Purusha Suktam (पुरुष सूक्तम् - Rigveda 10.90)
The Purusha Suktam (पुरुष सूक्तम्) is one of the most revered and foundational hymns in the entire Vedic canon, found in the Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 90) as well as the Shukla Yajurveda. It envisions the entire cosmos as the living, interconnected body of the Supreme Cosmic Being (Purusha). In 16 profound mantras, the Vedic seers explain how all worlds, stars, seasons, flora, fauna, and human faculties originated from the cosmic sacrifice (Yajna) of the Divine. Chanting this hymn harmonizes the individual soul (Jivatma) with universal cosmic consciousness (Paramatma).
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Recommendation: 1 recitation during temple/home Abhishekam. Tap the counter each time you finish a recitation.
॥ Dhyānam (Meditation Shloka) ॥
शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् । लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥
Śāntākāraṁ bhujaga-śayanaṁ padma-nābhaṁ sureśaṁ Viśvādhāraṁ gagana-sadṛśaṁ megha-varṇaṁ śubhāṅgam | Lakṣmī-kāntaṁ kamala-nayanaṁ yogibhir-dhyāna-gamyaṁ Vande viṣṇuṁ bhava-bhaya-haraṁ sarva-lokaika-nātham ||
I bow to Lord Vishnu, of serene countenance, reclining upon the celestial serpent Shesha, with a lotus sprouting from His navel, the Lord of all celestials, the foundation of the universe, all-pervading like space, dark-hued as the raincloud, of auspicious limbs, the beloved consort of Lakshmi, with eyes like blooming lotuses, accessible to mystics through deep meditation, the remover of all worldly fears, and the sole sovereign of all realms.
ॐ सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वात्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥ १ ॥
Oṁ sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasra-pāt | Sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vṛtvātyatiṣṭhad-daśāṅgulam || 1 ||
The Supreme Cosmic Being (Purusha) possesses a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. Pervading the entire cosmos on all sides, He extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth into transcendental infinity.
पुरुष एवेदं सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यम् । उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति ॥ २ ॥
Puruṣa evedaṁ sarvaṁ yad-bhūtaṁ yacca bhavyam | Utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yad-annenātirohati || 2 ||
This entire manifest universe is verily that Purusha alone — whatever has been in the past, and whatever shall be in the future. He is the Lord of immortality, transcending the world sustained by mortal food.
एतावानस्य महिमातो ज्यायांश्च पूरुषः । पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि ॥ ३ ॥
Etāvānasya mahimāto jyāyāṁśca pūruṣaḥ | Pādo'sya viśvā bhūtāni tripādasyāmṛtaṁ divi || 3 ||
Such is His manifest glory, yet the Cosmic Purusha is greater still. All created beings and universes constitute merely one-quarter (one foot) of His reality; His immortal three-quarters abide in the transcendent heavenly realm.
त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत्पुरुषः पादोऽस्येहाऽभवात्पुनः । ततो विष्वङ् व्यक्रामत्साशनानशने अभि ॥ ४ ॥
Tripād-ūrdhva udait-puruṣaḥ pādo'syehā'bhavāt-punaḥ | Tato viṣvaṅ vyakrāmat-sāśanānaśane abhi || 4 ||
Three-fourths of that Supreme Purusha ascended beyond the mortal plane into the eternal realm. Only one-fourth of Him manifested again and again in this cosmos, pervading all that eats and eats not (the sentient and insentient).
तस्माद्विराडजायत्त विराजो अधि पूरुषः । स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः ॥ ५ ॥
Tasmād-virāḍ-ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ | Sa jāto aty-aricyata paścād-bhūmim-atho puraḥ || 5 ||
From that Supreme Being, the cosmic Virat was born; and from the Virat emerged the cosmic Purusha. Being born, He extended beyond the earth, both behind and before.
यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत । वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः ॥ ६ ॥
Yat-puruṣeṇa haviṣā devā yajñam-atanvata | Vasanto asyāsīd-ājyaṁ grīṣma idhmaḥ śarad-dhaviḥ || 6 ||
When the devas performed the cosmic sacrifice with the Purusha as the oblation, Spring season became the clarified butter, Summer the firewood, and Autumn the sacred offering.
तं यज्ञं बर्हिषि प्रौक्षन् पुरुषं जातमग्रतः । तेन देवा अयजन्त साध्या ऋषयश्च ये ॥ ७ ॥
Taṁ yajñaṁ barhiṣi praukṣan puruṣaṁ jātam-agrataḥ | Tena devā ayajanta sādhyā ṛṣayaśca ye || 7 ||
They consecrated that first-born Purusha as the sacrifice upon the sacred grass. By Him, the devas, the sadhyas (celestial beings), and the rishis performed the great cosmic offering.
तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुतः संभृतं पृषदाज्यम् । पशून् तांश्चक्रे वायव्यानारण्यान् ग्राम्याश्च ये ॥ ८ ॥
Tasmād-yajñāt-sarvahutaḥ sambhṛtaṁ pṛṣad-ājyam | Paśūn tāṁś-cakre vāyavyān-āraṇyān grāmyāśca ye || 8 ||
From that all-inclusive sacrifice was gathered the mixture of curds and ghee. From it were created the birds of the air, the wild beasts of the forest, and the domestic animals of the village.
तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुत ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे । छन्दांसि जज्ञिरे तस्माद्यजुस्तस्मादजायत ॥ ९ ॥
Tasmād-yajñāt-sarvahuta ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire | Chandāṁsi jajñire tasmād-yajus-tasmād-ajāyata || 9 ||
From that all-encompassing sacrifice, the Rigvedic verses and the Samavedic chants were born. From it arose the sacred meters (chhandas), and from it the Yajurveda was generated.
तस्मादश्वा अजायन्त ये के चोभयादतः । गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात् तस्माज्जाता अजावयः ॥ १० ॥
Tasmād-aśvā ajāyanta ye ke cobhayādataḥ | Gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt tasmāj-jātā ajāvayaḥ || 10 ||
From that arose horses and all animals with two rows of teeth; from it cattle were born, and from it goats and sheep came into existence.
यत्पुरुषं व्यदधुः कतिधा व्यकल्पयन् । मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू का ऊरू पादा उच्येते ॥ ११ ॥
Yat-puruṣaṁ vyadadhuḥ katidhā vyakalpayan | Mukhaṁ kim-asya kau bāhū kā ūrū pādā ucyete || 11 ||
When they envisioned and analyzed the cosmic Purusha, into how many parts did they divide Him? What became of His mouth, what of His arms, what were His thighs and His feet called?
ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीद् बाहू राजन्यः कृतः । ऊरू तदस्य यद्वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत ॥ १२ ॥
Brāhmaṇo'sya mukham-āsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ | Ūrū tad-asya yad-vaiśyaḥ padbhyāṁ śūdro ajāyata || 12 ||
The Brahmana (embodiment of wisdom) was His mouth; His arms became the Rajanya (Kshatriya, the protector); His thighs were the Vaishya (sustainer of commerce); and from His feet was the Shudra (foundation of service) born.
चन्द्रमा मनसो जातश्चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत । मुखादिन्द्रश्चाग्निश्च प्राणाद्वायुरजायत ॥ १३ ॥
Candramā manaso jātaś-cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata | Mukhād-indraścāgniśca prāṇād-vāyur-ajāyata || 13 ||
The moon was born from His mind; from His eyes the radiant sun was born; from His mouth Indra and Agni emerged, and from His vital breath the wind was generated.
नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षं शीर्ष्णो द्यौः समवर्तत । पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात्तथा लोकाँ अकल्पयन् ॥ १४ ॥
Nābhyā āsīd-antarikṣaṁ śīrṣṇo dyauḥ samavartata | Padbhyāṁ bhūmir-diśaḥ śrotrāt-tathā lokāam-akalpayan || 14 ||
From His navel arose the intermediate space; from His head the heavens evolved; from His feet the earth, and from His ears the cardinal directions. Thus did the creators fashion the realms.
सप्तास्यासन् परिधयस्त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः । देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन् पुरुषं पशुम् ॥ १५ ॥
Saptāsyāsan paridhayas-triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ | Devā yad-yajñaṁ tanvānā abadhnan puruṣaṁ paśum || 15 ||
Seven were the enclosing boundaries (the oceans), and thrice seven (21 cosmic principles) were the fuel sticks prepared, when the devas, expanding the cosmic sacrifice, consecrated the Purusha as the offering.
यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् । ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः ॥ १६ ॥
Yajñena yajñam-ayajanta devās-tāni dharmāṇi prathamāny-āsan | Te ha nākaṁ mahimānaḥ sacanta yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ || 16 ||
With sacrifice the devas worshipped the Lord of Sacrifice; these were the earliest primordial laws of Dharma. These glorious souls attain the highest celestial realm where dwell the ancient realized beings and devas.
Phalaśruti (Sacred Fruits of Recitation)
Whoever meditates on the cosmic Purusha through this sacred Suktam attains freedom from the cycle of birth and death, entering the supreme immortal abode of light.
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