Purusha
Encyclopedia
In some lineages of Hinduism
, Purusha (Sanskrit
, पुरुष "man, Cosmic man
", in Sutra literature also called "man") is the "Self
" which pervades the universe
. The Vedic
divinities
are interpretations of the many facets of Purusha. According to the Rigvedic Purusha sukta
, Purusha was dismembered by the devas
—his mind is the Moon, his eyes are the Sun, and his breath is the wind.
In the Rigveda
, Purusha is described as a primeval giant that is sacrificed by the gods (see Purushamedha
) and from whose body the world and the varnas (castes) are built. He is described as having a thousand heads and a thousand feet. He emanated Virat
, the female creative principle, from which he is reborn in turn after the world was made out of his parts.
In the sacrifice of Purusha, the Vedic chants were first created. The horses and cows were born, the Brahmins were made from Purusha's mouth, the Ksatriya from his arms, the Vaisyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. The Moon was born from his mind, the Sun from his eyes, the heavens from his skull. Indra and Agni emerged from his mouth.
The parallel to Norse Ymir
is often considered to reflect the myth's origin in Proto-Indo-European religion
.
[S.1.1.1]. This Absolute Truth, which is personal in nature, is Purusha personified.
In Samkhya
, a school of Hindu philosophy, Purusha is pure consciousness
. It is thought to be our true identity, to be contrasted with Prakrti
, or the material
world, which contains all of our organ
s, senses, and intellectual
faculties.
refers to the Hindu belief that human beings were created from different parts of the body of the divinity Purusha.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Purusha (Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, पुरुष "man, Cosmic man
Cosmic Man
In Jungian theory, the Cosmic Man is an archetypical figure that appears in creation myths of a wide variety of mythology. Generally he is described as helpful or positive, and is also frequently the physical basis of the world, such that after death parts of his body became physical parts of the...
", in Sutra literature also called "man") is the "Self
Atman (Hinduism)
Ātman is a Sanskrit word that means 'self'. In Hindu philosophy, especially in the Vedanta school of Hinduism it refers to one's true self beyond identification with phenomena...
" which pervades the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. The Vedic
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
divinities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
are interpretations of the many facets of Purusha. According to the Rigvedic Purusha sukta
Purusha sukta
Purusha sukta is hymn 10.90 of the Rigveda, dedicated to the Purusha, the "Cosmic Being". One version of the Suktam has 16 verses, 15 in the meter, and the final one in the meter...
, Purusha was dismembered by the devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
—his mind is the Moon, his eyes are the Sun, and his breath is the wind.
In the Rigveda
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
, Purusha is described as a primeval giant that is sacrificed by the gods (see Purushamedha
Purushamedha
Purushamedha is a Vedic yajna described in the Yajurveda . The verse describes people from all classes and of all descriptions tied to the stake and offered to Prajapati....
) and from whose body the world and the varnas (castes) are built. He is described as having a thousand heads and a thousand feet. He emanated Virat
VIRAT
The Video Image Retrieval and Analysis Tool program is a video surveillance project funded by the Information Processing Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ....
, the female creative principle, from which he is reborn in turn after the world was made out of his parts.
In the sacrifice of Purusha, the Vedic chants were first created. The horses and cows were born, the Brahmins were made from Purusha's mouth, the Ksatriya from his arms, the Vaisyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet. The Moon was born from his mind, the Sun from his eyes, the heavens from his skull. Indra and Agni emerged from his mouth.
The parallel to Norse Ymir
Ymir
In Norse mythology, Ymir, also called Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of frost giants and was later killed by the Borrs.-Etymology:...
is often considered to reflect the myth's origin in Proto-Indo-European religion
Proto-Indo-European religion
Proto-Indo-European religion is the hypothesized religion of the Proto-Indo-European peoples based on the existence of similarities among the deities, religious practices and mythologies of the Indo-European peoples. Reconstruction of the hypotheses below is based on linguistic evidence using the...
.
Interpretations
The Vedanta Sutras mention that : janmādy asya yatah, meaning that 'The Absolute Truth is that from which everything else emanates' Bhagavata PuranaBhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
[S.1.1.1]. This Absolute Truth, which is personal in nature, is Purusha personified.
In Samkhya
Samkhya
Samkhya, also Sankhya, Sāṃkhya, or Sāṅkhya is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy and classical Indian philosophy. Sage Kapila is traditionally considered as the founder of the Samkhya school, although no historical verification is possible...
, a school of Hindu philosophy, Purusha is pure consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
. It is thought to be our true identity, to be contrasted with Prakrti
Prakrti
Prakrti or Prakriti or Prakruti means "nature". It is, according to Hindus, the basic nature of intelligence by which the Universe exists and functions. It is described in Bhagavad Gita as the "primal motive force". It is the essential constituent of the universe and is at the basis of all the...
, or the material
Material
Material is anything made of matter, constituted of one or more substances. Wood, cement, hydrogen, air and water are all examples of materials. Sometimes the term "material" is used more narrowly to refer to substances or components with certain physical properties that are used as inputs to...
world, which contains all of our organ
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
s, senses, and intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
faculties.
Varna system
VarnaVarnashrama dharma
Varna refers to the categorization of the Hindu society by four castes, hypothesized by the Brahmins and their sacred texts.This quadruple division is not to be confused with Jāti or even the much finer division of the contemporary caste system in India....
refers to the Hindu belief that human beings were created from different parts of the body of the divinity Purusha.
See also
- AnthroposAnthroposAnthropos Greek. 1. a human being, whether male or female 1. generically, to include all human individuals 2. to distinguish man from beings of a different order 1. of animals and plants...
- BrahmanBrahmanIn Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
- CipactliCipactliCipactli 'Crocodile' or 'Caiman', was the first day of the Aztec divinatory count of 13 X 20 days , and Cipactonal 'Sign of Cipactli' was considered to have been the first diviner. In Aztec cosmology, the crocodile symbolized the earth floating in the primeval waters...
- Hindu deitiesHindu deitiesWithin Hinduism a large number of personal gods are worshipped as murtis. These beings are either aspects of the supreme Brahman, Avatars of the supreme being, or significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regards to each deity varies between differing Hindu...
- Hindu idealismHindu idealismThere are currents of idealism in classical Hindu philosophy.Idealism and materialism are the principal monist ontologies.A related branch is the Buddhist concept of consciousness-only.Idealist notions have been supported by the Vedanta and Yoga schools...
- Hindu mythologyHindu mythologyHindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
- Indian caste system
- NarayanaNarayanaNarayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...