30. Adhyāya 30 — Puruṣamedha
Mantras 1–10
30.1
देव सवितः प्र सुव यज्ञं प्र सुव यज्ञपतिं भगाय ।
दिव्यो गन्धर्वः केतुपूः केतं नः पुनातु वाचस्पतिर् वाजं नः स्वदतु ॥
deva savitaḥ pra suva yajñaṃ pra suva yajñapatiṃ bhagāya ।
divyo gandharvaḥ ketupūḥ ketaṃ naḥ punātu vācaspatir vājaṃ naḥ svadatu ॥
May Savita, generous lord creator of life, expand our yajna of light and action. May He inspire and bless the master of yajna for the achievement of wealth and honour. Glorious is Savita, sustainer of the earth and purifier and sanctifier of knowledge. May the lord sanctify our knowledge. Lord of Speech Divine, may He sweeten, sanctify and bless our tongue and speech.
30.2
तत् सवितुर् वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयत् ॥
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ bhargo devasya dhīmahi ।
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayat ॥
That blazing splendour of lord Savita, self-refulgent giver of light, which is the sole light worthy of choice, we perceive, meditate upon and absorb in the soul. May He inspire, enlighten and bless our vision and intelligence to follow the path of light and rectitude.
30.3
विश्वानि देव सवितर् दुरितानि परा सुव ।
यद् भद्रं तन् न ऽ आ सुव ॥
viśvāni deva savitar duritāni parā suva ।
yad bhadraṃ tan na ' ā suva ॥
Savita, glorious lord of inspiration, light and life, remove all the evil of the world from us, and bless us with all that is good.
30.4
विभक्तारꣳ हवामहे वसोश् चित्रस्य राधसः ।
सवितारं नृचक्षसम् ॥
vibhaktāraṁ havāmahe vasoś citrasya rādhasaḥ ।
savitāraṃ nṛcakṣasam ॥
We invoke Savita and sing in praise of the ultimate judge and dispenser of the fruits of Karma and giver of the wondrous joys of life, who makes everything possible, who creates all and watches over all (what they are and what they do).
30.5
ब्रह्मणे ब्राह्मणं क्षत्राय राजन्यं मरुद्भ्यो वैश्यं तपसे शूद्रं तमसे तस्करं नारकाय वीरहणं पाप्मने क्लीबम् आक्रयाया ऽ अयोगुं कामाय पुꣳश्चलूम् अतिक्रुष्टाय मागधम् ॥
brahmaṇe brāhmaṇaṃ kṣatrāya rājanyaṃ marudbhyo vaiśyaṃ tapase śūdraṃ tamase taskaraṃ nārakāya vīrahaṇaṃ pāpmane klībam ākrayāyā ' ayoguṃ kāmāya puṁścalūm atikruṣṭāya māgadham ॥
Give us, we pray, the Brahmanas for education and research, culture and human values; the Kshatriyas for governance, defence and administration; the Vaishyas for economic development, and the Shudras for assistance and labour in the ancillary services. Remove, we pray, the thief roaming in the dark, the murderer bent on lawlessness, the coward disposed to sin, the armed terrorist bent on destruction, the harlot out for pleasure of flesh, and the bastard fond of scandal. Note: In mantras 5-22 in which various aspects of organised life are listed, there is repetition of ‘asuva’ and ‘parasuva’ from mantra 3, which means: ‘Give us, we pray, what is good’, and, ‘Remove, we pray, what is evil’. This is the prayer. Also, there are echoes of ‘havamahe’ from mantra 4, which means: ‘We invoke and develop’, and, ‘we challenge and fight out’. This is the call for action under the divine eye.
30.6
नृत्ताय सूतं गीताय शैलूषं धर्माय सभाचरं नरिष्ठायै भीमलं नर्माय रेभꣳ हसाय कारिम् आनन्दाय स्त्रीषखं प्रमदे कुमारीपुत्रं मेधायै रथकारं धैर्याय तक्षाणम् ॥
nṛttāya sūtaṃ gītāya śailūṣaṃ dharmāya sabhācaraṃ nariṣṭhāyai bhīmalaṃ narmāya rebhaṁ hasāya kārim ānandāya strīṣakhaṃ pramade kumārīputraṃ medhāyai rathakāraṃ dhairyāya takṣāṇam ॥
For dance, the dancer; for song, the singer; for dharma, the active councillor; for social morale, the mighty man; for refinement, the poet; for fun, the comedian; for pleasure, fair company; for indulgence,
30.7
तपसे कौलालं मायायै कर्मारꣳ रूपाय मणिकारꣳ शुभे वपꣳ शरव्याया ऽ इषुकारꣳ हेत्यै धनुष्कारं कर्मणे ज्याकारं दिष्टाय रज्जुसर्जं मृत्यवे मृगयुम् अन्तकाय श्वनिनम् ॥
tapase kaulālaṃ māyāyai karmāraṁ rūpāya maṇikāraṁ śubhe vapaṁ śaravyāyā ' iṣukāraṁ hetyai dhanuṣkāraṃ karmaṇe jyākāraṃ diṣṭāya rajjusarjaṃ mṛtyave mṛgayum antakāya śvaninam ॥
For heat-treatment, the potter or metallurgist; for furnishing, the decorator; for ornament, the jeweller; for beauty, the beautician; for archery, the arrow-maker; for shooting, the bow-maker; for the target, the bowstring maker; for marking and delimitation, the stringmaker; for killing, the hunter; for the border, the watchdog.
30.8
नदीभ्यः पौञ्जिष्ठम् ऋक्षीकाभ्यो नैषादं पुरुषव्याघ्राय दुर्मदं गन्धर्वाप्सरोभ्यो व्रात्यं प्रयुग्भ्य ऽ उन्मत्तꣳ सर्पदेवजनेभ्यो ऽप्रतिपदमयेभ्यः कितवम् ईर्यताया ऽ अकितवं पिशाचेभ्यो बिदलकारीं यातुधानेभ्यः कण्टकीकारीम् ॥
nadībhyaḥ pauñjiṣṭham ṛkṣīkābhyo naiṣādaṃ puruṣavyāghrāya durmadaṃ gandharvāpsarobhyo vrātyaṃ prayugbhya ' unmattaṁ sarpadevajanebhyo 'pratipadamayebhyaḥ kitavam īryatāyā ' akitavaṃ piśācebhyo bidalakārīṃ yātudhānebhyaḥ kaṇṭakīkārīm ॥
For the rivers, the fisherman; for the fast shebears, the forester; for the tiger-man, the drunken fool; for the musicians and dancers, the brute; for the farmers, the demented; for the snakes and nobles, the neurotic; for the desirables, the gambler; for the retiring, the non-gambler; for the frustrated, the cynic; for travellers, the thorns; for the sake of these former ones, keep off the latter ones.
30.9
संधये जारं गेहायोपपतिम् आर्त्यै परिवित्तं निर्ऋत्यै परिविविदानम् अराद्ध्या ऽ एदिधिषुःपतिं निष्कृत्यै पेशस्कारीꣳ संज्ञानाय स्मरकारीं प्रकामोद्यायोपसदं वर्णायानुरुधं बलायोपदाम् ॥
saṃdhaye jāraṃ gehāyopapatim ārtyai parivittaṃ nirṛtyai parivividānam arāddhyā ' edidhiṣuḥpatiṃ niṣkṛtyai peśaskārīṁ saṃjñānāya smarakārīṃ prakāmodyāyopasadaṃ varṇāyānurudhaṃ balāyopadām ॥
Keep off the paramour out to meet his mistress; the adulterer heading to the house of his married love; the unmarried elder brother with his eye on the wife of his younger brother; the younger brother grabbing and encroaching upon the elder brother’s share of land; the husband of younger sister entertaining love for the unmarried elder sister-in-law; the self-decorated sexdoll impatient to make up for lost opportunities; the amorous woman excited for sex; the inmate intending to abuse the house-mate; the solicitor trying for acceptance; the corrupt official in search of gratification for work.
30.10
उत्सादेभ्यः कुब्जं प्रमुदे वामनं द्वार्भ्यः स्रामꣳ स्वप्नायान्धम् अधर्माय बधिरं पवित्राय भिषजं प्रज्ञानाय नक्षत्रदर्शम् आशिक्षायै प्रश्निनम् उपशिक्षाया ऽ अभिप्रश्निनं मर्यादायै प्रश्नविवाकम् ॥
utsādebhyaḥ kubjaṃ pramude vāmanaṃ dvārbhyaḥ srāmaṁ svapnāyāndham adharmāya badhiraṃ pavitrāya bhiṣajaṃ prajñānāya nakṣatradarśam āśikṣāyai praśninam upaśikṣāyā ' abhipraśninaṃ maryādāyai praśnavivākam ॥
Remove the crooked on way to destruction, the small man addicted to gaiety, disease spreading to house doors, the man blind to dreams, and the deaf in love with adharma. Develop medicine for health and purity, help and encourage the astronomer for science, inquisitive learner for education, the seminary for confirmation and application of learning, and analysis and discrimination for the judgement of truth and value.
Mantras 11–20
30.11
अर्मेभ्यो हस्तिपं जवायाश्वपं पुष्ट्यै गोपालं वीर्यायाविपालं तेजसे ऽजपालम् इरायै कीनाशं कीलालाय सुराकारं भद्राय गृहपꣳ श्रेयसे वित्तधम् आध्यक्ष्यायानुक्षत्तारम् ॥
armebhyo hastipaṃ javāyāśvapaṃ puṣṭyai gopālaṃ vīryāyāvipālaṃ tejase 'japālam irāyai kīnāśaṃ kīlālāya surākāraṃ bhadrāya gṛhapaṁ śreyase vittadham ādhyakṣyāyānukṣattāram ॥
Create, develop and promote the elephant keeper for tourists, the horse keeper for fast movement, the cowherd for nourishment, the sheep-keeper for virility, the goat keeper for lustre, the farmer for food, the somamaker for vitality, the house keeper for good living, the treasurer for honour and credit, the burser for financial distribution and control.
30.12
भायै दार्वाहारं प्रभाया ऽ अग्न्येधं ब्रध्नस्य विष्टपायाभिषेक्तारं वर्षिष्ठाय नाकाय परिवेष्टारं देवलोकाय पेशितारं मनुष्यलोकाय प्रकरितारꣳ सर्वेभ्यो लोकेभ्यो ऽ उपसेक्तारम् अव ऽ ऋत्यै वधायोपमन्थितारं मेधाय वासःपल्पूलीं प्रकामाय रजयित्रीम् ॥
bhāyai dārvāhāraṃ prabhāyā ' agnyedhaṃ bradhnasya viṣṭapāyābhiṣektāraṃ varṣiṣṭhāya nākāya pariveṣṭāraṃ devalokāya peśitāraṃ manuṣyalokāya prakaritāraṁ sarvebhyo lokebhyo ' upasektāram ava ' ṛtyai vadhāyopamanthitāraṃ medhāya vāsaḥpalpūlīṃ prakāmāya rajayitrīm ॥
For light, the wood-man, for illumination, fire and fuel, for the horse-course, the water sprinkler, for high satisfaction and comfort, the cook and steward, for a vision of heaven, the scholar visionary, for a vision of humanity, the well-wisher, for the public, the public servant, for get-togethers, the launderer, for happy turnout, the printer and dyer, and fearsome guard to ward off danger.
30.13
ऋतये स्तेनहृदयं वैरहत्याय पिशुनं विविक्त्यै क्षत्तारम् औपद्रष्ट्र्यायानुक्षत्तारं बालायानुचरं भूम्ने परिष्कन्दं प्रियाय प्रियवादिनम् अरिष्ट्या ऽ अश्वसादꣳ स्वर्गाय लोकाय भागदुघं वर्षिष्ठाय नाकाय परिवेष्टारम् ॥
ṛtaye stenahṛdayaṃ vairahatyāya piśunaṃ viviktyai kṣattāram aupadraṣṭryāyānukṣattāraṃ bālāyānucaraṃ bhūmne pariṣkandaṃ priyāya priyavādinam ariṣṭyā ' aśvasādaṁ svargāya lokāya bhāgadughaṃ varṣiṣṭhāya nākāya pariveṣṭāram ॥
30.14
मन्यवे ऽयस्तापं क्रोधाय निसरं योगाय योक्तारꣳ शोकायाभिसर्तारं क्षेमाय विमोक्तारम् उत्कीलेभ्यस् त्रिष्ठिनं वपुषे मानस्कृतꣳ शीलायाञ्जनीकारीं निर्ऋत्यै कोशकारीं यमायासूम् ॥
manyave 'yastāpaṃ krodhāya nisaraṃ yogāya yoktāraṁ śokāyābhisartāraṃ kṣemāya vimoktāram utkīlebhyas triṣṭhinaṃ vapuṣe mānaskṛtaṁ śīlāyāñjanīkārīṃ nirṛtyai kośakārīṃ yamāyāsūm ॥
For moral passion, give us the heat of the furnace of steel, for cooling anger, the generous giver, for yoga, the persuasive teacher, for moral lustre, the man of foresight, for peace and well-being, the paternal protector, for the ebb and flow of water, the man who knows both and surveys from above, for good of the body form, the man of thought, for the good of character, the giver of right vision, for the avoidance of adversity, the economic budget maker, for proper control, impartial administration.
30.15
यमाय यमसूम् अथर्वभ्यो ऽवतोकाꣳ संवत्सराय पर्यायिणीं परिवत्सरायाविजाताम् इदावत्सरायातीत्वरीम् इद्वत्सरायातिष्कद्वरीं वत्सराय विजर्जराꣳ संवत्सराय पलिक्नीम् ऋभुभ्यो ऽजिनसंधꣳ साध्येभ्यश् चर्मम्नम् ॥
yamāya yamasūm atharvabhyo 'vatokāṁ saṃvatsarāya paryāyiṇīṃ parivatsarāyāvijātām idāvatsarāyātītvarīm idvatsarāyātiṣkadvarīṃ vatsarāya vijarjarāṁ saṃvatsarāya paliknīm ṛbhubhyo 'jinasaṃdhaṁ sādhyebhyaś carmamnam ॥
For the man of law and order, give the law-maker ; for the men of peace and meditation, the protective force; for the first year of a five-year plan for women, a woman who knows how time passes; for the second year, an unmarried woman; for the third year, a dynamic woman; for the fourth year, a white-haired woman; for the fifth year, an extremely wise woman; for any year, a woman of long age and experience; for the experts, an indefatigable man; for the men of achievement, a man of super-knowledge.
30.16
सरोभ्यो धैवरम् उपस्थावराभ्यो दाशं वैशन्ताभ्यो बैन्दं नड्वलाभ्यः शौष्कलं पाराय मार्गारम् अवराय केवर्तं तीर्थेभ्य ऽ आन्दं विषमेभ्यो मैनालꣳ स्वनेभ्यः पर्णकं गुहाभ्यः किरातꣳ सानुभ्यो जम्भकं पर्वतेभ्यः किम्पूरुषम् ॥
sarobhyo dhaivaram upasthāvarābhyo dāśaṃ vaiśantābhyo baindaṃ naḍvalābhyaḥ śauṣkalaṃ pārāya mārgāram avarāya kevartaṃ tīrthebhya ' āndaṃ viṣamebhyo mainālaṁ svanebhyaḥ parṇakaṃ guhābhyaḥ kirātaṁ sānubhyo jambhakaṃ parvatebhyaḥ kimpūruṣam ॥
30.17
बीभत्सायै पौल्कसं वर्णाय हिरण्यकारं तुलायै वाणिजं पश्चादोषाय ग्लाविनं विश्वेभ्यो भूतेभ्यः सिध्मलं भूत्यै जागरणम् अभूत्यै स्वपनम् आर्त्यै जनवादिनं व्यृद्ध्या ऽ अपगल्भꣳ सꣳशराय प्रच्छिदम् ॥
bībhatsāyai paulkasaṃ varṇāya hiraṇyakāraṃ tulāyai vāṇijaṃ paścādoṣāya glāvinaṃ viśvebhyo bhūtebhyaḥ sidhmalaṃ bhūtyai jāgaraṇam abhūtyai svapanam ārtyai janavādinaṃ vyṛddhyā ' apagalbhaṁ saṁśarāya pracchidam ॥
Remove the brute bent on cruelty, the non-performer suffering from faultfinding, the slothful heading to adversity, the slanderer causing mischief and injury, the pessimist inviting poverty, the saboteur Give us the sun and the goldsmith for beauty of form, the measurer for correct measurement, all round capability for all living beings, wakefulness for prosperity, the public voice against adversity.
30.18
अक्षराजाय कितवं कृतायादिनवदर्शं त्रेतायै कल्पिनं द्वापरायाधिकल्पिनम् आस्कन्दाय सभास्थाणुं मृत्यवे गोव्यच्छम् अन्तकाय गोघातं क्षुधे यो गां विकृन्तन्तं भिक्षमाण ऽ उपतिष्ठति दुष्कृताय चरकाचार्यं पाप्मने सैलगम् ॥
akṣarājāya kitavaṃ kṛtāyādinavadarśaṃ tretāyai kalpinaṃ dvāparāyādhikalpinam āskandāya sabhāsthāṇuṃ mṛtyave govyaccham antakāya goghātaṃ kṣudhe yo gāṃ vikṛntantaṃ bhikṣamāṇa ' upatiṣṭhati duṣkṛtāya carakācāryaṃ pāpmane sailagam ॥
Remove the gambler playing for his den-master, the tormenter of the cow to death, the butcher who slaughters the cow, the man who impairs the cow to satisfy hunger, the man who approaches the beef carver asking for food, the beggar serving his master of the den, and the robber out for sin and crime. Give us the man of original vision for the age of truth (Krita-yuga), the man of imagination for the age of thought and resolution (Treta-yuga), the man of imagination and resolution for the age of thought and passion (Dvapara-yuga), and the man-pillar of the council for speedy progress and development.
30.19
प्रतिश्रुत्काया ऽ अर्तनं घोषाय भषम् अन्ताय बहुवादिनम् अनन्ताय मूकꣳ शब्दायाडम्बराघातं महसे वीणावादं क्रोशाय तूणवध्मम् अवरस्पराय शङ्खध्मं वनाय वनपम् अन्यतोरण्याय दावपम् ॥
pratiśrutkāyā ' artanaṃ ghoṣāya bhaṣam antāya bahuvādinam anantāya mūkaṁ śabdāyāḍambarāghātaṃ mahase vīṇāvādaṃ krośāya tūṇavadhmam avarasparāya śaṅkhadhmaṃ vanāya vanapam anyatoraṇyāya dāvapam ॥
For promise and agreement, simplicity of language and content, for proclamation, the announcer, for conclusion, the comprehensive speaker, for the endless talker, silence, for loud proclamation, the beat of the drum, for celebration, the notes of the lute, for sentiment, the flute player, for far and near, the conch blower, for the forests, the protector of the forest and gardens, for large heaths and forests, the fire-guard.
30.20
नर्माय पुꣳश्चलूꣳ हसाय कारिं यादसे शाबल्यां ग्रामण्यं गणकम् अभिक्रोशकं तान् महसे वीणावादं पाणिघ्नं तूणवध्मं तान् नृतायानन्दाय तलवम् ॥
narmāya puṁścalūṁ hasāya kāriṃ yādase śābalyāṃ grāmaṇyaṃ gaṇakam abhikrośakaṃ tān mahase vīṇāvādaṃ pāṇighnaṃ tūṇavadhmaṃ tān nṛtāyānandāya talavam ॥
Remove the flirt disposed to sport, the buffoon disposed to farce, and the courtesan disposed to voluptuous play. Give us for reverence and honour the village headman, the statistician, and the leader who gives the clarion-call. Give us the music of the lute, the drum player, the flute player, and song and celebration for dance and joy.
Mantras 21–22
30.21
अग्नये पीवानं पृथिव्यै पीठसर्पिणं वायवे चाण्डालम् अन्तरिक्षाय वꣳशनर्तिनं दिवे खलतिꣳ सूर्याय हर्यक्षं नक्षत्रेभ्यः किर्मिरं चन्द्रमसे किलासम् अह्ने शुक्लं पिङ्गाक्षꣳ रात्र्यै कृष्णं पिङ्गाक्षम् ॥
agnaye pīvānaṃ pṛthivyai pīṭhasarpiṇaṃ vāyave cāṇḍālam antarikṣāya vaṁśanartinaṃ dive khalatiṁ sūryāya haryakṣaṃ nakṣatrebhyaḥ kirmiraṃ candramase kilāsam ahne śuklaṃ piṅgākṣaṁ rātryai kṛṣṇaṃ piṅgākṣam ॥
For fire and heat work, the strong man and solid materials; for ground work or earthwork, the carrier on the back; for work in the wind, a man of special strength; for work in the sky, a bamboo dancer; for work on and in space, a man who knows the dynamics of space; for work on the sun, a man with green eye-glass; for work on stars and planets, a man with orange eye-glass; for work on the moon, a clear glass; for work on day-light, a man in white with brown eyes; for work on the night, a man in black with brown eyes.
30.22
अथैतान् अष्टौ विरूपान् आ लभते ऽतिदीर्घं चातिह्रस्वं चातिस्थूलं चातिकृशं चातिशुक्लं चातिकृष्णं चातिकुल्वं चातिलोमशं च ।
अशूद्रा ऽ अब्राह्मणास् ते प्राजापत्याः ।
मागधः पुꣳश्चली कितवः क्लीबो ऽशूद्रा ऽ अब्राह्मणास् ते प्राजापत्याः ॥
athaitān aṣṭau virūpān ā labhate 'tidīrghaṃ cātihrasvaṃ cātisthūlaṃ cātikṛśaṃ cātiśuklaṃ cātikṛṣṇaṃ cātikulvaṃ cātilomaśaṃ ca ।
aśūdrā ' abrāhmaṇās te prājāpatyāḥ ।
māgadhaḥ puṁścalī kitavaḥ klībo 'śūdrā ' abrāhmaṇās te prājāpatyāḥ ॥