The Prakriti

 

Week 21, chapter 7, shloka 1-14

As Krishna gets mirror-like Arjuna to listen to Him and understand Him; delighted, Krishna preaches further…

The knowledge of ‘self’ and the knowledge of the physical world. The realm where the intellect doesn’t enter and all the thoughts and reasonings stop is the realm of true knowledge (Gyaan) –rest all is the knowledge of the physical world (Vigyan). And when from this physical understanding, one tries to understand the physical world, that is called ‘Agyaan’- no knowledge/false knowledge.

Like out of millions who enter the flood of desire to attain self-knowledge, there would be one who will attain the pure knowledge of ‘self’. So, one must not consider it an ordinary thing.

The Prakriti

Just like the body casts its shadow, My shadow is ‘Maya' also called ‘Prakriti’, and is the creative force of nature. My nature is visible in eight forms- the earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason, and the sense of ‘I’ (the pride). And the integration of these eight forms is ‘Prakriti’- the system of life. It gives life to the inorganic matter and ignites excitation in the nervous system (therefore, is also called ‘Jeevabhoota’). It gives the intellect the power to understand temptation and grief. It’s due to her influence that the knowledge originating in the intellect, and the sense of ‘I’ govern the process of this world.

And so, when this Prakriti in its subtle form integrates with its own gross state, gives birth to a mint producing four kinds of coins (people of four varnas). Having the same composition/caliber of five elements, but different varnas. And in total there are 84 lakh types of these forms and there are various subforms so there is no count as such. A tremendous number of these coins (beings) fill the treasure of the unknown. The Prakriti creates all these coins, creates the expanse, and then destroys (melts) them. Since the Prakriti is my own form, and so, I remain the origin of the world, its state, and its rhythm.