Atharva Veda 10.2

kena pārṣṇī ābhṛte pūruṣasya kena māṃsaṃ saṃbhṛtaṃ kena gulphau kenāṅgulīḥ peśanīḥ kena khāni kenocchlakhau madhyataḥ kaḥ pratiṣṭhām

The wonderful structure of man

By whom were brought the two heels of a man (púruṣa)? by whom was his flesh put together? by whom his two ankle-joints (gulphá)? by whom his cunning (péçana) fingers? by whom his apertures? by whom his (two) uchlakhás in the midst? who [put together] his footing (pratiṣṭhā́)?

kasmān nu gulphāv adharāv akṛṇvann aṣṭhīvantāv uttarau puruṣasya jaṅghe nirṛtya ny adadhuḥ kva svij jānunoḥ saṃdhī ka u tac ciketa

From what, now, did they make a man's two ankle-joints below, his two knee-joints above? separating (? nir-ṛ) his two back-thighs (ján̄ghā), where, forsooth, did they set them in? the two joints of his knees—who indeed understands (cit) that?

catuṣṭayaṃ yujate saṃhitāntaṃ jānubhyām ūrdhvaṃ śithiraṃ kabandham śroṇī yad ūrū ka u taj jajāna yābhyāṃ kusindhaṃ sudṛḍhaṃ babhūva

There is joined, fourfold (cátuṣṭaya), with closed (sáṁhita-) ends, above the two knees, the pliant (çithirá) trunk; what the hips are, the thighs—who indeed produced (jan) that, by which the body (kúsindha) became very firm?

kati devāḥ katame ta āsan ya uro grīvāś cikyuḥ puruṣasya kati stanau vy adadhuḥ kaḥ kaphauḍau kati skandhān kati pṛṣṭīr acinvan

How many gods [and] which were they, who gathered (ci) the breast, the neck-bones of man? how many disposed the two teats? who the two collar-bones (? kaphoḍá)? how many gathered the shoulder-bones (pl.)? how many the ribs?

ko asya bāhū sam abharad vīryaṃ karavād iti aṃsau ko asya tad devaḥ kusindhe adhy ā dadhau

Who brought together his two arms, saying "he must perform heroism"? what god then set on his two shoulders upon the body (kúsindha)?

kaḥ sapta khāni vi tatarda śīrṣaṇi karṇāv imau nāsike cakṣaṇī mukham yeṣāṃ purutrā vijayasya mahmani catuṣpādo dvipado yanti yāmam

Who bored out the seven apertures in his head—these ears, the nostrils, the eyes, the mouth? in the might of whose conquest (vijayá) in many places quadrupeds [and] bipeds go their way.

hanvor hi jihvām adadhāt purūcīm adhā mahīm adhi śiśrāya vācam sa ā varīvarti bhuvaneṣv antar apo vasānaḥ ka u tac ciketa

Since in his jaws he put his ample (purūcī́) tongue, then attached (adhi-çri) [to it] great voice; he rolls greatly on among existences, clothing himself in the waters: who indeed understands that?

mastiṣkam asya yatamo lalāṭaṃ kakāṭikāṃ prathamo yaḥ kapālam citvā cityaṃ hanvoḥ pūruṣasya divaṃ ruroha katamaḥ sa devaḥ

Which was that god who [produced] his brain, his forehead, his hindhead (? kakā́ṭikā), who first his skull, who, having gathered a gathering in man's jaws, ascended to heaven?

priyāpriyāṇi bahulā svapnaṃ saṃbādhatandryaḥ ānandān ugro nandāṃś ca kasmād vahati pūruṣaḥ

Numerous things dear and not dear, sleep, oppressions and wearinesses, delights and pleasures—from where does formidable man bring (vah) them?

ārtir avartir nirṛtiḥ kuto nu puruṣe 'matiḥ rāddhiḥ samṛddhir avyṛddhir matir uditayaḥ kutaḥ

Whence now in man [come] mishap, ruin, perdition, misery, accomplishment, success, non-failure? whence thought (matí), uprisings (úditi)?

ko asminn āpo vy adadhāt viṣūvṛtaḥ purūvṛtaḥ sindhusṛtyāya jātāḥ tīvrā aruṇā lohinīs tāmradhūmrā ūrdhvā avācīḥ puruṣe tiraścīḥ

Who disposed in him waters, moving apart, much moving, produced for river-running, strong (tīvrá), ruddy, red, dark and turbid, upward, downward, crosswise in man?

ko asmin rūpam adadhāt ko mahmānaṃ ca nāma ca gātuṃ ko asmin kaḥ ketuṃ kaś caritrāni puruṣe

Who set form in him? who both bulk (mahmán) and name? who [set] in him progress (gātú)? who display (ketú)? who [set] behaviors (carítra) in man?

ko asmin prāṇaṃ avayat ko apānaṃ vyānam u samānam asmin ko devo 'dhi śiśrāya puruṣe

Who wove in him breath? who expiration and respiration (vyāná)? what god attached (adhi-çri) conspiration (samāná) to man here?

ko asmin yajñam adadhād eko devo 'dhi puruṣe ko asmint satyaṃ ko 'nṛtaṃ kuto mṛtyuḥ kuto 'mṛtam

What one god set sacrifice in man here? who [set] in him truth? who untruth? whence [comes] death? whence the immortal?

ko asmai vāsaḥ pary adadhāt ko asyāyur akalpayat balaṃ ko asmai prāyacchat ko asyākalpayaj javam

Who put about him clothing (vā́sas)? who prepared (kalpay-) his life-time? who extended to him strength? who prepared his swiftness?

kenāpo anv atanuta kenāhar akarod ruce uṣasaṃ kenānv ainddha kena sāyaṃbhavaṃ dade

With what did he stretch the waters along? with what did he make the day to shine? with what did he kindle (anu-idh) the dawn? with what did he give the coming-on of evening?

ko asmin reto ny adadhāt tantur ā tāyatām iti

Who put in him seed, saying "let his line be extended"? who conveyed into him wisdom? who gave (dhā) [him] music? who dances?

kenemāṃ bhūmim aurṇot kena pary abhavad divam kenābhi mahnā parvatān kena karmāṇi puruṣaḥ

With what did he cover this earth? with what did he surround the sky? by what is man a match for (abhí) mountains in greatness? by what, for deeds?

kena yajñam ca śraddhāṃ ca kenāsmin nihitaṃ manaḥ

With what does he go after Parjanya? with what [after] the out-looking Soma? with what [after] both sacrifice and faith? by whom was mind put in him?

kena śrotriyam āpnoti kenemaṃ parameṣṭhinam kenemam agniṃ pūruṣaḥ kena saṃvatsaraṃ mame

Wherewith does he obtain one learned in revelation (çrótriya)? wherewith this most exalted one? wherewith does man [obtain] this Agni? wherewith did he measure (make?) the year?

brahma śrotriyam āpnoti brahmemaṃ parameṣṭhinam brahmemam agniṃ pūruṣo brahma saṃvatsaraṃ mame

The bráhman obtains one learned in revelation, the bráhman this most exalted one; the bráhman [as] man this Agni; the bráhman measured the year.

kena devāṁ anu kṣiyati kena daivajanīr viśaḥ kenedam anyan nakṣatraṃ kena sat kṣatram ucyate

Wherewith does he dwell upon (? anu-kṣi) the gods? wherewith [upon] the people of the god-folk? wherewith this other asterism? whereby is authority (kṣatrá) called real (sát)?

brahma devāṁ anu kṣiyati brahma daivajanīr viśaḥ brahmedam anyan nakṣatraṃ brahma sat kṣatram ucyate

The bráhman dwells upon the gods, the bráhman [upon] the people of the god-folk; the bráhman this other asterism; the bráhman is called real authority.

keneyaṃ bhūmir vihitā kena dyaur uttarā hitā kenedam ūrdhvaṃ tiryak cāntarikṣam vyaco hitam

By whom is this earth disposed? by whom the sky set above? by whom this atmosphere, the expanse, set aloft and across?

brahmaṇā bhūmir vihitā brahma dyaur uttarā hitā brahmedam ūrdhvaṃ tiryak cāntarikṣaṃ vyaco hitam

By the bráhman is the earth disposed; the bráhman [is] the sky set above, the bráhman this atmosphere, the expanse, set aloft and across.

mūrdhānam asya saṃsīvyātharvā hṛdayaṃ ca yat mastiṣkād ūrdhvaḥ prairayat pavamāno 'dhi śīrṣataḥ

Atharvan, having sewed together his head, and also (yát) his heart—aloft from the brain the purifying one sent [them] forth, out of the head.

tad vā atharvaṇaḥ śiro devakośaḥ samubjitaḥ tat prāṇo abhi rakṣati śiro annam atho manaḥ

Verily that head of Atharvan [is] a god-vessel, pressed together; breath defends that, the head, food, also mind.

ūrdhvo nu sṛṣṭā3s tiryaṅ nu sṛṣṭā3s sarvā diśaḥ puruṣa ā babhūvā3ṃ puraṃ yo brahmaṇo veda yasyāḥ puruṣa ucyate

Was he now created upward (ūrdhvá)? [or] was he now created crosswise? did man grow unto (ā-bhū) all the quarters?—he who knoweth the bráhman's stronghold, from which man is [so] called.

yo vai tāṃ brahmaṇo vedāmṛtenāvṛtāṃ puram tasmai brahma ca brāhmāś ca cakṣuḥ prāṇaṃ prajāṃ daduḥ

Whoever indeed knoweth that bráhman's stronghold, covered with amṛ́ta—unto him both the bráhman and the Brahmans have given sight, breath, progeny.

na vai tam cakṣur jahāti na prāṇo jarasaḥ purā puraṃ yo brahmaṇo veda yasyāḥ puruṣa ucyate

Him verily sight doth not desert, nor breath, before old age, who knoweth the bráhman's stronghold (púr), from which man (púruṣa) is [so] called.

aṣṭācakrā navadvārā devānāṃ pūr ayodhyā tasyāṃ hiraṇyayaḥ kośaḥ svargo jyotiṣāvṛtaḥ

Eight-wheeled, nine-doored, is the impregnable stronghold of the gods; in that is a golden vessel, heaven-going (svargá), covered with light.

tasmin hiraṇyaye kośe tryare tripratiṣṭhite tasmin yad yakṣam ātmanvat tad vai brahmavido viduḥ

In that golden vessel, three-spoked, having three supports—what soul-possessing monster (yakṣá) there is in it, that verily the knowers of the bráhman know.

prabhrājamānāṃ hariṇīṃ yaśasā saṃparīvṛtām puraṃ hiraṇyayīṃ brahmā viveśāparājitām

The bráhman entered into the resplendent, yellow, golden, unconquered stronghold, that was all surrounded with glory.