Prakriti (Sanskrit: प्रकृति) is an early Indic concept, which means "making or placing before or at first, the original or natural form or condition of ...PrakṛtiFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchPrakritiorPrakruti(fromSanskritlanguageप्रकृति,prakṛti),means"theoriginalornaturalformorconditionofanything,originalorprimarysubstance".[1]ItisakeyconceptinHinduism,formulatedbyitsSāṅkhyaschool,andreferstotheprimalmatterwiththreedifferentinnatequalities(guṇas)whoseequilibriumisthebasisofallobservedempiricalreality.[2][3]Prakriti,inthisschool,contrastswithPuruṣa,whichispureawarenessandmetaphysicalconsciousness.[2]ThetermisalsofoundinthetextsofotherIndianreligionssuchasJainism,[4]andBuddhism.[5]InIndianlanguagesderivedfromSanskritroots,Prakritireferstothefeminineaspectofalllifeforms,andmorespecificallyawomanisseenasasymbolofPrakriti.AdiParashaktiisdescribedasUltimatePrakriti(Divinefemale/Divinemother).([6]Contents1Etymologyandmeaning2Discussion3Seealso4References5ExternallinksEtymologyandmeaning[edit]Prakriti(Sanskrit:प्रकृति)isanearlyIndicconcept,whichmeans"makingorplacingbeforeoratfirst,theoriginalornaturalformorconditionofanything,originalorprimarysubstance."[7]ThetermisdiscussedbyYāska(~600BCE)inNirukta,andfoundinnumerousHindutexts.[7]Itconnotes"nature,body,matter,phenomenaluniverse"inHindutexts.[6][8]Discussion[edit]ElementsinSamkhyaphilosophyIntheSāṅkhyaandYogaphilosophicalliteratures,itiscontrastedwithPurusha(spirit,consciousness),andPrakritirefersto"thematerialworld,nature,matter,physicalandpsychologicalcharacter,constitution,temper,disposition".AccordingtoKnutJacobsen,inthedualisticsystemoftheSamkhyaschool,"Purushaistheprincipleofpureconsciousness,whilePrakritiistheprincipleofmatter",wherePurushaistheconsciouswitnessineverylivingbeing,whilePrakritiisthemanifestworld.InHinducosmology,Prakṛtiisthefeminineaspectofexistence,thepersonifiedwillandenergyoftheSupreme(Brahman);whileinShaktism,theGoddessispresentedasboththeBrahmanandthePrakṛti.InSamk