मनन Manana · ReflectStep 12 of 18
Puruṣa Sūkta · Ṛgveda 10.90.11
Verse 11How did they divide him?
यत्पुरुषं व्यदधुः कतिधा व्यकल्पयन् ।
मुखं किमस्य कौ बाहू का ऊरू पादा उच्येते ॥
yat puruṣaṃ vy adadhuḥ katidhā vy akalpayan |
mukhaṃ kim asya kau bāhū kā ūrū pādā ucyete ||
Meaning
When the gods divided Puruṣa, how many parts did they make? What became of his mouth? What were his arms? What are his thighs and his feet called?
Word by word
Words joined in recitation are shown split. Where sounds change at the joins, the dictionary form is given under the word.
Reflection
Suddenly the rishi stops and asks questions, like a teacher quizzing a class, or a priest posing a riddle in the middle of a ritual. When the gods divided Puruṣa, what did each part become? His mouth? His arms? His thighs? His feet? Notice the shift. Until now we have been looking at the universe from far away. Now the camera zooms in on the body, part by part. And the answers that follow are among the most famous, and most debated, lines in all of Indian literature.
Your reflection
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The audio plays the chant, the meaning, then the reflection. Tap a word for its meaning. Space plays and pauses.