In the Rigveda, Purusha is described as a primeval giant, not unlike the Norse Ymir, that is sacrificed by the gods (see Purushamedha) and from whose body the world and the varnas (castes) are built. He is described as having a thousand heads and a thousand feet. He emanated Viraj, the female creative principle, from which he is reborn in turn before the world was made out of his parts.

In the sacrifice of Purusha, the Vedic chants were first created. The horses and cows were born, the Brahmins were made from Purusha's mouth, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Shudras from his feet.[2] The Moon was born from his spirit, the Sun from his eyes, the heavens from his skull. Indra and Agni emerged from his mouth. The Dalits, or Untouchables, were not considered to be born of Purusha, and thus are seen as lying outside the cosmic system completely.

The parallel to Norse Ymir is often considered to reflect the myth's origin in Proto-Indo-European religion.

In Samkhya, a school of Hindu philosophy, Purusha is pure consciousness. It is thought to be our true identity, to be contrasted with Prakrti, or the material world, which contains all of our organs, senses, and intellectual faculties.

Purusha sukta (puruṣa sūkta) is hymn 10.90 of the Rigveda, dedicated to Purusha, the "cosmic man". It has 16 verses, 15 in the anuṣṭubh meter, and the final one in the triṣṭubh meter. It is the only Rigvedic hymn dedicated to Purusha, and thus, even though appearing in a late book of the Rigveda, the oldest attestation of the Purusha myth.[1]

As a creation hymn, its archaic mythological setting is in striking contrast to the famous creation account of RV 10.129-130 with its monotheistic and philosophical speculation. Vaishnavite scholars such as Shukavak N. Dasa [1] have commentated that Purusha sukta identifies Vishnu as the Supreme Being, and it is regularly chanted in Hindu worship.

The Purusa-sukta is found in all the four Vedas and is therefore mentioned in the Pancaratras and the Puranas as the most important Vedic hymn (along with the Gayatri mantra).