The Vedas - Purusha Sukta

Purusha Sukta

(puruṣasūkta, पुरुषसूक्तम्)
(Rigveda 10.90, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being")

Hand written Orignal Document

10. 190

ऋ॒तं च॑ स॒त्यं चा॒भी॑द्धा॒त्तप॒सोऽध्य॑जायत ।
ततो॒ रात्र्य॑जायत॒ तत॑: समु॒द्रो अ॑र्ण॒वः ॥1

स॒मु॒द्राद॑र्ण॒वादधि॑ संवत्स॒रो अ॑जायत ।
अ॒हो॒रा॒त्राणि॑ वि॒दध॒द्विश्व॑स्य मिष॒तो व॒शी ॥2

सू॒र्या॒च॒न्द्र॒मसौ॑ धा॒ता य॑थापू॒र्वम॑कल्पयत् ।
दिवं॑ च पृथि॒वीं चा॒न्तरि॑क्ष॒मथो॒ स्व॑:॥3

10.90

स॒हस्र॑शीर्षा॒ पुरु॑षः । स॒ह॒स्रा॒क्षः स॒हस्र॑पात् ।
स भूमिं॑ वि॒श्वतो॑ वृ॒त्वा । अत्य॑तिष्ठद्दशाङ्गु॒लम् ॥1॥

The Lord, having thousand heads, thousand eyes, and thousand feet, enveloping the entire earth, exceeds by ten fingers all around. 1

पुरु॑ष ए॒वेदग्ं सर्वम्॓ । यद्भू॒तं यच्च॒ भव्यम्॓ ।
उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्व स्येशा॑नः । य॒दन्ने॑नाति॒रोह॑ति ॥ 2॥

Purusha is all that is, all that has been in the past, and all that will happen in the future. He is the lord of immortality; of all that grows by matter. 2

ए॒तावा॑नस्य महि॒मा । अतो॒ ज्यायाग्॑‍श्च॒ पूरु॑षः ।
पादो॓‌உस्य॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॑ । त्रि॒पाद॑स्या॒मृतं॑ दि॒वि ॥3॥

Such is His grandeur. The Lord is even greater. All creatures are only a quarter of His; other three quarters are immortal in heaven. 3

त्रि॒पादू॒र्ध्व उदै॒त्पुरु॑षः । पादो॓‌உस्ये॒हा‌உ‌உभ॑वा॒त्पुनः॑ ।

ततो॒ विष्व॒ण्-व्य॑क्रामत् । सा॒श॒ना॒न॒श॒ने अ॒भि ॥4॥

Three fourths of the Purusha rises above the heaven. The one-fourth is still here on the earth. From there He starts spreading in all directions towards all that eats and eats not.4

तस्मा॓द्वि॒राड॑जायत । वि॒राजो॒ अधि॒ पूरु॑षः ।
स जा॒तो अत्य॑रिच्यत । प॒श्चाद्-भूमि॒मथो॑ पु॒रः ॥5॥

From Him arose the Vast; from the Vast the presiding Purusha; expanding, He exceeds the earth backwards and forward.5

यत्पुरु॑षेण ह॒विषा॓ । दे॒वा य॒ज्ञमत॑न्वत ।
व॒स॒न्तो अ॑स्यासी॒दाज्यम्॓ । ग्री॒ष्म इ॒ध्मश्श॒रध्ध॒विः ॥6॥

In the sacrifice that the gods arranged with the Lord as an oblation, spring was the melted butter, summer the fire-wood, the autumn was the offering. 6

तं य॒ज्ञं ब॒र्॒हिषि॒ प्रौक्षन्॑ । पुरु॑षं जा॒तम॑ग्र॒तः ।
तेन॑ दे॒वा अय॑जन्त । सा॒ध्या ऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ॥7॥

The Purusha who manifested first on the sacrificial alter and is anointed. With Him, the enlightened ones, the realised ones, and the sages perform the sacrifice. 7

तस्मा॓द्य॒ज्ञात्-स॑र्व॒हुतः॑ । सम्भृ॑तं पृषदा॒ज्यम् ।
प॒शूग्-स्ताग्‍श्च॑क्रे वाय॒व्यान्॑ । आ॒र॒ण्यान्-ग्रा॒म्याश्च॒ ये ॥8॥

From that sacrifice to which all things were offered, milk, curd are obtained. Thereon He makes creatures that fly in the air and the animals that are wild and domestic. 8

तस्मा॓द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुतः॑ । ऋचः॒ सामा॑नि जज्ञिरे ।
छन्दाग्ं॑सि जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा॓त् । यजु॒स्तस्मा॑दजायत ॥9॥

From that sacrifice in which everything has been offered as oblations, the Riks, and the Samans were born. The chandas of the Atharva were born. The chandas of the Atharva and the Yajus were also born from that sacrifice. 9

तस्मा॒दश्वा॑ अजायन्त । ये के चो॑भ॒याद॑तः ।
गावो॑ ह जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा॓त् । तस्मा॓ज्जा॒ता अ॑जा॒वयः॑ ॥10॥

From that sacrifice horses were born, and all other cattle having two rows of teeth. Cows are born out of it and so are goats and sheep. 10

यत्पुरु॑षं॒ व्य॑दधुः । क॒ति॒था व्य॑कल्पयन् ।
मुखं॒ किम॑स्य॒ कौ बा॒हू । कावू॒रू पादा॑वुच्येते ॥11॥

The Purusha that was manifested, how was he figured? What is his mouth, which were his two arms, which the two thighs and were to be His feet? 11

ब्रा॒ह्म॒णो॓‌உस्य॒ मुख॑मासीत् । बा॒हू रा॑ज॒न्यः॑ कृ॒तः ।
ऊ॒रू तद॑स्य॒ यद्वैश्यः॑ । प॒द्भ्याग्ं शू॒द्रो अ॑जायतः ॥12॥

The Brahmana is His mouth, the Kshatriya is His two arms, the Vaishya is His two thighs; and Shudra is born of His two feet.12

च॒न्द्रमा॒ मन॑सो जा॒तः । चक्षोः॒ सूर्यो॑ अजायत ।
मुखा॒दिन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॑ । प्रा॒णाद्वा॒युर॑जायत ॥13॥

The moon is created from His mind and the sun is born from His eyes. The wind was born the life-breath; and Indra and the fire were born from His mouth.13

नाभ्या॑ आसीद॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । शी॒र्ष्णो द्यौः सम॑वर्तत ।
प॒द्भ्यां भूमि॒र्दिशः॒ श्रोत्रा॓त् । तथा॑ लो॒काग्म् अक॑ल्पयन् ॥14॥

The mid-space is created from His navel; and the sky from His head; the earth from His feet; various quarters from the ear, and in this way, all these worlds are formed. 14

स॒प्तास्या॑सन्-परि॒धयः॑ । त्रिः स॒प्त स॒मिधः॑ कृ॒ताः ।
दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं त॑न्वा॒नाः । अब॑ध्न॒न्-पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥15॥

Seven are the enclosing pillars and thrice seven the pieces of fire-wood. When the gods prepared the sacrifice, they tied up the Purusha, the victim of oblation. 15

य॒ज्ञेन॑ य॒ज्ञम॑यजन्त दे॒वाः । तानि॒ धर्मा॑णि प्रथ॒मान्या॑सन् ।
ते ह॒ नाकं॑ महि॒मानः॑ सचन्ते । यत्र॒ पूर्वे॑ सा॒ध्यास्सन्ति॑ दे॒वाः ॥16॥

Gods worshipped the Lord with the sacrifice. These were the first laws. They, the great ones, attain to heaven, where dwell the earlier realised gods. 16

10:129

नास॑दासी॒न्नो सदा॑सीत्त॒दानी॒म् नासी॒द्रजो॒ नो व्यो॑मा प॒रो यत्।
किमाव॑रीव॒: कुह॒ कस्य॒ शर्म॒न्नंभ॒: किमा॑सी॒द्गह॑नं गभी॒रम्॥१॥

न मृ॒त्युरा॑सीद॒मृतं॒ न तर्हि॒ न रात्र्या॒ अह्न॑ आसीत्प्रके॒तः।
आनी॑दवा॒तं स्व॒धया॒ तदेकं॒ तस्मा॑द्धा॒न्यन्न प॒रः किञ्च॒नास॑॥२॥

तम॑ आसी॒त्तम॑सा गू॒ळ्हमग्रे॑ऽप्रके॒तं स॑लि॒लं सर्व॑मा इ॒दं।
तु॒च्छ्येना॒भ्वपि॑हितं॒ यदासी॒त्तप॑स॒स्तन्म॑हि॒ना जा॑य॒तैकं॑॥ ३॥

काम॒स्तदग्रे॒ सम॑वर्त॒ताधि॒ मन॑सो॒ रेत॑: प्रथ॒मं यदासी॑त्।
स॒तो बन्धु॒मस॑ति॒ निर॑विन्दन् हृ॒दि प्र॒तीष्या॑ क॒वयो॑ मनी॒षा॥४॥

ति॒र॒श्चीनो॒ वित॑तो र॒श्मिरे॑षाम॒धः स्वि॑दा॒सी ३ दु॒परि॑ स्विदासी ३ त्।
रे॒तो॒धा आ॑सन्महि॒मान॑ आसन्त्स्व॒धा आ॒वस्ता॒त्प्रय॑तिः प॒रस्ता॑त्॥५॥

को अ॒द्धा वे॑द॒ क इ॒ह प्र वो॑च॒त्कुत॒ आजा॑ता॒ कुत॑ इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टिः।
अ॒र्वाग्दे॒वा अ॒स्य वि॒सर्ज॑ने॒नाथा॒ को वे॑द॒ यत॑ आब॒भूव॑॥६॥

इ॒यं विसृ॑ष्टि॒र्यत॑ आब॒भूव॒ यदि॑ वा द॒धे यदि॑ वा॒ न।
यो अ॒स्याध्य॑क्षः पर॒मे व्यो॑म॒न्त्सो अ॒ङ्ग वे॑द॒ यदि॑ वा॒ न वेद॑॥ ७॥

Neither there was non-existent, nor the existent; nor there was any realm or region. How could there be existing this unfathomable profound plasma? 1.

Neither there was death nor at that period immortality. There was no indication of day or night. That breathless one that breathed upon as if by its own inner self-born power. Apart from that one, there was nothing else whatever.2

Darkness there was; covered by darkness, a plasmic continuum, in which there was nothing indistinguishable. That one was covered by a trifle that had come out on account of the great Tapas. 3

In the beginning there was the Will, which was the first seed of the Over Mind. The sages, seeking in their hearts, have discovered by their wisdom that operates between the existent and the non-existent. 4

Their controls (or rays or reins) were stretched out, some transverse, some below and others above. Some of these were shedders of the seed and others were strong and superb; the self-power of the Supreme descended. 5

Who really knows, who is in this world can declare it, whence came out this creation? Whence was it engineered? Whence will it end? Gods came out much later, and hence who knows whence this creation came into manifestation? 6

He from whom this creation arose − verily He may uphold it or He may not. The one who is the sovereign in the highest heaven. He assuredly knows, or even He knows not. 7

मयो॑ दधे॒ मेधि॑रः पू॒तद॑क्षो दि॒वः सु॒बन्धु॑र्ज॒नुषा॑ पृथि॒व्याः ।
अवि॑न्दन्नु दर्श॒तम॒प्स्व१॒॑न्तर्दे॒वासो॑ अ॒ग्निम॒पसि॒ स्वसॄ॑णाम् ॥RV. 3.1.3॥

Full of understanding, pure in discernment, close kin from his birth and heaven he has founded the bliss. The gods discovered the seeing Fire within in the waters, in the work of the sisters. (RV. 3.1.3.)

विश्वे देवा अनमस्यन्भियानास्त्वामग्ने तमसि तस्थिवांसम् ।
वैश्वानरोऽवतूतये नोऽमर्त्योऽवतूतये नः ॥ RV. 6.9.7॥

All the gods were in awe of thee when thou stoodest in the darkness and bowed down before thee, O Fire. May the universal Godhead keep us that we may be safe, may the Immortal keep us that we may be safe.  (RV., 6.9.7)

चत्वारि शृङ्गा त्रयो अस्य पादा द्वे शीर्षे सप्त हस्तासो अस्य ।
त्रिधा बद्धो वृषभो रोरवीति महो देवो मर्त्याँ आ विवेश ॥4.58.3॥

 ऋतेन ऋतमपिहितं ध्रुवं वां सूर्यस्य यत्र विमुचन्त्यश्वान् ।
 दश शता सह तस्थुस्तदेकं देवानां श्रेष्ठं वपुषामपश्यम् ॥RV. 5.62.1॥

"There is a Truth covered by a truth,
where they unyoke the horses of the sun;
the ten hundred stood together,
there was That one; I saw the greatest
(best most glorious) of the embodied gods."

(RV. 5.62.1)

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् ।
तत्त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥ Isha Upanishad 15॥

The face of Truth is covered with a brilliant golden lid; that do thou remove, O Fosterer, for the law of the Truth, for sight. ( Isha Upanishad 15)

पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन्समूह ।
तेजः यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥ Isha Upanishad 16॥

O Fosterer, O sole Seer, O Ordainer, O Illumining sun, O power of the Father of greatness, marshal thy rays, draw together thy light; the Luster which is thy most blessed form of all, that in Thee I behold. The Purusha there and there, He am I. (Isha Upanishad 16)

• Satyaloka
• Tapoloka
• Janah
• Maharloka
• Swah
• Chandraloka
• Pitriloka
• Swarga
• Dyau
• Bhuvar
• Bhur − three earths.

The Gods, however, dwell for us in the lower Swarloka, i.e.Chanderloka of which the summit is Kailasa and the basis Swarga with Pitriloka first above swarga.

dhāman te viśvam bhuvanam adhi śritam antaḥ samudre hṛdy antar āyuṣi (IV.58.11)

Hridayat samudrat Vamadeva;

maho arṇaḥ sarasvatī pra cetayati ketunā | dhiyo viśvā vi rājati || (1.3.12)

mahnā mahato arṇavasya (X. 67.12)