Purusha Suktam
Purusha Suktam
Purusha Suktam
puruṣa sūktam
o-ntacchaṃ॒-yorāvṛ̭ṇīmahe | gā॒tuṃ-ya॒jñāya̭ | gā॒tuṃ-ya~॒jñapa̭taye | daivī᳚ sva॒stira̭stu naḥ | sva॒stirmānṷṣebhyaḥ | ū॒rdhva-ñji̭gātu bheṣa॒jam | śa-nno̭ astu dvi॒pade᳚ | śa-ñcatṷṣpade |
oṃ śānti॒-śśānti॒-śśāntiḥ̭ ||
sa॒hasra̭śīrṣā॒ purṷṣaḥ | sa॒ha॒srā॒kṣa-ssa॒hasra̭pāt |
sa bhūmiṃ̭-vi~॒śvato̭ vṛ॒tvā | atya̭tiṣṭhaddaśāṅgu॒lam ||
purṷṣa e॒vedagṃ sarvam᳚ | yadbhū॒taṃ-ya~cca॒ bhavyam᳚ |
u॒tāmṛ̭ta॒tva syeśā̭naḥ | yadannḙnāti॒roha̭ti ||
e॒tāvā̭nasya mahi॒mā | ato॒ jyāyāg̭śca॒ pūrṷṣaḥ |
pādo᳚-'sya॒ viśvā̭ bhū॒tāni̭ | tri॒pāda̭syā॒mṛta̭-ndi॒vi ||
tri॒pādū॒rdhva udai॒tpurṷṣaḥ | pādo᳚-'sye॒hā-''bha̭vā॒tpunaḥ̭ |
tato॒ viṣva॒ṅvya̭krāmat | sā॒śa॒nā॒na॒śa॒ne a॒bhi ||
tasmā᳚dvi॒rāḍa̭jāyata | vi॒rājo॒ adhi॒ pūrṷṣaḥ |
sa jā॒to atya̭ricyata | pa॒ścādbhūmi॒matho̭ pu॒raḥ ||
yatpurṷṣeṇa ha॒viṣā᳚ | de॒vā ya॒jñamata̭nvata |
va॒sa॒nto a̭syāsī॒dājyam᳚ | grī॒ṣma i॒dhmaśśa॒radhdha॒viḥ ||
sa॒ptāsyā̭sanpari॒dhayaḥ̭ | tri-ssa॒pta sa॒midhaḥ̭ kṛ॒tāḥ |
de॒vā yadya॒jña-nta̭nvā॒nāḥ | aba̭dhna॒n-purṷṣa-mpa॒śum ||
taṃ-ya~॒jña-mba॒r॒hiṣi॒ praukṣaṋ | purṷṣa-ñjā॒tama̭gra॒taḥ |
tena̭ de॒vā aya̭janta | sā॒dhyā ṛṣa̭yaśca॒ ye ||
tasmā᳚dya॒jñāthsa̭rva॒hutaḥ̭ | sambhṛ̭ta-mpṛṣadā॒jyam |
pa॒śūg-stāg-śca̭kre vāya॒vyāṋ | ā॒ra॒ṇyān-grā॒myāśca॒ ye ||
tasmā᳚dya॒jñāthsa̭rva॒hutaḥ̭ | ṛca॒-ssāmā̭ni jajñire |
chandāgṃ̭si jajñire॒ tasmā᳚t | yaju॒stasmā̭dajāyata ||
tasmā॒daśvā̭ ajāyanta | ye ke co̭bha॒yāda̭taḥ |
gāvo̭ ha jajñire॒ tasmā᳚t | tasmā᳚jjā॒tā a̭jā॒vayaḥ̭ ||
yatpurṷṣaṃ॒-vya~̭dadhuḥ | ka॒ti॒thā vya̭kalpayann |
mukha॒-ṅkima̭sya॒ kau bā॒hū | kāvū॒rū pādā̭vucyete ||
brā॒hma॒ṇo᳚-'sya॒ mukha̭māsīt | bā॒hū rā̭ja॒nyaḥ̭ kṛ॒taḥ |
ū॒rū tada̭sya॒ yadvaiśyaḥ̭ | pa॒dbhyāgṃ śū॒dro a̭jāyata ||
ca॒ndramā॒ mana̭so jā॒taḥ | cakṣo॒-ssūryo̭ ajāyata |
mukhā॒dindra̭ścā॒gniśca̭ | prā॒ṇādvā॒yura̭jāyata ||
nābhyā̭ āsīda॒ntari̭kṣam | śī॒rṣṇo dyau-ssama̭vartata |
pa॒dbhyā-mbhūmi॒rdiśa॒-śśrotrā᳚t | tathā̭ lo॒kāgṃ a̭kalpayann ||
vedā॒hame॒ta-mpurṷṣa-mma॒hāntam᳚ | ā॒di॒tyava̭rṇa॒-ntama̭sa॒stu pā॒re |
sarvā̭ṇi rū॒pāṇi̭ vi॒citya॒ dhīraḥ̭ | nāmā̭ni kṛ॒tvā-'bhi॒vada॒n॒, yadā-''ste᳚ ||
dhā॒tā pu॒rastā॒dyamṷdāja॒hāra̭ | śa॒kraḥ pravi॒dvā-npra॒diśa॒ścata̭sraḥ |
tame॒vaṃ-vi~॒dvāna॒mṛta̭ i॒ha bha̭vati | nānyaḥ panthā॒ aya̭nāya vidyate ||
ya॒jñena̭ ya॒jñama̭yajanta de॒vāḥ | tāni॒ dharmā̭ṇi pratha॒mānyā̭sann |
te ha॒ nāka̭-mmahi॒mānaḥ̭ sacante | yatra॒ pūrvḙ sā॒dhyā-ssanti̭ de॒vāḥ ||
a॒dbhya-ssambhṷ̄taḥ pṛthi॒vyai rasā᳚cca | vi॒śvaka̭rmaṇa॒-ssama̭varta॒tādhi̭ |
tasya॒ tvaṣṭā̭ vi॒dadha̭drū॒pamḙti | tatpurṷṣasya॒ viśva॒mājā̭na॒magre᳚ ||
vedā॒hame॒ta-mpurṷṣa-mma॒hāntam᳚ | ā॒di॒tyava̭rṇa॒-ntama̭saḥ॒ para̭stāt |
tame॒vaṃ-vi~॒dvāna॒mṛta̭ i॒ha bha̭vati | nānyaḥ panthā̭ vidya॒te-'ya̭nāya ||
pra॒jāpa̭tiścarati॒ garbhḙ a॒ntaḥ | a॒jāya̭māno bahu॒dhā vijā̭yate |
tasya॒ dhīrāḥ॒ pari̭jānanti॒ yonim᳚ | marī̭cīnā-mpa॒dami̭cchanti ve॒dhasaḥ̭ ||
yo de॒vebhya॒ āta̭pati | yo de॒vānā᳚-mpu॒rohi̭taḥ |
pūrvo॒ yo de॒vebhyo̭ jā॒taḥ | namo̭ ru॒cāya॒ brāhma̭ye ||
ruca̭-mbrā॒hma-ñja॒naya̭ntaḥ | de॒vā agre॒ tada̭bruvann |
yastvai॒va-mbrā᳚hma॒ṇo vi॒dyāt | tasya̭ de॒vā asa॒n vaśe᳚ ||
hrīśca̭ te la॒kṣmīśca॒ patnyau᳚ | a॒ho॒rā॒tre pā॒rśve |
nakṣa̭trāṇi rū॒pam | a॒śvinau॒ vyāttam᳚ |
i॒ṣṭa-mma̭niṣāṇa | a॒mu-mma̭niṣāṇa | sarva̭-mmaniṣāṇa ||
tacchaṃ॒-yorāvṛ̭ṇīmahe | gā॒tuṃ-ya॒jñāya̭ | gā॒tuṃ-ya~॒jñapa̭taye | daivī᳚ sva॒stira̭stu naḥ | sva॒stirmānṷṣebhyaḥ | ū॒rdhva-ñji̭gātu bheṣa॒jam | śa-nno̭ astu dvi॒pade᳚ | śa-ñcatṷṣpade |
oṃ śānti॒-śśānti॒-śśāntiḥ̭ ||
About This Stotram
Overview
Purusha Suktam is a foundational hymn from the tenth Mandala of the Rigveda (10.90), describing the cosmic sacrifice of the Primordial Person (Purusha) from whose body the universe — including the gods, humans, animals, and the varnas — came into being. Composed of 16 verses, it is among the most frequently recited Vedic texts and belongs to the Shruti category. It is central to Vaishnava ritual practice, where Purusha is identified with Narayana/Vishnu.
What are the benefits of chanting Purusha Suktam?
- Invokes an understanding of the unity of existence and the divine origin of the cosmos
- Purifies the environment and the practitioner during Vedic ritual contexts
- Fulfills prescribed liturgical requirements in pujas and homams dedicated to Vishnu
- Establishes connection with one of the oldest layers of the Vedic textual tradition
When is the best time to recite this?
Purusha Suktam is recited during Vedic yajnas, Vishnu pujas, and major festivals such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi. It is also included in morning and evening Vedic prayer recitations and in temple abhishekam ceremonies.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Rigveda 10.90 is recognized as one of the most cosmologically significant hymns in the Vedic corpus, dated to approximately 1500–1200 BCE and possibly later in its final form based on internal evidence debated by scholars. Its attribution is traditionally given to the Rishi Narayana. The hymn's description of the cosmic Purusha as the source of the Vedas, the gods, and the social order became foundational for later Hindu cosmology and theology, influencing the Upanishads, the Bhagavata Purana, and Vaishnava philosophical traditions. It is an integral part of the Vedic canon preserved across multiple shakhas.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Pavamana Suktam — another Rigvedic suktam used in ritual contexts alongside the Purusha Suktam, drawn from Mandala 9
- Patanjali Yoga Sutras — a Sanskrit philosophical text that shares the Purusha concept (as the individual self distinct from prakriti) that underpins the cosmology of the Purusha Suktam