Yoga dictionary. Prakriti

There is such a thing as Prakriti in the philosophy of the Sankhya school. The term is also mentioned in the Yoga sutras of Patanjali. Prakriti is considered to be the feminine aspect of the manifestation of the Universe, which in symbiosis with the masculine aspect of the Universe — Purusha — forms the universe.

Prakriti in Sanskrit means ’cause`, `matter`or ‘nature’. Prakriti is the primordial nature, the first principle of the world. When Prakriti is not influenced by the gunas, it remains in its original state. And the moment the gunas begin to affect Prakriti, the balance of the gunas is disturbed, and Prakriti begins to change — to take different forms and form the material world. Continue reading →