सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् | स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वाऽत्यतिष्ठ्द्दड्गुलम्
The Purusha has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet; having pervaded the earth on every side, he extended beyond it by ten fingers' breadth.
पुरुष एवेदं सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यम् | उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यद्न्नेनातिरोहति
This entire universe is indeed the Purusha—whatever has been and whatever is to be; and he is the lord of immortality, which grows by means of food.
एतावानस्य महिमाऽतो ज्यायांश्च पूरुषः | पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि
Such is his greatness, yet the Purusha is greater than this; all beings are a quarter of him, and three quarters of him are immortal in heaven.
त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत्पुरुषः पादोऽस्येहाभवत्पुनः | ततो विष्वड्व्यक्रामत्साशनानशने अभि
Three quarters of the Purusha rose upward; one quarter of him remained here again; from this, he spread out in all directions, into what eats and what does not eat.
तस्माद्विराळजायत विराजो अधिपूरुषः | स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाभ्दूमिमथो पुरः
From that, Virāj was born; from Virāj, the Primeval Man arose. Once born, he extended beyond, both behind and in front of the waters.
यत्पुरुषेण हविषा देवा यज्ञमतन्वत | वसन्तो अस्यासीदाज्यं ग्रीष्म इध्मः शरद्धवि:
With the Man as the sacrificial offering, the gods performed the sacrifice. Spring served as the clarified butter, summer as the fuel, and autumn as the oblation.
तं यज्ञं बहिर्षि प्रौक्षन्पुरुषं जातमग्रतः | तेन देवा अयजन्त साध्या ऋषयश्च ये
They anointed that sacrifice, the Man who was first born, upon the sacrificial grass. With that, the gods, the Sādhyas, and the seers performed the sacrifice.
तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुतः संभृतं पृषदाज्यम् | पशून्तांश्चक्रे वायव्यानारण्यान् ग्राम्याश्च ये
From that sacrifice, in which everything was offered, the gathered clarified butter was produced. He created animals, those of the air, of the forest, and those that dwell in villages.
तस्माद्यज्ञात्सर्वहुत ऋचः सामानि जज्ञिरे | छन्दांसि जज्ञिरे तस्माद्यजुस्तस्मादजायत
From that sacrifice, in which everything was offered, the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas were born; from it also, the meters arose.
तस्मादश्वा अजायन्त ये के चोभयादतः | गावो ह जज्ञिरे तस्मात्तस्माज्जाता अजावयः
From it horses were born, and all creatures with two rows of teeth; from it cows came into being, and from it goats and sheep were produced.
यत्पुरुषं व्यदधु: कतिधा व्यकल्पयन् | मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू का ऊरु पादा उच्येते
When they divided the Purusha, into how many parts did they arrange him? What was his mouth, what were his arms, what were called his thighs and feet?
ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीद् बाहू राजन्यः कृतः | ऊरुतदस्य यद्वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत
His mouth became the Brahmin; his arms were made the Kshatriya; his thighs became the Vaishya; from his feet the Shudra was born.
चन्द्रमा मनसो जातश्चक्षो: सूर्यो अजायत | मुखादिन्द्रश्चाग्निश्च प्राणाद्वायुरजायत
The moon was born from his mind; from his eye, the sun was produced. From his mouth came Indra and Agni; from his breath, Vāyu was born.
नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षं शीर्षणो द्यौ: समवर्तत | पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात्तथा लोकाँअकल्पयन्
From his navel arose the midspace; from his head, the heavens unfolded. From his feet came the earth; from his ears, the directions—thus they fashioned the worlds.
सप्तास्यासन्परिधयस्त्रि: सप्त समिधः कृता: | देवा यद्यज्ञं तन्वाना अबध्नन्पुरुषं पशुम्
Seven were his enclosing logs, three times seven the kindling sticks arranged. The gods, performing the sacrifice, bound the Purusha as the sacrificial beast.
यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवास्तानि धर्माणि प्रथमान्यासन् | ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्त यत्र पूर्वे साध्या: सन्ति देवा:
With sacrifice, the gods sacrificed to the sacrifice; these were the first sacred rites. Those mighty ones attained the celestial heights, where the ancient Sādhyas, the gods, dwell.