purusha
/pʊˈrʊʃə/
noun
Origin
Sanskrit
पुरुष — person, man; cosmic person
Overview
Meaning Now
- In Indian religious and philosophical traditions, the cosmic or spiritual person; the universal self or conscious principle.
- A human being, man, or person in classical Sanskrit usage.
Literal older meaning
“person; man”
Language path
Sanskrit → English
Earliest form
पुरुष
Earliest period
Vedic Sanskrit period
Journey
In Sāṃkhya, Yoga, and related Indian philosophical traditions, puruṣa is contrasted with prakṛti: puruṣa is the conscious witness or spirit, while prakṛti is material nature. In ordinary Sanskrit, however, the word can simply mean a man or person.
Evolution
- Vedic Sanskrit
पुरुष
“man, person; human being”
Common noun in early Indo-Aryan usage.
- Classical Sanskrit
पुरुष
“man, person; male; the conscious self in philosophical systems”
Used in grammar, philosophy, and religious discourse.
- Later English scholarly usage
purusha
“the cosmic person or spiritual principle in Hindu philosophy”
Adopted through transliteration in Indology and comparative religion.
Connections
Word parts
पुरुष
root
person, man
Related across languages
Avestan
𐬞𐬏𐬭𐬆𐬱𐬀
man, person
Old Persian
martiya
man, person
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.