पुरुष सूक्तम्
परिचय
पुरुष सूक्तम् ऋग्वेद (१०.९०), यजुर्वेद (३१) और अथर्ववेद (१९.६) — तीनों वेदों में प्राप्त होता है। ऋषि: नारायण। छन्द: त्रिष्टुप् (मुख्यतः)। देवता: पुरुष (परब्रह्म)। इस अठारह-ऋचा वाले सूक्त में समस्त सृष्टि की उत्पत्ति का वर्णन है।
⚠️ वैदिक सूक्त — शुद्ध स्वर-पाठ के लिए किसी प्रामाणिक संस्करण से मिलान अवश्य करें।
॥ पुरुष सूक्तम् ॥
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् ।
स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वाऽत्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥ १॥
पुरुष एवेदं सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यम् ।
उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति ॥ २॥
एतावानस्य महिमाऽतो ज्यायाँश्च पूरुषः ।
पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि ॥ ३॥
त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत् पुरुषः पादोऽस्येहाभवत् पुनः ।
ततो विष्वङ् व्यक्रामत् साशनानशने अभि ॥ ४॥
तस्माद्विराडजायत विराजो अधि पूरुषः ।
स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद् भूमिमथो पुरः ॥ ५॥
यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत ।
वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धविः ॥ ६॥
सप्तास्यासन् परिधयस्त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः ।
देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन् पुरुषं पशुम् ॥ ७॥
तं यज्ञं बर्हिषि प्रौक्षन् पुरुषं जातमग्रतः ।
तेन देवा अयजन्त साध्या ऋषयश्च ये ॥ ८॥
तस्माद्यज्ञात् सर्वहुतः सम्भृतं पृषदाज्यम् ।
पशूँस्ताँश्चक्रे वायव्यानारण्याँ ग्राम्याश्च ये ॥ ९॥
तस्माद्यज्ञात् सर्वहुत ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे ।
छन्दाँसि जज्ञिरे तस्माद् यजुस्तस्मादजायत ॥ १०॥
तस्मादश्वा अजायन्त ये के चोभयादतः ।
गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात् तस्माज्जाता अजावयः ॥ ११॥
यत्पुरुषं व्यदधुः कतिधा व्यकल्पयन् ।
मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू का ऊरू पादा उच्येते ॥ १२॥
ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीद् बाहू राजन्यः कृतः ।
ऊरू तदस्य यद्वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत ॥ १३॥
चन्द्रमा मनसो जातः चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत ।
मुखादिन्द्रश्चाग्निश्च प्राणाद् वायुरजायत ॥ १४॥
नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षं शीर्ष्णो द्यौः समवर्तत ।
पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात् तथा लोकाँ अकल्पयन् ॥ १५॥
सप्तास्यासन् परिधयः त्रिः सप्त समिधः कृताः ।
देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन् पुरुषं पशुम् ॥ १६॥
यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् ।
ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्याः सन्ति देवाः ॥ १७॥
अद्भ्यः सम्भूतः पृथिव्यै रसाच्च
विश्वकर्मणः समवर्ततादि ।
तस्य त्वष्टा विदद्रूपमेति
तत् पुरुषस्य विश्वमाजानमग्रे ॥ १८॥
छन्दः
त्रिष्टुप् (प्रायः) — ११ अक्षराः प्रति पाद।
महत्त्व — कब पढ़ें
अभिषेक, पूजा, गृहप्रवेश, विवाह और उपनयन संस्कार में पाठनीय। एकादशी, पूर्णिमा और गुरुवार को विशेष फलदायी। श्रवण, रोहिणी और पुनर्वसु नक्षत्रों में पाठ शुभ माना जाता है।
स्रोतः — ऋग्वेदः १०.९०; यजुर्वेदः ३१; अथर्ववेदः १९.६
Puruṣa Sūktam
Introduction
The Puruṣa Sūktam is found in the Ṛgveda (10.90) and also in the Yajurveda (31) and Atharvaveda (19.6). The ṛṣi is Nārāyaṇa, the devatā is Puruṣa (Parabrahman), and the chandas is predominantly Triṣṭubh. This hymn of 18 verses describes the cosmic Puruṣa — infinite, all-pervading — and how the entire creation emerged from the cosmic sacrifice of this Puruṣa.
⚠️ Vedic sūkta — please verify svaras against a standard edition for accurate recitation.
॥ Puruṣa Sūktam ॥
sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasra-pāt ।
sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvā’tyatiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam ॥ 1 ॥
The Puruṣa has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. Enveloping the earth on all sides, He extends beyond it by ten fingers.
puruṣa evedaṃ sarvaṃ yad bhūtaṃ yac ca bhavyam ।
utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yad annenātirohati ॥ 2 ॥
The Puruṣa alone is all this — what has been and what shall be. He is also the lord of immortality, growing beyond (the world) by food.
etāvān asya mahimā’to jyāyāṃś ca pūruṣaḥ ।
pādo’sya viśvā bhūtāni tri-pādasyāmṛtaṃ divi ॥ 3 ॥
Such is His greatness — yet the Puruṣa is greater still. One quarter of Him is all beings; three quarters of Him are the immortal in heaven.
tri-pād ūrdhva udait puruṣaḥ pādo’syehābhavat punaḥ ।
tato viṣvaṅ vyakrāmat sāśanānaśane abhi ॥ 4 ॥
Three quarters of the Puruṣa rose upward; one quarter came into being here again. From there He spread in all directions — over those who eat and those who do not eat.
tasmād virāḍ ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ ।
sa jāto atyaricyata paścād bhūmim atho puraḥ ॥ 5 ॥
From Him Virāj was born; from Virāj the Puruṣa was born again. Having been born, He transcended the earth both behind and before.
yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā devā yajñam atanvata ।
vasanto asyāsīd ājyaṃ grīṣma idhmaḥ śarad dhaviḥ ॥ 6 ॥
When the gods performed the sacrifice with the Puruṣa as the oblation — Spring was the ghee, Summer the fuel, Autumn the offering.
sapt-āsyāsan paridhayaḥ triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ ।
devā yad yajñaṃ tanvānā abadhnan puruṣaṃ paśum ॥ 7 ॥
Seven were the enclosing sticks; thrice seven were the fuel-sticks prepared. When the gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Puruṣa as the sacrificial animal.
taṃ yajñaṃ barhiṣi praukṣan puruṣaṃ jātam agrataḥ ।
tena devā ayajanta sādhyā ṛṣayaś ca ye ॥ 8 ॥
They sprinkled with water the Puruṣa born in the beginning as the sacrifice on the sacred grass. With Him the gods, the Sādhyas, and the ṛṣis performed the sacrifice.
tasmād yajñāt sarvahutaḥ sambhṛtaṃ pṛṣadājyam ।
paśūṃs tāṃś cakre vāyavyān āraṇyāṃ grāmyāś ca ye ॥ 9 ॥
From that complete sacrifice, the curdled ghee was collected. He fashioned from it the creatures of air, forest, and village.
tasmād yajñāt sarva-hutaḥ ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire ।
chandāṃsi jajñire tasmād yajus tasmād ajāyata ॥ 10 ॥
From that complete sacrifice the Ṛk and Sāman verses were born. The metres were born from it; from it the Yajus was born.
tasmād aśvā ajāyanta ye ke cobhayādataḥ ।
gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt tasmāj jātā ajāvayaḥ ॥ 11 ॥
From Him horses were born, and all animals with two rows of teeth. Cattle were born from Him; from Him were born goats and sheep.
yat puruṣaṃ vyadadhur katidhā vyakalpayan ।
mukhaṃ kim asya kau bāhū kā ūrū pādā ucyete ॥ 12 ॥
When they divided the Puruṣa — into how many parts did they arrange him? What is called his mouth? What his arms? What his thighs, and what his feet?
brāhmaṇo’sya mukham āsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ ।
ūrū tad asya yad vaiśyaḥ padbhyāṃ śūdro ajāyata ॥ 13 ॥
The Brāhmaṇa was His mouth; the Kṣatriya was made His arms; His thighs were the Vaiśya; from His feet the Śūdra was born.
candramā manaso jātaḥ cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata ।
mukhād indraś cāgniś ca prāṇād vāyur ajāyata ॥ 14 ॥
The Moon was born from His mind; the Sun from His eye. From His mouth Indra and Agni; from His breath Vāyu was born.
nābhyā āsīd antarikṣaṃ śīrṣṇo dyauḥ samavartata ।
padbhyāṃ bhūmir diśaḥ śrotrāt tathā lokāṃ akalpayan ॥ 15 ॥
From His navel the atmosphere arose; from His head the sky evolved; from His feet the earth; from His ear the directions. Thus they fashioned the worlds.
yajñena yajñam ayajanta devās tāni dharmāṇi prathamāny āsan ।
te ha nākaṃ mahimānaḥ sacanta yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ ॥ 16 ॥
The gods worshipped sacrifice with sacrifice — these were the first dharmas. The great ones attained the heaven where the ancient Sādhyas and gods abide.
adbhyaḥ sambhūtaḥ pṛthivyai rasāc ca
viśvakarmaṇaḥ samavartataādhi ।
tasya tvaṣṭā vidadrūpam eti
tat puruṣasya viśvam ājānam agre ॥ 17 ॥
Born from water and the essence of earth, from Viśvakarman — He evolved into being. Tvaṣṭṛ moulded His form — the universal Puruṣa was known from the beginning.
Chandas
Predominantly Triṣṭubh chandas — 11 syllables per quarter.
Significance & When to Recite
Recited at abhiṣeka (ritual bathing of deities), pūjā, gṛha-praveśa (housewarming), vivāha (marriage), and upanayana (sacred thread). Especially auspicious on Ekādaśī, Pūrṇimā, and Guruvāra. The Śravaṇa, Rohiṇī, and Punarvasu nakṣatras are ideal. The Puruṣa Sūktam is one of the oldest cosmological texts in world literature.
Source — Ṛgveda 10.90; Yajurveda 31; Atharvaveda 19.6