The Purusha-Sūkta, On The Mystical Sacrifice Of Purusha
On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.
2. He with three quarters rose to heaven here reappeared a fourth
of him.
Thence he strode forth on every side to all that eats not and that
eats.
3. So mighty is his grandeur, yea, greater than this is Purusha.
All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths what dieth
not in heaven. p. 214
4. Purusha is in truth this All, what hath been and what yet shall;
be
Lord, too, of immortality—and what hath grown with some-
what else.
5. When they divided Purusha how many portions did they make?
What was his mouth? what were his arms? what are the names
of thighs and feet?
6. The Brāhman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya
made.
His waist became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sūdra was
produced.
7. The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the
Sun had birth.
Indra and Agni from his mouth were born and Vāyu from his
breath.
8. Forth from his navel come mid-air; the sky was fashioned from
his head.
Earth from his feet, and from his ear the regions. Thus they
formed the worlds.
9. In the beginning rose Virāj: Purusha from Virāj was born.
As soon as he was born he spread westward and eastward o'er
the earth.
10. When Gods performed the sacrifice with Purusha as their
offering.
Spring was the butter, summer was the fuel, autumn was the
gift.
11. That sacrifice, first-born Purusha, they hallowed with the sprink-
led Rains.
The Deities, the Sādhyas, all the Vasus sacrificed with him.
12. From it were horses born, from it all creatures with two rows of
teeth.
From it were generated kine, from it were goats and sheep
produced.
13. From that great general sacrifice Richas and Sāma hymns were
born;
Therefrom the metres were produced: the Yajus had its birth
from it.
14. From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up:
It formed the creatures fleet as wind, and animals both wild and
tame. p. 215
15. Seven fencing-logs had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were
prepared.
When, offering sacrifice, the Gods bound as their victim Purusha.
16. Forth from head of the high God seven-and-seventy bright
beams.
Sprang into being, of the King Soma produced from Purusha. p. 216