Purushottama
/pʊrʊˈʃoːttəmaː/noun
A Sanskrit term meaning “the supreme person” or “the highest being,” especially used as an epithet of Vishnu or Krishna.
Did you know?In the Bhagavad Gita, Purushottama is used as a theological title for Krishna, and the word’s power comes from Sanskrit’s ability to compress metaphysics into a single name.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
puruṣa
“person, being, spirit”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
uttama
“highest, uppermost, excellent”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
puruṣottama
“the highest person; supreme being”
Bhagavad Gita era
Sanskrit
puruṣottama
“a title of Vishnu/Krishna as the supreme person”
Modern English
English
Purushottama
“a transliterated Sanskrit theological term and personal name”