Purush Suktam or the song to the Primeval Lord the formless Supreme without attributes and beyond time the dispeller of darkness and creator of the universe. This song or verses form the 90th hymn of the 10th book of the Rig Veda. It is associated to Lord Vishnu in general practice but going through the song one hardly finds the mention of the name Vishnu. In the ages coming down from early times Vishnu has been promoted as the main deity and perhaps all such verses are attributed to him. In fact it is in praise of the Supreme Lord one who is Parmatma or the soul of all beings. I have made the humble endeavor to translate it in hindi. It has been done in the English language but English is highly inadequate to explain the meanings conveyed in Sanskrit. Maybe it has been translated in hindi before but I have tried to come close to as the meaning of each verse. Like in verse no 12 & 13 they speak about how was the Adi Purusha born or how was HE cut. Literally that is nonsense. How can the eternal be born. When verse 2 says HE had been in past and will be in all time to come? These literal translations have given rise to many misconceptions. Like the Brahmins were born form the mouth of the Purusha so on and so forth. A logical explanation will let us know how a Brahmin is born form the mouth of the Primeval Lord so on and so forth.
Verse 5 speaks of Viraj been born of the Lord and from her the Purusha. Now how can the ONE without a body give birth? Who is Viraj? She is the manifest and un-manifest cosmic energy of the Sovereign Lord. After her what remains is the Purusha she being the integral part of Purusha remains independent for the purpose of Creation. They are one. It is this Prakriti that is worshipped as Durga Kali and many such forms. These different forms are attributed to this one cosmic energy emanating form the Purusha.
Here it is any comments are welcome. Please let me know if I have made any mistake.In concept, please forward any queries too if you have any. The problem is that each verse has a deep meaning and a dozen of books can be written explaining this long Suktam.
Purusha Suktam-Song for the Supreme Lord a Vedic Sukta
Sahastra mukh tere Adi
Sahastra netra se tu lakhe
Sahastra pag se srushti phire
Gaman kare aganit disha
Adi ant tu Madhya base
Tu raha, kalp aye gaye
Ajar amar avinashi tu
Gyanamrit se budhi mein bade
Jo yahan bhu par racha
Teri mahanta hume kahe
Nahin ratti bhar par tera
Baki agochar tu rahe
Shrushti mein teen bhag tu
Ek bhaag bhu par base
Chahu dishi jage Sarveshwar
Vyakt havishyana grahan kare
Aur jo na bhutal par rahe
Viraj, prakriti jisse prakati janani
Sesh baki Purush rahe
Jo prithvi par fail gaya
Jo sang prakriti ke
bhav bhav ki rachana kare
Jab devon ne racha yagya
Dhrut jiska hua basant
Indhan hua grishma
Aur ahuti sharad bane
Sapt dev chandok indhan bane
Tri sapt jisse ubhara tatva
Devo ne kiya yagya
Purush jis ka pashu bane
Sidhorishiyon ke sang
Devon ne racha yagya
Adi Purush ko ahuti de
Jiska mil awahan kare
Yagya jab hua sampan
Prakate jisse dhruth dadhi
Jinse pashu pakshi rache
Jo swachand gramoaranya vihar karen
Yagya jab sampan hua
Prakati jisse ruchayen Rik
Gaan madhur Sam ka hua
Yagya vidhi prakata Yajur
Chand Shlokon ka srajan hua
Ashwa-pashu do pankti dant ke
Yagya se prakat hue
Prakati gaiya aur ajah
Sidharishi aur devon ne
Kaise uska kiya manna
Mukh upje vipr gan
Kshatriya do bahu bane
Vaishya hue jangha do
Shudron ka pag se hua srajan
Manas sheetal sashi jiska
Netra ujwal martand
Mukh IndrAnil upje
Swasho se Vayu ka hua gaman
Nabhi se nabh upja
Swarg mastak hua vishal
Dishayen karno se faailin
Shrushti hui srajan khushal
Param Purush sab ka karta
Roop naam aganit diye
Gun us Akhand ke bhranti
Shakti sampan, rahit andhakar
Sahastra Suryon se ujwal
Sab ka wo karta dharta
Jo veta us Adi ka,
Brahma ne jisse nama Parmatma
Indra ne laka har dish,
Wo paye mukti pad
Dharma yukt ho yagya kiya
Jin devon ne nama Adi
Swarg paya durlabh jyun
Hota sab us path chalen
Payen sayujyata Devon ki
Jo is tarha Purush name.
To facilitate understanding I have taken this from the Scaredtext.com and put here. Hope it helps. The first part is translation in English and second in Sanskrit
Hymn 90 in Book 10 of the Rig Veda as literally translated by Ralph Griffith [1896]
A THOUSAND heads hath Purusa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.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.3 So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Purusa.All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven.4 With three-fourths Purusa went up: onefourth of him again was here.Thence he strode out to every side over what cats not and what cats.5 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.6 When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Purusa as their offering,Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.7 They balmed as victim on the grass Purusa born in earliest time.With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rsis sacrificed.8 From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up.He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame.9 From that great general sacrifice Rcas and Sama-hymns were born:Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.10 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.11 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?12 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.13 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.14 Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his headEarth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus they formed the worlds.15 Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared,When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Purusa.16 Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the carliest holy ordinances.The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sidhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.
sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt sabhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvātyatiṣṭhad daśāṅghulam puruṣa evedaṃ sarvaṃ yad bhūtaṃ yacca bhavyam utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yadannenātirohati etāvānasya mahimāto jyāyāṃśca pūruṣaḥ pādo.asyaviśvā bhūtāni tripādasyāmṛtaṃ divi tripādūrdhva udait puruṣaḥ pādo.asyehābhavat punaḥ tato viṣvaṃ vyakrāmat sāśanānaśane abhi tasmād virāḷ ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ sa jātoatyaricyata paścād bhūmimatho puraḥ yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā devā yajñamatanvata vasantoasyāsīdājyaṃ ghrīṣma idhmaḥ śarad dhaviḥ taṃ yajñaṃ barhiṣi praukṣan puruṣaṃ jātamaghrataḥ tena devā ayajanta sādhyā ṛṣayaśca ye tasmād yajñāt sarvahutaḥ sambhṛtaṃ pṛṣadājyam paśūntāṃścakre vāyavyānāraṇyān ghrāmyāśca ye tasmād yajñāt sarvahuta ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire chandāṃsijajñire tasmād yajustasmādajāyata tasmādaśvā ajāyanta ye ke cobhayādataḥ ghāvo hajajñire tasmāt tasmājjātā ajāvayaḥ yat puruṣaṃ vyadadhuḥ katidhā vyakalpayan mukhaṃ kimasya kau bāhū kā ūrū pādā ucyete brāhmaṇo.asya mukhamāsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ ūrūtadasya yad vaiśyaḥ padbhyāṃ śūdro ajāyata candramā manaso jātaścakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata mukhādindraścāghniśca prāṇād vāyurajāyata nābhyā āsīdantarikṣaṃ śīrṣṇo dyauḥ samavartata padbhyāṃ bhūmirdiśaḥ śrotrāt tathā lokānakalpayan saptāsyāsan paridhayastriḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ devāyad yajñaṃ tanvānā abadhnan puruṣaṃ paśum yajñena yajñamayajanta devāstāni dharmāṇi prathamānyāsan te ha nākaṃ mahimānaḥ sacanta yatra pūrve sādhyāḥsanti devāḥ
