Library·Ṛgveda Saṃhitā·10·10.90
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वात्य् अतिष्ठद् दशाङ्गुलम् ॥
sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt | sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvāty atiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam ||
A THOUSAND heads hath Purusa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
पुरुष एवेदं सर्वं यद् भूतं यच् च भव्यम् । उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यद् अन्नेनातिरोहति ॥
puruṣa evedaṃ sarvaṃ yad bhūtaṃ yac ca bhavyam | utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yad annenātirohati ||
This Purusa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be; The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
एतावान् अस्य महिमातो ज्यायांश् च पूरुषः । पादो ऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपाद् अस्यामृतं दिवि ॥
etāvān asya mahimāto jyāyāṃś ca pūruṣaḥ | pādo 'sya viśvā bhūtāni tripād asyāmṛtaṃ divi ||
So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Purusa. All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
त्रिपाद् ऊर्ध्व उद् ऐत् पुरुषः पादो ऽस्येहाभवत् पुनः । ततो विष्वङ् व्य् अक्रामत् साशनानशने अभि ॥
tripād ūrdhva ud ait puruṣaḥ pādo 'syehābhavat punaḥ | tato viṣvaṅ vy akrāmat sāśanānaśane abhi ||
With three-fourths Purusa went up: one fourth of him again was here. Thence he strode out to every side over what eats not and what eats.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
तस्माद् विराळ् अजायत विराजो अधि पूरुषः । स जातो अत्य् अरिच्यत पश्चाद् भूमिम् अथो पुरः ॥
tasmād virāḷ ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ | sa jāto aty aricyata paścād bhūmim atho puraḥ ||
From him Viraj was born; again Purusa from Viraj was born. As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o'er the earth.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
यत् पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञम् अतन्वत । वसन्तो अस्यासीद् आज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद् धविः ॥
yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā devā yajñam atanvata | vasanto asyāsīd ājyaṃ grīṣma idhmaḥ śarad dhaviḥ ||
When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Purusa as their offering, Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
तं यज्ञम् बर्हिषि प्रौक्षन् पुरुषं जातम् अग्रतः । तेन देवा अयजन्त साध्या ऋषयश् च ये ॥
taṃ yajñam barhiṣi praukṣan puruṣaṃ jātam agrataḥ | tena devā ayajanta sādhyā ṛṣayaś ca ye ||
They balmed as victim on the grass Purusa born in earliest time. With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rsis sacrificed.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
तस्माद् यज्ञात् सर्वहुतः सम्भृतम् पृषदाज्यम् । पशून् तांश् चक्रे वायव्यान् आरण्यान् ग्राम्याश् च ये ॥
tasmād yajñāt sarvahutaḥ sambhṛtam pṛṣadājyam | paśūn tāṃś cakre vāyavyān āraṇyān grāmyāś ca ye ||
From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up. He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
तस्माद् यज्ञात् सर्वहुत ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे । छन्दांसि जज्ञिरे तस्माद् यजुस् तस्माद् अजायत ॥
tasmād yajñāt sarvahuta ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire | chandāṃsi jajñire tasmād yajus tasmād ajāyata ||
From that great general sacrifice Rcas and Sama-hymns were born: Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
तस्माद् अश्वा अजायन्त ये के चोभयादतः । गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात् तस्माज् जाता अजावयः ॥
tasmād aśvā ajāyanta ye ke cobhayādataḥ | gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt tasmāj jātā ajāvayaḥ ||
From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth: From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
यत् पुरुषं व्य् अदधुः कतिधा व्य् अकल्पयन् । मुखं किम् अस्य कौ बाहू का ऊरू पादा उच्येते ॥
yat puruṣaṃ vy adadhuḥ katidhā vy akalpayan | mukhaṃ kim asya kau bāhū kā ūrū pādā ucyete ||
When they divided Purusa how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
ब्राह्मणो ऽस्य मुखम् आसीद् बाहू राजन्यः कृतः । ऊरू तद् अस्य यद् वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत ॥
brāhmaṇo 'sya mukham āsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ | ūrū tad asya yad vaiśyaḥ padbhyāṃ śūdro ajāyata ||
The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sudra was produced.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
चन्द्रमा मनसो जातश् चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत । मुखाद् इन्द्रश् चाग्निश् च प्राणाद् वायुर् अजायत ॥
candramā manaso jātaś cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata | mukhād indraś cāgniś ca prāṇād vāyur ajāyata ||
The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth; Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vayu from his breath.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
नाभ्या आसीद् अन्तरिक्षं शीर्ष्णो द्यौः सम् अवर्तत । पद्भ्याम् भूमिर् दिशः श्रोत्रात् तथा लोकां अकल्पयन् ॥
nābhyā āsīd antarikṣaṃ śīrṣṇo dyauḥ sam avartata | padbhyām bhūmir diśaḥ śrotrāt tathā lokāṃ akalpayan ||
Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his head Earth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus they formed the worlds.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
सप्तास्यासन् परिधयस् त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः । देवा यद् यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन् पुरुषम् पशुम् ॥
saptāsyāsan paridhayas triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ | devā yad yajñaṃ tanvānā abadhnan puruṣam paśum ||
Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared, When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Purusa.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)
यज्ञेन यज्ञम् अयजन्त देवास् तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्य् आसन् । ते ह नाकम् महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः ॥
yajñena yajñam ayajanta devās tāni dharmāṇi prathamāny āsan | te ha nākam mahimānaḥ sacanta yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ ||
Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the earliest holy ordinances. The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sidhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1896)