ORIENTAL SERIES.

PURUSHA PUSHAN. 249
a son of Ha, his metronymic is Aila. There is a hymn in the
jRzg-veda which contains an obscure conversation between Pururavas
and UrvasL The above story is first told in the $atapatha
Brahmana, and afterwards reappears in the Puranas. The
Bhagavata Purafta says, "From Puru-ravas came the triple
Yeda in the beginning of the Treta (age)."
The story is supposed to have a mythic origin. Mas Muller
considers it " one of the myths of the Yedas which expresses
the correlation of the dawn and the sun. The love between the
mortal and the immortal, and the identity of the morning dawn
and the evening twilight, is the story of Urvasi and Puru-ravas."
The word Urvasi, according to the same writer, " was originally
an appellation, and meant dawn." Dr. Goldstticker's explanation
differs, but seems more apposite. According to this, Puru-ravas
is the sun and Urvasi is the morning mist ; when Puru-ravas is
visible Urvasi vanishes, as the mist is absorbed when the sun
shines forth. Urvasi in the story is an Apsaras, and the Apsarases
are " personifications of the vapours which are attracted
by the sun and form into mists or clouds."
PUEUSHA.
'
Man.' i. The original eternal man, the Sup-
reme Being, and soul of the universe. 2. A name of Brahma.
PUEUSHA-NARAYAJVA. The original male. The divine
creator Brahma,
PUEUSHA-SUKTA. A hymn of the J&g-veda in which
the four castes are first mentioned. It is considered to be one
of the latest in date. See Muir's i. Texts, p. 7.
PUEUSHOTTAMA, Literally '
best of men ;' but the word
Purusha is here used in its mythic sense of soul of the universe,
soul" It is a title
and so the compound means the " supreme
of Vishnu, and asserts his right to be considered the Supreme
God. So the Hari-vansa says, " Purushottama is whatever is
declared to be the highest, Purusha the sacrifice, and everything
else which is known by the name of Purusha."
PUEUSHOTTAMA -KSHETEA. The sacred territory
round about the temple of Jagannatha in Orissa.
PtJEVA-MIMANSA. A school of philosophy. See Dar&ma.
PUSHAK A deity frequently mentioned in the Yedas, but
he is not of a distinctly defined character. Many hymns are
addressed to him. The word comes from the root push, and
the primary idea is that of " nourisher " or Providence, So the