Key words

The words that carry the hymn's ideas. Many of them go on to have long lives in later Indian thought.

puruṣaपुरुष: Literally ‘person’ or ‘man’; here the cosmic being whose body becomes the universe. Later, in Sāṅkhya, the pure witnessing consciousness.
sahasraसहस्र: A thousand; in the Veda, a number for ‘beyond counting’.
pādaपाद: Foot; also a quarter, as a four-footed animal stands on four. One pāda of Puruṣa is all beings.
amṛtaअमृत: Immortal, deathless; the immortal. Three quarters of Puruṣa are amṛta, in heaven.
virājविराज्: ‘Wide-shining’, ‘ruling far’: the vast ordered expanse born from Puruṣa, from which Puruṣa is born again.
yajñaयज्ञ: Sacrifice, worship, the fire ritual. In this hymn the gods perform the first yajña, and Puruṣa is the offering.
havisहविस्: The oblation, what is offered into the fire.
ājyaआज्य: Melted, clarified butter (ghee) poured into the sacrificial fire. In verse 6 it is spring.
barhisबर्हिस्: The sacred grass spread around the fire as a seat for the gods and the offering.
sarvahutaसर्वहुत: ‘Offered completely’: a sacrifice in which nothing is held back.
ṛcऋच्: A verse of praise; the Ṛgveda is the Veda of ṛcs.
sāmanसामन्: A chant, a melody sung over a verse; the Sāmaveda is the Veda of sāmans.
chandasछन्दस्: Meter, the rhythmic pattern of a verse, such as anuṣṭubh or triṣṭubh.
yajusयजुस्: A sacrificial formula spoken during the rite; the Yajurveda is the Veda of yajus.
sādhyaसाध्य: An ancient class of divine beings, ‘those to be won’, who are said to dwell in heaven before the gods.
varṇaवर्ण: Literally ‘colour’ or ‘class’; the four social orders later traced to verse 12. The word itself does not appear in the hymn.
brāhmaṇaब्राह्मण: One who holds bráhman, sacred speech: the priest and teacher. From Puruṣa's mouth.
rājanyaराजन्य: The ruler and warrior, later called kṣatriya. From Puruṣa's arms.
vaiśyaवैश्य: From viś, ‘the people, the clans’: the farmer, herder and trader. From Puruṣa's thighs.
śūdraशूद्र: The servant and labourer. From Puruṣa's feet. The word appears only here in the Ṛgveda.
lokaलोक: World, realm. The three worlds are earth, middle air and sky.
dharmanधर्मन्: Foundation, ordinance, what holds things in place; the older form of dharma. The first sacrifice set the ‘first dharmans’.