BOOK THE THIRTY-FIRST.

PURUSHA hath a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.

Pervading earth on every side he fills a space ten fingers broad.

2 Purusha is in truth this All, what hath been and what yet shall be ;

Lord, too, of immortality which waxes greater still by food. 3 So mighty in his grandeur; yea, greater than this is Pûrusha. All creatures are one fourth of him, three fourths eternal life in heaven.

The ceremony is continued and concluded. The Brahman priest recites to the assembled human victims the famous Purusha Hymn (verse 1-16), taken, with transpositions and variations, from R. V. X. 90 (A. V. XIX. 6), which celebrates the mystical immolation of Purusha, the origin of all creation, of which the Purushamedha or Human Sacrifice is an emblematical representation.

1 Purusha: the Person, embodied spirit, or Man personified and regarded as the soul and original source of the universe, the personal and lifegiving principle in all animated beings, is said to have a thousand, that is, innumerable, heads, eyes, and feet. as being one with all created life. In the A. V. version arms has been substituted for heads, to agree, apparently, with the numbers of eyes and feet. A space ten fingers broad: the region of the heart of man wherein the soul was supposed to reside. Although, as the Universal Soul, Purusha pervades the universe, as the Individual Soul he is enclosed in a space of narrow dimensions. Cf. A. V. IV. 16. 3. 'The loins of Varuna are both the oceans, and this small drop of water, too, contains him'; one of the recently discovered Logia or Sayings of Jesus is to the same effect: 'cleave the wood, and thou wilt find me; lift the stone, and I am there.'

2 The second liue is variously explained. The meaning of the words seems to be he is lord of immortality or the immortal world of the Gods, which grows greater by food, that is, by the sacrificial offerings of men. According to Sayana: he is the lord or distributer of immortality because he becomes the visible world in order that living beings may obtain the fruits of their actions and gain moksha or final liberation from their bonds; 'he is also the lord of immortality; for he mounts beyond (his own condition) for the food (of living beings).'-Wilson. Colebroke translates the line: he is that which grows by nourishment, and he is the distributer of immortality.' Muir renders it by: He is also the lord of immortality since by food he expands.' According to the paraphrase in the Bhagavata Purana, the meaning of the last clause is: since he hath transcended mortal nutriment.' Prof. Ludwig's version is: auch uber die unsterblichkeit gebietend, [da er,] was durch speise [ist,] weit überragt, ruling also over immortality, [since he] far transcends what [exists] through food; but in his Commentary a somewhat different explanation is given. 'Ruling over immortality, he was all that grows by food.'-Peterson.

3 Eternal life: amṛítam: immortality, or the immortal Gods.

4 With three fourths Purusha rose up: one fourth of him again was here.

Thence he moved forth to every side over what eats not and what eats.

5 From him Viraj was born; again Purusha from Viraj was born.

When born, he spread to west and east beyond the boundaries of earth.

6 From that great General Sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up.

He formed the creatures of the air and animals both wild and tame.

7 From that great General Sacrifice Richas and Sâma hymns were born:

Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.

8 From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth:

From it were generated kine, from it were goats and sheep produced.

9 They balmed as victim on the grass Purusha born in earliest time.

With him the Deities and all Sâdhyas and Rishis sacrificed. 10 When they divided Purusha how many portions did they make?

4 Over what eats not and what eats: over animate and inanimate creation. According to Sayana and Mahidhara, over both classes of created things, those capable of enjoyment, that is, who can taste the reward and punishment of good and evil actions, such as Gods, men, and lower animals, and those who are incapable thereof, such as mountains and rivers-chetanam, or conscious, achetanam, or unconscious, creation.

4.

6

5 From him: or, from that, the 'one-fourth mentioned in stanzas 3 and Viraj, or, in the nominative form, Virât, is said to have come, in the form of the mundane egg, from Adi-Purusha, the primeval Purusha, or presiding Male or Spirit, who then entered into this egg, which he animates as its vital soul or divine principle.' Or Viraj may be the female counterpart of Purusha as Aditi of Daksha in X. 72. 4, 5.' See Muir's exhaustive Note on this passage, O. S. Texts, V. pp. 369, 370; and Wallis, Cosmology of the Rigveda, p. 87.

6 Dripping fut the mixture of curds and butter.'-Wilson. He: or, It; the sacrificial victian Purusha, or the sacred clarified butter.

7 Richas: verses of praise and prayer for recitation. Sama hymns: psalms for chanting. Spells and charms: magical incantations; probably those of the later collection of the Atharva-veda. The Yajus: the Collection of Sacrificial formulas.

9 Sadhyas: see XXIV. 27; XXIX. 11; XXX. 15.

What was his mouth? what were his arms? what are the names of thighs and feet?

11 The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Râjanya made.

His thighs became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sûdra was produced.

12 The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth;

Vâyu and Prâna from his ear, and from his mouth was Agni born.

13 Forth from his navel came mid-air; the sky was fashioned from his head;

Earth from his feet, and from his ear the Quarters. Thus they formed the worlds.

14 When Gods performed the sacrifice with Purusha as offering Spring was the butter, Autumn the oblation, Summer was the wood.

15 Then seven were his enclosing-sticks, his kindling-brands were three times seven,

When Gods, performing sacrifice, bound as their victim
Purusha.

16 Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim: these were the earliest holy ordinances.

The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sathyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.

11 The Brahman is called the mouth of Purusha as having the special privilege as a priest of addressing the Gods in prayer. The arms of Purusha became the Rajanya, the prince and soldier who wields the sword and spear. His thighs, the strongest part of his body, became the agriculturist and tradesman, the chief supporters of society; and his feet, the emblems of vigour and activity, became the Sûdra or labouring man on whose toil and industry all prosperity ultimately rests. This is the only passage in the Rigveda which enumerates the four castes.

13 Cf. the creation-myth of the world-giant Ymir in Old Northern poetry. The hills are his bones, the sky his skull, the sea his blood, and the clouds his brains. See Corpus Poeticum Boreale, II. 468.

15 Enclosing-sticks: See II. 3. Kindling-brands: See II. 4. Sayana explains paridhayaḥ here as the seven sacred metres, or as six shallow trenches dug round the fire and an imaginary one round the Sun. According to Mahi thara. the twenty-one kindling-brands are the twelve months, five seasons, the three worlds of earth, air, and heaven, and the Sun.

This pantheistic hymn. which is generally called the Purushasûkta, is of comparatively recent origin, and appears to be an attempt to harmonize the two ideas of sacrifice and creation. For further information regarding it, see Muir. O. S. Texts, I. pp. 6—11, and V. 368-377, Prof. Max Müller, Ancient Sanskrit Literature, pp. 570f, and Dr. Scherman, Philosophische Hymnen

17 In the beginning he was formed, collected from waters, earth, and Visvakarman's essence.

Fixing the form thereof Tvashtar proceedeth. This was at first the mortal's birth and godhead.

18 I know this mighty Purusha whose colour is like the Sun, beyond the reach of darkness.

He only who knows him leaves Death behind him. There is no path save this alone to travel.

19 In the womb moves Prajâpati: he, never becoming born, is born in sundry figures.

The wise discern the womb from which he springeth. In him alone stand all existing creatures.

20 He who gives light and heat to Gods, first, foremost Agent of the Gods,

Born ere the Gods-to him the bright, the holy One, be reverence!

21 Thus spake the Gods at first, as they begat the bright and holy One:

The Brâhman who may know thee thus shall have the Gods in his control.

22 Beauty and Fortune are thy wives: each side of thee are Day and Night.

The constellations are thy form: the Asvins are thine open jaws.

Wishing, wish yonder world for me, wish that the Universe

be mine.

aus der Rig-und Atharva-veda-Sanhitâ, pp. 11-23. The hymn has also been translated by Colebrooke, Miscellaneous Essays, pp. 167, 168; by Wallis, Cosmology of the Rigveda, pp. 87, 88; and by Peterson, Hymns from the Rigveda, pp. 289, 290; also by Burnouf, Bhagavata Purâṇa, Preface to Vol. I., and by Weber, Indische Studien, IX. p. 5. Grassmanu's Translation in his Appendix to Vol. II., and Ludwig's Translation and Commentary should be consulted. See also The Hymns of the Atharva-veda, XIX. 6, which is a reproduction of this hymn with transpositions and variations.

17 The earliest performer of the Purushamedha, who gained thereby the form of the Sun, is glorified. He: there is no noun in the text Mahidhara supplies yo rasaḥ, the essence which. Tvashtar: the Sun. Proccedeth: on his daily course, Godhead: gained by Sacrifice.

19 The first line is taken, with a variation, from A. V. X. 8. 13. Sundry places: every birth that occurs being in reality a re-birth of the Creative Power Prajapati.

20 He: Prajapati in the form of the Sun. Foremost Agent: purohitaḥ. 22 Beauty and Fortune: Și and Lakshmi. Thy: the Sun is addressed. Constellations or stars in general. The Asvins: here according to Mahidhara, meaning Heaven and Earth. The Universe: he wishes for liberation from the bonds of this world and absorption into Brahma, the All,

BOOK THE THIRTY-SECOND.

AGNI is That; the Sun is That; Vâyu and Chandramâs are That.

The Bright is That; Brahma is That, those Waters, that Prajapati.

2 All twinklings of the eyelid sprang from Purusha, resplendent One.

No one hath comprehended him above, across, or in the midst.

3 There is no counterpart of him whose glory verily is great. In the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, etc. Let not hím harm me, etc. Than whom there is no other born, etc. 4 This very God pervadeth all the regions; yea, born aforetime, in the womb he dwelleth.

He verily boru and to be born hereafter meeteth his offspring, facing all directions.

5 Before whom naught whatever sprang to being; who with his presence aids all living creatures,

Prajapati, rejoicing in his offspring, he, Shoḍasî, maintains the Three great Lustres.

6 By whom the heavens are strong and earth stands firmly, by whom light's realm and sky-vault are supported; By whom the regions in mid-air were measured. God shall we adore with our oblation?

What

This and the two following Books contain texts and formulas to be used at the performance of a Sarvamedha or Sacrifice for Universal Success and Prosperity, a ten-day ceremony that ranks higher and is considered to be more important than even the Purushamedha. After performing this ceremony the Sacrificer has to leave his home and retire to the wilderness for the rest of his life. This Book is considered to be an Upanishad, entitled Tadeva from the first two words.

1 That: tad; the Supreme Self. Chandramas: the Moon. Those : the celebrated.

Twinklings: moments and measures of time.

object of perception.

Comprehended: as an

3 In the beginning, etc.: three passages are referred to, which have occurred, respectively, in XXV. 10-13; XII. 103; VIII. 36, all celebrating the greatness of Prajapati or Purusha.

4 Aforetime: or, the first. Cf. XXXI. 19.

5 The second line is repeated from VIII. 36. Three Lustres: Agni, Vâyu, Surya, or the Sun, the Moon, and Agni.

6 Taken from R. V. X. 121. 5. What God, etc.: or, Worship we Ka the God. See XIII. 4.