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.
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. 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 ==