Purusha, Vishnu
Purusha Suktam
श्री पुरुष सूक्तम्
The Śrī Puruṣa Sūktam (Rigveda 10.90; Shukla Yajurveda Adhyaya 31; Krishna Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka 3.12–13) is revered as the philosophical core and liturgical crown of the Vedic Samhitas. While the Rigvedic recension concludes with sixteen verses (Ṣoḍaśarca), the extended recension preserved in the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka comprises twenty-four mantras divided into two distinct movements:
Pūrva-Nārāyaṇa (Mantras 1–18): Unfolds the panentheistic architecture of the universe through the primeval sacrifice (Yajña), wherein the infinite Divine willingly limits and projects a single fourth of His essence into the manifest cosmos while three-fourths remain unmanifest and immortal.
Uttara-Nārāyaṇa (Mantras 19–24): Shifts from the macrocosmic architecture into deep spiritual gnosis (Jñāna), exalting the sun-effulgent Supreme Reality beyond darkness (Ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt), the indwelling Prajapati, the celestial consorts Hrī and Lakṣmī, and the ultimate prayer for righteous intellect and cosmic fulfillment.
Framed by the universal healing prayer Tacchaṁ Yoḥ, this hymn bridges sacrificial ritualism, social ethics, and Upanishadic mysticism.
- Deity
- The Supreme Primordial Being / Virat Purusha (Parabrahman / Maha-Vishnu / The Universal Self)
- Tradition
- Rigvedic (Mandala 10.90) / Krishna Yajurveda (Taittiriya Aranyaka 3.12–13) / Shukla Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi Samhita 31) / Smarta & Vaishnava Traditions
- Purpose
- The core liturgical chant for Ṣoḍaśopacāra Pūjā (sixteen-fold worship) across domestic and temple shrines. Accompanying Mahābhiṣeka of Vishnu, Shiva (as Mahāpuruṣa), Devi, and Salagrama shilas. Absolute eradication of spiritual blemishes, karmic bondages, and systemic family afflictions (Sarva-doṣa-nivāraṇa). Foundation for temple consecrations (Pratiṣṭhā), Sudarśana Homa, and ancestral peace liturgies.
- Source
- Rigveda (Mandala 10, Sukta 90) / Krishna Yajurveda (Taittiriya Aranyaka 3.12–13) / Shukla Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi Samhita 31)
मूल पाठ
Sanskrit textशान्तिपाठः
ॐ तच्छं॒ योरावृ॑णीमहे । गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञाय॑ ।
गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञप॑तये । दैवी᳚ स्व॒स्तिर॑स्तु नः ।
स्व॒स्तिर्मानु॑षेभ्यः । ऊ॒र्ध्वं जि॑गातु भेष॒जम् ।
शं नो॑ अस्तु द्वि॒पदे᳚ । शं चतु॑ष्पदे ।
ॐ शान्ति॒: शान्ति॒: शान्ति॑: ॥
पूर्वनारायणः (मन्त्राः १–१८)
ॐ स॒हस्र॑शीर्षा॒ पुरु॑षः । स॒ह॒स्रा॒क्षः स॒हस्र॑पात् ।
स भूमिं॑ वि॒श्वतो॑ वृ॒त्वा । अत्य॑तिष्ठद्दशाङ्गु॒लम् ॥ १ ॥
पुरु॑ष ए॒वेदग्ं सर्वम्᳚ । यद्भू॒तं यच्च॒ भव्यम्᳚ ।
उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्वस्येशा॑नः । यदन्ने॑नाति॒रोह॑ति ॥ २ ॥
ए॒तावा॑नस्य महि॒मा । अतो॒ ज्यायाग्॑श्च॒ पूरु॑षः ।
पादो᳚ऽस्य॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॑ । त्रि॒पाद॑स्या॒मृतं॑ दि॒वि ॥ ३ ॥
त्रि॒पादू॒र्ध्व उदै॒त्पुरु॑षः । पादो᳚ऽस्ये॒हाऽऽभ॑वा॒त्पुन॑: ।
ततो॒ विष्व॒ङ् व्य॑क्रामत् । सा॒श॒ना॒न॒श॒ने अ॒भि ॥ ४ ॥
तस्मा᳚द्वि॒राड॑जायत । वि॒राजो॒ अधि॒ पूरु॑षः ।
स जा॒तो अत्य॑रिच्यत । प॒श्चाद्भूमि॒मथो॑ पु॒रः ॥ ५ ॥
यत्पुरु॑षेण ह॒विषा᳚ । दे॒वा य॒ज्ञमत॑न्वत ।
व॒स॒न्तो अ॑स्यासी॒दाज्यम्᳚ । ग्री॒ष्म इ॒ध्मः श॒रद्ध॒विः ॥ ६ ॥
स॒प्तास्या॑सन् परि॒धय॑: । त्रिः स॒प्त स॒मिध॑: कृ॒ताः ।
दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं त॑न्वा॒नाः । अब॑ध्न॒न् पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥ ७ ॥
तं य॒ज्ञं ब॒र्हिषि॒ प्रौक्षन्॑ । पुरु॑षं जा॒तम॑ग्र॒तः ।
तेन॑ दे॒वा अय॑जन्त । सा॒ध्या ऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ॥ ८ ॥
तस्मा᳚द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुतः॑ । सम्भृ॑तं पृषदा॒ज्यम् ।
प॒शूग्स्ताग्ं॑श्चक्रे वाय॒व्यान॑ । आ॒र॒ण्यान् ग्रा॒म्याश्च॒ ये ॥ ९ ॥
तस्मा᳚द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुतः॑ । ऋच॒: सामा॑नि जज्ञिरे ।
छन्दाग्ं॑सि जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा᳚त् । यजु॒स्तस्मा॑दजायत ॥ १० ॥
तस्मा॒दश्वा॑ अजायन्त । ये के चो॑भ॒याद॑तः ।
गावो॑ ह जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा᳚त् । तस्मा᳚ज्जा॒ता अ॑जा॒वय॑: ॥ ११ ॥
यत्पुरु॑षं॒ व्य॑दधुः । क॒ति॒धा व्य॑कल्पयन् ।
मुखं॒ किम॑स्य॒ कौ बा॒हू । कावू॒रू पादा॑वुच्येते ॥ १२ ॥
ब्रा॒ह्म॒णो᳚ऽस्य॒ मुख॑मासीत् । बा॒हू रा॑ज॒न्य॑: कृ॒तः ।
ऊ॒रू तद॑स्य॒ यद्वैश्य॑: । प॒द्भ्याग्ं शू॒द्रो अ॑जायत ॥ १३ ॥
च॒न्द्रमा॒ मन॑सो जा॒तः । चक्षो॒: सूर्यो॑ अजायत ।
मुखा॒दिन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॑ । प्रा॒णाद्वा॒युर॑जायत ॥ १४ ॥
नाभ्या॑ आसीद॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । शी॒र्ष्णो द्यौः सम॑वर्तत ।
प॒द्भ्यां भूमि॒र्दिश॒: श्रोत्रा᳚त् । तथा॑ लो॒काग्ं अ॑कल्पयन् ॥ १५ ॥
स॒प्तास्या॑सन् परि॒धय॑: । त्रिः स॒प्त स॒मिध॑: कृ॒ताः ।
दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं त॑न्वा॒नाः । अब॑ध्न॒न् पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥ १६ ॥
य॒ज्ञेन॑ य॒ज्ञम॑यजन्त दे॒वाः । तानि॒ धर्मा॑णि प्रथ॒मान्या॑सन् ।
ते ह॒ नाकं॑ महि॒मान॑: सचन्ते । यत्र॒ पूर्वे॑ सा॒ध्याः सन्ति॑ दे॒वाः ॥ १७ ॥
वेदा॒हमे॒तं पुरु॑षं म॒हान्तम्᳚ । आ॒दि॒त्यव॑र्णं॒ तम॑स॒स्तु पा॒रे ।
सर्वा॑णि रू॒पाणि॑ वि॒चित्य॒ धीर॑: । नामा॑नि कृ॒त्वाऽभि॒वद॒न्॒ यदास्ते᳚ ॥ १८ ॥
उत्तरनारायणः (मन्त्राः १९–२४)
अ॒द्भ्यः सम्भू॑तः पृथि॒व्यै रसा᳚च्च । वि॒श्वक॑र्मण॒: सम॑वर्त॒ताधि॑ ।
तस्य॒ त्वष्टा॑ वि॒दध॑द्रू॒पमे॑ति । तन्मर्त्य॑स्य देव॒त्वमाजा॑न॒मग्रे᳚ ॥ १९ ॥
वेदा॒हमे॒तं पुरु॑षं म॒हान्तम्᳚ । आ॒दि॒त्यव॑र्णं॒ तम॑स॒: पर॑स्तात् ।
तमे॒वं वि॒द्वान॒मृत॑ इ॒ह भ॑वति । नान्यः पन्था॑ वि॒द्यतेऽय॑नाय ॥ २० ॥
प्र॒जाप॑तिश्चरति॒ गर्भे॑ अ॒न्तः । अ॒जाय॑मानो बहु॒धा विजा॑यते ।
तस्य॒ योनिं॒ परि॑पश्यन्ति॒ धीरा᳚: । तस्मि᳚न् ह तस्थु॒र्भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा᳚ ॥ २१ ॥
यो दे॒वेभ्य॒ आत॑पति । यो दे॒वानां᳚ पु॒रोहि॑तः ।
पूर्वो॒ यो दे॒वेभ्यो॑ जा॒तः । नमो॑ रु॒चाय॒ ब्राह्म॑ये ॥ २२ ॥
रुचं॑ ब्रा॒ह्मं ज॒नय॑न्तः । दे॒वा अग्रे॒ तद॑ब्रुवन् ।
यस्त्वै॒वं ब्रा᳚ह्म॒णो वि॒द्यात् । तस्य॑ दे॒वा अस॒न् वशे᳚ ॥ २३ ॥
ह्रीश्च॑ ते ल॒क्ष्मीश्च॒ पत्न्यौ᳚ । अ॒हो॒रा॒त्रे पा॒र्श्वे ।
नक्ष॑त्राणि रू॒पम् । अ॒श्विनौ॒ व्यात्तम्᳚ ।
इ॒ष्टं म॑निषाण । अ॒मुं म॑निषाण ।
सर्वं॑ मनिषाण ॥ २४ ॥
समापन शान्तिपाठः
ॐ तच्छं॒ योरावृ॑णीमहे । गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञाय॑ ।
गा॒तुं य॒ज्ञप॑तये । दैवी᳚ स्व॒स्तिर॑स्तु नः ।
स्व॒स्तिर्मानु॑षेभ्यः । ऊ॒र्ध्वं जि॑गातु भेष॒जम् ।
शं नो॑ अस्तु द्वि॒पदे᳚ । शं चतु॑ष्पदे ।
ॐ शान्ति॒: शान्ति॒: शान्ति॑: ॥
Śāntipāṭhaḥ
Oṁ tacchaṁ yorāvṛṇīmahe | gātuṁ yajñāya |
gātuṁ yajñapataye | daivī svastirastu naḥ |
svastirmānuṣebhyaḥ | ūrdhvaṁ jigātu bheṣajam |
śaṁ no astu dvipade | śaṁ catuṣpade |
Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
Pūrva-Nārāyaṇaḥ (Mantras 1–18)
Oṁ sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ | sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt |
sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vṛtvā | atyatiṣṭhaddaśāṅgulam || 1 ||
puruṣa evedagṁ sarvam | yadbhūtaṁ yacca bhavyam |
utāmṛtatvasyeśānaḥ | yadannenātirohati || 2 ||
etāvānasya mahimā | ato jyāyāgśca pūruṣaḥ |
pādo'sya viśvā bhūtāni | tripādasyāmṛtaṁ divi || 3 ||
tripādūrdhva udaitpuruṣaḥ | pādo'syehā''bhavātpunaḥ |
tato viṣvaṅ vyakrāmat | sāśanānaśane abhi || 4 ||
tasmādvirāḍajāyata | virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ |
sa jāto atyaricyata | paścādbhūmimatho puraḥ || 5 ||
yatpuruṣeṇa haviṣā | devā yajñamatanvata |
vasanto asyāsīdājyam | grīṣma idhmaḥ śaraddhaviḥ || 6 ||
saptāsyāsan paridhayaḥ | triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ |
devā yadyajñaṁ tanvānāḥ | abadhnan puruṣaṁ paśum || 7 ||
taṁ yajñaṁ barhiṣi praukṣan | puruṣaṁ jātamagrataḥ |
tena devā ayajanta | sādhyā ṛṣayaśca ye || 8 ||
tasmādyajñātsarvahutaḥ | sambhṛtaṁ pṛṣadājyam |
paśūgstāgścakre vāyavyān | āraṇyān grāmyāśca ye || 9 ||
tasmādyajñātsarvahutaḥ | ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire |
chandāgṁsi jajñire tasmāt | yajustasmādajāyata || 10 ||
tasmādaśvā ajāyanta | ye ke cobhayādataḥ |
gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt | tasmājjātā ajāvayaḥ || 11 ||
yatpuruṣaṁ vyadadhuḥ | katidhā vyakalpayan |
mukhaṁ kimasya kau bāhū | kāvūrū pādāvucyete || 12 ||
brāhmaṇo'sya mukhamāsīt | bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ |
ūrū tadasya yadvaiśyaḥ | padbhyāgṁ śūdro ajāyata || 13 ||
candramā manaso jātaḥ | cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata |
mukhādindraścāgniśca | prāṇādvāyurajāyata || 14 ||
nābhyā āsīdantarikṣam | śīrṣṇo dyauḥ samavartata |
padbhyāṁ bhūmirdiśaḥ śrotrāt | tathā lokāgṁ akalpayan || 15 ||
saptāsyāsan paridhayaḥ | triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ |
devā yadyajñaṁ tanvānāḥ | abadhnan puruṣaṁ paśum || 16 ||
yajñena yajñamayajanta devāḥ | tāni dharmāṇi prathamānyāsan |
te ha nākaṁ mahimānaḥ sacante | yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ || 17 ||
vedāhametaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam | ādityavarṇaṁ tamasastu pāre |
sarvāṇi rūpāṇi vicitya dhīraḥ | nāmāni kṛtvā'bhivadan yadāste || 18 ||
Uttara-Nārāyaṇaḥ (Mantras 19–24)
adbhyaḥ sambhūtaḥ pṛthivyai rasācca | viśvakarmaṇaḥ samavartatādhi |
tasya tvaṣṭā vidadhadrūpameti | tanmartyasya devatvamājānamagre || 19 ||
vedāhametaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam | ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt |
tamevaṁ vidvānamṛta iha bhavati | nānyaḥ panthā vidyate'yanāya || 20 ||
prajāpatiścarati garbhe antaḥ | ajāyamāno bahudhā vijāyate |
tasya yoniṁ paripasyanti dhīrāḥ | tasmin ha tasthurbhuvanāni viśvā || 21 ||
yo devebhya ātapati | yo devānāṁ purohitaḥ |
pūrvo yo devebhyo jātaḥ | namo rucāya brāhmaye || 22 ||
rucaṁ brāhmaṁ janayantaḥ | devā agre tadabruvan |
yastvaivaṁ brāhmaṇo vidyāt | tasya devā asan vaśe || 23 ||
hrīśca te lakṣmīśca patnyau | ahorātre pārśve |
nakṣatrāṇi rūpam | aśvinau vyāttam |
iṣṭaṁ maniṣāṇa | amuṁ maniṣāṇa |
sarvaṁ maniṣāṇa || 24 ||
Closing Śāntipāṭhaḥ
Oṁ tacchaṁ yorāvṛṇīmahe | gātuṁ yajñāya |
gātuṁ yajñapataye | daivī svastirastu naḥ |
svastirmānuṣebhyaḥ | ūrdhvaṁ jigātu bheṣajam |
śaṁ no astu dvipade | śaṁ catuṣpade |
Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
Purusha Suktam — recitation
अर्थ
MeaningWe pray unto the Supreme Being for that ultimate welfare and inner peace (śam) and total deliverance from sins, perils, and distress (yoḥ). May the sacred path open wide for the unhindered completion of the sacrifice; may the path of blessings and fruitful fulfillment be established for the master of the sacrifice. May celestial protection and auspicious grace attend us from the gods; may welfare be granted unto all humankind. May all medicinal remedies, therapeutic herbs, and vital energies surge upward in potency and flourish to banish affliction. May peace and freedom from all suffering be upon all two-legged beings (humanity); may peace and thriving protection be upon all four-legged creatures (animals and cattle).
Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
Part 1: Pūrva-Nārāyaṇa (Mantras 1 to 18)
Verse 1:
The Supreme Cosmic Being (Puruṣa) is endowed with thousands of heads, thousands of eyes, and thousands of feet—meaning that the faculties, heads, eyes, and limbs of all living entities across creation are verily His own manifestations. Having encompassed and completely pervaded the entire cosmos on every side, He transcends it yet by a measure of ten fingers (abiding infinitely beyond all spatial, temporal, causal, and material dimensions in unconditioned transcendence).
Verse 2:
The Cosmic Purusha alone is this entire universe—all that has been in the past, and all that is yet to unfold in the future. He is the supreme Sovereign and dispenser of immortality (amṛtatva), and He stands eternally beyond everything that evolves, grows, and flourishes through the consumption of mortal food.
Verse 3:
All this manifested existence across space and time is merely the display of His outer glory; yet far greater, vaster, and grander than all this is the Purusha Himself. All created beings and worlds constitute merely one single quarter (pāda) of His infinite reality; His remaining three quarters dwell immortal, imperishable, and unchanging in the celestial realm of supreme light.
Verse 4:
With three quarters of His being, the Purusha remained established high above, completely beyond the touch of cosmic change; one quarter of Him manifested down here again and again as the recurring cycles of cosmic creation. Thence, expanding in all directions, He pervaded everything entirely—both the animate beings that partake of food (sāśana) and the inanimate, insentient objects that do not (anaśana).
Verse 5:
From that primordial Purusha was born the universal cosmic body known as the Virāj; and presiding over the Viraj, the cosmic conscious Purusha appeared. As soon as He was born, He grew immensely, extending beyond the manifest cosmos; and then He brought forth the earth, extending both in front of it and behind it.
Verse 6:
When the primordial cosmic deities performed the sacred sacrifice of creation with the Purusha Himself as the offering, the season of spring became its melted butter (ājya), the summer season served as its sacred fuel wood (idhma), and the autumn season became its consecrated oblation (haviḥ).
Verse 7:
Seven were the enclosing boundaries demarcated for this cosmic sacrificial altar; thrice seven (twenty-one) were the consecrated logs of fuel wood prepared. When the gods, executing the sacrifice, expanded the cosmic ritual, they bound the Supreme Purusha Himself as the sacrificial victim (dedicating His unconditioned being to manifest diversity).
Verse 8:
Upon the sacred sacrificial grass (barhis), the gods consecrated through holy sprinkling that firstborn, supreme Purusha who was the very personification of the sacrifice. With Him as the divine offering, the gods, the perfected celestial beings (Sādhyas), and the primordial seers (Rishis) carried forth the universal sacrifice.
Verse 9:
From that all-offering sacrifice, wherein the Supreme Being offered up Himself entirely, there was gathered the speckled butter (pṛṣadājya—a nourishing mixture of curd and clarified butter). From that vital essence, He formed all the creatures of the air (birds), the wild animals of the forest, and the domestic animals of the settlements.
Verse 10:
From that universal sacrifice, the sacred verses of the Rigveda and the liturgical melodies of the Samaveda were born. From it sprang forth all the Vedic poetic meters (such as Gayatri and Anushtubh), and from it the sacrificial formulas of the Yajurveda were generated.
Verse 11:
From that supreme sacrifice horses were born, along with all creatures that possess a double row of teeth (in both upper and lower jaws). From it cows were generated, and from it were born all species of goats and sheep.
Verse 12:
When the gods contemplated and mentally configured the Cosmic Purusha, into how many portions did they envision Him? What was His mouth? What did His arms become? What were His thighs, and what were His feet called?
Verse 13:
The Brahmana (the custodian of spiritual wisdom and knowledge) became His mouth; the Rajanya/Kshatriya (the protector of righteousness and warrior) was fashioned from His arms; the Vaishya (the producer of wealth, trade, and agricultural sustenance) became His thighs; and from His feet, the Shudra (the foundational support of service and societal labor) was born.
Verse 14:
The Moon was born from His cosmic mind; from His visual eye the radiant Sun was generated; from His mouth came forth Indra (the cosmic ruler) and Agni (the sacred fire); and from His vital cosmic breath (prāṇa), the Wind (Vāyu) was born.
Verse 15:
From His cosmic navel arose the intermediate atmospheric space; from His head the heavens were established; from His feet the firm earth emerged; and from His ears the cardinal directions were fashioned. In this precise manner did the gods ordain and establish all the cosmic realms!
Verse 16:
Seven were the enclosing boundaries constructed around the altar, and thrice seven (twenty-one) were the consecrated logs of sacred fuel prepared, when the gods, unfolding the cosmic sacrifice, bound the Purusha Himself as the sacred sacrificial offering.
Verse 17:
By this sacrifice (of divine self-giving), the gods worshiped the Cosmic Purusha who is the very personification of sacrifice; those sacred ordinances became the earliest, primordial laws of Dharma. These glorious souls attain the highest celestial realm, where the perfected beings of antiquity (Sādhyas) and the ancient gods dwell.
Verse 18:
I know and have realized this supreme, magnificent Purusha, effulgent like the blazing sun far beyond the darkness of ignorance! Having fashioned all diverse forms in creation, and having assigned names to each, the serene and wise Lord abides, conversing and operating through them all as the inner witness.
Part 2: Uttara-Nārāyaṇa (Mantras 19 to 24)
Verse 19:
From the primordial cosmic waters and from the subtle essence of the earth, through the power of the supreme cosmic architect (Viśvakarmā), this universal form manifested. Tvashtar (the divine craftsman) continually fashions and expands His varied forms. That constitutes the innate divinity and immortal heritage of mortal man at the very dawn of creation.
Verse 20:
I know and have realized this mighty Purusha, radiant like the sun, shining far beyond the veil of darkness. Experiencing and knowing Him alone in this manner does a seeker become immortal right here in this very life; there exists no other path whatsoever for the attainment of supreme liberation.
Verse 21:
Prajapati, the Lord of all creatures, moves mysteriously within the cosmic womb of creation. Though Himself unborn and changeless, He manifests in countless diversified forms. The calm, enlightened seers behold His eternal, primordial source, in whom all the worlds and galaxies remain firmly established.
Verse 22:
He who radiates with supreme brilliance upon all the gods, who is the primeval priest and spiritual guide of the divinities, who existed prior to the manifestation of all gods—salutations unto that radiant, self-luminous, supreme spiritual Splendor!
Verse 23:
In the beginning, the gods, illuminating the divine wisdom of Brahman, proclaimed this truth: "Whosoever among seekers realizes and knows the Supreme Purusha in this manner—unto him all the gods shall remain favorable and obedient (all cosmic forces align with his will)!"
Verse 24:
O Supreme Purusha! Hri (Modesty, Moral Integrity) and Lakshmi (Auspicious Splendor and Prosperity) are Your two consorts. Day and night are Your two sides. The luminous constellations and stars in the cosmos are Your bodily form. The twin Ashvins are Your wide-open mouth. Bestow upon us our cherished spiritual aspiration (iṣṭam—liberation); bestow upon us that other worldly well-being (amum—health, longevity, and prosperity); bestow upon us everything (sarvam—all-encompassing divine fulfillment)!
Closing Peace Invocation (Tacchaṁ Yoḥ)
We pray for that supreme spiritual welfare and peace (śam) and total deliverance from all sins, afflictions, and sorrow (yoḥ). May the sacred path open wide for the successful fulfillment of the sacrifice; may the path of blessings be firmly established for the master of the sacrifice. May divine protection and auspicious grace abide with us from the gods; may safety and well-being be granted to all humankind. May healing medicines and nurturing plants surge ever upward in potency and flourish everywhere. May profound peace and freedom from suffering be upon all two-legged beings; may nurturing peace be upon all four-legged creatures.
संदर्भ
ContextThe Śrī Puruṣa Sūktam represents one of the most mature cosmological syntheses in world religious literature. Rather than portraying creation as an ex nihilo act (creation out of nothing) by an external demiurge, the hymn presents an organic, panentheistic model: creation is the divine self-projection of the Absolute into name and form.
Panentheism (The Concept of the Quarters):
The declaration "Pādo'sya viśvā bhūtāni tripādasyāmṛtaṁ divi" (Verse 3) reconciles immanence with transcendence. The cosmos is not separate from God, yet creation does not exhaust God. Only a fourth part (pāda) manifests as the visible universe of change, while three-fourths remain transcendent, unconditioned, and deathless.
Yajña as Cosmic Symbiosis:
In the Vedic worldview, Yajña is not merely an external ritual involving fire and wood; it is the fundamental law of reciprocity that sustains cosmic life (Ṛta). The Supreme Purusha first sacrificed Himself (voluntarily limiting His infinity) so that diverse life could exist. In return, all created beings sustain cosmic balance through self-restraint, righteous action (Dharma), and grateful offering.
Sociological Metaphor of the Cosmic Body (Verse 13):
Verse 13 (Brāhmaṇo'sya mukhamāsīt...) uses the anatomy of the Cosmic Person as an organic metaphor for societal interdependence. The Vedic seer envisioned human society not as fragmented, competitive factions, but as a coordinated living organism:
Mouth (Head): Knowledge, philosophy, education, and moral guidance (Brahmana).
Arms: Sovereign defense, justice, administration, and public order (Kshatriya).
Thighs: Economic enterprise, commerce, banking, and agricultural production (Vaishya).
Feet: Foundation, physical labor, artisanal craftsmanship, and service (Shudra).
Just as a living body cannot function without feet, hands, trunk, or head, every segment of the social fabric possesses inherent dignity, mutual dependency, and sacred origin within the same divine reality.
Uttara-Nārāyaṇa and Non-Dual Realization:
The concluding six mantras elevate the cosmology into immediate spiritual realization. Verse 20 provides the seminal Upanishadic declaration repeated across the Śvetāśvatara and Vājasaneyi Upanishads: "Tamevaṁ vidvānamṛta iha bhavati nānyaḥ panthā vidyate'yanāya" ("Knowing Him alone does one transcend death right here in this life; there is no other path to liberation"). Verse 24 establishes that true human fulfillment requires the synthesis of inner virtue (Hrī - modesty/conscience) and outer excellence (Lakṣmī - prosperity/splendor).
प्रयोग
How it is traditionally usedTemple Liturgies: Chanted rhythmically with precise Vedic pitch accents (udātta, anudātta, svarita) during early morning sanctum awakenings (Suprabhatam) and main ablutions (Thirumanjanam / Abhishekam).
Domestic Shodashopachara: Verses 1 to 16 map directly to the sequential presentation of items:
Verse 1: Dhyāna & Āvāhana (Meditation & Invocation)
Verse 2: Āsana (Seat)
Verse 3: Pādya (Washing of Feet)
Verse 4: Arghya (Offering of Pure Water)
Verse 5: Ācamanīya (Sipping of Consecrated Water)
Verse 6: Snāna (Ablution / Holy Bath)
Verse 7: Vastra (Sacred Garments)
Verse 8: Yajñopavīta (Sacred Thread)
Verse 9: Candana / Gandha (Sandalwood Paste)
Verse 10: Puṣpa (Sacred Flowers)
Verse 11: Dhūpa (Fragrant Incense)
Verse 12: Dīpa (Illuminated Flame)
Verse 13: Naivedya (Consecrated Food Offering)
Verse 14: Tāmbūla (Betel Leaves & Spices)
Verse 15: Nīrājana / Ārati (Waving of Camphor Light)
Verse 16: Pradakṣiṇā & Puṣpāñjali (Circumambulation & Floral Surrender)
Yajna & Homa: Verses 1 to 24 are chanted individually with the suffix Svāhā while offering pure cow's ghee and cooked payasam into the consecrated sacrificial fire during major domestic and communal ceremonies.
Vastu Consecration: Recited during the ground-breaking and house-warming rites (Griha Pravesha) to harmonize the dwelling with the subtle currents of the Vastu Purusha.
Sources & References
Dharmartha presents traditional knowledge with respect for its sources. Practices vary by lineage and region; this material does not assert exclusive or universal authority.
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