Puruṣa
Consciousness and personhood in context, beginning with classical Sāṅkhya.
Introductory source-based synthesis. External references were consulted for the stated scope; specialist peer review is not claimed.
A word used in several settings
Puruṣa can have different meanings across Sanskrit texts. Here the starting point is classical Sāṅkhya, where it names consciousness in distinction from prakṛti. This is one technical use, not a definition to impose on every Vedic, epic or devotional occurrence of the word.
Witness and changing experience
Sāṅkhya recognizes a plurality of puruṣas. Their distinction from prakṛti helps frame its account of liberation. A concise English term such as “spirit” can obscure the separation between consciousness and the changing mental processes through which ordinary experience takes place.
Follow the relation
Read puruṣa alongside prakṛti rather than as an isolated dictionary entry. Ask what changes, what knows change and how the text explains their apparent involvement. When comparing the Gītā with classical Sāṅkhya or Yoga, identify the source before transferring conclusions. The entry is a philosophical orientation, with no claim to establish a personal spiritual experience or to teach a contemplative technique.
Questions to carry
- 01Is puruṣa singular or plural in this account?
- 02What distinguishes awareness from the processes of mind?
Sources & further reading
- 01Ferenc Ruzsa · Sāṅkhya · Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophyscholarly secondary
Reference consulted for the introductory account; follow the source for its full context.
Consulted 2026-11-07 - 02Heritage IITKanpur · Bhagavad Gītā 13.20primary source
Sanskrit verse identifier and opening text consulted; no translated quotation reproduced.
Consulted 2026-11-07