Rig Veda
sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvāty atiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam
A thousand heads hath Purusha, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.
puruṣa evedaṃ sarvaṃ yad bhūtaṃ yac ca bhavyam utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yad annenātirohati
This Purusha is all that yet hath been and all that is to be; The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food.
etāvān asya mahimāto jyāyāṃś ca pūruṣaḥ pādo 'sya viśvā bhūtāni tripād asyāmṛtaṃ divi
So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Purusha. All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven.
tripād ūrdhva ud ait puruṣaḥ pādo 'syehābhavat punaḥ tato viṣvaṅ vy akrāmat sāśanānaśane abhi
With three-fourths Purusha went up: one fourth of him again was here. Thence he strode out to every side over what eats not and what eats.
tasmād virāḍ ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ sa jāto aty aricyata paścād bhūmim atho puraḥ
From him Viraj was born; again Purusha from Viraj was born. As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o'er the earth.
yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā devā yajñam atanvata vasanto asyāsīd ājyaṃ grīṣma idhmaḥ śaraddhaviḥ
When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Purusha as their offering, Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.
taṃ yajñam barhiṣi praukṣan puruṣaṃ jātam agrataḥ tena devā ayajanta sādhyā ṛṣayaś ca ye
They balmed as victim on the grass Purusha born in earliest time. With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rishis sacrificed.
tasmād yajñāt sarvahutaḥ saṃbhṛtam pṛṣadājyam paśūn tāṃś cakre vāyavyān āraṇyān grāmyāś ca ye
From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up. He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame.
tasmād yajñāt sarvahuta ṛcaḥ sāmāni jajñire chandāṃsi jajñire tasmād yajus tasmād ajāyata
From that great general sacrifice Richas and Sama-hymns were born: Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.
tasmād aśvā ajāyanta ye ke cobhayādataḥ gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt tasmāj jātā ajāvayaḥ
From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth: From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born.
yat puruṣaṃ vy adadhuḥ katidhā vy akalpayan mukhaṃ kim asya kau bāhū kā ūrū pādā ucyete
When they divided Purusha how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?
brāhmaṇo 'sya mukham āsīd bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ ūrū tad asya yad vaiśyaḥ padbhyāṃ śūdro ajāyata
The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sudra was produced.
candramā manaso jātaś cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata mukhād indraś cāgniś ca prāṇād vāyur ajāyata
The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth; Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vayu from his breath.
nābhyā āsīd antarikṣaṃ śīrṣṇo dyauḥ sam avartata padbhyām bhūmir diśaḥ śrotrāt tathā lokāṁ akalpayan
Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his head Earth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus they formed the worlds.
saptāsyāsan paridhayas triḥ sapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ devā yad yajñaṃ tanvānā abadhnan puruṣam paśum
Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared, When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Purusha.
This verse is not included in this edition.
Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the earliest holy ordinances. The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sidhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.