Purusha Suktam

ॐ तच्छं योरावृणीमहे । गातुं यज्ञाय । गातुं यज्ञपतये । दैवी स्वस्तिरस्तु नः ।

Oṃ tacchaṃ yorāvṛṇīmahe | gātuṃ yajñāya | gātuṃ yajñapataye | daivī svastirastu naḥ |

Om. That peace and that freedom from harm we choose. Free course for the sacrifice. Free course for the lord of the sacrifice. May divine well-being be ours.

स्वस्तिर्मानुषेभ्यः । ऊर्ध्वं जिगातु भेषजम् । शन्नो अस्तु द्विपदे । शं चतुष्पदे ।

Svastirmānuṣebhyaḥ | ūrdhvaṃ jigātu bheṣajam | śanno astu dvipade | śaṃ catuṣpade |

Well-being for all human beings. May the healing herb rise upward. May there be peace for our two-footed, and peace for the four-footed.

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।

Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |

Om. Peace, peace, peace.

हरिः ॐ ।

Hariḥ oṃ |

Hari Om.

ॐ सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः । सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् ।

Oṃ sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ | sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt |

Om. The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.

स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वा । अत्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम्

Sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvā | atyatiṣṭhaddaśāṅgulam

Covering the earth on every side, He stood beyond it by ten fingers' breadth.

पुरुष एवेदं सर्वम् । यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यम् ।

Puruṣa evedaṃ sarvam | yadbhūtaṃ yacca bhavyam |

The Purusha alone is all this: what has been and what is yet to be.

उतामृतत्वस्येशानः । यदन्नेनातिरोहति

Utāmṛtatvasyeśānaḥ | yadannenātirohati

And He is the lord of immortality, and of all that grows by food.

एतावानस्य महिमा । अतो ज्यायांश्च पूरुषः ।

Etāvānasya mahimā | ato jyāyāṃśca pūruṣaḥ |

Such is His greatness, and the Purusha is greater still than this.

पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि । त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि

Pādo'sya viśvā bhūtāni | tripādasyāmṛtaṃ divi

A quarter of Him is all these beings; three quarters of Him are the immortal in heaven.

त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत्पुरुषः । पादोऽस्येहाभवात्पुनः ।

Tripādūrdhva udaitpuruṣaḥ | pādo'syehābhavātpunaḥ |

With three quarters the Purusha rose upward; one quarter of Him came to be here again.

ततो विश्वङ्व्यक्रामत् । साशनानशने अभि

Tato viśvaṅvyakrāmat | sāśanānaśane abhi

From there He spread out in every direction, over what eats and what does not eat.

तस्माद्विराडजायत । विराजो अधि पूरुषः ।

Tasmādvirāḍajāyata | virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ |

From Him Viraj was born; and from Viraj, the Purusha.

स जातो अत्यरिच्यत । पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः

Sa jāto atyaricyata | paścādbhūmimatho puraḥ

Once born, He reached beyond, behind the earth and then in front of it.

यत्पुरुषेण हविषा । देवा यज्ञमतन्वत ।

Yatpuruṣeṇa haviṣā | devā yajñamatanvata |

When the gods spread out the sacrifice with the Purusha as the oblation,

वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यम् । ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः

Vasanto asyāsīdājyam | grīṣma idhmaḥ śaraddhaviḥ

spring was its clarified butter, summer the firewood, autumn the oblation.

सप्तास्यासन्परिधयः । त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः ।

Saptāsyāsanparidhayaḥ | triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ |

Seven were its enclosing sticks; thrice seven the kindling sticks were made.

देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वानाः । अबध्नन्पुरुषं पशुम्

Devā yadyajñaṃ tanvānāḥ | abadhnanpuruṣaṃ paśum

when the gods, spreading out the sacrifice, bound the Purusha as the victim.

तं यज्ञं बर्हिषि प्रौक्षन् । पुरुषं जातमग्रतः ।

Taṃ yajñaṃ barhiṣi praukṣan | puruṣaṃ jātamagrataḥ |

They sprinkled that sacrifice upon the sacred grass: the Purusha, born at the beginning.

तेन देवा अयजन्त । साध्या ऋषयश्च ये

Tena devā ayajanta | sādhyā ṛṣayaśca ye

With Him the gods performed the sacrifice, and the Sadhyas and the rishis too.

तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुतः । संभृतं पृषदाज्यम् ।

Tasmādyajñātsarvahutaḥ | saṃbhṛtaṃ pṛṣadājyam |

From that sacrifice, wholly offered, the curdled butter was gathered.

पशूंस्तांश्चक्रे वायव्यान् । आरण्यान्ग्राम्याश्च ये

Paśūṃstāṃścakre vāyavyān | āraṇyāngrāmyāśca ye

He made those animals: the ones of the air, and those of the forest and of the village.

तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुतः । ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे ।

Tasmādyajñātsarvahutaḥ | ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire |

From that sacrifice, wholly offered, the Rik verses and the Saman chants were born.

छन्दांसि जज्ञिरे तस्मात् । यजुस्तस्मादजायत

Chandāṃsi jajñire tasmāt | yajustasmādajāyata

The metres were born from it, and from it the Yajus arose.

तस्मादश्वा अजायन्त । ये के चोभयादतः ।

Tasmādaśvā ajāyanta | ye ke cobhayādataḥ |

From it horses were born, and all creatures with teeth in both jaws.

गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात् । तस्माज्जाता अजावयः

Gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt | tasmājjātā ajāvayaḥ

Cows were born from it, and from it were born goats and sheep.

यत्पुरुषं व्यदधुः । कतिधा व्यकल्पयन् ।

Yatpuruṣaṃ vyadadhuḥ | katidhā vyakalpayan |

When they apportioned the Purusha, into how many parts did they arrange Him?

मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू । कावूरू पादावुच्येते

Mukhaṃ kimasya kau bāhū | kāvūrū pādāvucyete

What became His mouth, what His two arms? What are called His thighs and His feet?

ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीत् । बाहू राजन्यः कृतः ।

Brāhmaṇo'sya mukhamāsīt | bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ |

The brahmana was His mouth; the rajanya was made His arms;

ऊरू तदस्य यद्वैश्यः । पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत

Ūrū tadasya yadvaiśyaḥ | padbhyāṃ śūdro ajāyata

what was the vaishya, that was His thighs; from His feet the shudra was born.

चन्द्रमा मनसो जातः । चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत ।

Candramā manaso jātaḥ | cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata |

The moon was born from His mind; from His eye the sun arose;

मुखादिन्द्रश्चाग्निश्च । प्राणाद्वायुरजायत

Mukhādindraścāgniśca | prāṇādvāyurajāyata

from His mouth came Indra and Agni; from His breath Vayu arose.

नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षम् । शीर्ष्णो द्यौः समवर्तत ।

Nābhyā āsīdantarikṣam | śīrṣṇo dyauḥ samavartata |

From His navel came the mid-air; from His head the sky came into being;

पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात् । तथा लोकां अकल्पयन्

Padbhyāṃ bhūmirdiśaḥ śrotrāt | tathā lokāṃ akalpayan

from His feet the earth, from His ear the directions: thus they fashioned the worlds.

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम् । आदित्यवर्णं तमसस्तु पारे ।

Vedāhametaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāntam | ādityavarṇaṃ tamasastu pāre |

I know this great Purusha, sun-coloured, on the far side of darkness.

सर्वाणि रूपाणि विचित्य धीरः । नामानि कृत्वाऽभिवदन् यदास्ते

Sarvāṇi rūpāṇi vicitya dhīraḥ | nāmāni kṛtvā'bhivadan yadāste

The steadfast one, having sorted out all forms and made their names, sits uttering them.

धाता पुरस्ताद्यमुदाजहार । शक्रः प्रविद्वान्प्रदिशश्चतस्रः ।

Dhātā purastādyamudājahāra | śakraḥ pravidvānpradiśaścatasraḥ |

whom Dhata declared of old, and whom Shakra, knowing well, proclaimed to the four quarters.

तमेवं विद्वानमृत इह भवति । नान्यः पन्था अयनाय विद्यते

Tamevaṃ vidvānamṛta iha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā ayanāya vidyate

One who knows Him so becomes immortal here and now; there is no other road for the journey.

यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवाः । तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् ।

Yajñena yajñamayajanta devāḥ | tāni dharmāṇi prathamānyāsan |

By the sacrifice the gods sacrificed to the sacrifice: those were the first ordinances.

ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्ते । यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः

Te ha nākaṃ mahimānaḥ sacante | yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ

Those greatnesses reach the vault of heaven, where the ancient Sadhyas, the gods, abide.

ॐ नमो नारायणाय

Oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya

Om, salutation to Narayana.

अद्भ्यः सम्भूतः पृथिव्यै रसाच्च । विश्वकर्मणः समवर्तताधि ।

Adbhyaḥ sambhūtaḥ pṛthivyai rasācca | viśvakarmaṇaḥ samavartatādhi |

Arisen from the waters and from the essence of the earth, He came into being from Vishvakarman.

तस्य त्वष्टा विदधद्रूपमेति । तत्पुरुषस्य विश्वमाजानमग्रे

Tasya tvaṣṭā vidadhadrūpameti | tatpuruṣasya viśvamājānamagre

Tvashta comes to shape His form: that was the whole birth of the Purusha at the beginning.

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम् । आदित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ।

Vedāhametaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāntam | ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt |

I know this great Purusha, sun-coloured, beyond the darkness.

तमेवं विद्वानमृत इह भवति । नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेयनाय

Tamevaṃ vidvānamṛta iha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā vidyateyanāya

One who knows Him so becomes immortal here and now; there is no other road for the journey.

प्रजापतिश्चरति गर्भे अन्तः । अजायमानो बहुधा विजायते ।

Prajāpatiścarati garbhe antaḥ | ajāyamāno bahudhā vijāyate |

Prajapati moves within the womb; unborn, He is born in many ways.

तस्य धीराः परिजानन्ति योनिम् । मरीचीनां पदमिच्छन्ति वेधसः

Tasya dhīrāḥ parijānanti yonim | marīcīnāṃ padamicchanti vedhasaḥ

The steadfast discern His source; the makers of the worlds long for the station of the rays of light.

यो देवेभ्य आतपति । यो देवानां पुरोहितः ।

Yo devebhya ātapati | yo devānāṃ purohitaḥ |

He who shines upon the gods, who is the priest of the gods,

पूर्वो यो देवेभ्यो जातः । नमो रुचाय ब्राह्मये

Pūrvo yo devebhyo jātaḥ | namo rucāya brāhmaye

who was born before the gods: salutation to that radiance, to that which is Brahman.

रुचं ब्राह्मं जनयन्तः । देवा अग्रे तदब्रुवन् ।

Rucaṃ brāhmaṃ janayantaḥ | devā agre tadabruvan |

Bringing forth that radiance which is Brahman, the gods said this at the beginning:

यस्त्वैवं ब्राह्मणो विद्यात् । तस्य देवा असन् वशे

Yastvaivaṃ brāhmaṇo vidyāt | tasya devā asan vaśe

whoever knows the Brahman in this way, the gods are at his command.

ह्रीश्च ते लक्ष्मीश्च पत्न्यौ । अहोरात्रे पार्श्वे ।

Hrīśca te lakṣmīśca patnyau | ahorātre pārśve |

Hri and Lakshmi are Your two consorts; day and night are Your sides;

नक्षत्राणि रूपम् । अश्विनौ व्यात्तम् । इष्टं मनिषाण ।

Nakṣatrāṇi rūpam | aśvinau vyāttam | iṣṭaṃ maniṣāṇa |

the constellations are Your form; the Ashvins Your open mouth. Grant what is desired,

अमुं मनिषाण । सर्वं मनिषाण

Amuṃ maniṣāṇa | sarvaṃ maniṣāṇa

grant that yonder, grant all.

ॐ तच्छं योरावृणीमहे । गातुं यज्ञाय । गातुं यज्ञपतये । दैवी स्वस्तिरस्तु नः ।

Oṃ tacchaṃ yorāvṛṇīmahe | gātuṃ yajñāya | gātuṃ yajñapataye | daivī svastirastu naḥ |

Om. That peace and that freedom from harm we choose. Free course for the sacrifice. Free course for the lord of the sacrifice. May divine well-being be ours.

स्वस्तिर्मानुषेभ्यः । ऊर्ध्वं जिगातु भेषजम् । शन्नो अस्तु द्विपदे । शं चतुष्पदे ।

Svastirmānuṣebhyaḥ | ūrdhvaṃ jigātu bheṣajam | śanno astu dvipade | śaṃ catuṣpade |

Well-being for all human beings. May the healing herb rise upward. May there be peace for our two-footed, and peace for the four-footed.

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।

Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |

Om. Peace, peace, peace.