Pra karoti iti Prakrti, that is Prakrti means the force creating objects. It is on account of Prakrti alone that the existence of humans and animals, of plants and matter is appreciated within the eternal, infinite and perfect Brahma. In other words, the Cosmic Force responsible for the creation of this world abounding in varieties and kinds is called Prakrti.

Puruśa is only consciousness and in absence of the creative force, it has no manifestation. The presence of this cosmic force or Prakrti is indispensable everywhere within the bounds of the creation, i.e., for creation, sustenance and destruction. The word Prakrti is not equivalent to the word nature of the English language. As a matter of fact, nature is the property or Dharma of Prakrti. Whatever Prakrti does is commonly known as nature.

Puruśa is only Consciousness, Puruśa is the all-knowing entity and the entity that witnesses whatever Prakrti does. Prakrti is unmanifested where Consciousness or Puruśa is dominant – the creative force in that state remains suspended within the scope of Consciousness.

Prakrti comprises a set of three attributes. It is significant that she has not been termed an aggregate of the three attributes, since Prakrti is the term meant to connote all the three attributes together or a state combining them all. These three attributes are termed Sattva or sentient, Rajah or mutative, and Tamah or static according to the manifestations.

Now, the question arises as to what does the word “attribute” signify? Does attribute or guńa connote the word “quality?” No, it does not. The plain philosophic meaning of “guńa” is a binding string – a string used to bind some objects. Here, “guńa” connotes the Cosmic Force whereby the Universal Consciousness is bound to various shapes or ideas. In English the word “tendency” may also be used to express the spirit of “guńa”.

Where Prakrti is dormant there is no knowledge of the “I” feeling as the object of Consciousness, neither is there any mental vibration. Wherever the consciousness is influenced or bound by Prakrti’s sattvaguńa, the sense of “I” feeling, or “I am”, is created. By the property or dharma of sattvaguńa the universal Cosmic Consciousness becomes circumscribed or shaped into the knowledge of existence of the “I” feeling. When the Consciousness becomes bound by name and form, philosophically referred to as Mahattattva, it naturally appears to be different from its original standard.

Ordinarily, none of the guńas of the active Prakrti occurs singly. Wherever sattvaguńa occurs the possibility of the occurrence of rajah and tamah cannot be excluded. This is further clarified hereafter.

The ultimate resultant stage or the static state is the characteristic of tamoguńa. The performance of an act must precede its result. This performance of an act or activity is the property of rajoguńa. Hence, rajoguńa must inevitably exist wherever there is tamoguńa. For the performance of the act the sense of “I” feeling, feeling of existence, must exist, otherwise who will perform the act in the absence of the “I”? Previously I said that the characteristic of sattvaguńa is to impart the knowledge of existence. Similarly, wherever rajoguńa exists, sattvaguńa must be there. Wherever sattvaguńa exists, the possibility of co-existence of rajoguńa or tamoguńa is there whether they manifest themselves or not. Furthermore, wherever tamoguńa exists, sattvaguńa and rajoguńa must also invariably co-exist. Wherever there is rajoguńa, sattvaguńa must also be there.

The characteristics of sattvaguńa are knowledge of existence, and imparting happiness and a sense of relief. rajoguńa is characterized by action designed to keep the “I” busy with some act, and the characteristic of tamoguńa is to get the result or to enjoy the resultant shape.

It is important to note that sattvaguńa does not denote inactivity since inactivity is the result of tamaguńa. Inactivity means the tranquillity of death, not the sobriety of knowledge. In every matter of the world, there is an incessant struggle going on between rajoguńa and tamoguńa. So long as rajoguńa prevails, there is the graceful lustre of sattvaguńa. Look at a bud. So long as it is blossoming, you will find that it is gradually blooming and the victory of rajoguńa in the struggle with tamoguńa is manifested in the graceful lustre of sattvaguńa. But when the force of rajoguńa is spent, then [[tamoguńa predominates every moment. The flower gradually withers and fades, the glow of sattva wanes and eventually , the all-devouring hunger of]] tamoguńa transforms it into a state of crudeness, that is to say, it dies. In transformation from a sprout to a blade and from a blade to a leaf and then to autumn defoliation, from infancy into youth and from youth declining to old age the struggle between rajoguńa and tamoguńa is uniquely manifested. This is the struggle of the creator and the destroyer, of Hari and Hara.

The mind is formed due to the influence of Prakrti over Puruśa. The characteristic of the mind is to think. When the mind goes from subtleness to crudeness and gets engrossed in material objects, the process is termed mental detraction or saiṋcara kriyá. When the mind passes from material objects to subtleness it merges into the Cosmic “I” feeling and the process is termed mental attraction or pratisaiṋcara. Saiṋcara is principally guided by tamoguńa and pratisaiṋcara by sattvguńa. Saiṋcara tends to create static feelings while pratisaiṋcara promotes cosmic feelings.

But the Cosmic Consciousness unaffected by the detraction and attraction (saiṋcara and practisaiṋcara) processes from the nucleus of the cycle of thought-waves is the knower “I” ((Átman). This cycle of thought-wave is His object, in other words, it is He alone who is thinking. This world of varieties or paiṋcabhúta is the expression of the stage of maximum detraction of the Cosmic Mind formed by the influence of Prakrti over Cosmic Consciousness, Puruśa is Nirguńa where the attraction and detraction processes do not go on making Puruśa as the nucleus. Those who call Prakrti delusion or illusion are mistaken. If Prakrti is an illusion, how do perceptions occur? The imagined object may be unreal but the fact that imagination has been done is real.

Ya eko jálavániishata iishaniibhih
Sarvánalokániishata iishaniibhih.
Ya evaeka udbhave sambhave ca
Ya etadviduramrtáste bhavanti.

Behind this world’s creation, there is a cosmic magician who has created the universe and also controls it. In fact, whatever has been or shall be created is He and He alone. Those who have realized this truth attain blessedness.

Eko hi rudro na dvitiiyáya tasthúrya
Imánllokániishata iishaniibhih.
Pratyaḿjanáḿtit́hate saḿcukopántakakále
Saḿsrjya vishvá bhuvanáni gopáh.

“There is only the Supreme Brahma and no other entity. He controls this perceptible world through His Prakrti and at the time of universal annihilation, the entire creation merges in Him. He is concealing Himself in His own created universe.”

The all-knowing entity is called imperishable Consciousness or Akśara-Puruśa because He has not been degraded from His original. He is undecaying and infallible. During the detraction and attraction processes that part of Puruśa which is transformed is known as Kśar Puruśa or the perishable entity. Kśar Puruśa is transformed when it becomes the object of the knowing entity or mind which is called Jiṋátá Puruśa. If we consider the unit consciousness imperishable and the unit mind perishable, then Saguńa Brahma will have to be regarded as collectively perishable and collectively imperishable. It is only the creation of the rollicksome Prakrti behind transformation of the collective mind into unit and behind the unit consciousness as the knowing entity of the unit in its totality.

Sarvarúpamayii devii sarvaḿ devii mayaḿjagat,
Tato’ham vishvarúpáḿ táḿ namámi Parameshvariim.

–Márkańdeya Puráńa

“This Universe is in the form of Devii or Prakrti alone. Whatever is visible in the universe is composed of Devii. I bow down to the Devii assuming the image of the universe, the Mother of the universe.”

The question may arise, how was this Prakrti created? Prakrti is the creator of the mind, that is to say, the mind has been formed by the influence of Prakrti over Puruśa. The mind has the property to have the knowledge of time, and there can be no comprehension of time without mind. The mind, which measures and creates time has been created by Prakrti alone, and hence is beyond and above the ambit of time. She is eternal and unborn.

Ajámekáḿ lohitashukla Krśnáḿ
Bahviih prajáh srjamáḿáḿ svarúpám.
Ajohyeko juśamánonuśhete
Jahátyeńáḿ bluktabhogámajo’nyah (Shruti).

Prakrti herself is unborn. Prakrti, the all-creative and constructive force has no progenitor. She is composed of three colours – red, white, and black. Sattvaguńa is white, rajoguńa is red and tamoguńa is black. In the human body these colours come into play according to different varieties of tendencies. The colour of a person is according to his or her tendency. It should be remembered that the colour pertains to the mind and not to the physical body. This natural classification has no connection with the caste system founded in ancient times by those interested in privilege or prestige on the basis of being born into particular families. It has already been said that the attraction towards Brahma or pratisaiṋcara is chiefly predominated by sattvaguńa and the detraction from Brahma or saiṋcara is predominated by tamoguńa. The attraction process leads a living being to the realization of its self and ultimately merges the mahattattva of the unit mind into the Mahattattva of the universal mind. It is for this reason that persons endowed with introversive vision advance unobstructed towards the realization of Self and take the shelter of sattvaguńa. In the initial phase they find that their mental horizon becomes increasingly radiant with dispassion and a resplendent flood of light. This internal purity becomes apparent in their external activities also. Hence, people with sáttvika propensities cannot conceal themselves. Similarly, persons of rájasika and támasika propensities cannot conceal themselves from the common people. When a person of rájasika propensity inclines towards tamah, the former’s characteristic blood red colour deepens and becomes dark. Similarly, when a person of rájasika tendency inclines towards sattva the same redness changes into refulgent white.

In Nirguńa Brahma, which is the sublimest attainment of Sádhaná, Prakrti remains dormant. Hence, Nirguńa Brahma is without characteristics and those who aspire in that direction should also discard all attributes both external and internal. It is for this reason that the followers of Ananda Marga have no caste. They do not acknowledge the baneful and delusory classifications created by society. Those classifications, either directly or indirectly, contribute to propagation of the tamoguńa attribute which then speeds unhampered in the innermost recesses of the heart.

Varńáshramábhimánena shrutidásye bhavennarah
Varńáshramvihiinashca vartate shrutimúdrańi.

Caste vanity makes human beings slaves of the scriptures and they become dominated by the three guńas. It is only the renouncers of caste who attain the sublimest position, above the scope of the scriptures.

O children of Ánanda Márga, you have to rise above the caste-differentiations and attain a state beyond the attributes. You must not aspire to be the white-coloured vipra, the blood-red-coloured Kśatriya, the blood-and-black-coloured, i.e., yellow-coloured vaeshya or the dark-coloured shúdra. You have to rise above all these. To attain the state beyond the attributes, you have to meditate on Puruśa, reflect on your universality and know your original form. In the beginning, you have to become the white-coloured vipra. Then you will have to shake off the vipra feeling and finally merge into the Cosmic Consciousness which is free from all colours.

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.⁽¹⁾

“My divine Máyá, the Supreme Máyá or Cosmic Force composed of three attributes – ordinarily it is very difficult to transcend these attributes; however, those who merge themselves in Me or take refuge in Me can transcend Prakrti.”

When He draws the universe by His act of attraction towards Himself i.e., pratisaiṋcara, Brahma causes the emancipation of the living beings. It is evident that He does this with the aid of Prakrti through sattvaguńa. Hence, the fact that Prakrti contributes to emancipation is an admitted truth. Nonetheless, living beings have to devote themselves to Puruśa rather than to Prakrti, in as much as they have to establish themselves in Cosmic Consciousness throughout eternity and acquire the Nirguńa state. Their ultimate goal is the blissful Cosmic Consciousness, which is above the influence of Prakrti, imperishable and irreducible. The living being who is under the bondage of Prakrti cannot attain that state. For this reason the tantra sáhdhaka implores:

Tvaḿ Vaesńavii shaktiranataviiroyá
Vishvasya bijam paramási máyá
Sammohitaḿ devii samstametad
Tvam vae prasanná bhúvi muktihetuh.

“O Prakrti, thou art never-ending. Viśnumáyá, thou art the seed of the universe, thou art the cause of the universe, thou art the supreme máyá and the supreme cosmic force, thou hast hypnotized the creation and kept it under the clutches of the páshas and ripu’s. The gate of emancipation opens only when thou art merciful.”

This is why I said earlier that spiritual aspiration is to be directed to the Cosmic Consciousness, rather than to Prakrti. To aspire towards Prakrti inclines one towards crudeness. Selfish efforts in pursuit of mean “I”-ness imperceptibly tightens the páshas.

There is no balance of forces in manifested Prakrti. The incessant struggle between creation and destruction leads to the creation of generative forces, and the skeleton of destruction is being permeated with the vibration of new lives. It is not proper to consider Prakrti the enemy of humanity. By properly employing the three attributes, humans can come to know virtue, truth and perfection. They can elevate their mental horizons with the aid of the sattvaguńa of Prakrti, which operates in the attraction process of Brahma. Is it not true that Prakrti is benevolent? To find fault with Prakrti without following spiritual practices betrays inactivity which should not be supported.

Are Prakrti and Puruśa two independent entities? No, certainly not. To make these concepts intelligible in a philosophical discourse such as this the two terms are employed separately. However, in reality they are not only inseparably related but are interdependent just like milk and its whiteness or like fire and its consuming power.

In the course of sádhaná, when the aspirant finds Prakrti receding into Puruśa, then he or she comes to himself or herself. So long as the aspirant entertains any distinction between Puruśa and Prakrti and consequently between Brahma and self, he or she tries in vain to attain bliss and becomes more and more entangled in the web of saḿskáras.

Satyaloke Nirákárá mahájyotisvarúpińii
Máyaccháditátmánaḿ canakákararúpińii
Máyábalkalaḿ saḿtyajya dvidhábhinnáyadommukhii
Shivashaktivibhágena jáyate srśtikalpaná.

–Tantra

So long as the gram does not germinate, the two internal components appear as one whole, but as the creative germ sprouts, the two halves separate. Similarly the mystery of Puruśa and Prakrti is evident in this diverse universe. [[The more you go ahead in your sadhana of Puruśa,]] the more you will observe that in the surrendered state, the Cosmic Force gets merged in you. In the state of kaevalya (oneness) the two entities are not distinctly or separately available.

Tvameko dvitvamápanno Shivashaktivibhágashah.

“In fact thou are one and only one. Thou art being manifest in these two objects.”

This crude and subtle universe has originated from the thought-waves of the universal mind, which itself was created by the Prakrti of the universal Puruśa. The nucleus of these thought-waves is the universal, undecaying Consciousness, the central source of all enlightenment. This consciousness has taken His thought-wave as the object of His mind. However, because there is nothing outside His infinite and limitless form, Prakrti cannot endow him with any organs (indrya), nor can she set any limit of time, space and person. For the One beyond whom there is nothing, the question of receiving or generating tammátras (waves) does not arise.

Apánipádo javano grahiitá
Pashyatyacakśuh sa shrńotyakarńah,
Sa vetti vedyaḿna ca tasyásti vettá
Tamáhuragryaḿ puruśaḿ mahántam.

–Shruti

Shrotrasya shortram manaso mano
Yad vácá hi vácy sa u práńasya práńah,
Cakśuśashcakśuratimucya dhiiráh
Pretyaśmánllokádamrtáh bhavanti.

–Shruti

Yanmanasána manute yenáhurmano mataḿ
Tadeva Brahma taḿ viddhi nedam yadidamupásate

–Shruti

Yaccakśusá na pashyati yena cakśúḿsi pashyati
Tadeva Brahma taḿ viddhi nedam yadidamupasate.

–Shruti

With the help of Prakrti’s sattvaguńa, the aspirant can gain access into the universal, imperishable consciousness. When his or her mind merges in universal mind, this state is called “savikalpa samádhi”. According to natural principles, if the aspirant takes something limited and perishable as the object of his or her attainment and adopts it as the goal of their life, they unconsciously proceed toward tamoguńa – toward crudeness, and eventually towards animality. Tamoguńa alone is crudeness, and rajoguńa can be called dynamism, and sattvaguńa the harmonious enlightenment.

It has been said above that ordinarily all the three attributes operate together in everything, although in varying proportions. Those things where sattvaguńa predominates are called “sattvika”, those where rajoguńa dominates are called “rájasika”, and those where tamoguńa is dominate are called “támasika”. Irrespective of which attribute predominates in a particular object, the different living beings take that same object in different lights according to the differences in place and time. For instance, the same aspect of the world in the same circumstances is pleasing to some, displeasing to others and indifferent to the rest.

Suppose a person endowed with sattvaguńa is employed by the state as a judge or magistrate, then he/she is a sattvika person and loved by the peace-loving citizens. For persons of wicked nature he/she is undesirable and therefore unpopular. And the same employee is rajoguńii for the people outside his/her jurisdiction and is therefore, looked upon with indifference. A beautiful woman is the beloved of her husband, indifferent for others and undesirable for a co-wife.

A sattvaguńii person always finds sattvaguńa in everything. Similarly, a rajoguńii finds rajoguńah, and a tamoguńii finds tamoguńa. On visiting Káshi a righteous person shall associate with the sages and saints on the bank of the Ganges and will find Káshi to be the most sacred place. A tourist will go round the city and find it a city like all others, while a cheat will find this city a proper place for his operations. The same city is visualised in three different ways by three persons according to their respective temperaments.

You must constantly bear in mind that you have to advance internally by fighting against the tamoguńii crudeness with the aid of sattvaguńa. To constantly advance, you must keep yourself aloof from the forces of mental distraction, because these distraction-forces will throw you out towards the tumult of crudeness.

Átmasthitam Shivaḿ tyaktvá vahisthaḿ yah samarcayet;
Hastasthaḿ pińd́amutsrjya bhramate jiivitáshayá.

–Shiva Saḿhitá

Idaḿ tiirthamidaḿ tiirthaḿ bhramanti támasá janáh;
Átmatiirthaḿ na jánanti kathaḿ mokśo baráńane.

–Tantra

Do not be extroversial, do not go ahead towards your own destruction since once you have fallen into the grip of crudeness it is well-nigh impossible to get released from it. The abyss shall devour you and you, shall miss the pole star of your life. The idolators inadvertently adore tamoguńa. Brahma is omnipresent and shines forth in the interior and exterior of living beings. The idolators forget Brahma and mistake a small external image as the adored object of their life. Their mind catches the shade of that image, and they hear hallucinatory voices according to their saḿskáras and mistakenly consider that they have attained their goal.

The devotees of idols gradually deteriorate both mentally and physically to tamah. They become incapable of tolerating any progressive ideal. Both the active propensity of rajoguńa and the pure knowledge of sattvaguńa are intolerable to them. They wish to set back the hands of the clock, and this love for tradition is but a sign of their crudeness. Vyásadeva, the author of Puráńas has written:

Rápam rúpavivarjiitasya bhavato yadhyánena kalpitaḿ
Stutyánirvacaniiyatákhiloguro dúriikrtá yammayá.
Vyápiitvam ca nirákrtaḿ bhagavato yat tiirthayátrádiná
Kśantavyam jagadiisha tadvikalatádosatrayaḿmatkrtaḿ.

“Thou hast no form. I have attempted to reduce Thee by giving Thee a form. By propagating the importance of holy lands, I tried to limit Thy all-pervasiveness. Through prayers I have tried to limit in words Thy incomprehensiveness. O Lord, may you pardon these three lapses of mine cause by mental disquietitude.”

Prakrti infuses guńa into Puruśa and gives Him a form. This act of infusion of guńa causes vibration in the body of Puruśa, since wherever there is an action there is vibration. Hence, under the influence of Prakrti, the body of he Puruśa or the changeable self or Saguńa experiences constant vibrations. It is an external, unprecedented, supra-universal and stupefying vibration. Everyone knows that it is the difference of the wave lengths in the vibrations which generate the relative tanmátras or perception-waves, i.e. sound, touch, vision, taste and smell. The sense organs, or jiṋánendriyas, of the living being perceive the tammátras from the external world or Cosmic mind, and the unit mind expresses these tammátras with the help of the motor organs or karmendriyas. This variation in vibration is responsible for the generation of white colour by sattvaguńa, red colour by rajoguńa and dark colour by tamoguńa. The greater the degree of crudeness, the lesser is the force of vibration. It is for this reason that tamoguńa is coloured black. Black is no colour. In fact, the perception of black colour is due to the absence of all colours. White, on the other hand, is the combination of all colours. Where there is perfect enlightenment, the white colour of sattvaguńa is most fully expressed. The subtlest tanmátra which is created by vibration is the sound tanmátra. Oṋḿkára is the sound tanmátra that is created by the universal cosmic mind. Concealed in the centre of this oṋḿkára is the seed of all the sounds of the universe. This sound originates from the universal, undecaying self and also merges in that self.

Hence the sages have clearly said that by concentrating their energies on this oṋḿkára, spiritual aspirants will surely attain the nucleus of this universe, the Supreme Cosmic Consciousness.

Prańava is another name for oṋḿkára. The word “prańava” signifies zealous devotion (pra-nu+al, “nu” means to worship).

Prańavo dhanuh sharohyátmá
Brahma tallakśyamucyate
Apramattena veddhavyaḿ
Sharavattanmayo bhavet.

This oṋḿkára is the seed of all the alphabets, and is the proclaimant and identifier of Brahma. For this reason, this is also called Shabda-Brahma. The Shruti says,

Sarve vedá yadpadamá mananti
Tapáḿsi sarváńi ca yadvadanti
Yadicchanto brahmacaraḿ caranti
Tattepadaḿ saḿgrahena vraviimyomityeta (Yajuh).

Etaddhyevákśaraḿ Brahma
Etadevákśaram paraḿ
Etadevákśaram jiṋátvá yo
Yadicchati tasya tat.

Etadálambanaḿ Shreet́hametadálambanaḿ param
Etadálambanaḿ jiṋatvá Brahmaloke mahiiyate.

O human beings, proceed ahead in the path of oṋḿkára towards subtleness. Do not run after the superficially pleasant mirage, dominated by tamoguńa. Establish yourself in sattvaguńa and then merge into Brahma. Reach the spot whence oṋḿkára has emerged. Awaken your dormant dynamism through sádhaná and devotion. Realize the mental elevation of divinity and merge this into the endless stream of divine mercy.

From distant ages past, you have been moving toward the Supreme State. You have suffered untold privations, and today you have the most favourable opportunity to become worthy human beings.

Footnotes

(1) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.