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Purusa means

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 2

SB 2.1.10, Purport:

In other words, puruṣa means the enjoyer, and mahāpuruṣa means the supreme enjoyer, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.25.11, Purport:

The living entities, in the guises of men and women, are trying to enjoy the material energy; therefore in one sense everyone is puruṣa because puruṣa means "enjoyer" and prakṛti means "enjoyed." In this material world both the so-called man and so-called woman are imitating the real puruṣa; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the enjoyer in the transcendental sense, whereas all others are prakṛti.

SB 3.26.3, Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as being without beginning. He is puruṣa, the Supreme Spirit. puruṣa means "person." When we think of a person in our present experience, that person has a beginning. This means that he has taken birth and that there is a history from the beginning of his life.

SB 3.29.35, Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity are qualitatively one; both are defined as puruṣa. The quality of puruṣa exists both in the Supreme Godhead and in the living entity. puruṣa means "enjoyer," and the spirit of enjoyment is present both in the living entity and in the Supreme Lord. The difference is that the quantity of enjoyment is not equal.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.8.78, Purport:

The mahat-tattva, or the sum total of the material creation, is to be understood to be the ultimate end of all universes, including all the living entities therein. Brahman is the resort of the mahat-tattva, which includes all material and spiritual entities. It is described in this connection that the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, is the master of both pradhāna and puruṣa. Pradhāna means subtle matter, such as ether. puruṣa means the spiritual spark living entities who are entangled in that subtle material existence. These may also be described as parā prakṛti and aparā prakṛti, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā.

SB 4.20.27, Purport:

The Lord is here addressed as akhila-pūruṣottama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the entire creation. puruṣa means "the enjoyer," and uttama means "the best." There are different kinds of puruṣas, or enjoyers, within the universe.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.15.18-19, Purport:

The word mahā-puruṣa refers to advanced devotees and also to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahā means "the supreme," and puruṣa means "person." One who always engages in the service of the Supreme Lord is called mahā-pauruṣika.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 6.151, Purport:

This Vedic mantra clearly states, puruṣaṁ mahāntam. The word puruṣa means "person." In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) Arjuna confirms that this person is Kṛṣṇa when he addresses Kṛṣṇa as puruṣaṁ śāśvatam: "You are the original person." Thus the puruṣaṁ mahāntam mentioned in the verse from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad is Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 87:

Kṛṣṇa Himself declares in the Bhagavad-gītā that because He is transcendental to all sentient and insentient beings, He is known as Puruṣottama, which means the Supreme Personality. (Puruṣa means "person," and uttama means "supreme" or "transcendental.") In another place the Lord says that as the air is situated in the all-pervading sky, everyone is situated in Him, and everyone is acting under His direction.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.3:

The Lord is the eternal Supreme Person, and therefore His name, form, qualities, pastimes, and so on are all eternal. The Sanskrit word puruṣa means "enjoyer." An enjoyer can never be a formless, impersonal, impotent being. Certainly Lord Kṛṣṇa is without material qualities, yet He is the enjoyer and possessor of all spiritual qualities.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

That is puruṣottama-yoga in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa has said, "Anyone who has understood Me, ajam avyayam, ajam—I never take birth in this material world, neither I am deteriorated by material contact—he knows me perfectly." That is called puruṣottama. Puruṣa uttama. Uttama. Uttama means "not of this material world." Ut. Ut means above, and tama means this darkness. So ut-tama means "above this darkness." So uttama puruṣa. Puruṣa uttama. Puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Prakṛti means enjoyed. So actually, we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛti. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

In the śāstra it is said that "You living entity, you are prakṛti." How you can become same, you puruṣa. This is mistake. How prakṛti, how a woman can become man? Artificially one can become. Here also so-called woman, they are also puruṣa. They are thinking puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Everyone. Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Puruṣa attitude. Everyone wants to be served. Nobody wants to serve. This is the material conception of life.

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

Actually the living entities are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, prakṛti. Prakṛti means woman. And puruṣa means man. So the living entities are never described as puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣa śāśvata. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam adyam... (BG 10.12). Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Kṛṣṇa is always puruṣa. God cannot be female. God is always male, puruṣa. And we are prakṛti. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim parā (BG 7.5).

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

We have to take things from the śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā also woman's position has been equated with śūdra. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyas te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So position must be ascertained. But this position is artificial. Here either woman or man, they are in artificial position. Because a woman may be in women's dress, but her mind is like man. She also wants to enjoy. And the others, the so-called man.... The so-called man is also not man; he is woman. Prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā (BG 7.5). Prakṛti. As the earth, water, air, fire, sky, they are also controlled, the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa, similarly, the so-called man or woman in this material world, they are also controlled. Nobody can say that "I am not controlled." Who is here? You must be controlled.

Therefore we see two prakṛtis: para prakṛti and apara prakṛti. But all of them are controlled; none of them are the controller. And that is the difference between puruṣa and prakṛti. Puruṣa means controller. And prakṛti means controlled. Puruṣa means predominator, and prakṛti means predominated. This is the difference. So Kṛṣṇa does not fall from his position of predominator. Therefore He is addressed as Acyuta, Acyuta.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

The real enjoyer is the Supreme Lord. We are enjoyed, we are not enjoyer. Just like a crude example. Because we have got our material senses, the example, in material world, we can just understand. Just like the husband and the wife. Now, the husband is called the enjoyer, puruṣa. Puruṣa. Puruṣa, man. Man is called puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. And the wife is called strī. Strī means woman. Strī means prakṛti. Prakṛti means which is enjoyed. The subject and the object. But the enjoyment, actually the enjoyment between husband and wife, that is participated by both. There is no division.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ means His body is full—full of bliss, full of knowledge, and it is eternal. That is completely distinct from this body. So when there is description of the Lord that He is formless, He is formless means He is not of this form. He has got a sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), a different element. Therefore He's called pavitra. And paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the Supreme Original." Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum. So "You are Puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. "In the Vedic literature, about Yourself...," āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve, "all the great sages accept You, the Supreme Lord."

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Puruṣa means the enjoyer. Everyone of us sitting in this hall, we have got different mentality to enjoy differently, different dress, different mentality, different opinion, because everyone of us we are individual. So this individuality is both in spiritual world and the material world. But in the material world our individuality is different on account of associating or infecting different qualities of the material nature.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Dehī, the proprietor of the body. Just like you are the proprietor of your shirt and coat. You are not shirt and coat. You are the proprietor of the shirt and coat. You are dressed with shirt and coat in different colors and different shape.

Similarly, the living entity—it does not matter whether he is a man or animal—he is part and parcel of God, but he desired certain dress or certain body, so prakṛti, nature, has given him. So this is going on. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi (BG 13.22). Puruṣa means... He is not enjoyer, but he is thinking enjoyer. He is not enjoyer. At any moment his so-called enjoyment will be finished.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

We are not puruṣa. But we are trying to become puruṣa. Suppose a woman artificially wants to become man. That is very troublesome. Similarly, actually position is prakṛti. Prakṛti means enjoyed, one who is enjoyed. And puruṣa means one who is enjoyer. So our position is to be enjoyed, but we are trying to become enjoyer. Our position is to be predominated but we are trying to become predominator. That is called dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Just like a woman. Natural position is to remain dependent on man. That is natural position. But if some woman artificially tries to become man or master, that is suffering. That is suffering. We have given this example that in India the women, they voluntarily surrender to the subjugation of the husband, but there are many families, hundreds and thousands even—they are happy. That's a fact. And in the Western countries they want to remain independent, so they are not happy. This is my study because I have seen the Western world and the Eastern world. Similarly, naturally, a woman is dependent.

Similarly, we are, we are prakṛti. Prakṛti means one who is controlled. That is called prakṛti. And puruṣa means the controller. So our position in this material world, that we have revolted against Kṛṣṇa, "Why should we, shall I serve Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore we are subjugated by the external energy, Kṛṣṇa's energy, material nature. We are not supposed to be controlled by material nature so that we are now under the jurisdiction of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa is described as nava-yauvana. Some of you must have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. He is always just like a boy of twenty years old, although He is the ādi-puruṣa. Ādi-puruṣa means He is the original person of all emanations. He is the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anādim, ādyaṁ purāṇa-pu... Purāṇa-puruṣam means the oldest. Purāṇa means old. Purāṇa-puruṣam; still, nava-yauvanaṁ ca, just like a young man of twenty years old, full energy, full youthfulness.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "These eight elements, they are also My prakṛti, but bhinnā, separated, separated prakṛti." Prakṛti means subordinate to the puruṣa. As soon as the prakṛti... Generally, we understand that the husband and wife.... Wife is called prakṛti, and the husband is called puruṣa. So puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. So similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, that all these elements, gross and subtle, earth, water, air, fire, and these are gross elements, and the mind, intelligence and ego, subtle elements.... Then Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam: "These elements are inferior prakṛti." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. There is another prakṛti. What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Jīva-bhūta, the living entity. The living entity is also prakṛti. We are not puruṣa. But we forget this.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

We want to keep our youthhood by so many ways, but Kṛṣṇa is always young. Bhagavān is always young. Bhagavān never becomes old. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). He's the Purāṇa-puruṣam. Purāṇa-puruṣam means the oldest person. Be..., because He's ādyam, beginning of all puruṣas. Puruṣa means the three Puruṣas, Viṣṇu—Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. They are called Puruṣa. So ādyaṁ puruṣam. He's male, person. He's not imperson. Imperson is only His one bodily feature. So in spite of His being ādyam, ādi-puruṣam, the cause of all causes, cause of Mahā-Viṣṇu, cause of Brahmā, still nava-yauvanaṁ ca, He never becomes old, God never becomes old. That is His opulence.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

Every living entity is woman. Those who are thinking of becoming man, they are in illusion. Prakṛti, puruṣa. Puruṣa means the bhoktā, the enjoyer, and prakṛti, strī, means enjoyed. Every living entity is described as prakṛti. No living entity is puruṣa. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. So when we are thinking, "I have become a puruṣa, enjoyer," that is māyā. That is māyā. (break) ...as woman or man, but actually, every one of us, woman, prakṛti. Every one of us. And every one of us are thinking as man. Even the woman. Man means enjoyer. So everyone is thinking enjoyer, "I am enjoyer." And this is called māyā. And about the gopīs, it is better not to speculate. The speculator's writing has no value. Gopīs, they are pleasure potency expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya (Bs. 5.32).

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

So jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho. The conclusion is that jīva, the living entities, individual living entities, they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa as energy. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā here, apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtim (BG 7.5), that jīva-bhūta, the living entities, they are prakṛti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. Just like for crude example: man and woman. Man is supposed to be the enjoyer, and the woman is supposed to be enjoyed. Similarly, prak ṛti is not enjoyer; prakṛti is enjoyed. If the prakṛti remains in her own position as being enjoyed, that is her natural position. And if she superficially, artificially tries to be enjoyer, a puruṣa, she never becomes happy. According to our Manu-saṁhitā it is said that woman has no independence.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

The material energy is being pushed forward by the spiritual energy. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Jīva, living force. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho. And because the spiritual force is there, the material world is working. This is the conclusion. Not that the material force is working independently. Apareyam itas tu anyām. Anya means it is different. It is not material energy. Anyām, completely. Prakṛti. But it is prakṛti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa means the worker. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. As it will be admitted by Arjuna after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). "You are puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

Puruṣottama. Arjuna addressed Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama, uttama-puruṣa. There are three kinds of puruṣas. Puruṣa means the male, or the enjoyer. So uttama-puruṣa, madhyama-puruṣa, adhama-puruṣa. Adhama means the lowest. We are also puruṣa. At least, we have taken the position of puruṣa to enjoy this material world. But we are adhama-puruṣa. Adhama means the lowest. We cannot enjoy independently. We require so many favorable circumstances. Just like we cannot see without the sunrise. Still, we are very much proud of seeing. We say, "Can you show me God?" Well, can you see God? You cannot see without sunshine, and still, you are so much proud of your eyes. That is called adhama.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

So each and every spiritual planet, there is expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and they are differently named. In that picture we will find, our Bhāgavata. Innumerable. So puruṣa. They are all puruṣa. Puruṣa means the person. They are not imperson. Puruṣa. Puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ. But superior. Puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyaḥ. You can approach that puruṣa simply by devotional service, not by challenge, not by philosophical speculation or not by exercise of this yoga and that yoga. No. Simply by surrender and devotional service. It is clearly stated. It is not stated that you can reach there by philosophical speculation, mental concoction or by some physical exercise.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

Puruṣa means any man, any human being, living being, but a human being because otherwise who will hear Kṛṣṇa? The cats and dogs will not hear. That is not possible. They have no capacity. But you are all human being.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

Prakṛti means the enjoyed, and puruṣa means the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. He's the original puruṣa. That will be admitted by Arjuna: puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. "You are the original enjoyer, puruṣam." Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and every one of us, the living entities, and the prakṛti, nature, everything, is to be enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's... Another puruṣa, we living entities. We are not puruṣa. We are also prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:

This is material nature and anyone who is trying to enjoy this material nature, he is called puruṣa. Purusa means enjoyer and prakṛti means enjoyed. Just like in ordinary life we see a man is supposed to be enjoyer and the woman is supposed to be enjoyed, similarly, prakṛti is feminine gender and puruṣa is masculine gender. Anyone who is trying to enjoy, he is puruṣa. It doesn't matter, outwardly he's dressed as man or women; if he has got the desire to enjoy, that is called puruṣa. And his object that is enjoyed, that is called prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

So here Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa as his guru. And he submissively says that prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva. Prakṛti, prakṛti means nature, and puruṣa means the exploiter of the nature. Just like here in this material world, especially in the Western countries they are very much fond of developing undeveloped countries. That means exploiting, or to become puruṣa, enjoyer. You Americans, you came from Europe, and now you have developed the whole America, very nice cities, towns, and very well developed. That is called the exploiting the resources.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

Then how we are puruṣa? Puruṣa means enjoyer. If the puruṣa becomes under the ruling of prakṛti, then how he is puruṣa? He is not puruṣa. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā the living entity has been described as prakṛti, not puruṣa. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Kṛṣṇa says that this material nature, matter, dull matter... Earth, water, air, fire, sky, these are called gross material elements. So they are also prakṛti. Bhinnā prakṛtiḥ me aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṇa says that "These material elements—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego, eight—they are all material. Mind is also material. There is spiritual also. But whatever is within our experience, that is material. So that is claimed as Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti or energy.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

Just like one may have more than one wife, one or two. The husband is one, and the wife may be two or more than two. So actually that is the position. The Supreme Lord is the husband or the puruṣa. Husband means puruṣa, and prakṛti means strī. Strī means woman. Male, female, these two things... The supreme male is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone, either this dull matter or the living entities, they are called female, prakṛti. Prakṛti means female. And puruṣa means male.

Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa's another name is Keśava. So he is addressing Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Keśava, I want to know these subject matters—prakṛti, puruṣa." Prakṛti means nature, material nature, and puruṣa means the enjoyer, just like the living entities. We are trying to enjoy this material nature. Another prakṛti-puruṣa... Puruṣa means, real puruṣa means, the supreme enjoyer, God, Kṛṣṇa. And prakṛti means which is enjoyed. Another meaning—prakṛti, means woman and puruṣa means man. So this material world is going on—one party is trying to enjoy, and the other party is being enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

So Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa six things: kṣetra, kṣetrajña, prakṛti, puruṣa, jñānam, jñeyam. What is knowledge and what is the object of knowledge. Jñānam jñeyam. Kṣetra, field of activities, kṣetrajña, the worker on that field, kṣetra, kṣetrajña, and prakṛti, nature, and the puruṣa. Material nature and puruṣa means the enjoyer. Six question. Of course Bhagavad-gītā is each and every word and letter is full of knowledge. But these six inquiries, if actually can understand the six items, he becomes the perfect knower. That is said by Kṛṣṇa: yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama. Jñānam means knowledge. So if anyone can understand the six items, then he is in full knowledge.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

Anyway, we have to accept knowledge from the perfect person. This is the sum and substance. Unless we take knowledge form the perfect person, our knowledge is defective. Therefore Arjuna is asking, "What is this prakṛti, material nature? What is puruṣa?" Puruṣa means who is trying to exploit (break) ...he is also prakṛti. Prakṛti. Just try to understand, woman, strī. But if one strī wants to enjoy another strī. So how it is possible? That is not possible. There must be puruṣa.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

Material nature, prakṛti, is enjoyable. Prakṛti means enjoyable. And puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Just like in our present condition we accept the female as the fair sex, enjoyable. And we, male, we think we are enjoyer. By nature the females, they are by nature apt to dress attractively, and the puruṣa is attracted. So this prakṛti and puruṣa. Actually none of us are puruṣa. This conception of puruṣa, enjoyer, that is there in so-called woman and so-called man. The man also wants to enjoy. Not only man, every living entity, cats, dogs, trees, aquatics, everyone, because this material world means all the living entities, beginning from Lord Brahmā, down to the smallest ant, they are seeking after enjoyment. Puruṣa.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

So that puruṣa... Puruṣa means the living entity. Kṛṣṇa says here that prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī. Anādī, eternal. It is not temporary; it is eternal. There are five things: the living entities, the prakṛti, God, and the work... There are... Prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī. Anādī means eternal. It is not created. It is there but it becomes manifested. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Lecture on BG 13.22 -- Bombay, October 20, 1973:

Prabhupāda:

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
(BG 13.22)

(reads synonyms responsively, and then the translation:)

"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species of life." Puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, the living entity. (aside in Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So that day I have already explained puruṣa. Puruṣa means the enjoyer. And prakṛti means enjoyed. So puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ. The living entity, although... Prakṛti-sthaḥ means this material world. The living entity, although part and parcel of God, spiritual entity, but he has come to this material world to enjoy. Anyone who is in this material world, his original cause of coming down from the spiritual platform to this material platform means he wanted to enjoy.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

Prabhupāda: Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā?

Hari-śauri: Karatālas, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Karatālas?

Prabhupāda: Bring Bhagavad-gītā.

puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
(BG 13.22)

Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer and prakṛti means enjoyed. So real puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities, they are actually prakṛti. There are three kinds of prakṛtis or energies. God has got different energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Svābhāvikī. Just like an intelligent person he has varieties of intelligence and energy. We see sometimes in human society a particular person has got special intelligence, special energy. So what to speak of the Supreme Lord. He has got varieties of energies and all of these energies taken together primarily divided into three, the material energy, the spiritual energy and the marginal energy.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

Puruṣa. We living entities, we are sometimes called puruṣa because we artificially exhibit our propensity to enjoy this material world. So puruṣa means the enjoyer. Therefore sometimes we are called puruṣa. Here the living entities as a whole is called puruṣa. Here even the woman, she is also puruṣa. Because the same spirit. "I shall enjoy to my best capacity."

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So try to understand that we are puruṣa. Puruṣa means we are part and parcel of the Kṛṣṇa is described as the paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma puruṣaṁ param (BG 10.12). He's parama-puruṣa and we are subordinate puruṣa. We have got the same constitutional position but very minute. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa is mahataḥ, greater than the greatest, and we are the smaller than the smallest. But the particle is the same. As particle of gold is also gold. But the particle of gold is never equal to the gold mine. We should understand this. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of the Supreme Person therefore we have got all the propensities and qualities of God but very minute quantity. That minute quantity is also now covered by this material energy. That is our position. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the enjoyer. Puruṣa. And prakṛti means enjoyed. For enjoyment two things are required. One enjoyer and the other enjoyed. When we eat something, the eater is the enjoyer and the foodstuff is enjoyed. So here in this material world the living entity, although by nature it is to be enjoyed, but out of ignorance the enjoyed is claiming to be enjoyer. Just like from practical example the man and woman, the man is supposed to be the enjoyer and the woman is supposed to be the enjoyed. So enjoyed means prakṛti, or female, and enjoyer means the puruṣa, or the male.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

So jīva-bhūta, living entities, they are actually prakṛti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣa means enjoyer. But Māyāvādī philosophy, they want to turn the prakṛti into puruṣa. The jīva. Jīva is described as prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. Jīva-bhūta. They are better than, superior than the matter because they adjust matter. The resources, the material resources, they try to enjoy it. They cannot enjoy, but try to enjoy it. Therefore it is called superior energy. But it is energy, not the energetic.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Puruṣa means enjoyer. And prakṛti means enjoyed. Puruṣa means the predominator, and prakṛti means the predominated. So we are predominated. We are not predominator. If the predominated wants to become predominator, that is false. That is illusion. That is going on. Everyone, all our, all living entities, we are trying to become predominator instead of being predominated. That is the struggle for existence. And as soon as we become, we agree to become predominated, there is peace immediately. That is called mukti.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

So Mira challenged that "I came to Vṛndāvana. I know that only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa here, and everyone is woman. So how does it mean that Rūpa Gosvāmī's declined to see another woman?" So Rūpa Gosvāmī agreed, "Yes, I am mistaken. Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa." So puruṣa means the enjoyer, and prakṛti means the instrument of enjoyment, prakṛti, energy. Just like here we see one man is very big, rich man, but he's enjoyer by utilizing his energy. Similarly, the whole cosmic situation, whole creation is..., the supreme enjoyer is God.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

When Arjuna admitted Him that "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma," paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). "You are puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. Śāśvata means eternally. Not that "You are now enjoyer and formerly You were something else." No. Śāśvataṁ puruṣam ādyam, original. So this is the appreciation of Kṛṣṇa. After reading Bhagavad-gītā, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you try to banish Kṛṣṇa, then what kind of reading of Bhagavad-gītā? This is all nonsense.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

So here Vyāsadeva says that sa vai bhavān veda samasta-guhyam. "My dear Nārada, my dear spiritual master, you can answer why I am unhappy because you know the presiding Deity of the whole creation, purāṇa-puruṣaḥ." Purāṇa means old, and puruṣa means the Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the oldest. He must be oldest because He is the father of everything. So nobody can be older than Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

So Vyāsadeva, under the instruction of his spiritual master Nārada, he meditated in bhakti-yoga, and he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. Pūrṇam means complete. So we are also puruṣa, living entities. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So we are trying to enjoy, but we are incomplete, not complete. We have got so much desire to enjoy, but we cannot because we are incomplete.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

We are changing this dress. So in this material world, because our mentality is to enjoy, therefore he is called puruṣa. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). Puruṣa, here puruṣa, the living entities... It is said puruṣa. Puruṣa means both men and women because everyone has got the spirit, "I shall enjoy." Therefore he is described as puruṣa. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi. In this material world, bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. We are getting different types of bodies on account of our different desires.

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

People are searching after God. They do not know God. They are asking this question, "Can you show me God?" So, so many questions are there about God, but here is God, pointed out by Arjuna, a mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Why should you not accept? That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Why you are searching God. Here is God, as Arjuna says." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ: "You are the original person." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ. Puruṣa means enjoyer. God is not female. Sometimes they worship a female as God, like Durgā, Kālī, and so many others. But God is puruṣa. Everyone is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female. Everyone knows it. There are two things, prakṛti and puruṣa. The puruṣa is the enjoyer, and prakṛti is the enjoyed. Or, in other words, puruṣa is the predominator and prakṛti is predominated. So we are prakṛti. The Māyāvāda philosophy is that prakṛti wants to become puruṣa. And that is not possible. Suppose a woman, if she dresses like a man, does it mean that she has become a man? No. Or a man dresses like a woman, does it mean that he has become woman? Simply by outward dress? No. Puruṣa, the only puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. That is very nicely explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servants. This is the position. Never try to become the puruṣa or the master. That is very dangerous. Always remain prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled or controlled, and puruṣa means the controller. So here is the supreme controller: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣāt. Not that "You were made by some means."

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

So in the beginning Kuntīdevī said that namasye puruṣaṁ tvādyam īśvaraṁ prakṛteḥ param: (SB 1.8.18) "I offer my obeisances unto the person, puruṣam, who is prakṛteḥ param, who is beyond this material manifestation." Kṛṣṇa is complete spirit soul, Supersoul. He has no material body. So in the beginning Kuntīdevī gave us this understanding that God, the supreme puruṣa... Puruṣa means person. He's not imperson. Puruṣa. But He's not a puruṣa of this material world, not a personality of this material creation. That is to be understood. The impersonalists cannot accommodate in their poor fund of knowledge how the Supreme Absolute Truth can become a person, because whenever they think of person they think of a person of this material world. That is their defect. So they have poor fund of knowledge. Why God should be a person of this material world? So that was cleared in the beginning. Prakṛteḥ param, beyond this material creation, but He is a person.

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

Everything is correctly visioned, and the ideas are given by persons who are above material contamination. Mukta-puruṣa. Mukta-puruṣa means one who is not affected by the material incompetency. There are material incompetencies. We commit mistakes. We are illusioned. Our senses are imperfect. And sometimes... Sometimes not. Always. We want to cheat. These are the defects of material knowledge. And one who is above these material incompetencies, he's called mukta-puruṣa. So one has to become mukta-puruṣa. That is called Vedic knowledge. That is called Vedānta. Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

So so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena. We also require. Don't be proud, "Because I am man, I don't require protection." Here it is said, Kṛṣṇa said, er Arjuna said, puruṣottamena so 'haṁ rahitaḥ: "Now I have no protection." Arjuna was so great hero. Still, he required protection. Puruṣottamena. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer. The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. If He does not give protection, you cannot enjoy your life. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

Govindam, Govinda is ādi-puruṣa. So ādi-puruṣa means the original person. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "I am the Supreme Person." Now there are different forms of God, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). There are different incarnations. Just like īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That Kṛṣṇa, He is staying in everyone's heart. This is also another incarnation, antaryāmī, Supersoul incarnation. Just imagine how many. Anantyāya kalpate, these living entities are unlimited, so this incarnation, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61), the Lord in everyone's heart is staying. So how many you cannot count, there is no question. Not only that; it is said that aṇḍāntara-stham, He is staying as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu within this universe.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

Kā vā saheta virahaṁ puruṣottamasya. Puruṣottama. Puruṣa and prakṛti, there are two words. Prakṛti means "enjoyed" or "the energy," and puruṣa means "the enjoyer" and, or "the powerful." So we are prakṛti, we living entities, we are prakṛti. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: prakṛteḥ hi me parām vidhi, apareyam itas tu prakṛti me...

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

In this way, passing through different species of life, the living entity... Jīva-jātiṣu. Jīva-jātiṣu, in different species of life, he is transmigrating, one after another, one after another. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here "puruṣa" because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. That is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life, let me enter that life, that life, that life, that ..." In this way he falls down. He is fallen already from Vaikuṇṭha planet. He is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to keep the mind and consciousness always in Kṛṣṇa, puṁsi. Puṁsi. Puṁsi. Puṁsi means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's a person. He's a male, not female. Puṁsi. Puruṣaḥ. Puruṣaḥ, not strī. When Kṛṣṇa was realized by Arjuna, he addressed Him, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). God is brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam. God is puruṣa, not female. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. Everything is enjoyed by the Supreme Puruṣa. We are also prakṛti. That is also stated. We are not puruṣa. This dress may be... That is māyā, illusion. Actually, we are puruṣa, and prakṛti means... Here the so-called woman is also puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. The women, they are also thinking how to enjoy. And man is also thinking how to enjoy. Therefore imitation puruṣa. But actually, they're prakṛti. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. The living entities, they are prakṛti. And they are trying to be puruṣa, enjoyer. This is material world. Therefore they are attached to the three guṇas because they want to enjoy this material world, artificially trying to become puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. As such, they are attached to this material world. And material world means guṇa, tri-guṇa. And according to attachment, they're getting different types of bodies.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

He's the supreme, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the chief, chief pavitra, chief brahma. We are also brahma, but small brahma. We are also pure. Because we are small pure, therefore we sometimes become impure. Otherwise by nature we are pure spirit soul. asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. This is the Vedic information. The puruṣa... Puruṣa means the living entity who has come here to enjoy. Asaṅga, he has no connection with this material world, but somehow or other he's thinking that "I am this matter. I have to enjoy this material world." "I am this Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am tree," "I am hog..." In this way he's identifying with this material nature and enjoying or serving. You cannot enjoy. You can simply serve.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya puruṣasya-ātma-darśanam. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer. And prakṛti means enjoyed. Something is being enjoyed and somebody is enjoyer. That is called prakṛti-puruṣa. So here it is said puruṣa. Puruṣa means the living entity, who is trying to enjoy. He is trying to enjoy. But he is trying to enjoy where? In the material world, therefore he is not satisfied. In the spiritual world, the puruṣa, the living entity, enjoys with Kṛṣṇa, not alone. Therefore you will find Kṛṣṇa is always accompanied by someone else. Either Rādhārāṇī or cowherds boy, or the gopīs, or Mother Yaśodā, or Nanda Mahārāja, or the cows and the calves, like that. Or even with the monkeys. Kṛṣṇa, you will never find alone.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Puruṣa, puruṣa means the enjoyer. So, here in this material world, either the so-called man and so-called woman, everyone is hankering after sense enjoyment. Therefore all of them together has been described as puruṣa. A woman is not puruṣa, but by mentality she is puruṣa, because she also wants to enjoy. Although she has got the body of being enjoyed, but she has the mentality of enjoying. Therefore everyone is described, although by nature everyone is prakṛti, not puruṣa. Prakṛti means enjoyed. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. This material body is made of earth, water, fire, air, sky. That is prakṛti.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

There are two kinds of puruṣa: one puruṣa in the material world, as we are... We are artificially claiming to be puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. The karmīs, they are trying to enjoy this material world. They are working day and night very hard to enjoy. That is means puruṣābhimāna. Actually, we are not puruṣa. We are prakṛti, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Above this material prakṛti—earth, water, air, fire—there is another prakṛti," Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "which is parā-prakṛti." And what is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Jīva-bhūta, that living entity, that is superior prakṛti. This is inferior prakṛti, matter, and jīva is superior prakṛti. But the jīva, under false ego, he is trying to enjoy this material prakṛti. Yayā, "by the superior prakṛti," yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

Puruṣa means having form and having the desire to enjoy, enjoy blissful life. That is called puruṣa. Puruṣa is always desiring to enjoy. And prakṛti is enjoyable. That is the distinction between puruṣa and prakṛti. But ātmā-Paramātmā is puruṣa, and the jīvātmā is prakṛti. Then nirguṇaḥ, nirguṇaḥ. Therefore Arjuna was advised by Kṛṣṇa, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna: "My dear Arjuna, you try to be nirguṇa."

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

The living entities, the Supersoul, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Living entities are sometimes called puruṣa because puruṣa means enjoyer. So the living entities wants to enjoy this material world although he is not enjoyer. We have explained many times. The living entities, that is also prakṛti, but he also wants to enjoy. That is called illusion. So in his enjoying temperament he may be called puruṣa, illusory puruṣa. Real puruṣa is Bhagavān. Puruṣa means bhoktā. The bhoktā, real bhoktā, enjoyer, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

Puruṣa means the enjoyer, the male part. Male and female-two parts required, negative and positive. So the male part is Bhagavān, and the female part is the prakṛti, and combination of puruṣa and prakṛti is the varieties of creation. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. So you should not be misled that prakṛti itself has given so varieties of manifestation, cosmic manifestation. That is not possible. You have to accept the puruṣa theory by your practical experience, that without puruṣa, no prakṛti can give birth anything. Similarly, these varieties of manifestation in the world, in the material world, it is due to the combination of prakṛti and puruṣa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

Purāṇa-puruṣa means the oldest living entity, but still, He's nava-yauvana, young. Just like Kṛṣṇa. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. You'll find Him always a young boy, from sixteen to twenty years old. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have got the picture, Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa had at that time great-grandsons, but you see His picture just like a boy, young boy, very nice. So the spirit is never old. Never old. Always young. You'll find, those who are studying the Vedic literatures, that in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas the inhabitants are always young, exactly like God. God is always young, fifteen to twenty years old, just like boy.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

If you have got determination that "We shall continue this life of birth, death, old age and disease and let loose our senses, do whatever you like," then there is no question of liberation. There is no lib... Therefore it is said, tamo-dvāram yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam, yoṣit means woman, generally. Woman is supposed to be the representative of māyā. So either you directly keep relation or you keep relation with persons who are very much fond of yoṣit, in both ways you have to go directly to the darkest region of hellish conditions. Tamo-dvāram. Therefore our Vedic civilization is... The first teaching is brahmacārī. First teaching, how to become brahmacārī. There are many saintly persons, they are akhanda brahmacārī, or avala (?) brahmacārī. They avoid. It is not only for men; it is meant for woman also, because here we are dressed like men and women. Otherwise the mentality is manly, to enjoy, puruṣa. Puruṣa means who wants to enjoy, and yoṣit means enjoy. So our relationship in this material world, that either in the dress of woman or man, the mentality is puruṣa, how to enjoy. The mentality is puruṣa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Tat puruṣa means the spiritual master who is a bona fide devotee of Kṛṣṇa. By serving him, niṣevayā.... Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. We have to acquire two kinds of benedictions: one from Kṛṣṇa and one from the spiritual master. By serving the spiritual master we get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. By serving the spiritual master we please Kṛṣṇa. We cannot please Kṛṣṇa directly. This is nonsense. It is not possible. Just like we cannot approach any big man without going through his secretary. Similarly, we cannot approach directly Kṛṣṇa without going through His bona fide representative. Tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

The Rūpa Gosvāmī says in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "The first process is, first step is ādau gurvāśrayam to accept guru." Accept guru Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. One who is not Kṛṣṇa's representative, he cannot become guru. Guru does not mean any nonsense can become guru. No. Only tat-puruṣa. Tat-puruṣa means a person who has accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as everything. Tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. That means Vaiṣṇava, pure devotee. So it is not very difficult. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa there are pure devotees, so one has to take shelter of him. Ādau gurvāśrayam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

If we accept a so-called guru, then it will not be possible. We have to accept guru in the disciplic succession. Therefore it is recommended here, tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā: we have to serve him faithfully and always honestly. Then our purpose will be served. And if you take to this line of action, dedicating life to Kṛṣṇa and always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa under the direction of tat-puruṣa—means who has no other business than to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then our life is successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

bhakti-yoga means not only dedicating life to Kṛṣṇa but also to serve the Vaiṣṇava, tat-puruṣa. Tat-puruṣa means to serve a person who has dedicate his life to Kṛṣṇa. Two things: dedication to Kṛṣṇa and dedication to the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So in this way if we advance, then it is very easy to become free from this material contamination. That is stated. Na tathā hy aghavān rājan pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ (SB 6.1.16). Tapa-ādibhiḥ, it is general process, but it is very, very difficult, especially in this age. So if we simply take this course, that dedicate life to Kṛṣṇa and dedicate life to Vaiṣṇava, then our life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed, or, in simple word, puruṣa means male, and prakṛti means female. So this material world is called prakṛti, and the living entities who are struggling in this material world to enjoy it, they are called puruṣa. Of course, puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa only. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Nobody is enjoyer; therefore nobody is puruṣa. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, the living entities have been described also as prakṛti-apareyam itas tv bhinnāṁ me prakṛti..., apareyam itas tv bhinnāṁ me prakṛtiṁ parā-superior prakṛti, not puruṣa. But because we are conditioned, we are under illusion. Although we are prakṛti, we are thinking that we are puruṣa. But actually we are not puruṣa. We are also prakṛti. So this living entity, on the false understanding of becoming a puruṣa, they have come to this material world to enjoy the material nature.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

Just like a male and female. That movement is very strong now in America. The female wants to become male, or equal rights. This is māyā. How woman can become in equal with man? Of course, we are not going to study the social welfare activities or something like that, but puruṣa and prakṛti, they are different. Purusa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

The Māyāvādīs, although they have undergone penances, austerities—very strictly they follow the principles of spiritual life—but because they are under māyā, at the end they are thinking that "I am God, Purusa," the same disease, puruṣa. Purusa means bhoktā. That "I am Kṛṣṇa..." Bhoktāraṁ yajña... And even after advancing so much by austerities, penances, following regulative principle, the māyā is so strong that still, he is under this impression that "I am puruṣa." Not only ordinary puruṣa, but the Supreme Puruṣa, as Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam śāśvata: (BG 10.12) "You are puruṣa." So māyā is so strong that after being kicked so many lives, life after life, still he is thinking, "I am puruṣa. I am enjoyer." This is the disease.

Lecture on SB 6.1.64-65 -- Vrndavana, September 1, 1975:

We are prakṛti, nature, spiritual nature, parā prakṛti. The material nature is aparā prakṛti, and we living entities, we are trying to enjoy this prakṛti. Therefore sometimes the living entity, either man or woman, he is described as puruṣa. Puruṣa means the one who keeps the feeling of becoming enjoyer. That is puruṣa. So this material world is prakṛti and puruṣa.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:

Puruṣam means one who wants to enjoy. He is called puruṣa. Anyone here in the material world, although one has got the body of a male or although one has got the body of a female, both of them are for enjoyment. Therefore it is used, puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So either the woman or man, the propensity is how to enjoy life.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

Purusa means the enjoyer. We... I have got this body because I wanted a certain type of enjoyment. So nature has given me a certain type of body. You wanted certain type of enjoyment: the nature has given you a certain type of body. The tiger wanted a certain type of enjoyment, so he, it has got a certain type of body. Similarly, every one of us, in the 8,400,000's of species of life, we have got different bodies. But the soul is there. The soul, the individual soul, is within the elephant, and the individual soul is within the bacteria. Bacteria you cannot find with your open eyes. You have to see with a microscope. It has got the same soul.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Another meaning of puruṣa means "enjoyer." Just like we have got experience that the male is considered to be the enjoyer and the female is considered to be the enjoyed; although in this material world everyone is under illusion, everyone is thinking that he is the enjoyer or she is the enjoyer. So long we have got this false identification that "I am enjoyer," that is māyā. We are not enjoyer. We are enjoyed. That is real philosophy. Therefore, it is said parasya puṁsaḥ, predominated. We are not predominator. That is liberation.

Lecture on SB Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1972:

Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here puruṣa because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. And that is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

The Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, has got innumerable, multi-energies. Out of that, learned scholars, devotees, they have divided the whole energy into three, external, internal, and marginal. So the living entities, they are production of the marginal energy. The living entity is energy, prakṛti. Not the puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. We are all prakṛtis, all living entities. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. Just like we see, ordinarily, husband and wife, the husband is predominator and the wife is predominated. Although there is no difference between husband and wife. They are one, divided into two. Similarly, prakṛti and puruṣa, they are one. They are not two.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Prakṛti means predominated and puruṣa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataro nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. He's predominator. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

Purāṇa-puruṣa means Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead, very old. Purāṇa means very old. So, vairāgya-vidyā-śikṣārtham. Because we are suffering here on account of so many designations, so Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to purify us from all these nonsense designations. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. Rāga means attachment. So... And virāga. This false attachment we have to give up. That is practically being manifested by practical life, how to love Kṛṣṇa, how to approach Him. That is the characteristic of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.7 -- Mayapur, March 31, 1975:

There are three puruṣa-avatāra. Puruṣa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that puruṣa-avatāras. First avatāra, puruṣa avatāra, is Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Purusa means enjoyer, man. Man is supposed to be the enjoyer. He's not woman. Woman is supposed to be enjoyed. Therefore this very word is used: puruṣa. And Purāṇa, the oldest man, oldest man. Nobody... Because He's the cause of all causes; therefore He should be the oldest. And we are also oldest because we are part and parcel. We are also oldest. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, pūrṇo nityaḥ purāṇaḥ... Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit na bhūtvā na bhūyaḥ bhavitā vā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ ayaṁ purāṇaḥ. Purāṇa means the oldest. We are also the oldest. So because part and parcel, it is always with the Supreme. Just like the molecule of sunshine: they are part and parcel of the sun. Whenever there is sun, oh, the molecules of sunshine is also there. Similarly, we are molecules of the Supreme. Therefore whenever the Supreme is there, we are also there. Therefore we are also Purāṇa. And puruṣa. Puruṣa means the tendency of becoming enjoyer. So that tendency we have also got. But we do not know that we can enjoy in cooperation with the Supreme because we are subordinate.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.111 -- New York, July 19, 1976:

We are also śakti, prakṛti; we are not puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. We cannot be the enjoyer; that is not possible. So śakti... In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed, apareyam itas tv prakṛtim viddhi me parām. When Kṛṣṇa described about the material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), earth, water, air, fire... These are material energies, gross. And there are subtle material energies, mind, intelligence and egotism. Beyond that, apareyam... These are inferior energies. Beyond that, there is spiritual energy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.172 -- New York, December 14, 1966:

Now Kṛṣṇa's two particular names are Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Puruṣottama. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Eighth Chapter you will understand what is Puruṣottama. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer; uttama means the highest. So Paramātmā and Puruṣottama are discussions there in the Eighth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa has explained this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. Now, this is also nature, prakṛti. There is another nature, prakṛti. Prakṛti means strī-liṅga, woman. Jīva-bhūta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as puruṣa. Not puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think themselves as puruṣa. The karmīs also, they think they are puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that the living entity is puruṣa. He says prakṛti. Prakṛti is always subordinate to the puruṣa. That is the natural way.

General Lectures

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Arjuna is asking that prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca etad veditum icchāmi. He's student. "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I want to understand what is this material nature and puruṣam." Purusaṁ means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. Just like we have got little conception, male and female. So prakṛti means the female, the object of enjoyment, and puruṣa means the enjoyer. So here, although we are dressed in different way, male or female, everyone is trying to enjoy. Therefore even a woman is just like woman, his feature is woman's body. Actually, she is trying to enjoy; therefore, she is puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So here in this material world, either male or female, it doesn't matter—everyone is trying to enjoy; therefore he is called puruṣa, or the living entity is called puruṣa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That is our philosophy, because every living entity is by nature a female, prakṛti. I was discussing this morning, parā prakṛti, living entity, but it is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female and puruṣa means male. So here in this material world, although we are prakṛti, we are (indistinct) ourselves as puruṣa. This male-female dress, that is immaterial. Our consciousness is now male consciousness. A female, the so-called female, here, she also wants to enjoy a male, and the male also, he also wants to enjoy the female. Both of them have the same propensity of enjoying. So this enjoying propensity is for male. Therefore jīvātmā is sometimes described as puruṣa. But actually the jīvātmā, the living entities, they are puruṣa, he's prakṛti. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. So we are all predominated. And the (indistinct) predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore originally, by constitution, we are all females.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. The prakṛti... What is that?

Dr. Patel: Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān... (BG 13.22).

Prabhupāda: Ah, that puruṣa means jīvātmā, jīvātmā.

Dr. Patel: Jivātmā, not Paramātmā. That's right.

Prabhupāda: Jivātmā is within this body, prakṛti. This is prakṛti, material nature, jīvātmā. So as you infect the quality of the prakṛti, you become, what is called, entangled.

Morning Walk -- April 1, 1974, Bombay:

Chandobhai: Puruṣaś cādhidaivatam.

Prabhupāda: Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the soul.

Chandobhai: Soul. Jīva.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the jīva. Puruṣa adhidaivatam. Then?

Chandobhai: Adhiyajño 'ham evātra.

Prabhupāda: Adhiyajñaḥ means Paramātmā.

Dr. Patel: Adhidaiva means jīva.

Room Conversation with M. Lallier, noted French Poet -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

M. Lallier: No. But... No, I... I understand that... There is some difficulties for me about the signification of two Sanskrit words which are puruṣa and prakṛti. Is there any relation between those two, those two...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Puruṣa means the enjoyer, and prakṛti means the enjoyed.

Bhagavān: Can you understand English?

M. Lallier: No. (Devotee translates)

M. Lallier: I learned before that puruṣa means the great man.

Yogeśvara: He says he also learned somewhere that puruṣa can refer to any great man or great person.

Prabhupāda: So in the material world everyone thinks that he's very great person. That is the disease. Everyone thinks that "I am the great." This is called māyā.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Malati -- Los Angeles 12 November, 1968:

purusa means God or Krishna. Atma, there is Paramatma and jivatma. Both are atma because they are spiritual, but the living entities are called jivatma. Jivatma means the small particle of atma which has tendency to fall down in the material atmosphere. He is called jivatma. And Atma or Supersoul, Who never falls in material contamination, is called Paramatma or Supersoul. And because He does not fall under material illusion, His another Name is Acyuta—Acyuta means never fallen.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay -- Honolulu 18 June, 1975:

Purusa means the living entity, or the soul. He is subjected to be infected by the modes of material nature. There are 3 modes of material nature, sattva-guna, raja-guna, tama-guna. And when they are mixed up, they become 3 x 3 = 9, and 9 x 9 = 81, and in each quality, there are millions of forms. Therefore the total number of forms is 8,400,000.

Page Title:Purusa means
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Kanupriya
Created:25 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=7, CC=1, OB=2, Lec=79, Con=3, Let=2
No. of Quotes:94