[Advaita-l] Purushasukta - a translation

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

1. A thousand heads has the Purusha, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.
   He covers this whole earth and ten fingers beyond.

2. The Purush is all this, all that was and all that will be.  He has
   grown to immortality through food.

3. This is His greatness and greater still is the Purusha. One quarter of
   Him is all beings and three quarters are immortal in Heaven.

4. Three quarters of Him went up and a quarter remains here still.  That
   [quarter] he spread out in all directions as that which eats and that
   which is eaten.

5. From Him was born Viraja and from Viraja was born the Purusha. When
   born He spread over the whole earth, before it and after it.

6. When in that sacrifice everything had been offered, He took and
   sprinkled the ghee and there came forth the birds, the domestic animals
   and the wild ones.

7. When in that sacrifice everything had been offered, the Rks and Samans
   came forth.  The metres came forth and also from it, the Yajus.

8. from it the horses were born and other animals with two rows of teeth.
   The cows were born from it and also the goats and sheep.

9. As the sacrifice set up on strewn grass, they anointed the first-born
   Purusha. With Him the Devas, Sadhyas, and Rshis sacrificed.

10. When they cut up the Purusha, how did they divide Him?  What was His
    mouth, and what was His arms?  What was His thighs and feet?

11. The Brahmanas came from His mouth, The Rajanyas [Kshatriyas] from His
    arms.  From His thighs, the Vaishya, and from His feet the Shudra was
    born.

12. The moon came from His mind, the sun from His eye. From His ears wind
    and breath and from His mouth fire was born.

13. From his navel the Antariksha, From His head Heaven came from.  From
    His feet the earth and from His ears the directions, thus they built
    the worlds.

14. with the Purusha as the offering, the Devas spread out the sacrifice.
    Spring was the ghee, Summer was the kindling, and Autumn the grains.

15. The Devas spread out that sacrifice binding the Purusha as the
    sacrificial victim.  Seven were the enclosing sticks and three times
    seven were the fire sticks.

16. With the sacrifice, the Devas sacrificed the sacrifice.  Then Dharma
    was first established.  Its power reached to the highest sky where
    dwell the ancient Sadhyas and Devas.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a girl! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/shailaja/