Purusha Suktam
by Vedalearn Academy

(pronunciation guide is at the end of this article)

Om sahasra shirsha purushaha sahasrakshas sahasrapat

sa bhumim vishvato vritva atyatishthad dhashangulam

The Purusha (the Supreme Being) has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. He has enveloped this world from all sides and has (even) transcended it by ten angulas or inches.

purusha evedagam sarvam yadbhutam yaccha bhavyam

utamritatva syeshanaha yadanne natirohati

All this is verily the Purusha. All that which existed in the past or will come into being in the future (is also the Purusha). Also, he is the Lord of immortality. That which grows profusely by food (is also the Purusha).

etavanasya mahima ato jyayagamshcha purushaha

padosya vishva bhutani tripadasya mritam divi

So much is His greatness. However, the Purusha is greater than this. All the beings form only a quarter (part of) Him. The three-quarter part of His, which is eternal, is established in the spiritual domain.

tripadurdhva udaitpurushaha padosyeha bhavatpunaha

tato vishvajya kramat ashana ashane abhi

The Purusha with the three-quarters (of His energy) ascended above (the spiritual energy). His one quarter of material energy becomes this creation again (and again). Then He pervades this universe comprising a variety of sentient beings and insentient objects.

tasmad viradajayata virajo adhi purushah

sa jato atyarichyata pashchad bhumimatho puraha

From Him (the Adipurusha or original Supreme Being) was born the Virat (or Virat Purusha, the immense universal form). Making this Virat as the substratum (another) purusha (or being, Brahma) (was born). As soon as he was born, he multiplied himself. Later, he created this earth and then, the bodies (of the living beings).

yatpurushena havisha deva yajnam atanvata

vasanto asyasidajyam grishma idhmash sharaddhavihi

When the devas (the demigods or beings of light) performed a yajna (or sacrificial ritual), using the Purusha as the havis (sacrificial material) for the yajna (ritual), the Vasanta (spring) became the ajya (ghee), the Grishma (summer) served as idhma (pieces of wood) and the sharad (autumn) filled the place of havis (oblatory material like the purodasha or rice-cake).

saptasyasan paridhayaha trissapta samidhah kritaha

deva yadjajnam tanvanaha abadhnan purusham pashum

For this (yajna or spiritual ceremony) there were seven paridhis (fuel pieces serving as borders). And, twenty-one items were made the samit or sacrificial fuel sticks. When the devas were performing this yajna or ceremony, they tied the purusha (himself) as the pashu (sacrificial animal).

tam yajnam barhishipraukshan purusham jatamagrataha

tena deva ayajantaha sadhya rishayashchaye

The devas, the sadhyas and the rishis performed the sacrifice by using that Purusha as the means of yajna, the Purusha who had been born in the beginning, after sprinkling him with water by the barhis (or sacrificial grass).

tasmad yajnat sarvahutaha sambhritam vrishadajyam

pashugamstya gashchakre vayavyan aranyan gramashcaye

From that yajna (or sacrificial ritual) wherein the Cosmic Being was Himself the oblation, was produced the prasajya (or curds mixed with ghee). Birds flying in the air, wild animals of the forest as also the domesticated animals of the villages were also produced.

tasmad yajnat sarvahutaha richassamani jijignire

chandhagamsi jijignire tasmat yajus tasmad ajayata

From that yajna (or sacrifice) wherein the Cosmic Being was Himself the oblation, were born the riks (the mantras of the Rig-veda) and the samans (the mantras of the Sama-veda). From that (yajna) the metres (like Gayatri) were born. From that (yajna again) the yujas (the Yajur-veda) was born.

tasmadashva ajayata ye ke cobhaya dataha

gavo ha jijignire tasmat tasmad jnata ajavayaha

From that were born the horses, as also animals (like donkeys and mules) which have two rows of teeth. From that were born the cattle. From that (again) were born goats and sheep.

yatpurusham vyadadhuhu kadhita vyakalpayan

mukham kimasya kau bahu kavuru padavuchayate

(Now some questions are raised by the sages:) When the gods decided to (mentally) sacrifice the Viratpurusha (and produce further creation), in how many ways did they do it? What became of his face or mouth? What became of his two arms? What became of His two thighs? What were (the products of) the two feet called?

brahmanosya mukhamasit bahu rajanyah kritaha

uru tadasya yadvaishyaha padhyagam shudro ajayata

From His face (or the mouth) came the brahmanas. From His two arms came the rajanya (the kshatriyas). From His two thighs came the vaishyas. From His two feet came the shudras.

chandrama manaso jataha chakshoh suryo ajayata

mukhad indrash chagnishcha pranadvayur ajayata

From His mind was born the moon. From His two eyes was born the sun. From His mouth were born Indra and Agni. From His breath was born the air.

nabhya asidanta riksham shirshno dyauh samavartata

padhyam bhumirdishash shrotrat tada lokagamm akalpayan

From (His) navel was produced the antariksha (the space between the earth and the heavens). Dyuloka (or heaven) came into existence from His head. The bhumi (the earth) evolved out of His feet, and deek (or spacial directions) from His ears. Similarly (the demigods) produced the worlds (too).

vedahametam purusham mahantam adityavarnam tamasastu pare

sarvani rupani vichitya dhiraha namani kritva abhivadan yadaste

“I know (through intuitive experience) this great Purusha (the Supreme Being), the wise one, who, having created the various forms and the nomenclatures (for those forms), deals with them by those names, and who is beyond darkness and is brilliant like the sun.”

dhata purastadya mudajahara shakrah pravidvan pradishashcha tasraha

tamevam vidvan amrita iha bhavati nanyah pantha ayanaya vidyate

In the ancient days, Prajapati (Brahma) praised Him. Indra who knows all the four quarters also spoke about Him. Anyone who knows Him thus, will become immortal even in this life. For attaining liberation there is no other path (than knowledge of this Purusha, the Supreme Lord).

yajnena yajnam ayajanta devaha tani dharmani pradhamanyasan

te ha nakam mahimanas sacante yatra purve sadhyah santi devaha

The (demi)gods worshiped (the Supreme Creator in the form of) yajna through yajna (sacrifical ceremonies). Those very processes became the primary dharmas (laws guiding humanity). Those great ones attain that heaven where the ancient devas (demigods) and sadhyas live.

adbhyas sambhutah prithivyai rasacca vishvakarmanas samavartatadhi

tasya tvashta vidadhad rupameti tatpurushasya vishvamajanamagre

The Viratpurusha manifested Himself from out of (the all-pervading) water as also the essence of the element of earth. This Viratpurusha was born out of the greatness of the Paramapurusha, the Creator. The (Paramapurusha, known as) Tvashta engaged Himself in the act of creating (the fourteen planetary systems), (which form of the expanded) figure (of the Viratpurusha). (Thus) the entire creation (related to the Viratpurusha) came into existence in the very beginning of creation.

vedahametam purusham mahantam adityavarnam tamasah parastat

tamevam vidvan amrita iha bhavati nanyah pantha vidyate’yanaya

“I have known that great Purusha (Supreme Being) who is brilliant like the sun and who is beyond all darkness. One who knows Him thus becomes immortal (even) here. There is no other path for liberation than this.”

prajapatishcharati garbhe antaha ajayamano bahudha vijayate

tasya dhirah parijananti yonim marichinam padamicchanti vedhasaha

Prajapati (the Supreme Creator) moves inside the cosmic womb. (Though) unborn He takes birth in a variety of ways. The wise ones know His (real nature) as the origin (of the universe). The (secondary) creators desire to attain the positions of Marichi and others.

yo devebhya atapati yo devanam purohitaha

purvo yo devebhyo jataha namo ruchaya brahmaye

Obeisances to Him, the self-luminous Brahman, who shines for the (demi)gods, who is the leader of the rituals of the gods and who was born even before the gods.

rucham brahmam janayantaha deva agre tadabruvan

yastvaivam brahmano vidyat tasya deva asanvashe

In the beginning of creation, the gods, manifesting the light of Brahman, addressed Brahman thus: “That brahmana who realizes (You) thus, all the gods will come under his control.”

hrishcha te lakshmishcha patnyau ahoratre parshve

nakshatrani rupam ashvinau vyattam

ishtam manishana amun manishana sarvam manishana

Om shanti shanti shantihi

O Purusha! The goddesses Hri (modesty) and Sri (Lakshmi, wealth) are Your consorts. Day and night are Your lateral limbs. The stars are Your form. The Ashvins are your widely opened (mouth). (O Purusha) fulfill our desire for self-knowledge as also our desire for the enjoyments of this world (like longevity, cows, and horses). Give us all that we need. Om, let there be peace, peace, peace.

• a - as in “car”
• ā - as in “far”
• i - as in “ski”
• ī - as in “see”
• u - as in “blue”
• ū - as in “food”
• ṛ - as in a short, quick “ri” sound
• ṝ - as in a prolonged “ree” sound
• e - as in “they”
• ai - as in “night”
• o - as in “go”
• au - as in “cow”

• k - as in “kite”
• kh like the “k” in “sky”
• g - as in “go”
• gh like the “g” in “ghost”
• ṅ - as in “sing”
• c - as in “chop”
• ch - as in “chair”
• j - as in “jam”
• jh similar to the “j” in “hedge”
• ñ - as in “canyon”
• ṭa retroflex “t” sound
• ṭha retroflex “th” sound
• ḍa retroflex “d” sound
• ḍha retroflex “dh” sound
• ṇa retroflex “n” sound
• t - as in “top”
• th - as in “think”
• d - as in “dog”
• dh - as in “this”
• n - as in “no”
• p - as in “pen”
• ph like the “p” in “top”
• b - as in “bat”
• bh - as in “behind”
• m - as in “man”
• y - as in “yes”
• r - as a tap or slight trill, similar to the Spanish “r” in “pero”
• l - as in “let”
• v - as in “very”
• ś - as in “shoe”
• ṣ - as in “song”
• s - as in “sit”
• h - as in “hat”