Prakriti (Sanskrit:प्रकृतिIAST:Prakṛti) is "the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance".[1] It is a key concept inHinduism, formulated by theSamkhya school, where it does not refer merely to matter or nature, but includes all cognitive, moral, psychological, emotional, sensorial and physical aspects of reality.[2]Prakriti has three different innate qualities (guṇas), whose equilibrium is the basis of all empirical reality, which is in the form of thepancha bhutas (five basic elements) –Akasha,Vayu,Agni,Jala, andPrithvi.[3][4]Prakriti contrasts withPuruṣa, which is pure awareness andmetaphysical consciousness.[3] The term is also found in the texts of other Indian religions such asJainism[5] andBuddhism.[6]
Prakriti (Sanskrit: प्रकृति) is an early Indic concept meaning "making or placing before or at first, the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance".[7] The term is discussed byYāska (~600 BCE) inNirukta, and is found in numerousHindu texts.[7] It connotes "nature, body, matter, phenomenal universe" in Hindu texts.[8][9]
According to Dan Lusthaus,
In Sāṃkhya puruṣa signifies the observer, the 'witness'. Prakṛti includes all the cognitive, moral, psychological, emotional, sensorial and physical aspects of reality. It is often mistranslated as 'matter' or 'nature' – in non-Sāṃkhyan usage it does mean 'essential nature' – but that distracts from the heavy Sāṃkhyan stress on prakṛti's cognitive, mental, psychological and sensorial activities. Moreover, subtle and gross matter are its most derivative byproducts, not its core. Only prakṛti acts.[2]
In Indian languages derived fromSanskrit roots,Prakriti refers to the feminine aspect of all life forms. A woman can be seen as a symbol ofPrakriti.[8]
According to Sanskrit scriptures,Brahma Vaivarta Purana, five Hindu goddesses are considered as the complete feminine personification ofPrakriti –Saraswati,Lakshmi,Parvati,Gayatri andRadha. Together these five goddesses are worshiped asPancha Prakriti.[10][11][12]
In Samkhya philosophy, the termprakriti is used in three distinct ways. Prakriti sometimes refers specifically to Mula-Prakriti (root-nature), also known as the unmanifest (avyakta) or the principal (pradhana), which is the fundamental, uncaused source of the material world. When paired with vikriti (modification), prakriti signifies "source", Mula-Prakriti is onlyprakriti, while the intellect, ego, and five sense qualities are both prakriti and vikriti, forming the eight prakritis. Prakriti can also refer to the entire twenty-four tattvas (elements), encompassing both unmanifest and manifest.[13]
Samkhya texts contrastPrakriti withPurusha (spirit, consciousness) wherePrakriti refers to "the material world, nature, matter, physical and psychological character, constitution, temper, disposition". According toKnut Jacobsen, in the dualistic system of the Samkhya school, "Purusha is the principle of pure consciousness, whilePrakriti is the principle of matter", wherePurusha is the conscious witness in every living being, whilePrakriti is the manifest world.
Both theBhagavad Gita and theSamkhya school of philosophy posit thatprakṛti is composed of the threeguṇas:sattva (preservation),rajas (creation), andtamas (destruction).Sattva encompasses qualities of goodness, light, and harmony.[14]Rajas is associated with concepts of energy, activity, and passion; so that, depending on how it is used, it can either have a supportive or hindering effect on the evolution of the soul.[14]Tamas is commonly associated with inertia, darkness, insensitivity. Souls who are more Tamasic are considered imbued in darkness and take the longest to reach liberation.[15]
In Samkhya,prakriti, comprising the threegunas, exists in equilibrium before the cosmos manifests, neutralizing each other's properties. Samkhya argues that the complex and purposeful nature of the world suggests that it exists for the sake of something else, particularly the conscious souls. This view suggests thatprakriti, though unconscious, serves to aid the liberation of the soul, similar to how milk nourishes a calf.[16]
In theYoga Sutras of Patanjali,prakriti is described as encompassing the entire cosmos including its physical aspects. It is characterized by the threegunas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. However, the emphasis within the text primarily is on the psychological manifestations of these guṇas.Sattva, the purestguna, is associated with qualities like lucidity, tranquility, wisdom, discrimination, detachment, happiness, and peacefulness when expressed in the mind (citta). Rajas is characterized by traits like hankering, power, and various forms of movement and creative activity. Tamas is marked by qualities such as ignorance, delusion, lethargy, and disinclination toward constructive activity. These psychological attributes reveal the nature of thegunas in Yoga.[17]
The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes the role ofprakriti as the material energy of the universe, created and controlled by God (Krishna), and its distinction frompurusha in different verses.[18] In Chapter 4 verse 6, Krishna describesprakriti as His own power, through which He manifests in the world.[19] In Chapter 7 verse 4 and 5, Krishna mentions two types ofprakriti:
Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and the sense of ego comprise the eight component parts of my energy known asprakriti.This is the inferiorprakriti, but you should also know about my higherprakriti, which is distinct from it. This is the element of life, O mighty one, thejiva bhuta, by means of which this world is held in place.
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, verse 4-5[20]
In Chapter 13 verses 19–23, Krishna discusses the eternal nature of bothprakriti andpurusha, as well as their distinction.
You should understand that bothprakriti (matter) andpurusha (spirit) have no beginning. You should also know that all transformations and thegunas have their origin inprakriti.
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13, verse 19[21]
It is described inBhagavad Gita as the "primal motive force".[22] It is the essential constituent of the universe and is at the basis of all the activity of the creation.[23]
InVishishtadvaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Indian philosophy,Prakṛti is one of the six substances(dravya). Theguṇas (qualities) are the attributes of primordial Nature (Prakṛti), and not its constituents, unlikeSāṅkhya.[24] These qualities are inseparable fromPrakṛti, but not identical with it and inextricably related toIshvara.Prakṛti in Vishishtadvaita Vedanta is limited above by the eternal manifestation (nityavibhuti) whereas it's infinite inSāṅkhya.[25]
According toDvaita Vedanta,Prakṛti is the material cause (Satkaryavada) of the world.[24]
Prakriti is closely associated with the concept ofMaya within Hindu texts more broadly.[26]
In Jainism the term "Prakriti" is used in its theory ofKarma, and is considered "that form of matter which covers the perfections of the soul (jiva) and prevents its liberation".[27]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)