On the Trail of Purusha - A Walk Through Prakriti

Understanding the difference between Prakriti and Purusha will bring much clarity

- Shri Subba Rao

Life is movement. Buds open, rivers flow, clouds sail, air moves, the moon goes round the earth, the earth goes round the sun and the sun goes round something else. With all kinds of movements, this beautiful world of nature unfolds - it is a feast to the eyes, music to ears, with mesmerising fragrance, divine taste, and heavenly touch. This movement in us and outside, is the dance of Prakriti. The entire physical world of matter evolves from Prakriti.

Though Prakriti is all movement, she is blind, meaning she is devoid of consciousness. She cannot see her own dance! Who sees Prakriti? If you say, ‘I do’, come again. Everything that moves is Prakriti. We are also on the move. Even when we rest, the mind continues to move from thought to thought. It is obvious that body and mind, which are prone to movement, are also part of the dance of Prakriti!

Who sees Prakriti then?

Purusha. This Seer in me is the consciousness. Purusha is described as lame, in the sense that he has no movement whatsoever. Witnessing is not an action, it is his nature. It is just witnessing - without likes and dislikes, without judgement, without memory. Since he is the Seer, he can’t help witnessing and he has no choice to witness or not to witness, it is a choice less witnessing. He is not moved by what he witnesses, he has no movement.

Prakritii sever active, Purusha is ever at rest.

This ever active but ‘blind’ Prakriti and the Seer without movement, come together to form life, i.e., ourselves. We are made of Prakriti and Purusha. Sandwiched between Prakriti and Purusha is poor me.