Purusha Suktam Meaning — Line by Line
पुरुष सूक्तम्
Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi
Meaning — Line by Line
Every verse of Purusha Suktam with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.
Jump to a verse ▾
- Verse 1. Harih Om sahasrashirsha purushah sahasrakshah sahasrapat
- Verse 2. Purusha evedaꣳ sarvam yadbhutam yachcha bhavyam
- Verse 3. Etavanasya mahimato jyayanshcha purushah
- Verse 4. Tripadurdhva udaitpurushah padosyehabhavat punah
- Verse 5. Tato viradajayata virajo adhi purushah
- Verse 6. Tasmadyajnat sarvahutah sambhritam prishadajyam
- Verse 7. Tasmadyajnat sarvahutah richah samani jajnire
- Verse 8. Tasmadashva ajayanta ye ke chobhayadatah
- Verse 9. Tam yajnam barhishi praukshan purusham jatamagratah
- Verse 10. Yatpurusham vyadadhuh katidha vyakalpayan
- Verse 11. Brahmanosya mukhamasidbahu rajanyah kritah
- Verse 12. Chandrama manaso jatashchakshoh suryo ajayata
- Verse 13. Nabhya asidantarikshaꣳ shirshno dyauh samavartata
- Verse 14. Yatpurushena havisha deva yajnamatanvata
- Verse 15. Saptasyasan paridhayastrih sapta samidhah kritah
- Verse 16. Yajnena yajnamayajanta devastani dharmani prathamanyasan
Harih Om sahasrashirsha purushah sahasrakshah sahasrapat
हरिः ॐ सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । स भूमिꣳ सर्वत स्पृत्वाऽत्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥
Harih Om sahasrashirsha purushah sahasrakshah sahasrapat Sa bhumiꣳ sarvata spritvatyatishthaddashangulam
MeaningThe Cosmic Being (Purusha) has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet; pervading the earth on every side, He extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth.
Purusha evedaꣳ sarvam yadbhutam yachcha bhavyam
पुरुष एवेदꣳ सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भाव्यम् । उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति ॥
Purusha evedaꣳ sarvam yadbhutam yachcha bhavyam Utamritatvasyeshano yadannenatirohati
MeaningThe Purusha alone is all this — all that has been and all that shall be; He is the Lord of immortality, who grows still greater through food (sacrifice).
Etavanasya mahimato jyayanshcha purushah
एतावानस्य महिमातो ज्यायाँश्च पूरुषः । पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि ॥
Etavanasya mahimato jyayanshcha purushah Padosya vishva bhutani tripadasyamritam divi
MeaningSuch is His greatness, and the Purusha is greater still than this; all beings are but a quarter of Him, while three-quarters are the immortal in the heavens.
Tripadurdhva udaitpurushah padosyehabhavat punah
त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत्पुरुषः पादोऽस्येहाभवत् पुनः । ततो विष्वङ् व्यक्रामत्साशनानशने अभि ॥
Tripadurdhva udaitpurushah padosyehabhavat punah Tato vishvan vyakramatsashananashane abhi
MeaningWith three-quarters the Purusha rose upward; one quarter of Him came to be here again; thence He spread out on all sides into all that eats and does not eat.
Tato viradajayata virajo adhi purushah
ततो विराडजायत विराजो अधि पूरुषः । स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः ॥
Tato viradajayata virajo adhi purushah Sa jato atyarichyata pashchadbhumimatho purah
MeaningFrom Him was born the Viraj (cosmic body), and from the Viraj the Purusha (cosmic person); once born, He extended beyond the earth, behind and before.
Tasmadyajnat sarvahutah sambhritam prishadajyam
तस्माद्यज्ञात् सर्वहुतः सम्भृतं पृषदाज्यम् । पशूँस्ताँश्चक्रे वायव्यानारण्या ग्राम्याश्च ये ॥
Tasmadyajnat sarvahutah sambhritam prishadajyam Pashunstanshchakre vayavyanaranya gramyashcha ye
MeaningFrom that all-offering sacrifice the curds-and-clarified-butter were gathered; from it He fashioned the beasts of the air, the forest and the village.
Tasmadyajnat sarvahutah richah samani jajnire
तस्माद्यज्ञात् सर्वहुतः ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे । छन्दाꣳसि जज्ञिरे तस्माद्यजुस्तस्मादजायत ॥
Tasmadyajnat sarvahutah richah samani jajnire Chhandaꣳsi jajnire tasmadyajustasmadajayata
MeaningFrom that all-offering sacrifice the Rik and Sama hymns were born; from it the metres were born, and from it the Yajus was born.
Tasmadashva ajayanta ye ke chobhayadatah
तस्मादश्वा अजायन्त ये के चोभयादतः । गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात्तस्माज्जाता अजावयः ॥
Tasmadashva ajayanta ye ke chobhayadatah Gavo ha jajnire tasmattasmajjata ajavayah
MeaningFrom it horses were born, and all creatures with two rows of teeth; cattle were born from it, and from it the goats and sheep.
Tam yajnam barhishi praukshan purusham jatamagratah
तं यज्ञं बर्हिषि प्रौक्षन् पुरुषं जातमग्रतः । तेन देवा अयजन्त साध्या ऋषयश्च ये ॥
Tam yajnam barhishi praukshan purusham jatamagratah Tena deva ayajanta sadhya rishayashcha ye
MeaningThat Purusha, born in the beginning, they consecrated as the sacrifice upon the sacred grass; with Him the gods, the Sadhyas and the sages performed the sacrifice.
Yatpurusham vyadadhuh katidha vyakalpayan
यत्पुरुषं व्यदधुः कतिधा व्यकल्पयन् । मुखं किमस्यासीत् किं बाहू किमूरू पादा उच्येते ॥
Yatpurusham vyadadhuh katidha vyakalpayan Mukham kimasyasit kim bahu kimuru pada uchyete
MeaningWhen they apportioned the Purusha, into how many parts did they divide Him? What became His mouth, what His arms, what His thighs and His feet?
Brahmanosya mukhamasidbahu rajanyah kritah
ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीद्बाहू राजन्यः कृतः । ऊरू तदस्य यद्वैश्यः पद्भ्याꣳ शूद्रो अजायत ॥
Brahmanosya mukhamasidbahu rajanyah kritah Uru tadasya yadvaishyah padbhyaꣳ shudro ajayata
MeaningThe Brahmana was His mouth; the Rajanya (Kshatriya) was made His arms; His thighs became the Vaishya; from His feet the Shudra was born.
Chandrama manaso jatashchakshoh suryo ajayata
चन्द्रमा मनसो जातश्चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत । श्रोत्राद्वायुश्च प्राणश्च मुखादग्निरजायत ॥
Chandrama manaso jatashchakshoh suryo ajayata Shrotradvayushcha pranashcha mukhadagnirajayata
MeaningThe moon was born from His mind; the sun came from His eye; from His mouth came Indra and Agni; from His breath the wind (Vayu) was born.
Nabhya asidantarikshaꣳ shirshno dyauh samavartata
नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षꣳ शीर्ष्णो द्यौः समवर्तत । पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात्तथा लोकाँऽकल्पयन् ॥
Nabhya asidantarikshaꣳ shirshno dyauh samavartata Padbhyam bhumirdishah shrotrattatha lokankalpayan
MeaningFrom His navel arose the mid-air; from His head the heaven evolved; from His feet the earth, and the quarters from His ear — thus they fashioned the worlds.
Yatpurushena havisha deva yajnamatanvata
यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत । वसन्तोऽस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः ॥
Yatpurushena havisha deva yajnamatanvata Vasantosyasidajyam grishma idhmah sharaddhavih
MeaningWhen the gods, with the Purusha as their oblation, spread out the sacrifice — spring was its clarified butter, summer its fuel, and autumn its offering.
Saptasyasan paridhayastrih sapta samidhah kritah
सप्तास्यासन् परिधयस्त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः । देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन् पुरुषं पशुम् ॥
Saptasyasan paridhayastrih sapta samidhah kritah Deva yadyajnam tanvana abadhnan purusham pashum
MeaningSeven were its enclosing logs; thrice seven were the fuel-sticks made, when the gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Purusha as the victim.
Yajnena yajnamayajanta devastani dharmani prathamanyasan
यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् । ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः ॥
Yajnena yajnamayajanta devastani dharmani prathamanyasan Te ha nakam mahimanah sachanta yatra purve sadhyah santi devah
MeaningBy the sacrifice the gods worshipped the Sacrifice (the Purusha); these were the first ordinances (dharmas). These great powers reached the heaven where the ancient Sadhyas and gods abide.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Origin & History
Source: Rigveda (Mandala 10, Hymn 90)
Author: Rishi Narayana
Period: 1500-1200 BCE
The Purusha Suktam is attributed to Rishi Narayana and appears in the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda. It describes a cosmic sacrifice where the primordial being (Purusha) offers himself to create the universe. The hymn is one of the most philosophically profound texts in the Vedas — it addresses the fundamental question of how the one becomes the many, how unity gives rise to diversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Purusha Suktam?▼
How old is the Purusha Suktam?▼
What does the sacrifice of Purusha mean?▼
Why is it important?▼
Ready to start chanting?
See Benefits & How to Chant →