31. Yajur Veda — Chapter 31

【 Verse 31.1 】

▸ Veda Mantra: स॒हस्र॑शीर्षा॒ पुरु॑षः सहस्रा॒क्षः स॒हस्र॑पात्। स भूमि॑ꣳ स॒र्वत॑ स्पृ॒त्वाऽत्य॑तिष्ठद्दशाङ्गु॒लम् ॥१ ॥

▸ Translation: Purusha, the Cosmic Soul of Existence, is the soul of the universe of a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. It pervades the universe wholly and entirely and, pervading and sustaining the universe of ten constituents of living Prakriti, It transcends the world of existence.

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【 Verse 31.2 】

▸ Veda Mantra: पुरु॑षऽए॒वेदꣳ सर्वं॒ यद्भू॒तं यच्च॑ भाव्य᳖म्। उ॒तामृ॑त॒त्वस्येशा॑नो॒ यदन्ने॑नाति॒रोह॑ति ॥२ ॥

▸ Translation: All this that is and was and shall be is Purusha ultimately, sovereign over immortality and ruler of what grows by living food.

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【 Verse 31.3 】

▸ Veda Mantra: ए॒तावा॑नस्य महि॒मातो॒ ज्यायाँ॑श्च॒ पूरु॑षः। पादो॑ऽस्य॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॑ त्रि॒पाद॑स्या॒मृतं॑ दि॒वि ॥३ ॥

▸ Translation: So great as the universe is the grandeur and glory of It, and yet the Purusha is greater. The entire worlds of existence are but one fourth aspect of Its reality (just like the foot-stool of a mighty monarch). Three parts of Its mystery are in the transcendental heaven of immortality, Infinity, beyond the created universe of existence.

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【 Verse 31.4 】

▸ Veda Mantra: त्रि॒पादू॒र्ध्व उदै॒त्पुरु॑षः॒ पादो॑ऽस्ये॒हाभ॑व॒त् पुनः॑। ततो॒ विष्व॒ङ् व्य᳖क्रामत्साशनानश॒नेऽअ॒भि ॥४ ॥

▸ Translation: Thrice more glorious arises the Purusha above the created universe wherein one measure of His greatness and grandeur manifests again and again, pervading all the eating and non-eating world, and thence remains transcendent across and over the universe.

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【 Verse 31.5 】

▸ Veda Mantra: ततो॑ वि॒राड॑जायत वि॒राजो॒ऽअधि॒ पूरु॑षः। स जा॒तोऽअत्य॑रिच्यत प॒श्चाद् भूमि॒मथो॑ पु॒रः ॥५ ॥

▸ Translation: From Purusha arises Virat, the cosmic form, Prakriti. The Purusha manifests therein and remains sovereign over the Virat. Yet, even while manifest in the Virat, He remains apart and uninvolved before and after the creation and then creates the earth and human habitations. (That is cosmic yajna.)

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【 Verse 31.6 】

▸ Veda Mantra: तस्मा॑द्य॒ज्ञात् स॑र्व॒हुतः॒ सम्भृ॑तं पृषदा॒ज्यम्। प॒शूँस्ताँश्च॑क्रे वाय॒व्या᳖नार॒ण्या ग्रा॒म्याश्च॒ ये ॥६ ॥

▸ Translation: From that cosmic yajna was born the sacred ghrta, universal material of creation. He created the animals, all those birds of the air, rangers of the forest and inmates of the village.

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【 Verse 31.7 】

▸ Veda Mantra: तस्मा॑द्य॒ज्ञात् स॑र्व॒हुत॒ऽऋचः॒ सामा॑नि जज्ञिरे। छन्दा॑सि जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा॒द्यजु॒स्तस्मा॑दजायत ॥७ ॥

▸ Translation: From that Lord of universal yajna were born the Riks and the Samans. From Him were born the Chhandas, and from Him were born the Yajus.

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【 Verse 31.8 】

▸ Veda Mantra: तस्मा॒दश्वा॑ऽअजायन्त॒ ये के चो॑भ॒याद॑तः। गावो॑ ह जज्ञिरे॒ तस्मा॒त् तस्मा॑ज्जा॒ताऽअ॑जा॒वयः॑ ॥८ ॥

▸ Translation: From That yajna were born the horses, and those which have two rows of teeth up and down. From That were born the cows, and from That were born the goats and sheep.

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【 Verse 31.9 】

▸ Veda Mantra: तं य॒ज्ञं ब॒र्हिषि॒ प्रौक्ष॒न् पुरु॑षं जा॒तम॑ग्र॒तः। तेन॑ दे॒वाऽअ॑यजन्त सा॒ध्याऽऋष॑यश्च॒ ये ॥९ ॥

▸ Translation: The Rishis of universal vision, and sages of universal achievement, and scholars of the Veda invoke and worship the eternal Purusha, self-manifested in advance of everything else. They sprinkle and consecrate the sacred grass of yajna in their mind and offer the oblations in the fire with Vedic mantras.

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【 Verse 31.10 】

▸ Veda Mantra: यत्पुरु॑षं॒ व्यद॑धुः कति॒धा व्य॑कल्पयन्। मुखं॒ किम॑स्यासी॒त् किं बा॒हू किमू॒रू पादा॑ऽउच्येते ॥१० ॥

▸ Translation: How do the Rishis visualise the various manifestive modes of the Purusha? What was His mouth? What the arms? What the thighs? What are the feet as they are said to be?

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【 Verse 31.11 】

▸ Veda Mantra: ब्रा॒ह्म॒णो᳖ऽस्य॒ मुख॑मासीद् बा॒हू रा॑ज॒न्यः᳖ कृ॒तः। ऊ॒रू तद॑स्य॒ यद्वैश्यः॑ प॒द्भ्या शू॒द्रोऽअ॑जायत ॥११ ॥

▸ Translation: The Brahmana, man of divine vision and Vedic Word, is the mouth of the Samrat Purusha, the human community. The Kshatriya, man of justice and polilty, is created as the arms of defence. The Vaishya, who produces food and wealth for the society, is the thighs. And the man of sustenance and support with labour is the Shudra who bears the burden of the human family.

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【 Verse 31.12 】

▸ Veda Mantra: च॒न्द्रमा॒ मन॑सो जा॒तश्चक्षोः॒ सूर्यो॑ऽअजायत। श्रोत्रा॑द्वा॒युश्च॑ प्रा॒णश्च॒ मुखा॑द॒ग्निर॑जायत ॥१२ ॥

▸ Translation: The moon is born of the cosmic mind, the sun is born of the eye, the air and prana energy is born from the ear, and the fire is born from the mouth.

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【 Verse 31.13 】

▸ Veda Mantra: नाभ्या॑ऽआसीद॒न्तरि॑क्षꣳ शी॒र्ष्णो द्यौः सम॑वर्त्तत। प॒द्भ्यां भूमि॒र्दिशः॒ श्रोत्रा॒त्तथा॑ लो॒काँ२ ॥ऽअ॑कल्पयन् ॥१३ ॥

▸ Translation: The Rishis visualise that the sky was born of the navel of the Cosmic Purusha, that is, the sky is the navel part of the universe, the heaven of light arose from the head, the earth solidified from the dust of the feet, the space directions emanated from the ear, and similarly the other regions of the universe arose from the Purusha.

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【 Verse 31.14 】

▸ Veda Mantra: यत्पुरु॑षेण ह॒विषा॑ दे॒वा य॒ज्ञमत॑न्वत। व॒स॒न्तो᳖ऽस्यासी॒दाज्यं॑ ग्री॒ष्मऽइ॒ध्मः श॒रद्ध॒विः ॥१४ ॥

▸ Translation: When the saints and sages visualise the universal yajna in terms of nature and enact it in the mind with universal materials in communion with the Cosmic Soul in meditation, then the spring season is the ghrita (clarified butter), summer is the fuel of fire and winter is the havi (fragrant materials) for oblations.

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【 Verse 31.15 】

▸ Veda Mantra: स॒प्तास्या॑सन् परि॒धय॒स्त्रिः स॒प्त स॒मिधः॑ कृ॒ताः। दे॒वा यद्य॒ज्ञं॑ त॑न्वा॒नाऽअब॑ध्न॒न् पुरु॑षं प॒शुम् ॥१५ ॥

▸ Translation: Seven are the bonds and bounds of the vedi (altar) of the mental yajna in meditation, thrice seven, i.e., twentyone are the samidhas (fuel sticks) ordained. When the saints and sages enact the yajna within, they concentrate on the Purusha, the universal observer, whose presence they crystallise and fix upon in the soul. Note: Seven bounds and thrice seven samidhas is the mystique of yajna which has been explained in different ways. Swami Dayanand explains it thus: Seven bounds are the seven chhandas (metrical compositions) of the Veda-mantras such as Gayatri. Twenty-one samidhas are: Prakriti (the potential material cause of the universe), Mahat (actualised material cause), Ahankara (individualized identity of the universe), five subtle elements or Tanmatras, five gross elements, five faculties of perception, and three qualities of the material universe which are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas (Thought/intelligence, energy and matter). In Rgvedadi-Bhashya-Bhumika, his Introduction to the Commentary on the Vedas, he explains the same thing in a different and detailed manner in the chapter on Creation. For an average reader, the simpler way to understand is to refer to the seven stages of creative evolution: Prakriti, Mahan, Ahankara, Tanmatra, Perception faculty, Volition faculty, and gross elements. These stages of evolution are the seven bounds of creative yajna performed by Purusha. These are also the Samidhas because each succeeding evolute arises from yajnic consumption of the previous one. And each one has three orders of quality, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. That makes it thrice seven. This is the Sankhya order of evolution, and ‘Sankhya’ is the word from which comes the English word ‘Science’ through Latin in which it is written as ‘Scienkia’. Another way to realise the seven boundaries is to refer to the seven Vyahritis: Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah, Maha, Janah, Tapah and Satyam which are the boundaries of each loka or region in ascending order.

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【 Verse 31.16 】

▸ Veda Mantra: य॒ज्ञेन॑ य॒ज्ञम॑यजन्त दे॒वास्तानि॒ धर्मा॑णि प्रथ॒मान्या॑सन्। ते ह॒ नाकं॑ महि॒मानः॑ सचन्त॒ यत्र॒ पूर्वे॑ सा॒ध्याः सन्ति॑ दे॒वाः ॥१६ ॥

▸ Translation: By that yajna of the mind the sages worship the master of cosmic yajna and realise the eternal and original Dharmas of existence. Blest with the light of the Divine they experience that heaven of freedom which the primeval sages of the world enjoyed at the dawn of creation.

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【 Verse 31.17 】

▸ Veda Mantra: अ॒द्भ्यः सम्भृ॑तः पृथि॒व्यै रसा॑च्च वि॒श्वक॑र्मणः॒ सम॑वर्त्त॒ताग्रे॑। तस्य॒ त्वष्टा॑ वि॒दध॑द् रू॒पमे॑ति॒ तन्मर्त्य॑स्य देव॒त्वमा॒जान॒मग्रे॑ ॥१७ ॥

▸ Translation: Before the essence of the waters was distilled by Vishvakarma for the creation of the earth, the model of the universe existed in the eternal mind of the Purusha, Prajapati Vishvakarma. Tvashta, the makermanifestation of Purusha, sculpted that form of the universe. The origin of the divinity of the human being too existed in the eternal mind. (That too Tvashta brought into existence.)

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【 Verse 31.18 】

▸ Veda Mantra: वेदा॒हमे॒तं पुरु॑षं म॒हान्त॑मादि॒त्यव॑र्णं॒ तम॑सः प॒रस्ता॑त्। तमे॒व वि॑दि॒त्वाति॑ मृ॒त्युमे॑ति॒ नान्यः पन्था॑ विद्य॒तेऽय॑नाय ॥१८ ॥

▸ Translation: I know this great and glorious Purusha of the brilliance of the sun beyond the dark. Having realized Him only does man transcend the world of existence, birth and death. There is no other way than this to the final freedom of Moksha.

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【 Verse 31.19 】

▸ Veda Mantra: प्र॒जाप॑तिश्च॒रति॒ गर्भे॑ऽअ॒न्तरजा॑यमानो बहु॒धा वि जा॑यते। तस्य॒ योनिं॒ परि॑ पश्यन्ति॒ धीरा॒स्तस्मि॑न् ह तस्थु॒र्भुव॑नानि॒ विश्वा॑ ॥१९ ॥

▸ Translation: Prajapati, father spirit of the created universe, immanent deep in the soul, moves everywhere, and although ever unborn He variously manifests Himself with all the forms of life. Men of thought and wisdom feel His presence manifest all round. In Him alone do all the worlds of existence find their haven and repose.

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【 Verse 31.20 】

▸ Veda Mantra: यो दे॒वेभ्य॑ऽआ॒तप॑ति॒ यो दे॒वानां॑ पु॒रोहि॑तः। पूर्वो॒ यो दे॒वेभ्यो॑ जा॒तो नमो॑ रु॒चाय॒ ब्राह्म॑ये ॥२० ॥

▸ Translation: That which blazes with the sun for the divinities such as the earth, who is the high-priest and prime mover of the generous excellencies of the world, who rises first and foremost for the nobilities of the world, to that divine light our homage and offer of reverence.

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【 Verse 31.21 】

▸ Veda Mantra: रु॒चं ब्रा॒ह्मं ज॒नय॑न्तो दे॒वाऽअग्रे॒ तद॑ब्रुवन्। यस्त्वै॒वं ब्रा॑ह्म॒णो वि॒द्यात् तस्य॑ दे॒वाऽअ॑स॒न् वशे॑ ॥२१ ॥

▸ Translation: The sages of yore rising in vision of the divine glory saw the light of the dawn and proclaimed of that: Oh! the Brahmana who would know you thus ! The lights of the world would be at his command.

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【 Verse 31.22 】

▸ Veda Mantra: श्रीश्च॑ ते ल॒क्ष्मीश्च॒ पत्न्या॑वहोरा॒त्रे पा॒र्श्वे नक्ष॑त्राणि रू॒पम॒श्विनौ॒ व्यात्त॑म्। इ॒ष्णन्नि॑षाणा॒मुं म॑ऽइषाण सर्वलो॒कं म॑ऽइषाण ॥२२ ॥

▸ Translation: Beauty is yours. Glory is yours. The day and night like consorts are at your sides. The stars and planets are your form incarnate. The sun and moon are your open face. Kind, loving and generous, give me that bliss of freedom, that supreme wealth of joy. Wish me all well and the world is mine.