The Purusha Suktam (Rigveda 10.90) is the foundational hymn of Sri Vaishnava theology. It describes the Cosmic Person (Purusha) — Sriman Narayana — as both the material and efficient cause of the universe. Chanted as part of the Pancha Suktam in daily temple worship across all Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams.
Vedic svara marks: ॑ = udātta (raised pitch) | ॒ = anudātta (low pitch) | unmarked = svarita
Vedic svara marks: ॑ = udātta (raised pitch) | ॒ = anudātta (low pitch) | unmarked = svarita
16 Verses · Rigveda 10.90 · Anushtup & Trishtup Chandas
सहस्र॑शीर्षा पु॒रुषः । सहस्रा॒क्षः स॒हस्र॑पात् ।
स भूमिं॒ विश्व॑तो वृ॒त्वा । अत्य॑तिष्ठद्दशा॒ङ्गुलम् ॥
स भूमिं॒ विश्व॑तो वृ॒त्वा । अत्य॑तिष्ठद्दशा॒ङ्गुलम् ॥
ಸಹಸ್ರ॑ಶೀರ್ಷಾ ಪು॒ರುಷಃ । ಸಹಸ್ರಾ॒ಕ್ಷಃ ಸ॒ಹಸ್ರ॑ಪಾತ್ ।
ಸ ಭೂಮಿಂ॒ ವಿಶ್ವ॑ತೋ ವೃ॒ತ್ವಾ । ಅತ್ಯ॑ತಿಷ್ಠದ್ದಶಾ॒ಂಗುಲಮ್ ॥
ಸ ಭೂಮಿಂ॒ ವಿಶ್ವ॑ತೋ ವೃ॒ತ್ವಾ । ಅತ್ಯ॑ತಿಷ್ಠದ್ದಶಾ॒ಂಗುಲಮ್ ॥
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. He pervades the entire earth on all sides and transcends it by ten finger-breadths (i.e., He infinitely exceeds all of creation).
पुरु॑ष ए॒वेदग्ँ स॒र्वम् । यद्भू॒तं यच्च॒ भव्यम् ।
उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्वस्ये॒शानः । यदन्ने॑ना॒तिरो॑हति ॥
उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्वस्ये॒शानः । यदन्ने॑ना॒तिरो॑हति ॥
ಪುರು॑ಷ ಏ॒ವೇದಗ್ಂ ಸ॒ರ್ವಮ್ । ಯದ್ಭೂ॒ತಂ ಯಚ್ಚ॒ ಭವ್ಯಮ್ ।
ಉ॒ತಾಮೃ॑ತ॒ತ್ವಸ್ಯೇ॒ಶಾನಃ । ಯದನ್ನೇ॑ನಾ॒ತಿರೋ॑ಹತಿ ॥
ಉ॒ತಾಮೃ॑ತ॒ತ್ವಸ್ಯೇ॒ಶಾನಃ । ಯದನ್ನೇ॑ನಾ॒ತಿರೋ॑ಹತಿ ॥
The Purusha alone is all this — all that has been and all that shall be. He is the Lord of immortality and also of all that grows beyond through food (i.e., He is the Lord of the mortal realm sustained by food, as well as of the immortal realm).
ए॒तावा॑नस्य॒ महि॒माऽतो॒ ज्यायाँ॑श्च॒ पूरु॑षः ।
पादो॑ऽस्य॒ विश्वा॒ भूता॒नि । त्रि॒पाद॑स्यामृ॒तं दि॒वि ॥
पादो॑ऽस्य॒ विश्वा॒ भूता॒नि । त्रि॒पाद॑स्यामृ॒तं दि॒वि ॥
ಏ॒ತಾವಾ॑ನಸ್ಯ॒ ಮಹಿ॒ಮಾಽತೋ॒ ಜ್ಯಾಯಾಂ॑ಶ್ಚ॒ ಪೂರು॑ಷಃ ।
ಪಾದೋ॑ऽಸ್ಯ॒ ವಿಶ್ವಾ॒ ಭೂತಾ॒ನಿ । ತ್ರಿ॒ಪಾದ॑ಸ್ಯಾಮೃ॒ತಂ ದಿ॒ವಿ ॥
ಪಾದೋ॑ऽಸ್ಯ॒ ವಿಶ್ವಾ॒ ಭೂತಾ॒ನಿ । ತ್ರಿ॒ಪಾದ॑ಸ್ಯಾಮೃ॒ತಂ ದಿ॒ವಿ ॥
Such is His greatness — yet the Purusha is greater still. All beings constitute but one quarter of Him; His remaining three quarters are the immortal realm in heaven (i.e., three-quarters of His being transcend the manifest universe entirely).
त्रि॒पादू॒र्ध्व उ॑दैत्पु॒रुषः । पादो॑ऽस्ये॒हाभ॑वात्पुनः ।
ततो॒ विष्व॒ङ् व्य॑क्राम॒त् । साशना॒नश॑ने॒ अभि॑ ॥
ततो॒ विष्व॒ङ् व्य॑क्राम॒त् । साशना॒नश॑ने॒ अभि॑ ॥
ತ್ರಿ॒ಪಾದೂ॒ರ್ಧ್ವ ಉ॑ದೈತ್ಪು॒ರುಷಃ । ಪಾದೋ॑ऽಸ್ಯೇ॒ಹಾಭ॑ವಾತ್ಪುನಃ ।
ತತೋ॒ ವಿಷ್ವ॒ಙ್ ವ್ಯ॑ಕ್ರಾಮ॒ತ್ । ಸಾಶನಾ॒ನಶ॑ನೇ॒ ಅಭಿ॑ ॥
ತತೋ॒ ವಿಷ್ವ॒ಙ್ ವ್ಯ॑ಕ್ರಾಮ॒ತ್ । ಸಾಶನಾ॒ನಶ॑ನೇ॒ ಅಭಿ॑ ॥
His three-quarters rose upward; one quarter of Him was born again here below. From there He spread in all directions into the animate and the inanimate (those that eat and those that do not eat).
तस्मा॑द्वि॒राळजा॑यत । वि॒राजो॒ अधि॒ पूरु॑षः ।
स जा॒तो अत्य॑रिच्यत । प॒श्चाद्भूमि॑म॒थो पुरः॑ ॥
स जा॒तो अत्य॑रिच्यत । प॒श्चाद्भूमि॑म॒थो पुरः॑ ॥
ತಸ್ಮಾ॑ದ್ವಿ॒ರಾಳಜಾ॑ಯತ । ವಿ॒ರಾಜೋ॒ ಅಧಿ॒ ಪೂರು॑ಷಃ ।
ಸ ಜಾ॒ತೋ ಅತ್ಯ॑ರಿಚ್ಯತ । ಪ॒ಶ್ಚಾದ್ಭೂಮಿ॑ಮ॒ಥೋ ಪುರಃ॑ ॥
ಸ ಜಾ॒ತೋ ಅತ್ಯ॑ರಿಚ್ಯತ । ಪ॒ಶ್ಚಾದ್ಭೂಮಿ॑ಮ॒ಥೋ ಪುರಃ॑ ॥
From this Purusha, Virāj (the cosmic manifested form) was born; from Virāj, the Purusha was again born. Having been born, He surpassed the earth both behind and before (He filled all of existence before and after creation).
यत्पुरु॑षेण ह॒विषा॑ । दे॒वा य॒ज्ञमत॑न्वत ।
व॒स॒न्तो अ॑स्यासी॒दाज्यम् । ग्री॒ष्म इ॑ध्मः॒ शर॒द्धविः॑ ॥
व॒स॒न्तो अ॑स्यासी॒दाज्यम् । ग्री॒ष्म इ॑ध्मः॒ शर॒द्धविः॑ ॥
ಯತ್ಪುರು॑ಷೇಣ ಹ॒ವಿಷಾ॑ । ದೇ॒ವಾ ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಮತ॑ನ್ವತ ।
ವ॒ಸ॒ನ್ತೋ ಅ॑ಸ್ಯಾಸೀ॒ದಾಜ್ಯಮ್ । ಗ್ರೀ॒ಷ್ಮ ಇ॑ಧ್ಮಃ॒ ಶರ॒ದ್ಧವಿಃ॑ ॥
ವ॒ಸ॒ನ್ತೋ ಅ॑ಸ್ಯಾಸೀ॒ದಾಜ್ಯಮ್ । ಗ್ರೀ॒ಷ್ಮ ಇ॑ಧ್ಮಃ॒ ಶರ॒ದ್ಧವಿಃ॑ ॥
When the gods performed the great sacrifice with the Purusha as the oblation, Spring was the ghee (clarified butter), Summer was the fuel wood, and Autumn was the offering — all seasons of the cosmic year became the elements of this primordial yajna.
स॒प्तास्या॑सन्परि॒धयः॑ । त्रिः स॒प्त स॑मि॒धः कृ॒ताः ।
दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं त॑न्वा॒नाः । अब॑ध्न॒न्पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥
दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं त॑न्वा॒नाः । अब॑ध्न॒न्पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥
ಸ॒ಪ್ತಾಸ್ಯಾ॑ಸನ್ಪರಿ॒ಧಯಃ॑ । ತ್ರಿಃ ಸ॒ಪ್ತ ಸ॑ಮಿ॒ಧಃ ಕೃ॒ತಾಃ ।
ದೇ॒ವಾ ಯದ್ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಂ ತ॑ನ್ವಾ॒ನಾಃ । ಅಬ॑ಧ್ಧ॒ನ್ಪುರು॑ಷಂ ಪ॒ಶುಮ್ ॥
ದೇ॒ವಾ ಯದ್ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಂ ತ॑ನ್ವಾ॒ನಾಃ । ಅಬ॑ಧ್ಧ॒ನ್ಪುರು॑ಷಂ ಪ॒ಶುಮ್ ॥
Seven were the enclosing sticks; three times seven were the pieces of fuel prepared. When the gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Purusha as the sacrificial animal (paśu), there were seven enclosures and twenty-one kindling sticks laid in the sacred fire.
तं य॒ज्ञं ब॒र्हिषि॑ प्रौक्षन् । पुरु॑षं जा॒तम॑ग्र॒तः ।
तेन॑ दे॒वा अ॑यजन्त । सा॒ध्या ऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ॥
तेन॑ दे॒वा अ॑यजन्त । सा॒ध्या ऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ॥
ತಂ ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಂ ಬ॒ರ್ಹಿಷಿ॑ ಪ್ರೌಕ್ಷನ್ । ಪುರು॑ಷಂ ಜಾ॒ತಮ॑ಗ್ರ॒ತಃ ।
ತೇನ॑ ದೇ॒ವಾ ಅ॑ಯಜನ್ತ । ಸಾ॒ಧ್ಯಾ ಋಷ॑ಯಶ್ಚ॒ ಯೇ ॥
ತೇನ॑ ದೇ॒ವಾ ಅ॑ಯಜನ್ತ । ಸಾ॒ಧ್ಯಾ ಋಷ॑ಯಶ್ಚ॒ ಯೇ ॥
They sprinkled with sacred water this sacrifice — the Purusha who was born in the beginning — upon the sacred grass (barhis). With Him as the offering, the gods, the Sādhyas (a class of celestial beings), and the sages performed the sacrifice.
तस्मा॑द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुतः॑ । स॒म्भृतं॑ पृष॒दाज्यम् ।
प॒शूँस्ताँश्च॑क्रे वाय॒व्यान् । आर॑ण्यान् ग्रा॒म्याश्च॑ ये ॥
प॒शूँस्ताँश्च॑क्रे वाय॒व्यान् । आर॑ण्यान् ग्रा॒म्याश्च॑ ये ॥
ತಸ್ಮಾ॑ದ್ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಾತ್ಸ॑ರ್ವ॒ಹುತಃ॑ । ಸ॒ಂಭೃತಂ॑ ಪೃಷ॒ದಾಜ್ಯಮ್ ।
ಪ॒ಶೂಂಸ್ತಾಂಶ್ಚ॑ಕ್ರೇ ವಾಯ॒ವ್ಯಾನ್ । ಆರ॑ಣ್ಯಾನ್ ಗ್ರಾ॒ಮ್ಯಾಶ್ಚ॑ ಯೇ ॥
ಪ॒ಶೂಂಸ್ತಾಂಶ್ಚ॑ಕ್ರೇ ವಾಯ॒ವ್ಯಾನ್ । ಆರ॑ಣ್ಯಾನ್ ಗ್ರಾ॒ಮ್ಯಾಶ್ಚ॑ ಯೇ ॥
From that all-encompassing sacrifice (sarvahuta) was produced the curd-mixed ghee (pṛṣadājya). It made the animals of the air, the forest, and the village — all the creatures of the world emerged from this primordial sacrifice.
तस्मा॑द्य॒ज्ञात्स॑र्व॒हुतः॑ । ऋचः॒ सामा॑नि जज्ञिरे ।
छन्दाग्ँ॑सि जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मात् । यजु॒स्तस्मा॑दजायत ॥
छन्दाग्ँ॑सि जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मात् । यजु॒स्तस्मा॑दजायत ॥
ತಸ್ಮಾ॑ದ್ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಾತ್ಸ॑ರ್ವ॒ಹುತಃ॑ । ಋಚಃ॒ ಸಾಮಾ॑ನಿ ಜಜ್ಞಿರೇ ।
ಛಂದಾಗ್ಂ॑ಸಿ ಜಜ್ಞಿರೇ॒ ತಸ್ಮಾತ್ । ಯಜು॒ಸ್ತಸ್ಮಾ॑ದಜಾಯತ ॥
ಛಂದಾಗ್ಂ॑ಸಿ ಜಜ್ಞಿರೇ॒ ತಸ್ಮಾತ್ । ಯಜು॒ಸ್ತಸ್ಮಾ॑ದಜಾಯತ ॥
From that all-encompassing sacrifice were born the Rig Veda and the Sama Veda; from it were born the metres (chandas) of all poetry; and from it the Yajur Veda came into being — the entire Vedic revelation arose from this one cosmic sacrifice.
तस्मा॑दश्वा॒ अजा॑यन्त । ये के चो॒भया॑दतः ।
गावो॒ ह जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मात् । तस्मा॒ज्जाता॑ अ॒जाव॑यः ॥
गावो॒ ह जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मात् । तस्मा॒ज्जाता॑ अ॒जाव॑यः ॥
ತಸ್ಮಾ॑ದಶ್ವಾ॒ ಅಜಾ॑ಯನ್ತ । ಯೇ ಕೇ ಚೋ॒ಭಯಾ॑ದತಃ ।
ಗಾವೋ॒ ಹ ಜಜ್ಞಿರೇ॒ ತಸ್ಮಾತ್ । ತಸ್ಮಾ॒ಜ್ಜಾತಾ॑ ಅ॒ಜಾವ॑ಯಃ ॥
ಗಾವೋ॒ ಹ ಜಜ್ಞಿರೇ॒ ತಸ್ಮಾತ್ । ತಸ್ಮಾ॒ಜ್ಜಾತಾ॑ ಅ॒ಜಾವ॑ಯಃ ॥
From that sacrifice were born horses, and all animals that have teeth in both jaws. From it cattle were born; from it were born goats and sheep — all animals of the earth emerged from the Purusha Yajna.
यत्पुरु॑षं॒ व्य॑दधुः । क॒तिधा॒ व्य॑कल्पयन् ।
मुखं॒ किम॑स्य॒ कौ बा॒हू । कावू॒रू पादा॒वुच्ये॑ते ॥
मुखं॒ किम॑स्य॒ कौ बा॒हू । कावू॒रू पादा॒वुच्ये॑ते ॥
ಯತ್ಪುರು॑ಷಂ॒ ವ್ಯ॑ದಧುಃ । ಕ॒ತಿಧಾ॒ ವ್ಯ॑ಕಲ್ಪಯನ್ ।
ಮುಖಂ॒ ಕಿಮ॑ಸ್ಯ॒ ಕೌ ಬಾ॒ಹೂ । ಕಾವೂ॒ರೂ ಪಾದಾ॒ವುಚ್ಯೇ॑ತೇ ॥
ಮುಖಂ॒ ಕಿಮ॑ಸ್ಯ॒ ಕೌ ಬಾ॒ಹೂ । ಕಾವೂ॒ರೂ ಪಾದಾ॒ವುಚ್ಯೇ॑ತೇ ॥
When they divided the Purusha, into how many parts did they arrange him? What was His mouth? What were His two arms? What were called His thighs and feet? — The hymn turns to question the cosmic anatomy of the Purusha.
ब्रा॒ह्म॒णो॑ऽस्य॒ मुख॑मासीत् । बा॒हू रा॑ज॒न्यः॑ कृ॒तः ।
ऊ॒रू तद॑स्य॒ यद्वैश्यः॑ । पद्भ्यां॒ शूद्रो॑ अजायत ॥
ऊ॒रू तद॑स्य॒ यद्वैश्यः॑ । पद्भ्यां॒ शूद्रो॑ अजायत ॥
ಬ್ರಾ॒ಹ್ಮ॒ಣೋ॑ऽಸ್ಯ॒ ಮುಖ॑ಮಾಸೀತ್ । ಬಾ॒ಹೂ ರಾ॑ಜ॒ನ್ಯಃ॑ ಕೃ॒ತಃ ।
ಊ॒ರೂ ತದ॑ಸ್ಯ॒ ಯದ್ವೈಶ್ಯಃ॑ । ಪದ್ಭ್ಯಾಂ॒ ಶೂದ್ರೋ॑ ಅಜಾಯತ ॥
ಊ॒ರೂ ತದ॑ಸ್ಯ॒ ಯದ್ವೈಶ್ಯಃ॑ । ಪದ್ಭ್ಯಾಂ॒ ಶೂದ್ರೋ॑ ಅಜಾಯತ ॥
The Brāhmaṇa was His mouth; the Rājanya (Kṣatriya) was made from His arms; the Vaiśya arose from His thighs; and from His feet the Śūdra was born. All four varṇas are thus parts of the one cosmic Purusha — none separate from Him.
च॒न्द्रमा॒ मन॑सो जा॒तः । चक्षोः॒ सूर्यो॑ अजायत ।
मुखा॒दिन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॑ । प्राण॒ाद्वायु॑रजायत ॥
मुखा॒दिन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॑ । प्राण॒ाद्वायु॑रजायत ॥
ಚ॒ನ್ದ್ರಮಾ॒ ಮನ॑ಸೋ ಜಾ॒ತಃ । ಚಕ್ಷೋಃ॒ ಸೂರ್ಯೋ॑ ಅಜಾಯತ ।
ಮುಖಾ॒ದಿನ್ದ್ರ॑ಶ್ಚಾ॒ಗ್ನಿಶ್ಚ॑ । ಪ್ರಾಣಾ॒ದ್ವಾಯು॑ರಜಾಯತ ॥
ಮುಖಾ॒ದಿನ್ದ್ರ॑ಶ್ಚಾ॒ಗ್ನಿಶ್ಚ॑ । ಪ್ರಾಣಾ॒ದ್ವಾಯು॑ರಜಾಯತ ॥
The Moon was born from His mind; the Sun was born from His eye; Indra and Agni (fire) arose from His mouth; and Vāyu (wind) was born from His prāṇa (breath). The cosmic deities are the sensory organs of the Supreme Purusha.
नाभ्या॑ आसीद॒न्तरि॑क्षम् । शीर्ष्णो॒ द्यौः स॑मवर्तत ।
पद्भ्यां॒ भूमि॒र्दिशः॒ श्रोत्रात् । तथा॑ लो॒काँ अ॑कल्पयन् ॥
पद्भ्यां॒ भूमि॒र्दिशः॒ श्रोत्रात् । तथा॑ लो॒काँ अ॑कल्पयन् ॥
ನಾಭ್ಯಾ॑ ಆಸೀದ॒ನ್ತರಿ॑ಕ್ಷಮ್ । ಶೀರ್ಷ್ಣೋ॒ ದ್ಯೌಃ ಸ॑ಮವರ್ತತ ।
ಪದ್ಭ್ಯಾಂ॒ ಭೂಮಿ॒ರ್ದಿಶಃ॒ ಶ್ರೋತ್ರಾತ್ । ತಥಾ॑ ಲೋ॒ಕಾಂ ಅ॑ಕಲ್ಪಯನ್ ॥
ಪದ್ಭ್ಯಾಂ॒ ಭೂಮಿ॒ರ್ದಿಶಃ॒ ಶ್ರೋತ್ರಾತ್ । ತಥಾ॑ ಲೋ॒ಕಾಂ ಅ॑ಕಲ್ಪಯನ್ ॥
From His navel came the midspace (antarikṣa / atmosphere); from His head the sky (heaven) evolved; from His feet the earth, and from His ear the four quarters. Thus they fashioned all the worlds — the entire cosmos is the body of the Purusha.
य॒ज्ञेन॑ य॒ज्ञम॑यजन्त दे॒वाः । तानि॒ धर्मा॑णि प्रथ॒मान्या॑सन् ।
ते ह॒ नाकं॑ महि॒मानः॑ सचन्त । यत्र॒ पूर्वे॒ साध्याः॑ सन्ति दे॒वाः ॥
ते ह॒ नाकं॑ महि॒मानः॑ सचन्त । यत्र॒ पूर्वे॒ साध्याः॑ सन्ति दे॒वाः ॥
ಯ॒ಜ್ಞೇನ॑ ಯ॒ಜ್ಞಮ॑ಯಜನ್ತ ದೇ॒ವಾಃ । ತಾನಿ॒ ಧರ್ಮಾ॑ಣಿ ಪ್ರಥ॒ಮಾನ್ಯಾ॑ಸನ್ ।
ತೇ ಹ॒ ನಾಕಂ॑ ಮಹಿ॒ಮಾನಃ॑ ಸಚನ್ತ । ಯತ್ರ॒ ಪೂರ್ವೇ॒ ಸಾಧ್ಯಾಃ॑ ಸನ್ತಿ ದೇ॒ವಾಃ ॥
ತೇ ಹ॒ ನಾಕಂ॑ ಮಹಿ॒ಮಾನಃ॑ ಸಚನ್ತ । ಯತ್ರ॒ ಪೂರ್ವೇ॒ ಸಾಧ್ಯಾಃ॑ ಸನ್ತಿ ದೇ॒ವಾಃ ॥
The gods worshipped (the Cosmic Purusha) through the sacrifice with the sacrifice itself. These were the first dharmas (laws / sacred ordinances). These great beings attained the vault of heaven (nāka), where the ancient Sādhyas and gods eternally dwell.