Template:Short description Template:Italic title Prakriti (Template:Langx Template:IAST3) is "the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is a key concept in Hinduism, formulated by the Samkhya school, where it does not refer merely to matter or nature, but includes all cognitive, moral, psychological, emotional, sensorial and physical aspects of reality.<ref name=Lusthaus/> Prakriti has three different innate qualities (guṇas), whose equilibrium is the basis of all empirical reality, in the form of the five panchamahabhootas (basic elements) – Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, Pruthvi.<ref name=lochtefeldprakriti/><ref>Prakriti: Indian philosophy, Encyclopædia Britannica</ref> Prakriti contrasts with Puruṣa, which is pure awareness and metaphysical consciousness.<ref name=lochtefeldprakriti>James G. Lochtefeld (2001), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Rosen Publishing, Template:ISBN, Pages 224, 265, 520</ref> The term is also found in the texts of other Indian religions such as Jainism<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Buddhism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Etymology and meaningEdit
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".<ref name=mmwprakriti>Monier Monier-Williams (1899), Monier William's Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 2nd Ed., Oxford University Press, Prakriti प्रकृति, page 654</ref> The term is discussed by Yāska (~600 BCE) in Nirukta, and is found in numerous Hindu texts.<ref name=mmwprakriti/> It connotes "nature, body, matter, phenomenal universe" in Hindu texts.<ref name="Taylor2008p1300"/><ref name="JonesRyan2006p332">Template:Cite book</ref>
According to Dan Lusthaus,
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Pancha PrakritiEdit
In Indian languages derived from Sanskrit roots, Prakriti refers to the feminine aspect of all life forms. A woman can be seen as a symbol of Prakriti.<ref name="Taylor2008p1300">Template:Cite book</ref>
According to Sanskrit scriptures, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Devi MahatmyaTemplate:Fact and Devi Bhagavata Purana, five Hindu goddesses are considered as the complete feminine personification of Prakriti – Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati, Gayatri and Radha. Together these five goddesses are worshiped as Pancha Prakriti.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
SamkhyaEdit
Samkhya texts contrast Prakriti with Purusha (spirit, consciousness) where Prakriti refers to "the material world, nature, matter, physical and psychological character, constitution, temper, disposition". According to Knut Jacobsen, in the dualistic system of the Samkhya school, "Purusha is the principle of pure consciousness, while Prakriti is the principle of matter", where Purusha is the conscious witness in every living being, while Prakriti is the manifest world.
Both the Bhagavad Gita and the Samkhya school of philosophy posit that prakṛti is composed of the three guṇas: sattva (preservation), rajas (creation), and tamas (destruction). Sattva encompasses qualities of goodness, light, and harmony.<ref name="Easwaran2007">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>The Concise Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, Swami Venkatesananda, 1984, p.94</ref>
In Samkhya, prakriti, comprising the three gunas, 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 that prakriti, though unconscious, serves to aid the liberation of the soul, similar to how milk nourishes a calf.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Yoga SutrasEdit
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, prakriti is described as encompassing the entire cosmos including its physical aspects. It is characterized by the three gunas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. However, the emphasis within the text primarily is on the psychological manifestations of these guṇas. Sattva, the purest guna, 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 the gunas in Yoga.Template:Sfn
Bhagavad GitaEdit
The Bhagavad Gita emphasize the role of prakriti as the material energy of the universe, created and controlled by God (Krishna), and its distinction from purusha in different verses.Template:Sfn In Chapter 4 verse 6, Krishna describes prakriti as His own power, through which He manifests in the world.Template:Sfn In Chapter 7 verse 4 and 5, Krishna mentions two types of prakriti:
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Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and the sense of ego comprise the eight component parts of my energy known as prakriti.
This is the inferior prakriti, but you should also know about my higher prakriti, which is distinct from it. This is the element of life, O mighty one, the jiva bhuta, by means of which this world is held in place.{{#if:Chapter 7, verse 4-5Template:SfnBhagavad Gita|{{#if:|}}
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You should understand that both prakriti (matter) and purusha (spirit) have no beginning. You should also know that all transformations and the gunas have their origin in prakriti.{{#if:Chapter 13, verse 19Template:SfnBhagavad Gita|{{#if:|}}
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VedantaEdit
In Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Indian philosophy, Prakṛti is one of the six substances (dravya). The guṇas (qualities) are the attributes of primordial Nature (Prakṛti), and not its constituents, unlike Sāṅkhya.Template:Sfn These qualities are inseparable from Prakṛti, but not identical with it and inextricably related to Ishvara. Prakṛti in Vishishtadvaita Vedanta is limited above by the eternal manifestation (nityavibhuti) whereas it's infinite in Sāṅkhya.Template:Sfn
According to Dvaita Vedanta, Prakṛti is the material cause (Satkaryavada) of the world.Template:Sfn
Prakriti is closely associated with the concept of Maya within Hindu texts more broadly.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
JainismEdit
In Jainism the term "Prakriti" is used in its theory of Karma, and is considered "that form of matter which covers the perfections of the soul (jiva) and prevents its liberation".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
CitationsEdit
Works CitedEdit
External linksEdit
- Bhagavad Gita 13.1-2 (bhagavadgitaasitis.com)