प्रकृतिः- Prakṛti
प्रकृतिः- Prakṛti
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Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan
Etymology
प्र + कृ+क्तिन् = प्रकृतिः
pra + kṛ+ktin = prakṛtiḥ
· The prefix is Pra. ‘Pra’ has many meanings[1] – of which in the current context the meaning भृश - bhṛśa – exceedingly - seems appropriate
· The root word is कृ kṛ - to do
· The suffix is क्तिन् Ktin. The resultant form is feminine. The suffix is added to the root by the grammatical rule स्त्रियां क्तिन् striyāṃ ktin (3.3.94). The grammatical rule allows this suffix to be added in a meaning other is doer-ship and also in the sense of the act (भावे अकर्तरि च कारके). In this context is means the instrumental sense which satisfies the rule.
The derivate statement based on this is: प्रक्रियते कार्य्यादिकम् अनया इति प्रकृतिः prakriyate kāryyādikam anayā iti prakṛtiḥ[2] - that by which many effects are fashioned out is prakṛti.
Lexicon
There are four entries to the word in the Amarakosha. They are as follows -
1. प्रधानं प्रकृतिः स्त्रियाम् pradhānaṃ prakṛtiḥ striyām (1.4.29)– Pradhānaṃ and Prakṛti refer to the creative force
2. संसिद्धिप्रकृती त्विमे| स्वरूपञ्च स्वभावश्च निसर्गश्च saṃsiddhiprakṛtī tvime| svarūpañca svabhāvaśca nisargaśca (1.7.37)– Five words saṃsiddhi, prakṛti, svarūpa, svabhāva, and Nisarga – refer to the behavioral nature.
3. राज्याङ्गानि प्रकृतयः rājyāṅgāni prakṛtayaḥ (2.8.18) – The limbs or constituents of a government/kingdom is referred to as Prakṛti
4. प्रकृतिर्योनिलिङ्गे च prakṛtiryoniliṅge ca (3.3.73) – The word Prakṛti is used to indicate both the reproductive organ of the male and the womb of the female.
In fine it could be noted that the word Prakṛti is seen in five meanings - creative force, behavioral nature, limbs of the kingdom/government, reproductive organ of the male and womb of the female
Textual Occurrences
Yogasūtra
There is just one reference to the word Prakrit in this text. It is as follows -
भवप्रययो विदेहप्रकृतिलयानाम् ॥ १.१९॥
bhavaprayayo videhaprakṛtilayānām .. 1.19..
This is a Sūtra that describes the state of asaṃprajñāta Samādhi that is Bhava-pratyaya – which is caused by wrong knowledge or that will lead to rebirth.
People who focus upon the Prakṛti (the primordial material cause of the universe) and merge with it (Prakṛti-laya) as the ultimate and not the consciousness-puruṣa will have rebirth.
It is to be noted that though there is just one reference to the work Prakṛti – the same principle is denoted by other terms such as aliṅga (1.45, 2.19) and Pradhāna (3.48) and in Yogasūtras.
Bhagavadgītā
There are 19 references to the term Prakṛti in Bhagavadgītā in nine chapters. A chapter wise summary is presented now -
Chapter 3
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥ ३.५ ॥
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥ ३.३३ ॥
na hi kaścitkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt .
kāryate hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ .. 3.5 ..
sadṛśaṃ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ prakṛterjñānavānapi .
prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati .. 3.33 ..
Verse 3.5 indicates that the three Guṇas are born from the Prakṛti (primordial matter) and the keep every being active always.
In verse 3.33 the word Prakṛti is used in a different sense from that of the previous occurrence. Ācārya-śaṅkarabhagavatpāda defines the word Prakṛti here as - प्रकृतिर्नाम पूर्वकृतधर्माधर्मादिसंस्कारः वर्तमानजन्मादौ अभिव्यक्तः ; सा प्रकृतिः prakṛtirnāma pūrvakṛtadharmādharmādisaṃskāraḥ vartamānajanmādau abhivyaktaḥ ; sā prakṛtiḥ .- “Prakṛti here refers to the imprints of the good and bad deeds of the past births which are manifest in this birth.”
Śrīkṛṣṇa in the context of this verse states that - It is such Prakṛti that makes a person act in a certain wish even without his wish.
Chapter 4
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥ ४.६ ॥
ajo'pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānāmīśvaro'pi san .
prakṛtiṃ svāmadhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmyātmamāyayā .. 4.6 ..
In this Verse Śrīkṛṣṇa states that though I am without birth and inexhaustible being and Lord of All – I subjugate my Prakṛti and manifest by means of my own māyā.
Here the word Prakrit is described by Ācārya-śaṅkarabhagavatpāda as - प्रकृतिं स्वां मम वैष्णवीं मायां त्रिगुणात्मिकाम् - prakṛtiṃ svāṃ mama vaiṣṇavīṃ māyāṃ triguṇātmikām – Prakṛti is the Māyā of Lord Vishnu which is made up of the three Guṇas.
Chapter 7
भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च ।
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ॥ ७.४ ॥
अपरेयमितस्त्वन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् ।
जीवभूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ ७.५ ॥
bhūmirāpo'nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhireva ca .
ahaṅkāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā .. 7.4 ..
apareyamitastvanyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām .
jīvabhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat .. 7.5 ..
Verses 7.4& 5 describe about the Aparā and Parā Prakṛti (the higher and lower natures).
In Verse 7.4 the Aparā Prakṛti – which is described by Ācārya-śaṅkarabhagavatpāda as Māyā-śakti is stated to have eight manifestations. The eight manifestations as per Ācārya‘s commentary are the five Tanmātras, the Ahaṅkāra, Mahat and Avyakta. – which are worded as bhūmiḥ, āpaḥ, analaḥ, vāyuḥ, kham, manaḥ, buddhiḥ, ahaṅkāraḥ in this verse. (भूमिः इति पृथिवीतन्मात्रमुच्यते, न स्थूला, ‘भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा’ इति वचनात् । तथा अबादयोऽपि तन्मात्राण्येव उच्यन्ते मनः इति मनसः कारणमहङ्कारो गृह्यते । बुद्धिः इति अहङ्कारकारणं महत्तत्त्वम् । अहङ्कारः इति अविद्यासंयुक्तमव्यक्तम् - bhūmiḥ iti pṛthivītanmātramucyate, na sthūlā, ‘bhinnā prakṛtiraṣṭadhā’ iti vacanāt . tathā abādayo'pi tanmātrāṇyeva ucyante manaḥ iti manasaḥ kāraṇamahaṅkāro gṛhyate . buddhiḥ iti ahaṅkārakāraṇaṃ mahattattvam . ahaṅkāraḥ iti avidyāsaṃyuktamavyaktam - śrīśāṅkarabhāṣyam)
Verse 7.5 describes the Prakṛti which is in the form of the Jīva (the conscious living being) which is described as kṣetrajña – the knower of the field.
Ācārya-śaṅkarabhagavatpāda clarifies that the lower nature is due to it becoming impure (due to the functions of the Guṇas) and the higher conscious dimension is higher as it is pure (untouched by the Guṇas).
Chapter 9
सर्वभूतानि कौन्तेय प्रकृतिं यान्ति मामिकाम् ।
कल्पक्षये पुनस्तानि कल्पादौ विसृजाम्यहम् ॥ ९.७ ॥
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः ।
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ॥ ९.८ ॥
मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् ।
हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ॥ ९.१० ॥
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः ।
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिताः ॥ ९.१२ ॥
महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः ।
भजन्त्यनन्यमनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम् ॥ ९.१३ ॥
sarvabhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtiṃ yānti māmikām .
kalpakṣaye punastāni kalpādau visṛjāmyaham .. 9.7 ..
prakṛtiṃ svāmavaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ .
bhūtagrāmamimaṃ kṛtsnamavaśaṃ prakṛtervaśāt .. 9.8 ..
mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram .
hetunānena kaunteya jagadviparivartate .. 9.10 ..
moghāśā moghakarmāṇo moghajñānā vicetasaḥ .
rākṣasīmāsurīṃ caiva prakṛtiṃ mohinīṃ śritāḥ .. 9.12 ..
mahātmānastu māṃ pārtha daivīṃ prakṛtimāśritāḥ .
bhajantyananyamanaso jñātvā bhūtādimavyayam .. 9.13 ..
In the above verses two types of Prakṛtis are described.
verses 9.7 to 9.10 mention as to how the Supreme being uses his Prakṛti that is made up of the three Guṇas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and utilizes it as the source of creation and source of merging back of the manifest universe. Ācārya śaṅkarabhagavatpāda clarifies that this is what is termed as Aparā Prakṛti (Lower nature) in the previous chapter. (प्रकृतिं त्रिगुणात्मिकाम् अपरां निकृष्टां यान्ति prakṛtiṃ triguṇātmikām aparāṃ nikṛṣṭāṃ yānti – shreshankarabhashya 9.7)
Verses 9.12 and 13 describe about the two types of Prakrtis – rākṣasī /āsurīPrakṛti and Daivī Prakṛti. Here the word Prakṛti is used in the sense of svabhāva – nature/behavioural predisposition . Those with demonic dispositions see Lord Kṛṣṇa as mere human being, where as those divine dispositions understand the divinity of the Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Chapter 11
अर्जुन उवाच —
दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन ।
इदानीमस्मि संवृत्तः सचेताः प्रकृतिं गतः ॥ ११.५१ ॥
arjuna uvāca —
dṛṣṭvedaṃ mānuṣaṃ rūpaṃ tava saumyaṃ janārdana .
idānīmasmi saṃvṛttaḥ sacetāḥ prakṛtiṃ gataḥ .. 11.51 ..
This sole reference from the 11th chapter has a unique expression - prakṛtiṃ gataḥ - attaining one’s own normal nature. Arjuna who was dazed and bedazzled by the baffling manifestation of the Lord in the course of Viśvarūpa comes back to his normal self - prakṛtiṃ gataḥ - when he sees the human form of Śrīkṛṣṇa once again.
Chapter 13
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि ।
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥ १३.१९ ॥
कार्यकरणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥ १३.२० ॥
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥ १३.२१ ॥
य एवं वेत्ति पुरुषं प्रकृतिं च गुणैः सह ।
सर्वथा वर्तमानोऽपि न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥ १३.२३ ॥
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञयोरेवमन्तरं ज्ञानचक्षुषा ।
भूतप्रकृतिमोक्षं च ये विदुर्यान्ति ते परम् ॥ १३.३४ ॥
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādī ubhāvapi .
vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisambhavān .. 13.19 ..
kāryakaraṇakartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtirucyate .
puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhānāṃ bhoktṛtve heturucyate .. 13.20 ..
puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijānguṇān .
kāraṇaṃ guṇasaṅgo'sya sadasadyonijanmasu .. 13.21 ..
ya evaṃ vetti puruṣaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca guṇaiḥ saha .
sarvathā vartamāno'pi na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate .. 13.23 ..
kṣetrakṣetrajñayorevamantaraṃ jñānacakṣuṣā .
bhūtaprakṛtimokṣaṃ ca ye viduryānti te param .. 13.34 ..
The Prakṛti mentioned in all the verses of these chapter point to the primordial material cause of the universe, which is made of the three Guṇas. It is stated here that a) It is from this beginning less Prakṛti all manifestation of the physical world happens (13.19) b) Doer-ship in the creation process rests with Prakṛti (13.20) c) Consciousness/ Puruṣa merely experiences the attributes/manifestations of the Prakṛti (13.21) d) Knowing the true nature of such Prakṛti and Puruṣa helps avoid rebirth and leads to liberation ( 13.23 & 34)
Chapters 14, 15 & 18
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ।
निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनमव्ययम् ॥ १४.५ ॥
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः ।
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ १५.७ ॥
न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः ।
सत्त्वं प्रकृतिजैर्मुक्तं यदेभिः स्यात्त्रिभिर्गुणैः ॥ १८.४० ॥
sattvaṃ rajastama iti guṇāḥ prakṛtisambhavāḥ .
nibadhnanti mahābāho dehe dehinamavyayam .. 14.5 ..
mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ .
manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati .. 15.7 ..
na tadasti pṛthivyāṃ vā divi deveṣu vā punaḥ .
sattvaṃ prakṛtijairmuktaṃ yadebhiḥ syāttribhirguṇaiḥ .. 18.40 ..
In the three references from chapters 14, 15, and 18 – it has been stated respectively, that - the Guṇas emerge from the Prakṛti (chapter 14), the sense organs with the mind have Prakṛti as their substratum (chapter 15) and nothing in this world is free from the influence of the three Guṇas.
Haṭhayogapradīpikā - Reference not found in this text
Tabulation of Textual References 10.3
|
Prakṛti |
Yogasūtra 1 Reference |
Bhagavadgītā 6 references |
Haṭhayogapradīpikā - |
|
Chapter 1 Sūtras 19
|
Chapter 3 Verses 5, 33 Chapter 4 Verse 6 Chapter 7 Verses 4,5 Chapter 9 Verses 7,8,10, 12, 13 Chapter 11 Verse 51 Chapter 13 Verse 19-21, 23, 24 Chapter 14 Verse 5 Chapter 15 Verse7 Chapter 18 Verse 40
|
None
|
Observations
It is interesting to note that - of the three texts taken up for discussion - the philosophical/ontological entity of Prakṛti is discussed only in Yogasūtras and the Bhagavadgītā. The Yoga practice oriented treatise - Haṭhayogapradīpikā - does not indulge in the elaboration of the term.
Though in Yogasūtras the term Prakṛti is found in just one occasions - in the context of the asaṃprajñāta samādhi - the concept has been discussed using other nomenclatures such as Pradhāna and Aliṅga. This highlights the importance of the term to Yogasūtra.
With 19 references Bhagavadgītā indeed discusses Prakṛti elaborately, bringing out the significance of the concept in the Gītā's framework.
It could be seen that Prakṛti is used broadly to indicate two ideas -
a) the Primordial cause of the material world
b) simply the nature of a person
a) Primordial material cause: with regard to Primordial cause of the material world - Prakṛti is spoken - a) as being the source of the three Guṇas b) Prakṛti provides the material ground for the supreme consciousness to manifest c) depending upon the level of evolutes - Prakṛti itself is classified in the Gītā as parā-Prakṛti(higher) and Aparā-prakṛti (lower) d) it is stated that nothing in this world is bereft of influence of the Prakṛti e) the knowledge that the doer is Prakṛti and the expereincer is Puruṣa (conciosuness) will lead to clarity and liberation. It has to be noted that - it is this Prakṛti that the Yogasūtra alludes to.
b) Nature: a) It is stated that one acts according one's nature determined by past actions b) this nature is also classified as rākṣasī/āsurī Prakṛti and daivī Prakṛti - which elaborated in the 16th chapter of the Bhagavadgītā c) the expression going to back to Prakṛti is also used to denote the attainment of one's normal self from a state of exicitement or fear
Thus this śabdayoga analysis of the term Prakṛti brings out the various shades of meanings and the subdivisions of the term Prakṛti as discussed in the Yoga texts.
[1] 8 meaning to the word ‘pra’ is given in the Avyayakosha with meanings can be seen here - https://archive.org/details/avyaya-kosa-srivatsankacharya/page/262/mode/2up?view=theater
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