मनन Manana · ReflectStep 6 of /18
Puruṣa Sūkta · Ṛgveda 10.90.5
Verse 5Virāj and Puruṣa
तस्माद्विराळजायत विराजो अधि पूरुषः ।
स जातो अत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः ॥
tasmād virāḷ ajāyata virājo adhi pūruṣaḥ |
sa jāto aty aricyata paścād bhūmim atho puraḥ ||
Meaning
From him, Virāj was born. And from Virāj, Puruṣa was born again. As soon as he was born, he grew past the edges of the earth, behind it and in front.
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
This verse is a riddle, and the rishi seems to enjoy it. Puruṣa gives birth to Virāj. Then Virāj gives birth to Puruṣa. So who came first? Virāj means something like 'the shining, spreading one'. Think of it as the vast space of the universe, opening up. Out of Puruṣa comes this huge, shining space. And out of that space, Puruṣa appears again, now as someone who can act. It's a little like a seed that becomes a tree, which makes new seeds. And once again, the newborn Puruṣa is too big for the world. He spills past it on every side.
Your reflection
How well do you know this verse?
The audio plays the chant, the meaning, then the reflection. Tap a word for its meaning. Space plays and pauses.