̍gātu bhēṣa̠jam । śa-nnō̍ astu dvi̠padē̎ । śa-ñchatu̍ṣpadē ।
ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
We seek auspicious peace and the right path for sacrifice and its Lord. May divine welfare be ours; may there be welfare for human beings. May healing rise upward. May there be peace for two-footed and four-footed beings. May there be peace, peace, peace.

sa̠hasra̍śīrṣā̠ puru̍ṣaḥ । sa̠ha̠srā̠kṣa-ssa̠hasra̍pāt ।
sa bhūmi̍ṃ vi̠śvatō̍ vṛ̠tvā । atya̍tiṣṭhaddaśāṅgu̠lam ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The Purusha has countless heads, eyes, and feet. Pervading the earth on every side, he still transcends it beyond measure.

puru̍ṣa ē̠vēdagṃ sarvam̎ । yadbhū̠taṃ yachcha̠ bhavyam̎ ।
u̠tāmṛ̍ta̠tva syēśā̍naḥ । yadannē̍nāti̠rōha̍ti ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
All this is indeed the Purusha: whatever has been and whatever will be. He is the Lord of immortality, and also of all that grows through food.

ē̠tāvā̍nasya mahi̠mā । atō̠ jyāyāg̍ścha̠ pūru̍ṣaḥ ।
pādō̎-'sya̠ viśvā̍ bhū̠tāni̍ । tri̠pāda̍syā̠mṛta̍-ndi̠vi ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
This manifested universe is only his glory; the Purusha is greater still. All beings are one quarter of him, while three quarters are immortal beyond.

tri̠pādū̠rdhva udai̠tpuru̍ṣaḥ । pādō̎-'syē̠hā-''bha̍vā̠tpuna̍ḥ ।
tatō̠ viṣva̠ṅvya̍krāmat । sā̠śa̠nā̠na̠śa̠nē a̠bhi ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Three quarters of the Purusha rose beyond, while one quarter became manifest here. From that, he spread everywhere into both the animate and the inanimate.

tasmā̎dvi̠rāḍa̍jāyata । vi̠rājō̠ adhi̠ pūru̍ṣaḥ ।
sa jā̠tō atya̍richyata । pa̠śchādbhūmi̠mathō̍ pu̠raḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
From the Purusha arose Virat, the cosmic form; and in relation to Virat, the Purusha appeared. Having manifested, he expanded beyond the earth, behind and before.

yatpuru̍ṣēṇa ha̠viṣā̎ । dē̠vā ya̠jñamata̍nvata ।
va̠sa̠ntō a̍syāsī̠dājyam̎ । grī̠ṣma i̠dhmaśśa̠radhdha̠viḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
When the gods performed the sacrifice with the Purusha as the offering, spring became the ghee, summer the fuel, and autumn the oblation.

sa̠ptāsyā̍sanpari̠dhaya̍ḥ । tri-ssa̠pta sa̠midha̍ḥ kṛ̠tāḥ ।
dē̠vā yadya̠jña-nta̍nvā̠nāḥ । aba̍dhna̠n-puru̍ṣa-mpa̠śum ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Seven were the enclosing sticks and thrice seven the fuel-sticks. As the gods extended the sacrifice, they bound the Purusha as the sacred offering.

taṃ ya̠jña-mba̠r̠hiṣi̠ praukṣan̍ । puru̍ṣa-ñjā̠tama̍gra̠taḥ ।
tēna̍ dē̠vā aya̍janta । sā̠dhyā ṛṣa̍yaścha̠ yē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
They consecrated that primordial sacrifice, the Purusha born in the beginning, upon the sacred grass. With him the gods, Sadhyas, and seers performed worship.

tasmā̎dya̠jñāthsa̍rva̠huta̍ḥ । sambhṛ̍ta-mpṛṣadā̠jyam ।
pa̠śūg-stāg-ścha̍krē vāya̠vyān̍ । ā̠ra̠ṇyān-grā̠myāścha̠ yē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
From that all-offering sacrifice arose nourishing essence, and from it were formed animals of the air, the forest, and the village.

tasmā̎dya̠jñāthsa̍rva̠huta̍ḥ । ṛcha̠-ssāmā̍ni jajñirē ।
Chandāg̍ṃsi jajñirē̠ tasmā̎t । yaju̠stasmā̍dajāyata ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
From that all-offering sacrifice arose the Rig hymns, the Saman chants, the sacred meters, and the Yajur formulas; knowledge, rhythm, and ritual speech all emerge from the same cosmic source.

tasmā̠daśvā̍ ajāyanta । yē kē chō̍bha̠yāda̍taḥ ।
gāvō̍ ha jajñirē̠ tasmā̎t । tasmā̎jjā̠tā a̍jā̠vaya̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
From that sacrifice arose horses, animals with two rows of teeth, cows, goats, and sheep; even the practical supports of travel, food, livelihood, and agrarian life are traced to the sacred offering.

yatpuru̍ṣa̠ṃ vya̍dadhuḥ । ka̠ti̠thā vya̍kalpayann ।
mukha̠-ṅkima̍sya̠ kau bā̠hū । kāvū̠rū pādā̍vuchyētē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
When they arranged the Purusha, in how many ways did they form him? What became his mouth, what his arms, what his thighs, and what are said to be his feet?

brā̠hma̠ṇō̎-'sya̠ mukha̍māsīt । bā̠hū rā̍ja̠nya̍ḥ kṛ̠taḥ ।
ū̠rū tada̍sya̠ yadvaiśya̍ḥ । pa̠dbhyāgṃ śū̠drō a̍jāyata ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The Brahmana was his mouth; the Rajanya became his arms; the Vaishya was his thighs; and the Shudra arose from his feet.

cha̠ndramā̠ mana̍sō jā̠taḥ । chakṣō̠-ssūryō̍ ajāyata ।
mukhā̠dindra̍śchā̠gniścha̍ । prā̠ṇādvā̠yura̍jāyata ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The moon arose from his mind, the sun from his eye, Indra and Agni from his mouth, and Vayu from his breath.

nābhyā̍ āsīda̠ntari̍kṣam । śī̠rṣṇō dyau-ssama̍vartata ।
pa̠dbhyā-mbhūmi̠rdiśa̠-śśrōtrā̎t । tathā̍ lō̠kāgṃ a̍kalpayann ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
From his navel arose the midspace; from his head, heaven; from his feet, earth; from his hearing, the directions. Thus the worlds were formed.

vēdā̠hamē̠ta-mpuru̍ṣa-mma̠hāntam̎ । ā̠di̠tyava̍rṇa̠-ntama̍sa̠stu pā̠rē ।
sarvā̍ṇi rū̠pāṇi̍ vi̠chitya̠ dhīra̍ḥ । nāmā̍ni kṛ̠tvā-'bhi̠vada̠n̠, yadā-''stē̎ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
I know this great Purusha, radiant like the sun and beyond darkness. The wise one, having fashioned all forms and names, remains as their underlying reality.

dhā̠tā pu̠rastā̠dyamu̍dāja̠hāra̍ । śa̠kraḥ pravi̠dvā-npra̠diśa̠śchata̍sraḥ ।
tamē̠vaṃ vi̠dvāna̠mṛta̍ i̠ha bha̍vati । nānyaḥ panthā̠ aya̍nāya vidyatē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
The Creator proclaimed this in the beginning, and Indra, knowing it, spread it through the four directions. One who knows the Purusha in this way becomes immortal here; there is no other path to the final goal.

ya̠jñēna̍ ya̠jñama̍yajanta dē̠vāḥ । tāni̠ dharmā̍ṇi pratha̠mānyā̍sann ।
tē ha̠ nāka̍-mmahi̠māna̍-ssachantē । yatra̠ pūrvē̍ sā̠dhyā-ssanti̍ dē̠vāḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
By sacrifice the gods worshipped the sacrifice. Those were the first dharmas. Through those greatnesses they reached the heavenly realm where the ancient Sadhya deities dwell.

a̠dbhya-ssambhū̍taḥ pṛthi̠vyai rasā̎chcha । vi̠śvaka̍rmaṇa̠-ssama̍varta̠tādhi̍ ।
tasya̠ tvaṣṭā̍ vi̠dadha̍drū̠pamē̍ti । tatpuru̍ṣasya̠ viśva̠mājā̍na̠magrē̎ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Born from the waters and the essence of earth, arising from the universal maker, his form was shaped by Tvashta. In the beginning this was the universal emergence of the Purusha.

vēdā̠hamē̠ta-mpuru̍ṣa-mma̠hāntam̎ । ā̠di̠tyava̍rṇa̠-ntama̍sa̠ḥ para̍stāt ।
tamē̠vaṃ vi̠dvāna̠mṛta̍ i̠ha bha̍vati । nānyaḥ panthā̍ vidya̠tē-'ya̍nāya ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
I know this great Purusha, radiant like the sun and beyond darkness. One who knows him in this way becomes immortal here; no other path exists for the final goal.

pra̠jāpa̍tiścharati̠ garbhē̍ a̠ntaḥ । a̠jāya̍mānō bahu̠dhā vijā̍yatē ।
tasya̠ dhīrā̠ḥ pari̍jānanti̠ yōnim̎ । marī̍chīnā-mpa̠dami̍chChanti vē̠dhasa̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Prajapati moves within the womb; though unborn, he is born in many forms. The wise know his source, and the creators seek the radiant station.

yō dē̠vēbhya̠ āta̍pati । yō dē̠vānā̎-mpu̠rōhi̍taḥ ।
pūrvō̠ yō dē̠vēbhyō̍ jā̠taḥ । namō̍ ru̠chāya̠ brāhma̍yē ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Salutations to the Brahmic radiance, to him who shines for the gods, who is their priest, and who arose before the gods.

rucha̍-mbrā̠hma-ñja̠naya̍ntaḥ । dē̠vā agrē̠ tada̍bruvann ।
yastvai̠va-mbrā̎hma̠ṇō vi̠dyāt । tasya̍ dē̠vā asa̠n vaśē̎ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Generating the Brahmic radiance, the gods declared in the beginning: the knower who understands this has the gods in his favor.

hrīścha̍ tē la̠kṣmīścha̠ patnyau̎ । a̠hō̠rā̠trē pā̠rśvē ।
nakṣa̍trāṇi rū̠pam । a̠śvinau̠ vyāttam̎ ।
i̠ṣṭa-mma̍niṣāṇa । a̠mu-mma̍niṣāṇa । sarva̍-mmaniṣāṇa ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
Modesty and Lakshmi are your consorts; day and night stand by your sides; the stars are your form; the Ashvins are your open power. Grant the desired good, grant the higher goal, grant all that is truly worth seeking.

tachCha̠ṃ yōrāvṛ̍ṇīmahē । gā̠tuṃ ya̠jñāya̍ । gā̠tuṃ ya̠jñapa̍tayē । daivī̎ sva̠stira̍stu naḥ । sva̠stirmānu̍ṣēbhyaḥ । ū̠rdhva-ñji̍gātu bhēṣa̠jam । śa-nnō̍ astu dvi̠padē̎ । śa-ñchatu̍ṣpadē ।
ōṃ śānti̠-śśānti̠-śśānti̍ḥ ॥

Translation (bhāvārtha):
We again seek auspicious welfare, the path of sacrifice, and the Lord of sacrifice. May there be divine welfare, human welfare, rising healing, and peace for two-footed and four-footed beings. May there be peace, peace, peace.

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