Purushan.
/pəˈrʊʃə/, U.S. /pəˈrʊʃə/ Hinduism.
Universal spirit, soul; spec. (in Sankhya philosophy) the animating principle which, with prakriti and guna, gives rise to the material, sentient universe. Cf. guna n., prakriti n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > source or principle of life > vital principle > [noun]
souleOE
lifeOE
spiritusOE
bloodOE
ghostOE
life and soulOE
quickship?c1225
quicknessc1230
breatha1300
spirita1325
spark1382
naturec1385
sparkle1388
livelinessa1398
rational soula1398
spiracle1398
animal spirit?a1425
vital spiritc1450
soul of the world1525
candle1535
fire1576
three souls1587
vitality?1592
candlelight1596
substance1605
vivacity1611
animality1615
vividity1616
animals1628
life spring1649
archeus1651
vital1670
spirituosity1677
springs of life1681
microcosmetor1684
vital force1702
vital spark (also flame)1704
stamen1718
vis vitae1752
prana1785
Purusha1785
jiva1807
vital force1822
heartbeat1828
world-soul1828
world-spirit1828
life energy1838
life force1848
ghost soul1869
will to live1871
biogen1882
ki1893
mauri1897
élan vital1907
orgone1942
1785 C. Wilkins tr. Bhăgvăt-Gēētā 142 Pooroosh..is a term in theology used to express the vital soul, or portion of the universal spirit of Brăhm inhabiting a body.
1827 H. T. Colebrooke in Trans. Royal Asiatic Soc. 1 31 The theistical Sánc'hya recognises..by Purusha, not individual soul alone, but likewise God..the ruler of the world.
1891 B. S. Colyer-Fergusson tr. P. D. Chantepie de la Saussaye Man. Sci. Relig. lxvi. 545 As an ultimate fundamental being, Purusha, the soul, neither begotten nor begetting, stands face to face with this Prakriti.
1923 S. Radhakrishnan Indian Philos. I. i. iv. 259 The Sāṁkhya philosophy establishes a dualism between puruṣa and prakṛti.
1953 F. Vreede Living Hindu Philos. iv. 27 The opposition of purusha to prakriti represents the complementarity of two universal aspects of reality: ‘essence’ and ‘substance’.
1999 M. Thompson Teach yourself Eastern Philos. i. 25 According to Sankhya, an individual person (jiva), comprises purusha joined to an ego (ahankara), senses and a body.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1785