Purushasuktam by Swami Ishwarananda
Invocation
ॐ तच्छं॒ योरावृ॑णीमहे । गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञाय॑ । गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञप॑तये ।
दैवी᳚ स्व॒स्तिर॑स्तु नः । स्व॒स्तिर्मानु॑षेभ्यः । ऊ॒र्ध्वं जि॑गातु भेष॒जम् ।
शं नो॑ अस्तु द्वि॒पदे᳚ । शं चतु॑ष्पदे ।
ॐ शान्तिः॒ शान्तिः॒ शान्तिः॑ ॥
om taccha̲ṁ yorāvṛ̍ṇīmahe | gā̲tuṁ ya̲jñāya̍ | gā̲tuṁ ya̲jñapa̍taye |
daivī̎ sva̲stira̍stu naḥ | sva̲stirmānu̍ṣebhyaḥ | ū̲rdhvaṁ ji̍gātu bheṣa̲jam |
śaṁ no̍ astu dvi̲pade̎| śaṁ catu̍ṣpade |
om śānti̲ḥ śānti̲ḥ śānti̍ḥ ||
“We worship and pray to the Supreme Lord for the welfare of all beings. May all miseries and shortcomings leave us forever so that we may always sing for the Lord during the holy fire ceremonies. May all medicinal herbs grow in potency so that all diseases may be cured. May the gods rain peace on us. May all the two-legged creatures be happy, and may all the four-legged creatures also be happy. May there be peace in the hearts of all beings in all realms.”
Practice audio:
Verse 1
ॐ स॒हस्र॑शीर्षा॒ पुरु॑षः। स॒ह॒स्रा॒क्षः स॒हस्र॑पात् ।
स भूमिं॑ वि॒श्वतो॑ वृ॒त्वा । अत्य॑तिष्ठद्दशाङु॒लम् ।
पुरु॑ष ए॒वेदग्ं सर्वम्᳚ । यद्भू॒तं यच्च॒ भव्यम्᳚ ।
उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्वस्येशा॑नः। यदन्ने॑नाति॒रोह॑ति ।
ए॒तावा॑नस्य महि॒मा । अतो॒ ज्यायाग्ं॑श्च पूरु॑षः ॥१॥
om sa̲hasra̍ṣīrṣā̲ puru̍ṣaḥ | sa̲ha̲srā̲kṣaḥ sa̲hasra̍pāt |
sa bhūmiṁ̍ vi̲śvato̍ vṛ̲tvā | ātya̍tiṣṭhaddaśāngu̲lam|
puru̍ṣa e̲vedagṁ sarvam̎ | yadbhū̲taṁ yacca̲ bhavyam̎ |
u̲tāmṛ̍ta̲tvasyeśā̍naḥ| yadānne̍nāti̲ro-ha̍ti |
e̲tāvā̍nasya mahi̲mā | ato̲ jyāyāgṁ̍śca̲ pūru̍ṣaḥ ||1||
“He, the Cosmic lord, the Purusha, with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand legs, Pervading all the Universe. Still extends ten ‘inches’ beyond”
Practice audio:
Verse 2
पादो᳚ऽस्य॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॑ । त्रि॒पाद॑स्या॒मृतं॑ दि॒वि ।
त्रि॒पादू॒र्ध्व उदै॒त्पुरु॑षः। पादो᳚ऽस्ये॒हाऽऽभ॑वा॒त्पुन॑: ।
ततो॒ विष्व॒ङ्व्य॑क्रामत्। सा॒श॒ना॒न॒श॒ने अ॒भि ।
तस्मा᳚द्वि॒राड॑जायत । वि॒राजो॒ अधि॒ पूरु॑षः ।
स जा॒तो अत्य॑रिच्यत । प॒श्चाद्भूमि॒मथो॑ पु॒रः ॥२॥
pādo̎’sya̲ viśvā̍ bhūtāni̍ | tri̲pāda̍syā̲mṛtaṁ̍ di̲vi |
tri̲pādū̲rdhva uda̲i̲tpuru̍ṣaḥ | pādo̎’sye̲hā”bha̍vā̲t puna̍ḥ |
tato̲ viṣva̲ṅ-vya̍krāmat |sā̲śa̲nā̲na̲śa̲ne a̲bhi |
tasmā̎dvi̱rāḍa̍jāyata | vi̱rājo̲ adhi̱ pūru̍ṣaḥ |
sa jā̲to atya̍ricyata | pa̲ścādbhūmi̲matho̍ pu̲raḥ ||2||
“Whatever is born now, and whatever is yet to be born in future, all are He alone, not only this, Even for the Gods He is the controller; and hence He transcends the mortal state”
Practice audio:
Verse 3
यत्पुरु॑षेण ह॒विषा᳚ । दे॒वा य॒ज्ञमत॑न्वत ।
व॒स॒न्तो अ॑स्यासी॒दाज्यम्᳚ । ग्री॒ष्म इ॒ध्मश्श॒रद्ध॒विः ।
स॒प्तास्या॑सन्परि॒धय॑: । त्रिःस॒प्त स॒मिध॑: कृ॒ताः ।
दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं त॑न्वा॒नाः । अब॑ध्नन्-पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥
तं य॒ज्ञं ब॒र्॒हिषि॒ प्रौक्षन्॑ । पुरु॑षं जा॒तम॑ग्रतः ॥३॥
yatpuru̍ṣeṇa ha̲viṣā̎ | de̲vā ya̲jñamata̍nvata |
va̲sa̲nto a̍syā-sī̲dājyam̎ | grī̱ṣma i̱dhmaśśa̲raddha̲viḥ |
sa̲ptāsyā̍sanpari̱dhaya̍ḥ | triḥ sa̲pta sa̲midha̍ḥ kṛ̲tāḥ |
de̲vā yadya̲jñaṁ ta̍nvā̲nāḥ | aba̍dhna̲npuru̍ṣaṁ pa̲śum |
taṁ ya̲jñaṁ ba̲r̲hiṣi̱ praukṣan̍ | puru̍ṣaṁ jā̲tama̍gra̲taḥ ||3||
“This much is His glory only. And Purusha is much more than all these. The entire Universe of happenings (Viswa) and creatures (Bhootani) constitute but a quarter (Pada) of him. The remaining three quarters (Tripad) of his glory consists of the immutable Consciousness.”
Practice audio:
Verse 4
तेन॑ दे॒वा अय॑जन्त । सा॒ध्या ऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ।
तस्मा᳚द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुत॑: । संभृ॑तं पृषदा॒ज्यम् ।
प॒शूग्ंस्ताग्ंश्च॑क्रे वाय॒व्यान्॑ । आ॒र॒ण्यान्ग्रा॒म्याश्च॒ ये ।
तस्मा᳚द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुत॑: । ऋच॒: सामा॑नि जज्ञिरे ।
छन्दाग्ं॑सि जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा᳚त् । यजु॒स्तस्मा॑दजायत ॥४॥
tena̍ de̲vā aya̍janta | sā̲dhyā ṛṣa̍yaśca̲ ye |
ṭasmā̎dya̲jñātsa̍rva̲-huta̍ḥ | saṁbhṛ̍taṁ pṛṣadā̲jyam |
pa̲śūgṁstāgṁśca̍kre vāya̲vyān̍ | ā̲ra̲ṇyāngrā̲myāśca̲ ye |
tasmā̎dya̲jñātsa̍rva̲huta̍ḥ | ṛcaḥ̲ sāmā̍ni jajñire |
chandāgṁ̍si jajñire̲ tasmā̎t | yaju̲stasmā̍-dajāyata ||4||
“The three-quarters of the Purusha extends beyond the Universe of change. The one-quarter of Him. Again and Again, comes to Play as the Universe. Thereafter, He Pervades all beings that eat, and things that never eat”.
Practice audio:
Verse 5
तस्मा॒दश्वा॑ अजायन्त । ये के चो॑भ॒याद॑तः।
गावो॑ ह जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा᳚त् । तस्मा᳚ज्जा॒ता अ॑जा॒वय॑: ।
यत्पुरु॑षं॒ व्य॑दधुः । क॒ति॒धा व्य॑कल्पयन् ।
मुखं॒ किम॑स्य॒ कौ बा॒हू । कावू॒रू पादा॑वुच्येते ।
ब्रा॒ह्म॒णो᳚ऽस्य॒ मुख॑मासीत् । बा॒हू रा॑जन्य॑: कृ॒तः ॥५॥
tasmā̲daśvā̍ ajāyanta | ye ke co̍bha̲yāda̍taḥ |
gāvo̍ ha jajñire̲ tasmā̎t | tasmā̎jjā̲tā a̍jā̲vaya̍ḥ |
yatpuru̍ṣa̲ṁ vya̍dadhuḥ | ka̲ti̱dhā vya̍kalpayan |
mukhaṁ̲ kima̍sya̲ kau bā̲hū | kāvū̲rū pādā̍vucyete |
brā̲hma̲ṇo̎’sya̲ mukha̍māsīt | bā̲hū rāja̲nya̍ḥ kṛ̲taḥ ||5||
“From the Purusha (Tasmaat) was born the Viraat the Universe-in-seed (Brahmaandam) and identifying with Viraat, the “Universe-in-seed-condition”, the Viraat Purusha was born. That new born one become manifest (Sa-Jaatho) into the plurality. Then He (Created) the earth and the bodies.”
Practice audio:
Verse 6
ऊ॒रू तद॑स्य॒ यद्वैश्य॑: । प॒द्भ्याग्ं शू॒द्रो अ॑जायत ।
च॒न्द्रमा॒ मन॑सो जा॒तः । चक्षो॒: सूर्यो॑ अजायत ।
मुखा॒दिन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॑ । प्रा॒णाद्वा॒युर॑जायत ।
नाभ्या॑ आसीद॒न्तरि॑क्षं । शी॒र्ष्णो द्यौः सम॑वर्तत ।
प॒द्भ्यां भूमि॒र्दिश॒: श्रोत्रा᳚त् । तथा॑ लो॒काग्ं अ॑कल्पयन् ॥६॥
ūrū tada̍sya̲ yadvaiśya̍ḥ |pa̲dbhyāgṁ śū̲dro a̍jāyata |
ca̲ndramā̲ mana̍so jā̲taḥ | cakṣo̲ḥ sūryo̍ ajāyata |
mukhā̲dindra̍ścā̲gniśca̍ | prā̲ṇādvā̲yura̍jāyata |
nābhyā̍ āsīda̲ntari̍kṣam | śī̱rṣṇo dyauḥ sama̍vartata |
pa̲dbhyāṁ bhūmi̱rdiśah śrotrā̎t | tathā̍ lo̲kāgṁ a̍kalpayan ||6||
“When the gods invoked Purusha (in the beginning) they considered Him as their very oblation, the Spring season as Ghee (Aajyam), the Summer season as fuel (Edhmah), and the rainy Season as grains needed for the offering (havish).”
Practice audio:
Verse 7
वेदा॒हमे॒तं पुरु॑षं म॒हान्तम्᳚ । आ॒दि॒त्यव॑र्णं॒ तम॑स॒स्तुपा॒रे ।
सर्वा॑णि रू॒पाणि॑ वि॒चित्य॒ धीर॑: । नामा॑नि कृ॒त्वाऽभि॒वद॒न्॒, यदास्ते᳚ ।
धा॒ता पु॒रस्ता॒द्यमु॑दाज॒हार॑ । श॒क्रः प्रवि॒द्वान्प्र॒दिश॒श्चत॑स्रः ।
तमे॒वं वि॒द्वान॒मृत॑ इ॒ह भ॑वति । नान्यः पन्था॒ अय॑नाय विद्यते ॥
य॒ज्ञेन॑ य॒ज्ञम॑यजन्त दे॒वा: । तानि॒ धर्मा॑णि प्रथ॒मान्या॑सन् ।
ते ह॒ नाकं॑ महि॒मान॑: सचन्ते । यत्र॒ पूर्वेˈ सा॒ध्याः सन्ति॑ दे॒वाः ॥७॥
vedā̲hame̲taṁ puru̍ṣaṁ ma̲hāntam̎| ā̲di̱tyava̍rṇa̲ṁ tama̍sa̲stupā̲re |
sarvā̍ṇi rū̲pāṇi̍ vi̱citya̲dhira̍ḥ | nāmā̍ni kṛ̲tvā’bhi̱vada̲n̲, yadāste̎ |
dhā̲tā pu̲rastā̲dyamu̍dāja̲hāra̍| śa̲kraḥ pravi̱dvān pra̲diśa̲-ścata̍sraḥ |
tame̲vaṁ vi̱dvāna̲mṛta̍ i̱ha bha̍vati | nānyaḥ panthā̲ aya̍nāya vidyate |
ya̲jñena̍ ya̲jñama̍yajanta de̲vāḥ | tāni̱ dharmā̍ṇi pratha̲mānyā̍san |
te ha̲ nāka̍ṁ mahi̱māna̍ḥ sacante | yatra̲ pūrve̍sā̲dhyāḥ santi̍ de̲vāḥ ||7||
“For this Yagna they appointed seven Vedies (Paridhayah) and created twenty one kinds of fuel in all. The very lord whom the Devas desired to Invoke with their Yagna, that very Prajapathi was tied to the sacrificial post as the animal offering.”
Practice audio:
Verse 8
अ॒द्भ्यः सम्भू॑तः पृथि॒व्यै रसा᳚च्च । वि॒श्वक॑र्मणः॒ सम॑वर्त॒ताधि॑ ।
तस्य॒ त्वष्टा॑ वि॒दध॑द्रू॒पमे॑ति । तत्पुरु॑षस्य॒ विश्व॒माजा॑न॒मग्रे᳚ ।
वेदा॒हमे॒तं पुरु॑षं म॒हान्तम्᳚ । आ॒दि॒त्यव॑र्णं॒ तम॑सः॒ पर॑स्तात् ।
तमे॒वं वि॒द्वान॒मृत॑ इ॒ह भ॑वति । नान्यः पन्था॑ विद्य॒तेऽय॑नाय ।
प्र॒जाप॑तिश्चरति॒ गर्भे॑ अ॒न्तः । अ॒जाय॑मानो बहु॒धा विजा॑यते ॥८॥
a̲dbhyaḥ saṁbhū̍taḥ pṛthi̱vyai rasā̎cca | vi̱śvaka̍rmaṇa̲ḥ sama̍varta̲tādhi̍ |
tasya̲ tvaṣṭā̍ vi̱dadha̍drū̲pame̍ti | tatpuru̍ṣasya̲ viśva̲mājā̍na̲magre̎ |
vedā̲hame̲taṁ puru̍ṣaṁ ma̲hāntam̎ | ā̲di̱tyava̍rṇa̲ṁ tama̍sa̲ḥ para̍stāt |
tame̲vaṁ vi̱dvāna̲mṛta̍ i̱ha bha̍vati | nānyaḥ panthā̍ vidya̲te’ya̍nāya |
pra̲jāpa̍tiścarati̱ garbhe̍ a̲ntaḥ | a̲jāya̍māno bahu̲dhā vijā̍yate ||8||
“The first-born Purusha was offered as an oblation to the Sacred-fire, and by this divine act the gods, celestials, Rishis-all became Victorious”.
Practice audio:
Verse 9
तस्य॒ धीराः॒ परि॑जानन्ति॒ योनिम्᳚ । मरी॑चीनां प॒दमि॑च्छन्ति वे॒धसः॑ ।
यो दे॒वेभ्य॒ आत॑पति । यो दे॒वाना᳚म् पु॒रोहि॑तः ।
पूर्वो॒ यो दे॒वेभ्यो॑ जा॒तः । नमो॑ रु॒चाय॒ ब्राह्म॑ये ।
रुचं॑ ब्रा॒ह्मं ज॒नय॑न्तः । दे॒वा अग्रे॒ तद॑ब्रुवन् ।
यस्त्वै॒वं ब्रा᳚ह्म॒णो वि॒द्यात् । तस्य॑ दे॒वा अस॒न् वशे᳚ ॥९॥
tasya̲ dhirā̲ḥ pari̍jānant̲i̱ yonim̎ | marī̍cīnāṁ pa̲dami̍cchanti ve̲dhasa̍ḥ |
yo de̲vebhya̲ āta̍pati | yo de̲vānā̎ṁ pu̲rohi̍taḥ |
pūrvo̲ yo de̲vebhyo̍ jā̲taḥ | namo̍ ru̲cāya̲ brāhma̍ye |
ruca̍ṁ brā̲hmaṁ ja̲naya̍ntaḥ | de̲vā agre̲ tada̍bruvan |
yastva̲i̱vaṁ brā̎hma̲ṇo vi̱dyāt | tasya̍ de̲vā asa̲n vaśe̎ ||9||
““From that sarvahutah-sacrifice was gained curd and ghee, were created insects born of air, Animals roaming in forests, and the domestic cattle”
Practice audio:
Verse 10
ह्रीश्च॑ ते ल॒क्ष्मीश्च॒ पत्न्यौ᳚ । अ॒हो॒रा॒त्रे पा॒र्श्वे ।
नक्ष॑त्राणि रू॒पम् । अ॒श्विनौ॒ व्यात्तम्᳚ ।
इ॒ष्टं म॑निषाण । अ॒मुं म॑निषाण । सर्वं॑ मनिषाण ॥१०॥
ॐ शान्तिः॒ शान्तिः॒ शान्तिः॑ ॥
hrīśca̍ te la̲kṣmīśca̲ patnyau̎ | a̲ho̲rā̲tre pā̲rśve |
nakṣa̍trāṇi rū̲pam | a̲śvina̲u̲ vyāttam̎ |
i̱ṣṭaṁ ma̍niṣāṇa | a̲muṁ ma̍niṣāṇa | sarva̍ṁ maniṣāṇa ||10||
om śānti̲ḥ śānti̲ḥ śānti̍ḥ ||
“From that Sarvahutah-sacrifice the sacred declarationa, Riks and Samas were born. From it again were born meters (Chchandas). From is alone came the ‘Mantras’ of the Tajur-Vedas (yajus)”.
Practice audio:
Conclusion
ॐ तच्छं॒ योरावृ॑णीमहे । गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञाय॑ । गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञप॑तये ।
दैवी᳚ स्व॒स्तिर॑स्तु नः । स्व॒स्तिर्मानु॑षेभ्यः । ऊ॒र्ध्वं जि॑गातु भेष॒जम् ।
शं नो॑ अस्तु द्वि॒पदे᳚ । शं चतु॑ष्पदे ।
ॐ शान्तिः॒ शान्तिः॒ शान्तिः॑ ॥
om taccha̲ṁ yorāvṛ̍ṇīmahe | gā̲tuṁ ya̲jñāya̍ |gā̲tuṁ ya̲jñapa̍taye |
daivī̎ sva̲stira̍stu naḥ |sva̲stirmānu̍ṣebhyaḥ | ū̲rdhvaṁ ji̍gātu bheṣa̲jam |
śaṁ no̍ astu dvi̱pade̎| śaṁ catu̍ṣpade |
om śānti̲ḥ śānti̲ḥ śānti̍ḥ||
Practice audio: