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Audio-Visuals > Selections form
Rig Veda > Purusha Sūktā |
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Introduction ( Mandala 10, Sūktā
90) |
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This hymn of 16 verses is addressed to
Purusha, a word which has numerous meanings as He who is filled
with light, He whose passions are purified etc. It gives a
symbolic account of how the Divinity itself has become the entire
manifestation. It is said that what is manifested both animate and
inanimate is only a small fraction of his glory and the rest is
beyond our reach. This manifestation came about only by the
symbolic sacrifice or yajňa. Only by knowing this mighty Purusha
can we transcend our limited mortal state. |
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Text (Hymn (10.90)) |
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sahasrashīrşhā puruşhaĥ
sahasrākşhaĥ sahasrapāt |
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sa bhūmim vishvato
vŗtvātyatişhţhaddashāngulam |
|| 1 || |
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puruşha evedam sarvam
yadbhūtam yachcha bhavyam |
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utāmŗtatva syeshāno yadann
enātirohati |
|| 2 || |
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etāvānasya mahimāto
jyāyānshcha pūruşhaĥ |
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pādosya vishvā bhūtāni
tripādasyā mŗtam divi |
|| 3 || |
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tripād ūrdhva
udaitpuruşhaĥ pādo syehābhavat punaĥ |
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tato vişhvang vyakrāmat
sāshanā nashane abhi |
|| 4 || |
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tasmād virāļajāyata virājo
adhi pūruşhaĥ |
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sa jāto atyarichyata
pashchād bhumim atho puraĥ |
|| 5 || |
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yat puruşheņa havişhā devā
yajňam atanvata |
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vasanto asyāsīd ājyam
grīşhma idhmaĥ sharadhdaviĥ |
|| 6 || |
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tam yajňam barhişhi
praukşhan puruşham jātamagrataĥ |
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tena devā ayajanta sādhyā
ŗşhayashcha ye |
|| 7 || |
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tasmād yajňāt sarvahutaĥ
sambhŗtam pŗşhadājyam |
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pashūn tānshchakre
vāyavyān āraņyān grāmyāshcha ye |
|| 8 || |
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tasmād yajňāt sarvahuta
ŗchaĥ sāmāni jajňire |
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chhandāmsi jajňire tasmād
yajus tasmād ajāyata |
|| 9 || |
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tasmād ashvā ajāyanta ye
ke cho bhayādataĥ |
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gāvo ha jajňire tasmāt
tasmājjātā ajāvayaĥ |
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10 || |
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yatpuruşham vyadadhuĥ
katidhā vyakalpayan |
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mukham kimasya kau bāhū kā
ūrū pādā uchyate |
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11 || |
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brāhmaņosya mukhamāsīd
bāhū rājanyaĥ kŗtaĥ |
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ūrū tadasya yad vaishyaĥ
padbhyām shūdro ajāyata |
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12 || |
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chandramā manaso jātash
chakşhoĥ sūryo ajāyata |
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mukhād indrashchāgnishcha
prāņād vāyūr ajāyata |
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13 || |
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nābhyā āsīd antarikşham
shīrşhņo dyauĥ samavartata |
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padbhyām bhūmir dishaĥ
shrotrāttathā lokān akalpayan |
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14 || |
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saptāsyāsan paridhayastriĥ
sapta samidhaĥ kŗtāĥ |
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devā yadyajňam tanvānā
abadhnun puruşham pashum |
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15 || |
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yajňena yajňamayajanta
devās tānidharmāņi prathamānyāsan |
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te ha nākam mahimānaĥ
sachanta yatra pūrve sādhyāĥ santi devāĥ |
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16 || |
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Translation |
Purusha is thousand-headed, thousands-eyed,
thousand-footed;
and, pervading the earth on all sides, he exists beyond the ten
directions. |
(1) |
Purusha, indeed, is all this, what has been
and what will be,
and the Lord of immortality transcending by mortal nurture. |
(2) |
Such is his magnificence, but Purusha is
greater than this;
all beings are a fourth of him, three-fourths--his
immortality--lie in heaven. |
(3) |
Three-fourths of Purusha ascended, the
fourth part was here again and again,
and, diversified in form, it moved to the animate and the
inanimate world. |
(4) |
From him was Viraj born, and from Viraj was
born Purusha;
and, as soon as born, he spread over the earth from behind and in
front. |
(5) |
When with Purusha as offering the Devas
performed a sacrifice,
spring was the molten butter, summer the fuel, and autumn the
oblation. |
(6) |
On the grass they besprinkled him, the
Sacrifice Purusha, the first born
With him the Devas sacrificed, and those Sadhyas and the Rishis. |
(7) |
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And animals ruled by Vayu arose the sylvan
and the domestic. |
(8) |
From that sacrifice, fully offered, the Rik
and the Saman were born,
the Chandas was born of that, and from that was the Yajus born. |
(9) |
From that were born horses, and the animals
with two roes of teeth;
yea, kine were born of that, and of that were born the goat and
the sheep. |
(10) |
When they divided Purusha, how many portions
did they make?
What did they call his mouth? What his arms? and what his thighs
his feet? |
(11) |
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The Brahmana was his mouth, and his arms
were made the Rajanya,his thighs became the Vaisya, and from his
feet was the Sudra born. |
(12) |
From his mind was born the moon, and from
his eye the sun. From his mouth
were Indra and Agni born and Vayu was born from his breath. |
(13) |
From his navel came the mid-air, from his
head the sky was fashioned,
from his feet the earth, and from his ear the quarters. Thus they
formed the worlds. |
(14) |
Seven were the sticks of the enclosure,
thrice seven the logs of wood prepared,
when Devas, performing the rite, bound, as their victim, Purusha. |
(15) |
With sacrifice the Devas worshipped the
Sacrifice,
Those wee the earliest holy ordinances.
The mighty Ones attained the height of heaven.
where the ancient Devas, the Sadhyas, abide. |
(16) |
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