Kiṃpurusha

Kiṃpurusha · kim-purusha, “what kind of man”

Grammar: masculine noun, a compound of kim (what?) and purusha (man): “what kind of man?”, a being who is man and not man.

Meaning: a class of divine beings, close to the kinnaras and gandharvas, known for their music and their skill in the arts.

In the scriptures:

• When Vīrabhadra entered the yajñaśālā of Daksha, the Vasus, grahas, Ādityas, Rudras, Viśvedevas, Sādhyas, Siddhas, gandharvas, pannagas, yakshas, kiṃpurushas and birds all rose up (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 4).
• The ṛshis teach the rākshasa king Sukeśī the dharma of each of the twelve yonis (classes of beings). The sixth are the kiṃpurushas, whose dharma is skill in music (saṅgīta), bhakti towards Sūrya, and mastery of all the crafts (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 11).
• Appearing in his own form to Pārvatī, Śiva told her that the clay image of Śaṅkara she had worshipped would be famed as Bhadreśvara, and that devas, dānavas, gandharvas, yakshas, kiṃpurushas, nāgas and humans who worship it would gain all that is auspicious (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 25).

Related terms: Kinnara · Gandharva · Yaksha · Yoni · Sukeśī

Sources

• Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 4, 11, 25