prakriti

Prakriti is a Sanskrit term commonly translated as nature or material cause. In several schools of Indian philosophy, it denotes the primal matter that constitutes the physical world, in contrast to Purusha, pure consciousness or spirit. Prakriti is described as unconscious, eternal, and dynamic, capable of evolutions when influenced by the cosmic principle of Purusha.

In Samkhya, Prakriti is the foundational substance that contains three fundamental modes or gunas—sattva (balance and harmony), rajas (activity and passion), and tamas (inertia and darkness). The interplay of these gunas gives rise to evolution from Prakriti into higher aspects of reality, including intellect (mahat) and ego (ahamkara), and ultimately the elements of nature. The system views the world as a combination of Prakriti and Purusha, with the latter as the witness and the former as the cause of manifestation.

In Ayurveda and related Indian medical and spiritual traditions, Prakriti also refers to an individual's innate constitution, determined by the predominance of three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. This constitutional type guides diagnosis, lifestyle, diet, and treatment, and is believed to influence susceptibility to disease and response to therapy. While Prakriti is considered fixed at conception, imbalances in its doshas can be managed through appropriate regimen and remedies.

Overall, Prakriti designates nature or matter in a broad metaphysical sense, and, in personal health contexts, a person’s innate constitutional makeup. It is a central concept in Hindu metaphysics, yoga, and traditional medicine, illustrating the integration of cosmology with individual health and temperament.