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Concept
Purushottama
Summary
Purushottama (पुरुषोत्तम, from पुरुष, purusha "spirit" or "male" and उत्तम, uttama, "highest") is an epithet of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. According to Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the source of moksha, the liberator of sins, the fount of knowledge, and the highest of all beings.
The epithet means the "Supreme Purusha", "Supreme Being," or "Supreme God".
It has alternatively also been put forth to mean: "One who is the Supreme Purusha, beyond the kshara (destructible — i.e., Prakṛti), and akshara (indestructible — i.e., Atman)".
Purushottama is one of the names of Vishnu, and appears as the 24th name of the deity in the Vishnu Sahasranama of the Mahabharata. Rama as an avatara of Vishnu is called Maryada Purushottama, whereas Krishna as an avatara of Vishnu is known as Leela Purushottama.
The Bhagavad Gita invokes this epithet in its verses:
स्वयमेवात्मनात्मानं वेत्थ त्वं पुरुषोत्तम । भूतभावन भूतेश देवदेव जगत्पते १५
swayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣhottama
bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśha deva-deva jagat-pate 15
O Creator of beings, O Ruler of creatures, god of gods, the Lord of the universe, O supreme Purusa, You alone know what You are by Yourself.
In the Harivamsha, Brahma refers to Vishnu by this epithet before the events of the Samudra Manthana:
Brahma said:—O you highly powerful gods, I have learnt the object of your arrival here. O leading Suras, your object will be accomplished. That lord of the universe, who will vanquish Bali the foremost of Danavas, is not only the victor of the Daityas but is the conqueror of three worlds and is worshipful unto the gods. That eternal origin of the universe is the ordainer of the worlds. People call him omniscient and Hemagarbha. The great Lord, who will destroy the world and the Asura-chief Bali, is the origin of all and is our first born. That Yogin, that soul of the universe is above the reach of thought. Even the Devas do not know that great one: but that Purusottama knows the gods, ourselves and the whole universe. By His grace we fare well.
Official source
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