Purusha Suktam

Meaning:

Oṁ tacchaṁyorāvṛṇīmahe . Gātuṁ yajñāya . Gātuṁ yajñapataye . Daivī svastirastu naḥ . Svastir mānuṣebhyaḥ . Ūrdhvaṁ jigātu bheṣajam . Śanno astu dvipade . Śaṁ catuṣpade ..
Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ..

We request the Supreme Lord to protect the yajna and the one who performs it. May the divine grace be upon us. May all men be blessed. May the medicinal plants grow tall. May there be peace for the two-legged and four-legged animals. Om peace, peace, peace.

Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ . Sahasrākṣas-sahasrapāt .
Sa bhūmiṁ viśvato vṛtvā . Atyatiṣṭhad-daśāṅgulam ..1..

The Purusha (Supreme Being) has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. Even after enveloping the universe from all sides, he transcends it by 10 fingers. 

Puruṣa evedam̐̐ sarvam . Yadbhūtaṁ yacca bhavyam .
Utāmṛtatvasyeśānaḥ . Yadannenātirohati ..2..

All this is Purusha. All that has been and will be is Purusha. He is also the Lord of immortality, who grows without bounds through food.

Etāvānasya mahimā . Ato jyāyām̐śca pūruṣaḥ .
Pādo'sya viśvā bhūtāni . Tripādasyāmṛtaṁ divi .. 3..

This is his greatness. Therefore he is the foremost. A quarter of him formed all the living beings, and the remaining three quarters are immortal in  heaven.

Tripādūrdhva udait puruṣaḥ . Pādo'syehābhavātpunaḥ .
Tato viśvaṅ vyakrāmat . Sāśanānaśane abhi ..4..

Three quarters of the Purusha have risen above. A quarter of him keeps on manifesting here. From that the universe was formed, along with the living and non-living .

Tasmād virāḍajāyata . Virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ .
Sa jāto atyaricyata . Paścāt bhūmimatho puraḥ ..5...

From him Virat arose. And from Virat rose Brahma. After his birth, he grew immensely, behind and in front of the earth.

Yatpuruṣeṇa haviṣā . Devā yajñamatanvata .
Vasanto asyāsīdājyam .Grīṣma idhmaḥ śaraddhaviḥ ..6..

Using Purusha as a sacrifice, the gods performed a fire sacrifice. Spring was its ghee, summer was its fuel and autumn was its oblation.

Saptāsyāsan paridhayaḥ . Trissapta samidhaḥ kṛtāḥ .
Devā yadyajñaṁ tanvānāḥ . Abadhnan puruṣaṁ paśum ..7..

The sacrificial altar had seven enclosing sticks and twenty-one fuel-sticks. The devas then performed the sacrifice by tying up Purusha, the sacrificial animal.

Taṁ yajñaṁ barhiṣi praukṣan . Puruṣaṁ jātamagrataḥ
Tena devā ayajanta . Sādhyā ṛṣayaśca ye ..8..

The Purusha, who was born before all, was placed on Kusha grass and sanctified. The gods then sacrificed him along with the Sadhyas and the sages.

Tasmādyajñāt sarvahutaḥ . Sambhṛtaṁ pṛṣadājyam .
Paśūm̐stām̐ścakre vāyavyān . Āraṇyān grāmyāśca ye ..9..

From that sacrifice, everything was consumed. Then ghee and curds, birds, wild animals and domestic animals were created.

Tasmādyajñāt sarvahutaḥ . Ṛcassāmāni jajñire .
Chandam̐si jajñire tasmāt . Yajus tasmādajāyata ..10..

From that sacrifice, everything was consumed. Then the Rigveda, Samaveda, various prosodical meters and Yajurveda were formed.

Tasmādaśvā ajāyatna . Ye ke cobhayādataḥ .
Gāvo ha jajñire tasmāt . Tāsmajjātā ajāvayaḥ ..11..

From that sacrifice were born horses, animals with two rows of teeth, cows, sheep and goats.

Yatpuruṣaṁ vyadadhuḥ. Katidhā vyakalpayan.
Mukhaṁ kimasya kau bāhū. Kāvūrū pādāvucyete..12..

In how many ways did the gods divide Purusha? What were his head, hands, thighs and feet called?

Brāhmaṇo'sya mukhamāsīt . Bāhū rājanyaḥ kṛtaḥ .
Ūrū tadasya yad vaiśyaḥ . Padbhyam̐ śūdro ajāyata ..13..

His face became the Brahmins. His arms became the kings. His thighs became the merchants and his feet became the labourers.

Candramā manaso jātaḥ . Cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata .
Mukhādindraścāgniśca . Prānādvayurajāyata ..14..

The moon was born from his mind and the sun from his eyes. Indra and Agni were born from his mouth. Vayu was born from his breath.

Nābhyā āsīdantarikṣaṁ . Śīrṣṇoḥ dyauḥ samavartata .
Padbhyāṁ bhūmirdiśaḥ śrotrāt. Tathā lokām̐ akalpayan ..15..

His navel became outer space. His head became the heavens. From his feet emerged the Earth and the directions came from his ears. Thus the three worlds were created.

Vedāhametaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam . Ādityavarṇaṁ tamasastu pāre .
Sarvāṇi rūpāṇi vicitya dhīraḥ . Nāmāni kṛtvābhivadan yadāste ..16..

I have known that Supreme Being who has the brilliance of the sun, who is beyond ignorance,and who, after creating and naming all forms, enters them.

Dhātā purastādyamudājahāra . Śakra pravidvān pradiśaścatasraḥ .
Tamevaṁ vidvān amṛta iha bhavati . Nānyaḥ panthā ayanāya vidyate..17..

Knowing the one whom Brahma, Indra who is well- learned and the four quarters praised in the beginning, one becomes immortal in this world. There is no other path for liberation.

Yajñena yajñamayajanta devāḥ . Tāni dharmāṇi prathamānyāsan .
Te ha nākaṁ mahimānassacante . Yatra pūrve sādhyāḥ santi devāḥ ..18..

The gods worshipped Yajna through sacrifical ceremonies. Those were the first religious acts. They attained that heaven where the Sadhyas were before.

Adbhyaḥ sambhūtaḥ pṛthivyai rasācca . Viśvakarmaṇaḥ samavartatādhi .
Tasya tvaṣṭā vidadhadrūpameti . Tatpuruṣasya viśvamājānamagre ..19..

The universe emerged from water and the essence of the earth. From the creator, Brahma emerged. The Purusha then entered the forms which that Brahma created . Thus the entire creation of was formed in the beginning.

Vedāhametaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam . Ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt .
Tamevam vidvān amṛta iha bhavati . Nānyaḥ panthā vidyate'yanāya ..20..

I have known that Supreme Being who has the brilliance of the sun and who is beyond ignorance. Knowing him thus, one becomes immortal in this world. There is no other path for liberation.

Prajāpatiścarati garbhe antaḥ . Ajāyamāno bahudhā vijāyate .
Tasya dhīrāḥ parijānanti yonim . Marīcīnāṁ padamicchanti vedhasaḥ ..21..

Prajapati  moves inside the  womb. Though unborn, he is born in different ways. The wise know him to be the origin of the universe. Even the creators desire  the positions of the Marichis.

Yo devebhya ātapati . Yo devānāṁ purohitaḥ .
Pūrvo yo devebhyo jātaḥ . Namo rucāya brāhmaye ..22..

Salutation to the effulgent Brahman, who shines for the gods, who is the greatest among the gods and who was born before the gods.

Rucaṁ brāhmaṁ janayantaḥ . Devā agre tadabruvan .
Yastvaivaṁ brāhmaṇo vidyāt . Tasya devā asan vaśe ..23..

In the beginning, the gods, creating the essence of Brahman, told it: "The gods will be under the control of the Brahman who knows you thus."

Hrīśca te lakṣmīśca patnyau . Ahorātre pārśve .
Nakṣatrāṇi rūpam . Aśvinau vyāttam .
Iṣṭaṁ maniṣāṇa . Amuṁ maniṣāṇa . Sarvaṁ maniṣāṇa ..24.. 

Modesty and wealth are your consorts. Day and night are your sides. The stars are your beauty. The Ashvins are your opened jaws. Grant us our desires. Grant us happiness. Grant us everything.

Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ..
Om peace, peace, peace.

This hymn is found in the Taittiriya Aranyakam. ie. Prapathakas 12 and 13 of Chapter 3. 

The Shanti Mantra is found in the  beginning of the Chapter.  

Notes:

The Purusha Suktam is a hymn unto the Cosmic Being, known as Purusha. The text is made up of two parts: Ch. 3 Pr. 12 of the Taittiriya Aranyakam called the Purva Narayana, and Ch. 3 Pr. 12 called the Uttara Narayana. The Purva Narayana gives a short introduction about the Purusha and describes the process of creation. The Uttara Narayana talks about the role of the Purusha in creation. The hymn ends with a prayer to the Purusha asking him to fulfill all desires and grant happiness.