PurushaPrakriti

Purusha Prakriti is a foundational concept in certain Indian philosophical traditions, particularly Samkhya and Yoga. It posits a dualistic cosmology where the universe originates from the interaction of two fundamental realities: Purusha and Prakriti.

Purusha is understood as the pure consciousness, the self, the observer, or the sentient principle. It is considered eternal, unchanging, and beyond the material world. Purusha itself does not act or create; it is a passive witness. There are many individual Purushas, each representing a distinct soul or consciousness.

Prakriti, on the other hand, is the primordial matter or nature. It is the unmanifested source of all physical and mental phenomena. Prakriti is dynamic, ever-changing, and composed of three fundamental qualities or gunas: sattva (purity, harmony, illumination), rajas (activity, passion, motion), and tamas (inertia, darkness, resistance). These gunas are always in a state of flux and interplay.

The cosmos arises when Purusha, the passive observer, comes into proximity or association with Prakriti. This contact, though not a physical union, triggers the evolution of Prakriti. The interaction leads to the manifestation of the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkara), mind (manas), senses, and the five gross and subtle elements. This process continues until the Purusha realizes its distinctness from Prakriti, leading to liberation or moksha. This dualistic framework serves as an explanation for existence and the human condition within these philosophical systems.