Category:God As Purusottama
Theme Analysis
In Vedic philosophy, the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: Brahman (the impersonal effulgence), Paramātmā (the localized Supersoul), and Bhagavān (the Supreme Personality of Godhead). Śrīla Prabhupāda heavily emphasizes that Bhagavān is specifically known as Puruṣottama—the Supreme Person. The word puruṣa means "the enjoyer," and uttama means "the best." Therefore, Puruṣottama is the greatest of all living entities, surpassing all jīva-tattvas (ordinary souls) and even encompassing the various viṣṇu-tattvas.
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently clarifies that the impersonal Brahman is simply the glowing effulgence of Puruṣottama, just as the sun rays are secondary to the sun globe. Similarly, while the Paramātmā guides the living entity as a friend from within the heart, He is but a partial representation of Puruṣottama. As the supreme authority, Puruṣottama sanctions the activities of the conditioned souls but is never merely their "order-supplier." Because He is the ultimate cause of all causes, Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that the only auspicious path for human society is to render unmotivated devotional service (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam) to Puruṣottama, aiming to return home, back to Godhead, to associate with Him eternally.
- The Meaning of Puruṣottama: Śrīla Prabhupāda translates Puruṣottama as the "Supreme Person" or the "best of all living entities," where puruṣa means enjoyer and uttama means the greatest.
- Superior to Brahman and Paramātmā: Puruṣottama is the source of both the impersonal Brahman effulgence and the localized Supersoul (Paramātmā).
- The Supreme Authority: Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Arjuna addressed Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama in the Bhagavad-gītā to establish Him as the supreme authority capable of giving definitive answers, not just as an ordinary friend.
- The Goal of Pure Devotion: Unmotivated devotional service is meant exclusively for Puruṣottama, with the ultimate goal of returning to the sanātana-dhāma (eternal abode) to live with Him.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God As Puruṣottama - The Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Pages in category "God As Purusottama"
The following 21 pages are in this category, out of 21 total.
A
- Although Paramatma and Brahman are subordinate to Bhagavan, because Bhagavan is Purusottama or the Superperson, He is the source of the Supersoul also
- Although Purusottama, the best of all living entities, has no benefit to derive from the common living entities, He does have the right to discriminate between their right and wrong ways
- Anyabhilasita-sunyam: (CC Madhya 19.167) he (a devotee of God) has no desire to fulfill by rendering devotional service. Such devotional service is meant for the purusottama, the Supreme Personality, and not for anyone else
- Arjuna has addressed the Supreme Lord as Purusottama, SP, which means that he was putting these (BG 8.1) questions not simply to a friend but to the Supreme Person, knowing Him to be the supreme authority able to give definitive answers. BG 1972 pur
P
- Purusottama is the Supreme Person, and the Supreme Person by His expansion as the Supersoul is present in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam. He's guiding, as friend
- Purusottama, the greatest, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, or Lord Visnu, is always worshiped by others. Prthu Maharaja therefore decided to engage in the service of the lotus feet of Lord Visnu
T
- The Lord is here (in SB 4.20.27) addressed as akhila-purusottama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the entire creation. purusa means "the enjoyer," and uttama means "the best."
- The Lord is known as Purusottama because He is transcendental to both material and spiritual existence. That He is the cause of all causes means that He is the cause of the spiritual world and of the material world as well
- The Lord is present at Puri (Orissa) as Lord Jagannatha (also known as Purusottama); He is present at Allahabad (Prayaga) as Bindu-madhava; at Mandara Hill He is present as Madhusudana
- The Maha-Visnu, throws His glance over prakrti, or material nature, but the Purusottama existed even before that. The Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad therefore confirms the statement of the Bhagavad-gita that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Person (Purusottama)
- The Padma Purana explains: The same Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, the original person, who is always devoid of material qualities and contamination, can exhibit Himself in various forms and at the same time lie down in one form
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, is above both impersonal Brahman and the partial realization of Paramatma. BG 1972 Introduction
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, only gives them a chance to act according to their desires. Therefore, the living entities act by taking advantage of the facility given by the Lord
- They (the impersonalists) should know that the rays of the sun are secondary to the sun, and similarly the impersonal gigantic form of the Lord is also secondary to the personal form as Purusottama. The Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38) confirms this statement