PURUSHA SUKTAM
I remember chanting this suktam everyday in the morning and evenings. Also a good number of Brahmins of those days used to chant Purusha Suktam to accumulate good deeds (Punya) for the future. Like me in those days no one thought of the meanings of their chants. It was only later I found the meanings. It is claimed that the suktam explains the act of creation according to Vedic seers. Since, the Vedas are not composed but found by rishies this suktam is the true report of the creation. Secondly this suktam is found in other branches of Vedas and hence it gets its significance and importance. Thus its chanting is ordered.
Below is given the text and meanings according to Griffith
[10-090] HYMN XC. Purusa.
Sahasraseersah Purusha: | Sahasrakshah Sahasrapad |Sa bhoomim vishwato vritva | Atyatishtat Dasangulam 1 1. A THOUSAND heads hath Purusa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.
On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.
With uncounted heads Uncounted eyes, and Uncounted feet, He Moves, as all of Creation Verily is He Uncountable. Beyond the grasp Of the hands of men.
On the face of it the meaning given by Griffith Yes the riks are poetry and so poetic imaginations and fantasies are in place. Although the Vedas are the composition of rishies by revealed wisdom to which they used the language that was theirs. But this could be as true to rig Vedic rishies as to any gifted writer of words and or music and or art. They gave the forms to what were revealed to them in their contemplations. A Kalidasa, Shakespeare, a Tolstoy and all the others. Even today scholars of all sorts are finding new views and meanings to the art works of La Vinci. Purush evedagam Sarvam | Yadbhootham yatcha bhavyam |Utamritathvasyai Shana: | Yadannena athirohati || 2 2. This Purusa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be;
The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food.
That which is, Was, and is to be. All of this Is he alone. And the eternal, Beyond all end, He is Lord, Alone, of that. The world is food. That which hides, And ventures forth, He is that too.
Purusha is all that present that was past and that still to come. Though he is immortal he could grow on partaking food (Annam Etavanasya mahima | Atojyayagch purusha: |Padosya vishwa bhootani | Tripadasyaamritham divi || 33. So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Purusa.
All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven.
All that you see Is but his glory He is more Than all of this All of creation
Is but a fourth of him. Three parts eternal Rest in him alone.
Is but a fourth of him. Three parts eternal Rest in him alone.
His greatness is such that he seems greater than himself i.e. Purusha. The whole world and its contents are only a quarter of Purusha. The other three quarters are in heaven or sky.This is a kind of hyperbole to impress the devotees. What actually forms in his mind is not explained since each individual could form his own picture of the Purusha.Tripadurdhva Udaitpurusha: | Padosyehabhavat puna: |Tato vishwam vyakramat | Sashananasane abhi || 44. With three-fourths Purusa went up: onefourth of him again was here.
Thence he strode out to every side over what eats not and what eats.
Three parts of his Are beyond all this All of this, is but a part.Again and again, All that eats, And that eats not Appeared from this One part of His.
I think that this is the explanation saying not to think further. Here is a repetition of the earlier idea of quarter and three quarters. Ref. to 1st hymn. Instead of explaining the creation step by step the hymn resorts to hyperbole and reassertion. It is clumsy to define living and non-living as that eats and that not eats.Thasmat viradajayatha | Virajo athi purusha: |Sajatho athyarichatha | Pashchat bhoomimato pura: || 55. 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.
From him came forth The bright Universe And he became a Creator For its sake And so he created The verdant Earth And creation Was his body.
“Tasmat” from which that eats or that eats not? This “Tasmat” is repeated in the following hymns with some different meaning.From primordial a brighter was born. He was the superman. As he was born he expanded towards back and front of the earth. No reason as to why another Purusha to be born? In one commentary the Viraj is portrayed as female principle.Yatpurushena hivisha | Deva: yajnamathanvatha |Vasanthosyaaseedajyam |Greeshmo idhma: sharadhavih || 66. When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Purusa as their offering,
Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.
Spring was the ghee That brightened the fire Summer the wood That fuelled it Autumn was burnt In this great rite That the gods sacrificed The Purusha in.
A Brahmin could not think of anything as creation apart from sacrifice. So the creation of this world and life is portrayed as yajna. But there is nothing apart from purusha and virat. So Purusha arranges to sacrifice himself. Then what virat is supposed to do? But sacrifice to whom? To himself? Then suddenly the devas gods come from where? Now it is gods who conduct the sacrifice.
When gods conducted a sacrice offering the superman as sacrifice, spring became ghee, summer became the dry wood autumn was made into a grain offering.
According to Indian terms there are six seasons but only three are mentioned here. What about the other three namely¸ varsha. hemantam and sisiram? Also after vasantam and greeshmam, varsham should be the next but the mantram goes to then next. A serious discussion on creation should have covered all aspects one after other. This means that the mantra is just poetry and has nothing of creation to explain. The devotees would not accept and they have to explain it away.
From the primordial only the superman was born. Where from the gods appeared and assembled to conduct the sacrifice?
Saptasyaasan paridhaya: | Tri sapta: samidha: krita: |Devah yad yajnam thanvana: | Abadhnan purusham pasum || 7
7. Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared,
When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Purusa.
Seven were the fencing logs Thrice seven the firebrands made When the gods bound the Purusha As the beast for their sacrifice.
This refers to traditional preparation of platform for sacrifice usually animal sacrifice. But devotees will deny and explain with convoluted meanings to suit the present understanding. First we had Purusha and next a Virat. But gods? Who and wherefrom the creation of gods? No answer here.
Tham yajnam barhishi prokshan | Purusham jatamagrata: |Thena deva ayajantha | Sadhya: rishayascha ye || 8
8. They balmed as victim on the grass Purusa born in earliest time.
With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rsis sacrificed.
Him, firstborn of all of this The sanctified, on a bed of straw By Him did the seers, Those great ones, By Him did the gods too Sacrifice.
Here in this hymn the description of the sacrifice is repeated. Beside gods there are sadhyas and rishies. Might be all are self born?Thasmat yajnat sarvahuta: | Sambhritam prashadajyam |Pashuuaganschakre vayavyan | Aranyaan gramyaascha ye|| 9
9. From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up.
He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame.
From that offering Of all was drawn The wondrous seed Of all creation With that did He Give forms to all, birds and beasts Of field and forest.
The melted offerings were gathered (who?) from the sacrifice in order to create the creatures of the air i.e. birds, of the wild (here both carnivores and herbivores might be the meaning.) and rural or domesticated. But the domesticated were wild earlier. The hymn did not recognise it. Also the hymn did not refer to aquatic creatures that were present even before others. As a statement of facts of creation the hymn is very weak in its concepts. Thasmat yajnat sarvahuta: | Richah samani jajnire |Chandamsi jajnire thasmat | Yajusthasmadajayata || 10
10. From that great general sacrifice Rcas and Sama-hymns were born:
Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.
From that rite Of the giving of All, Did the recited hymns And the sung come forth And from that came The poetic metre And from that arose The ritual hymns.
The rik and samans came forth from the said sacrifice. (Poetic) metres came and then the yajus (Yajurveda.) Both Rig and Saman are in chandas i.e. metres. Why separate mention on the metres? At times all vedic hymns are called chandas. There is no need to mention chandas separately but here it is as poetry. This suktam is part of the Rig Veda. By saying about samans, metres and yajus it seems that the hymn is added very late when these differentiation has come out in Vedic literature. It also says that the Rig was the first and others followed. But only tree Vedas are mentioned not adharva. Common understanding is that at the beginning the Vedas came forth from the mouth of Brahma (but no such person as yet appeared) and they were one and later Vyasa separated them into four parts known as rik, yajus, saman and adharva. This hymn does not even hint at such a separation. The three came forth from the sacrifice one after other. Is it correct to assume that Vedas came later than beasts? (Ref. Earlier Hymn)Thasmadashwa ajayanta | Ye ke chobhayadhata: |Gavoham jajnire thasmat | Thasmat jaatha ajavaya:|| 1111. 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.
From that were born stately horses Beasts with one and two rows of teeth Cattle too, were born thereof And goats and sheep with them created.
Again repeat. The earlier hymn already mentioned the birth of birds and beasts and there was no need to specify cattle, horses and goats. After the sacred texts horses, cows and goats? What is specific to them other than being just beasts so as to mention them separately? It is an accepted axiom that rishis don’t use words without specific reason.Yadpurusham vyadhatu: | Katidha vyakalpayan |Mukham kimasya kau bahoo | Kaooru padavuchyete || 1212. 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?
When they had Divided him up, Into what forms Dis they cast Him ?And what of his mouth, His arms, his thighs, His feet ? What did they make them ?
The tradition is to share the sacrificial offering. In this hymn such sharing is referred and their designation. Since the offering is purusha naturally the limbs get mentioned. This also confirms that the sukta is just poetry and not a creation story. Note here the purusha has no more than ordinary limbs unlike in the primordial purusha. Here starts a dialogue but who are the two the questioner and respondent? Why is it in the form of dialogue? Any specific reason? No answers from the hymn.Brahmanosya mukhamaseet | Bahoo rajanyah kritah |Uuroo thadasya yadvaisya: | Padbhyam sudro ajayata || 1313. 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.
From his mouth came forth The men of learning And of his arms Were warriors made From his thighs came The trading people And his feet gave Birth to servants..
This hymn is too famous that needs no explanation. But note that different verbs are used. His face was Brahmana. Hands and thighs made Rajanya and Vaisya. From legs came Sudras. I have not come across any specific reason for using these separate verbs. Most scholars use meticulous analysis of words and even parts of words used in Vedic and associated literatures. The hymn is so precise that the four varnas are original from the time of sacrifice. Take note that the hymn did not speak about an un-divided humanity but separated four varnas. Also it did not say that the humanity came first and then got separated. On the other hand the hymn is firm that the varnas defined from birth only. Not otherwise. What is worthwhile to note is that when beasts and others came out of the sacrifice the four varnas came from purusha himself the sacrificial beast.This hymn has given a lot of headache to the vedic scholars. They cannot accept that the difference between varnas is from birth and therefore a good lot of explaining is resorted. They hang on the Gita which said that “Chaturvarnaim Maya Srishtam Guna Karma Vipasata:”. They make out that it is not birth that defines ones status in the varna varna Chandrama manaso jata: | Chakshoossuryo ajayata |Mukhadindraschagnischa | Pranad vayurajayata || 14 14. 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.
Of his mind , the Moon is born Of his gaze, the shining Sun from his mouth, Thunder and Fire, And of his life's breath, The whistling wind..
In this hymn natural phenomenon referred but why Indra who is not like other natural objects? Nature is cited for its allegorical terms. But still there are a good lot of natural phenomena equally important were left out of creation story. It is puzzling since earlier a hymn is used to describe the horses, cows and goats separately from other beasts.Nabhya aasidanthariksham | Sheernor dyouh samavardhata |Padbhyam bhoomi rdishah srotrat| Thadha lokamakalpayan || 1515. Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his head
Earth from his feet and from his ear the regions. Thus they formed the worlds.
Space unfolds From his navel The sky well formed From his head His feet, the earth His ears the Quarters Thus they thought up All the worlds.
Natural follows. But three fourths of his body is outside of universe and thus these limbs are unknown to people dwelling in this world. After all they are poetic imagination and fantasy so one could not know what is that three fourth consisted. This creation hymn refers to head to foot of Purusha. Was it quarter or full? What are the hidden three quarters?
Yajnenaa yajnamaajayantha deva: | Thani dharmani pradhamanyasan | Theha nakam mahinah sachante | Yatra poorve sadhyah santhi deva:|| 16
16. Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed tall these mean he victim these were the carliest holy ordinances.
The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sadhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.
By Sacrifice did the Gods Sacrifice to Sacrifice By the fruits of this, The first harvest, Do the great ones Ascend to where the Gods The first ones, Those who made straight the way Are.
Earlier it was purusha that was offered as sacrifice to sacrifice and here it was sacrifice itself offered as sacrifice. Some fine symbolism and imagery. Does this mean that sacrifice is conducted in order to get into heaven i.e the head of Purusha?
However one thing is very clear that the rishi of Purusha Suktam is confident and sure about his thoughts and has no doubts in his mind. It is significant to note that the rishi concerned here is no other than Narayana i.e. the primordial Purusha. Such confident assertion is in contradiction to another famous hymn Nasadiya Suktam (RV 10 . 129) where the rishi is doubting everything. But this suktam is not chanted on any occasion as far as I know.[10-129] HYMN CXXIX. Creation. Nasadeeya Suktam.
(The translation is that of Griffith
1. Na asadaseet No sadaseetthadaneem | Na aaseeth drajo No vyoma: Paro yat |
Kimavareeva: Kuhakasya Sharmannambha: Kimaseet gahanam gabhiram ||
1. THEN was neither non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. What covered in, and where? And what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?
It seems that the Rishi is very learned in philosophical terms and tries to explain in those terms. So there was no Sat and no Asat; no sky no air. If everything was covered where was it? Or was it there some unfathomable dept of water?
2. Na mrityuraseedamritam Na tarhi | Na ratrya ahna aaseet praketa: |
Aaneedavatam Swadhaya tadekam | Thasmad dhanyannapara: Kim chanasa ||
2 Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was there, the day's and night's divider. That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
(At that moment) there was neither mortal or immortal and also no night or day.
Though it was breathless that one breathed on its own and there was nothing else. This is again a philosophical speculation. Nothing could be certain.
3. Tama aaseet thamasa gulham agre | Praketa salilam sarvama idam |
Tuschayena abhva pihitam yadaseed | thapasasthan mahina jayathaikam ||
3 Darkness there was at first concealed in darkness this All was indiscriminated chaos. All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit.
Darkness itself was concealed in darkness and everything remained uncertain infirm. It was covered by little water. By its own warmth it manifested.
It is reasoned speculation after a lot of contemplation since no answer to the cause of the universal phenomenon could be made out.
4. Kamasthadagre Samavardhadhadi | Manaso retha: pradhamam yadaseet |
Satho bandhumasathi Niravindan | hridi Pratishya kavayo maneesha: ||
4 Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit. Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.
At the beginning desire (to do something) manifested. It was the seed in its mind. This thought came to the seers on deep contemplation.
Again it seems to be a very reasoned speculation. This hymn does not mention about any primordial Purusha as a cause of the universe.
5. Thirascheeno vithatho Rashmiresham | adha: Svidaaseeduparasvidaaseet |
Retodha aasan mahimana aasan | svadhapurasthad Prayati parastad ||
5 Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then and what below it? There were begetters; there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder
Their contemplation and speculation continued. So from known to unknown. From something up and to something down the act of procreation is envisaged as a cause. The energy (sperm) came as a mighty force from front and back. (This imagination has something to do with the act of procreation.)
6. Ko ahdhaa veda ka iha pravochad | kuta aa jataa kutha iyam visrishti: |
Arvag deva asya visarjanena | Adhaa ko veda yada aababhoova ||
6 Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first pravochat came into being?
Who knows or who could declare from what time it was born or why and whence this creation. Even gods could not know since they manifested late. May some one know or no one knows.
7. Iyam visrishtiryatha aababhoova | Yadi va dadhe yadi va na |
Yo asya adhyaksha: Parame vyoma manthaso anga veda yadi va na veda ||
7 He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,
Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not.
How this creation did came forth, whether some one did it or no one. He may know it or he may not the one superintending it from high heavens. (That itself is in question.)
The Malayalam translator of Rigveda notes that Swami Vivekananda was wondering about the sceptical meanings of these hymns.
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