Spiritual Glossary

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Word Meaning

1 Purusha and Prakriti These two Sanskrit words sum up both the manifest and the unmanifest. They between them, compress the quintessence of the Absolute TOTALITY. 'Puru' = Abundant, Excessive. 'Purusha' = CONSCIOUSNESS, The ALL pervading universal passive substratum. This is referred as "Male" principle, which is simultaneously both immanent and as well transcendent, with regards to the whole of creation.
'Prakriti' = Origin, 'Source-Material-cause' contains three Gunas (Qualities) of 'Satva' 'Rajas' and 'Tamas' and five elemental-quotients ('Bhoo-Tatva'). They are, Space (Ether), Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Everything that is seen and as well sensed is derived out of these five elemental-quotients, combined in some intrinsic permutation and combination. This is referred as the "Female" principle and looked upon as divine delusion (MAYA). Divine because, it is the most primordial reality, almost uncaused!
'The Science of Yoga' describes, that a human being is made of five layers of 'Prakriti'. These layers are called as 'Kosha'. They are: 'Annamaya Kosha' (Gross body), 'Pranamaya Kosha' (In coming and outgoing breath), 'Manomaya Kosha' (Emotions), 'Vijnanamaya Kosha' (Intellect) and 'Anandamaya Kosha' (Bliss). All these are deemed as gross state. The non-dual 'Purusha' is beyond all these five sheaths. 'Atman' being same as 'Purusha', is also beyond these five sheaths! These five sheaths are categorized under three heads: The physical body, the astral body and the causal body. But all of them are only bodies, meaning gross and inert in nature! The Life-principle ('Purusha') is beyond this realm.
'Prakriti' is solely dependent on the immutable 'Purusha'. It arises from and merges back into the all-supporting principle. Though ALL supporting, the changeless substratum remains uninvolved in the ever changing play of three Gunas. "Purusha' is inexhaustible, because it is uninvolved. IT is blemishless, due to the neutral-state. This is a potent clue for us to lead a life free of undue involvement, so as to live without feeling the exhaustion!
Seen and Unseen, Manifest and Unmanifest, Phenomenon and Noumenon, Finite and Infinite, Ephemeral and Eternal, Relative and Absolute, Perishable and Imperishable are some of the verbal indicators of the state 'Purusha' and 'Prakriti'. The 'Creatrix', is not just limited to the obviously visible! "IT" is much more grander than that. Sensing this hidden dimension can usher in us a quantum change!