Verse 1 सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्।
स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वात्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम्॥
Sahasra-shirsha Purushah Sahasrakshah Sahasra-pat,
Sa Bhumim Vishvato Vritva Atyatishthad Dashangulam.
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet — symbolising omniscience, omnipresence, and infinite power in every direction simultaneously. He pervades the entire earth from every side, and yet He stands beyond it by ten fingers' breadth — indicating that though He is immanent in all of creation, He transcends it utterly. The "thousand" (sahasra) here is the Vedic symbol for infinity, not a literal count. The "ten fingers" (dasha angula) represents that the transcendent Purusha exceeds the universe by a measure beyond calculation, even as He upholds it. This first mantra establishes the central paradox of the Purusha Suktam: the Supreme Being is simultaneously immanent in everything and infinitely beyond everything.
Verse 2 पुरुष एवेदं सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भाव्यम्।
उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति॥
Purusha Evedam Sarvam Yad Bhutam Yaccha Bhavyam,
Utamritatvasya Ishano Yad Annena Atirohati.
The Purusha alone is all this — whatever has been in the past and whatever shall be in the future. He is also the lord of immortality (amritatva), even as He grows through (or is nourished by) food. This mantra is a declaration of absolute non-dual identity: the Purusha is not just the creator of the universe but is identical with all of time — past, present, and future. The phrase "lord of immortality" (amritatvasya ishana) reveals that moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death) is entirely within the Purusha's domain — He grants it at will. The reference to food (anna) connects the infinite Purusha to the most fundamental biological process, showing how the transcendent is also intimately present in the mundane cycle of nourishment and growth.
Verse 3 एतावानस्य महिमातो ज्यायाँश्च पूरुषः।
पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि॥
Etavan Asya Mahima Ato Jyayan Shcha Purushah,
Pado Asya Vishva Bhutani Tripad Asya Amritam Divi.
Such is His greatness — and the Purusha is greater than even this. All beings constitute only one quarter (pada) of His being; the remaining three quarters are eternal and immortal, established in the transcendent heavens (divi). This mantra introduces the profound cosmological framework at the heart of the Purusha Suktam: creation — the entire manifest universe with all its beings — is but one quarter of the Purusha's reality. The remaining three-quarters exist in a transcendent, immutable, undying realm entirely beyond the reach of maya (illusion) and samsara (cyclical existence). This three-quarters/one-quarter division is a central Vedantic teaching: the infinite ocean of Pure Consciousness gives rise to a finite wave of manifestation while remaining overwhelmingly infinite in its unmanifest fullness.
Verse 4 त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत्पुरुषः पादोऽस्येहाभवत्पुनः।
ततो विष्वङ्व्यक्रामत्साशनानशने अभि॥
Tripad Urdhva Udait Purushah Pado Asye Ha Abhavat Punah,
Tato Vishvang Vyakramat Sashanasane Abhi.
Three quarters of the Purusha rose upward (transcendent and immutable), while one quarter remained here below and became the manifest creation again and again. From this one quarter He pervaded everywhere — over all that eats and all that does not eat. The mantra describes the dynamic relationship between the transcendent Purusha (trigunaatita — beyond the three qualities) and the immanent Purusha who projects Himself into creation. The phrase "sashanasane" — over those who eat and those who do not eat — is interpreted as encompassing both the animate (those who consume food: animals, humans) and the inanimate (plants, minerals, and elements that do not eat). The Purusha's immanent quarter pervades both the living and the non-living, affirming the total unity of consciousness underlying all of reality.
Verse 5 तस्माद्विराळजायत विराजो अधि पूरुषः।
स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः॥
Tasmad Virat Ajayata Virajo Adhi Purushah,
Sa Jato Atyaricyata Pashchad Bhumim Atho Purah.
From the Purusha was born Virat (the cosmic manifest form), and from Virat the Purusha was born again — He who was born surpassed the earth, extending both behind and before. The Virat is the macrocosmic body — the totality of the physical and subtle universe as a single organism, corresponding to the Vaishvanara or universal Atman described in the Mandukya Upanishad. The cycle described here — Purusha gives rise to Virat, and from Virat the Purusha manifests again — depicts the self-referential, self-generating nature of consciousness and cosmos. The word "pashchat" (behind) and "purah" (before) indicates the Purusha's manifestation in all temporal dimensions — He preceded creation and will persist beyond it, even as He is now present within it.
Verse 6 यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत।
वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः॥
Yat Purushena Havisha Deva Yajnam Atanvata,
Vasanto Asya Asid Ajyam Grishma Idhmah Sharad Havih.
When the gods performed the sacrifice (yajna) with the Purusha as the oblation, spring was the clarified butter (ghee), summer was the fuel wood, and autumn was the offering (havis). This mantra marks the beginning of the description of the cosmic Purusha Yajna — the primordial sacrifice in which the Cosmic Being is offered as the sacrificial victim by the gods themselves. The three seasons — spring (vasanta), summer (grishma), and autumn (sharad) — are identified with the three classical components of Vedic sacrifice: the clarified butter (ajya) that is the primary offering, the fuel wood (idhma) that sustains the fire, and the havis (the specific grain or food oblation). This identification of seasons with sacrificial elements reveals the Vedic vision of the cosmos itself as an eternal yajna — a continuous offering and transformation sustaining all of existence.
Verse 7 सप्तास्यासन्परिधयस्त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः।
देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन्पुरुषं पशुम्॥
Sapta Asya Asan Paridhaya Trih Sapta Samidah Kritah,
Deva Yad Yajnam Tanvana Abadhnhan Purusham Pashum.
Seven were the enclosing sticks (paridhis) of that sacrifice; thrice seven were the pieces of sacred fuel (samidhs) prepared. When the gods, who were performing the sacrifice, bound the Purusha as the sacrificial animal (pashu). The seven paridhis (enclosing sticks placed around the sacred fire) are traditionally interpreted as the seven continents (saptadvipa) or the seven worlds (sapta loka), and the twenty-one samidhs (fuel sticks) as the five elements, the ten pranas, the four limbs of speech (para, pashyanti, madhyama, vaikhari), and the mind and intellect. The Purusha is described here as "pashu" — the sacrificial animal — a usage that shocked later interpreters but is understood symbolically: the supreme Purusha willingly offered Himself as the sacrifice through which all creation could emerge, making it the ultimate act of divine self-giving and grace.
Verse 8 तं यज्ञं बर्हिषि प्रौक्षन्पुरुषं जातमग्रतः।
तेन देवा अयजन्त साध्या ऋषयश्च ये॥
Tam Yajnam Barhishi Praukshan Purusham Jatam Agratah,
Tena Deva Ayajanta Sadhya Rishayash Cha Ye.
They sprinkled that Purusha — born before all creation — with the sacred grass (barhis) as the sacrificial offering. With Him as the oblation, the gods (devas), the Sadhyas, and the seers (rishis) performed the sacrifice. The Sadhyas are a special class of celestial beings described in the Vedas as existing even before the conventional gods — ancient perfected beings who existed in prior cosmic cycles. Their participation alongside the devas and rishis indicates that this primordial sacrifice transcends any single cosmic era, being a timeless, eternally occurring event. The sprinkling with barhis (sacred Kusha grass laid at the sacrificial altar) consecrates the Purusha as the formal sacrificial victim — the irony being that the one being consecrated is simultaneously the one who sanctifies all consecration.
Verse 9 तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुतः संभृतं पृषदाज्यम्।
पशूँस्ताँश्चक्रे वायव्यानारण्यान्ग्राम्याश्च ये॥
Tasmad Yajnat Sarvahutah Sambhritam Prishadajyam,
Pashums Tans Chakre Vayavyan Aranyanggramyash Cha Ye.
From that all-complete sacrifice (sarvahuta), the curd-mixed ghee (prishadajya) was collected; from it were created the animals of the air, the forests, and the villages. The word "sarvahuta" means "completely offered" — the total sacrifice of the entire Purusha, not a portion. From this total sacrifice, prishadajya (a mixture of curds and ghee, a special sacrificial preparation) was produced, and from that emerged all the animal kingdoms: the birds and aerial creatures (vayavya), the forest animals (aranya), and the domestic animals of villages (gramya). This mantra presents a proto-evolutionary account of life — all animal life emerged from the one primordial self-offering of the Cosmic Person, making every living being literally a portion of the sacrificed divine body.
Verse 10 तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुत ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे।
छन्दाँसि जज्ञिरे तस्मात्यजुस्तस्मादजायत॥
Tasmad Yajnat Sarvahuta Richah Samani Jagnhire,
Chhandamsi Jagnhire Tasmat Yajus Tasmad Ajayata.
From that all-complete sacrifice were born the Rig hymns (richas) and the Sama chants (samani); from it were born the poetic meters (chhandas); from it the Yajur formulas were born. This is one of the most striking mantras in the entire Suktam: the four Vedas themselves — their hymns, chants, and formulas — arose from the sacrifice of the Cosmic Purusha. The Rigveda's richas (verses), the Samaveda's samani (melodies), the Yajurveda's yajus (prose formulas), and the chhandas (the poetic meters that are the structural skeleton of Vedic revelation) all emerged from the primordial yajna. The Atharvaveda is implied in later recensions. This positions the Vedas not as human compositions but as the very vibrations released when the Cosmic Person was offered in sacrifice — revelation literally breathed out from the divine body.
Verse 11 तस्मादश्वा अजायन्त ये के चोभयादतः।
गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात्तस्माज्जाता अजावयः॥
Tasmad Ashva Ajayanta Ye Ke Chobhayad Atah,
Gavo Ha Jagnhire Tasmat Tasmaj Jata Ajava-yah.
From that sacrifice were born the horses, and all beings with two rows of teeth. From it cows were born; from it were born goats and sheep. The "two-rowed teeth" (ubhayadata) refers to animals with teeth in both upper and lower jaws — horses, donkeys, and similar animals with continuously growing front teeth. This mantra continues the Vedic cosmogony of animal creation: horses (ashva) — supremely important in Vedic ritual — goats (aja), and sheep (avi) all trace their origin to the same primordial sacrifice. The cows (gau) hold special prominence — they are named separately and specifically, reflecting their extraordinary importance in Vedic civilization as the measure of all wealth, the providers of the five sacred products (panchamrita), and animals considered near-divine in the Vedic worldview.
Verse 12 यत्पुरुषं व्यदधुः कतिधा व्यकल्पयन्।
मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू कावूरू पादा उच्येते॥
Yat Purusham Vya-dadhuh Katidhah Vya-kalpayan,
Mukham Kim Asya Kau Bahu Ka Va Uru Pada Ucyete.
When they divided the Purusha, into how many parts did they apportion him? What was his mouth? What were his arms? What were his thighs and what were his feet called? This mantra is a pivot — a rhetorical question that introduces the final section of the Suktam describing how the Purusha's body, when divided (the cosmic vivisection of the divine), gives rise to the social, celestial, and cosmic orders. The question is asked with Vedic pedagogical intent: the answer in the following mantras will reveal the cosmogonic significance of each part of the divine body. Every limb of the Cosmic Person corresponds to a level of reality — the mouth to speech and the Brahmin order, the arms to valor and the Kshatriya order, the thighs to commerce and the Vaishya order, the feet to the earth and the Shudra order.
Verse 13 ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीद्बाहू राजन्यः कृतः।
ऊरू तदस्य यद्वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत॥
Brahmanah Asya Mukham Asid Bahu Rajanyah Kritah,
Uru Tad Asya Yad Vaishyah Padbhyam Shudro Ajayata.
The Brahmin was His mouth; the Rajanya (Kshatriya) was made of His arms; the one who was His thighs — that became the Vaishya; from His feet the Shudra was born. This is the famous cosmogonic description of the four varnas (social orders) as originating from different parts of the divine body — the most debated mantra in the Purusha Suktam. Each varna corresponds to the function of the body part: the mouth (mukha) is associated with speech, knowledge, and teaching — the Brahmin's domain; the arms (bahu) with protection, combat, and governance — the Kshatriya's function; the thighs (uru) with movement, trade, and the generation of wealth — the Vaishya's role; the feet (pada) which carry and support the entire body — the Shudra who sustains society through service. The theological point is that all four, however different, are equally parts of one divine body — none is less sacred than another, for all originate from the Purusha.
Verse 14 चन्द्रमा मनसो जातश्चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत।
मुखादिन्द्रश्चाग्निश्च प्राणाद्वायुरजायत॥
Chandrama Manaso Jatah Chaksho Suryo Ajayata,
Mukhad Indra-sh Cha Agni-sh Cha Pranad Vayur Ajayata.
The moon was born from His mind; the sun was born from His eye; Indra and Agni were born from His mouth; the wind (Vayu) was born from His breath (prana). This mantra draws the correspondence between the organs of the Cosmic Body and the great forces of nature: the mind (manas) gives rise to the moon — both govern the tides of emotion, time, and the cycles of growth; the eye (chakshus) gives rise to the sun — both are the sources of light and perception; the mouth gives rise to both Indra (the king of the gods, the thunderbolt-wielder) and Agni (the sacred fire), both powerful, both associated with speech and command; the breath (prana) gives rise to Vayu, the wind — the most elemental form of vital breath pervading the cosmos. This maps the Cosmic Person onto the physical universe as a vast anatomy of divine forces.
Verse 15 नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षं शीर्ष्णो द्यौः समवर्तत।
पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात्तथा लोकाँ अकल्पयन्॥
Nabhya Asid Antariksha Shirshno Dyauh Sama-vartata,
Padbhyam Bhumir Dishah Shrotrat Tatha Lokan Akalpayan.
From His navel came the atmosphere (antariksha); from His head arose the sky (heaven/dyaus); from His feet came the earth; from His ears came the four directions — thus they fashioned the worlds. This mantra completes the cosmic anatomy of the Purusha: the navel (nabhi), the center of the physical body, corresponds to the atmosphere (antariksha) — the middle region between earth and heaven; the head (shirsha), the highest, corresponds to the celestial heavens (dyau); the feet, the lowest, correspond to the earth (bhumi); the ears, oriented in all directions, correspond to the four cardinal directions (disha). Together with the previous mantra, these correspondences form the complete Vedic picture of the universe as the body of consciousness — not metaphorically but ontologically: the cosmos is literally made of divine substance, and every dimension of space is a manifestation of an aspect of the Purusha.
Verse 16 यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन्।
ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः॥
Yajnena Yajnam Ayajanta Devas Tani Dharmani Prathamany Asan,
Te Ha Nakam Mahimanah Sachanta Yatra Purve Sadhyah Santi Devah.
The gods worshipped the sacrifice with the sacrifice — those were the first cosmic laws (dharmas). Those great ones attain the vault of heaven (naka) where the ancient Sadhyas and the gods dwell. This concluding mantra (the Uttara Narayana verse) is the culminating declaration of the entire Suktam: the original act of the gods — worshipping the sacrifice with sacrifice itself — was the first establishment of Dharma. Yajna (sacrifice, selfless offering) is not a ritual but the primordial structure of reality itself. The "vault of heaven" (naka) is the highest realm beyond the ordinary heavens — the abode of the primordial Sadhyas and the gods of the earliest cosmic age. Those who understand and live the truth of the Purusha Yajna — offering everything back to the source from which it came — attain this supreme state. The mantra thus unifies ritual, cosmology, ethics, and liberation into a single vision: the universe exists as an act of divine self-offering, and the path to the highest is to join in that offering.