Prakriti ( ) is "the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance".[ Prakriti has three different innate qualities ( guṇas), whose equilibrium is the basis of all empirical reality, which is in the form of the Pancha Bhuta (five basic elements) – Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, and Earth element.][ Prakriti: Indian philosophy, Encyclopædia Britannica] Prakriti contrasts with Purusha, which is pure awareness and Metaphysics consciousness.[James G. Lochtefeld (2001), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Rosen Publishing, , Pages 224, 265, 520] The term is also found in the texts of other Indian religions such as Jainism
Etymology and meaning
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".[Monier Monier-Williams (1899), Monier William's Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 2nd Ed., Oxford University Press, Prakriti प्रकृति, page 654] The term is discussed by Yāska (~600 BCE) in Nirukta, and is found in numerous Hindu texts.[ It connotes "nature, body, matter, phenomenal universe" in Hindu texts.]
According to Dan Lusthaus,
Pancha Prakriti
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.
According to Sanskrit scriptures, Brahma Vaivarta 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.
Samkhya
In Samkhya philosophy, the term prakriti 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 only prakriti, 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.
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.[The Concise Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, Swami Venkatesananda, 1984, p.94]
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.
Yoga Sutras
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.
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes 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. In Chapter 4 verse 6, Krishna describes prakriti as His own power, through which He manifests in the world. In Chapter 7 verse 4 and 5, Krishna mentions two types of prakriti:
In Chapter 13 verses 19–23, Krishna discusses the eternal nature of both prakriti and purusha, as well as their distinction.
It is described in Bhagavad Gita as the "primal motive force".[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, a New Translation and Commentary, Chapter 1-6. Penguin Books, 1969, p. 220]
Vedanta
In Vishishtadvaita, 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 Samkhya. 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.
According to Dvaita Vedanta, Prakṛti is the material cause (Satkaryavada) of the world.
Prakriti is closely associated with the concept of Maya within Hindu texts more broadly.
Jainism
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".
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