Puruṣa has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. Everywhere he pervades the earth, filling a space ten fingers wide.
This Puruṣa encompasses everything that has ever been and everything that will be; He is the Lord of Immortality, growing ever greater through offerings.
So vast is his greatness; indeed, Puruṣa is even greater than this. All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths live eternally in heaven.
With three-fourths Puruṣa ascended; one-fourth of him remained here below. From there he stepped out to every side, over what is and what is not.
Virāj was born from him; Puruṣa was born again from Virāj. As soon as he was born, he spread eastward and westward across the earth.
When the Gods prepared the sacrifice with Puruṣa as their offering, Its oil was spring, its holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.
They offered Puruṣa born in earliest time as the victim on the grass. With him the Deities and all Sādhyas and Ṛṣis sacrificed.
From that great general sacrifice, dripping fat was gathered up. He formed the creatures of the air, and animals both wild and tame.
From that great general sacrifice, Ṛcas and Sāma-hymns were born: Spells and charms were produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.
From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth: From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born.
When they divided Puruṣa, how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?
The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made. His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.
The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth; Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vāyu from his breath.
Forth from his navel came mid-air, the sky was fashioned from his head. Earth from his feet, and from his chariot the regions. Thus