SrImatE SaThakOpAya nama:
SrimatE rAmAnujAya nama:
Srimad Varavara MunayE nama:
HYMN IN PRAISE OF HIM THE SUPREME – THE PURUSHA SOOKTA
INTRODUCTION
Purusha sUktam is one of the greatest sUktas from the Vedas in praise of the Supreme Being. This
sUkta provides a beautiful depiction of the visualization regarding the creation of the cosmos which
the Vedics were blessed with. This sUkta contains several basic tenets of SrIvaishNavism.
The Purusha sUkta has been referred to in works like SrImad Bhagavad gItA, Sri Vishnu
sahasranAmam etc. and also in the commentaries of PUrvAchAryas. SrI RangarAmAnuja Muni has
provided an elaborate commentary on the main part of the Purusha sUkta.
This write-up is an independent study of the Purusha sUkta while referring to Sri RangarAmAnuja
Muni’s BhAshyam or commentary.
AdiyEn has attempted to bring out the philosophical intricacies of this hymn under the guidance of
SrImAn EmbAr rangAchArya swami. All mistakes are adiyEn’s.
adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Vishnu Vinjamuri
Mantra 1
sahasra SIrshA purusha: sahasrAksha: sahasra pAt
sabhUmim viSwatO vRtvA atyatishThat daSAnguLam|
The Supreme Lord Who has thousands of heads, thousands of eyes and thousands of feet, pervades
over the universe that includes the earth. The universe appears to be of much shorter dimension in
comparison to Him.
The expansion of Purusha is “Puru bahu sanOti iti purusha:” – The One Who gives in plenty. The
bountiful Lord Who gives what we need without our praying to Him for the same, is Purusha.
Here thousand stands for uncountable.
Having uncountable heads indicates that He heads every part of the universe and thus stands for His
swAmitvam or supremacy over the universe.
Having uncountable eyes stands for His overseeing the entire universe. This also stands for His
readiness to bless the living beings (jIvas).
Having uncountable feet means that He has is feet everywhere in the universe. This indicates that all
objects in the universe at His feet or are subservient to Him.
Saying that the earth is included (sabhUmim) indicates relevance as we all are residents if this
planet.
The word ViSwam used for the universe indicates that He has already entered the universe and is
within it anywhere. The Lord is residing inside the universe as well as pervading it, is to be
understood from “sabhUmim viSwatO vRtvA”
This SlOka is beautifully presented in Sri Vishnu sahasra nAmam as
Sahasra mUrdhA viSwAtmA sahasrAksha: sahasra pAt (Sloka 24).
That the Lord is much bigger than the universe is indicated by daSAnguLam – here daSa stands for
not ten but a state that is much bigger and anguLam means inch, which means the entire universe is
of a much smaller dimension in comparison to Him. This further means He is beyond anyone’s
comprehension in the universe.
The Supreme Being Purusha takes birth despite being unborn, which we will discuss later.
For example, in uttara kANda of Sri Ramayana, sage agastya says:
asau rAmO mahAbAhuratimAnushachEshtayA
tEjO mahatttayA vApi sassmArayati pUrusham|
Lord SrIrAma, out of His superhuman deeds, splendour and greatness, reminds us of the Supreme
Being hailed as Purusha by the Vedas. Here it is to be understood that Lord Rama is verily the
Supreme Being Purusha.
