प्रकृति

{ prakṛtiḥ, prakṛti; puruṣa }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

PRAKṚTI; PURUṢA   Prakṛti (matter) and Puruṣa (spirit) are two basic factors essential for production of the Prapañca (the visible world which is the scene of manifold action) as man and woman are for the production of progeny. From Puruṣa (male), Prakṛti (female) originated and then they together created the Prapañca. The Vedas and Purāṇas make statements everywhere regarding Prakṛti and Puruṣa and three of the most important ones are given below: 1) ‘Pra’ means ‘principal’ and ‘Kṛti’ means ‘creation’. Therefore the word is meant to convey the meaning ‘one that is the principal factor for creation’, ‘Pra’ means ‘sāttvic’, ‘Kṛ’ means ‘rājasic’ and ‘ta’ means ‘tāmasic’ and the word ‘Prakṛti’ thus conveys the power of the three guṇas’. ‘Pra’ means ‘before’ and ‘Kṛti’ means creation and so Prakṛti means that which existed before creation. Before creation Prakṛti lay merged with the Supreme Spirit without separate existence. But when the desire for creation was aroused, this Supreme Spirit divided itself into Prakṛti and Puruṣa. Then the right half becomes ‘Puruṣa’ and the left half ‘Prakṛti’ Even though they are thus two yogīndras (kings among sages) they see themselves as merged with the eternal One like fire and heat and assert the truth Sarvaṁ Brahmamayam (everything is Brahman, the Supreme Spirit). It was this basic Prakṛti that took forms as the five goddesses, Durgā, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī and Rādhā. [9th Skandha, Devī Bhāgavata] . 2) Puruṣa is the vital sentient Truth that sets in action the entire Prapañca. This Puruṣa is Supreme among the Supreme, beyond human comprehension, without form, colour, name, without origin, growth, change or end, residing in himself and that which can only be imagined to exist. This puruṣa has got two different forms, the visible and the invisible and also a third imaginary one, time. The sages call Puruṣa the Sūkṣmaprakṛti (The subtle all-pervading spirit, the supreme soul). This Sūkṣmaprakṛti which cannot be measured by any unit of measure, is not attached to anyhing, is imperishable, is without decrepitude, is immovable and is without the senses of sound, touch smell or form. This Prakṛti endowed with the three guṇas, without beginning or end is eternal, is the root cause of this Prapañca. This Prakṛti pervaded over Prapañca from the beginning of the great Deluge to the beginning of creation. Brahmajñānins who were great seers and who knew the truth of the Vedas speak about Prakṛti thus: “There was no night or day then, neither the earth nor the sky, neither light nor darkness. There was nothing but this. There was only one Brahman merged in which were Prakṛti and Purusa, a brahman which could not be understood by any of the five senses nor by intelligence. It was from the supreme being of Viṣṇu that the two forms Prakṛti and Puruṣa originated. These two were separated from Viṣṇu at the time of the great deluge and again joined together at the time of creation. The form of Viṣṇu from which these occurred was termed Time. During the last great deluge this visible Prapañca merged with it and so, this deluge was called Prākṛtapralaya. Time is eternal, having no end and so the process of Sṛṣṭi, Sthiti and Saṁhāra (creation, existence and destruction) continued without any interruption. After that, during Pralaya (deluge), Prakṛti and Puruṣa stand apart due to equality of the guṇas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in Prakṛti. Viṣṇu in the form of Time starts the work to join them both together. Then when the time of creation came Viṣṇu, the Supreme Being, the supreme soul, the god of all living beings, omnipresent and omnipotent by his will entered the emotionless Puruṣa and emotional Prakṛti and created sensations in them. Smell is the sense which creates sensation in one by its nearness to it. Just like that Viṣṇu by his very presence near them created disturbances in them. It is Viṣṇu, the best of Puruṣas, who acts as Prakṛti which can disturb and which can be disturbed, which exists in states of contraction and expansion. It is Viṣṇu, the god of the gods, who exists in forms of Sūkṣma and Sthūla, and as the great tattva and as the devas like Brahmā. The Mahattattva originated from Prakṛti, which was existing as emotionless due to the equalisation of the three guṇas, when at the time of creation Viṣṇu, Truth in the form of Kṣetrajña (knower), merged with Prakṛti. The Mahattattva in its three forms, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas lay enveloped by Prakṛti just as a seed is covered by its husk. From this Mahattattva originated the three egos, Vaikārika, Taijasa and Tāmasa, the cause of the Pañcabhūtas. Because that ego contained the three guṇas it became the cause of the origin of the bhūtas (elements) and indriyas (senses). Ego pervaded the Mahattattva just as the Mahattattva pervaded [Aṁśa 1, Chapter 2, Viṣṇu Purāṇa] . 3) In the beginning during the Deluge the world was all water. Then Śiva tore open his thigh and dropped a drop of blood in the waters. It became a huge egg. He broke it and from it came out Puruṣa and from Puruṣa he made Prakṛti for the creation of the Prapañca. These two, Prakṛti and Puruṣa, created the Prajāpatis and they in turn created the prajās. Puruṣa seeing the vast creation going on due to him became arrogant and Śiva chopped off his head. Śiva became repentant of his hasty deed later. To atone for his sin he took the skull in his hand and vowed that he would ever carry a skull in his hand and that he would live in cremation grounds. The two halves of the great egg became ākāśa and bhūmi (earth and sky). [Taraṅga 2, Kathāpīṭhalambaka, Kathāsaritsāgara] .

हिन्दी (hindi) WN

 noun  वह मूल शक्ति जिसने अनेक रूपात्मक जगत का विकास किया है और जिसका रूप दृष्यों में दिखाई देता है   Ex. पेड़ों के कटने से प्रकृति का संतुलन बिगड़ रहा है ।

ONTOLOGY:

बोध (Perception) ➜ अमूर्त (Abstract) ➜ निर्जीव (Inanimate) ➜ संज्ञा (Noun)

SYNONYM:

कुदरत क़ुदरत निसर्ग अमूल महामाया अनुसार

Wordnet:

asm প্রকৃতি

bd मिथिंगायारि

guj પ્રકૃતિ

kan ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ

kok सैम

mar निसर्ग

mni ꯃꯍꯧꯁꯥꯒꯤ꯭ꯑꯣꯏꯕ꯭ꯐꯤꯕꯝ

nep प्रकृति

ori ପ୍ରକୃତି

pan ਪ੍ਰਕਿਰਤੀ

tam இயற்கை

tel ప్రకృతి

urd قدرت , فطرت , شان الہی

 noun  प्राकृतिक दृश्य संसार जिसमें पेड़-पौधे, पशु-पक्षी और भू-दृश्य आदि शामिल हैं   Ex. प्रकृति को उसके मूल रूप में बनाए रखने के लिए ठोस कदम उठाने चाहिए ।

ONTOLOGY:

समूह (Group) ➜ संज्ञा (Noun)

SYNONYM:

निसर्ग

Wordnet:

asm প্রকৃতি

ben প্রকৃতি

kas قۄدرَت

kok सैम

mni ꯃꯍꯧꯁꯥ

ori ପ୍ରକୃତି

pan ਪ੍ਰਾਕਿਤੀ

san प्रकृतिः

tel ప్రకృతి

urd قدرت , فطرت

   See : स्वभाव

प्राचीन चरित्रकोश

प्रकृति n.  रैवत मन्वंन्तर का एक देवगण ।

A dictionary, Marathi and English

   : also to return to the right way.

Aryabhushan School Dictionary

  f  Constitution or disposition. Temperament or temper. Nature. In philosophy, the material cause of the world, as opposed to पुरुष.
प्रकृतीचा ताळ बिघडणें-नासणें-सोडणें, प्रकृतीनें ताळ सोडणें. टाकणें, ताळांतून जाणें   To lose its tone, vigour, the constitution. To begin to quarrel or to rage.
प्रकृतीनें चालणें-जाणें. वागणें-असणें   To walk according to the temper or mind of; To follow one's own disposition.
प्रकृतीवर टाकणें-ठेवणें-अस देणें   To leave to nature (a disease &c.) प्रकृति ताळ्यावर येणें To recover one's healthy tone; to return to the right way.

मराठी (Marathi) WN

   See : निसर्ग, निसर्ग

नेपाली (Nepali) WN

 noun  त्यो मूल शक्‍ति जसले अनेक रूपात्मक जगतको विकास गरेको छ र जसको रूप दृश्यमा देखिन्छ   Ex. रूखहरू काट्नाले प्रकृतिको सन्तुलन बिग्रिँदै छ

ONTOLOGY:

बोध (Perception) ➜ अमूर्त (Abstract) ➜ निर्जीव (Inanimate) ➜ संज्ञा (Noun)

Wordnet:

asm প্রকৃতি

bd मिथिंगायारि

guj પ્રકૃતિ

hin प्रकृति

kan ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ

kok सैम

mar निसर्ग

mni ꯃꯍꯧꯁꯥꯒꯤ꯭ꯑꯣꯏꯕ꯭ꯐꯤꯕꯝ

ori ପ୍ରକୃତି

pan ਪ੍ਰਕਿਰਤੀ

tam இயற்கை

tel ప్రకృతి

urd قدرت , فطرت , شان الہی

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

प्र-°कृति  f.  a f. See next p.

ROOTS:

प्र °कृति

प्र-कृति  f.  b f. ‘making or placing before or at first’, the original or natural form or condition of anything, original or primary substance ( opp. to वि-कृति q.v.), [Prāt.]; [Nir.]; [Jaim.]; [MBh.]

ROOTS:

प्र कृति

   cause, original source, [Mn.]; [MBh.]; [Śak.] &c.
   origin, extraction, [Mṛcch.]
°त्या  n. nature, character, constitution, temper, disposition, [MBh.]; [Kāv.]; [Suśr.] &c. ( ibc. and ind. by nature, naturally, unalterably, properly, [Prāt.]; [ŚrS.]; [Mn.] &c.)
   fundamental form, pattern, standard, model, rule ( esp. in ritual), [ŚrS.]
सत्त्व   (in the सांख्य phil.) the original producer of (or rather passive power of creating) the material world (consisting of 3 constituent essences or गुणs called , रजस् and तमस्), Nature (distinguished from पुरुष, Spirit as माया is d° from ब्रह्मन् in the वेदान्तs)
अ-व्यक्त    pl. the 8 producers or primary essences which evolve the whole visible world ( viz., बुद्धि or महत्, अहं-कार, and the 5 तन्-मात्रस् or subtle elements; rarely the 5 elements alone), [IW. 80 &c.]

ROOTS:

अ व्यक्त

   (in mythol.) a goddess, the personified will of the Supreme in the creation (hence the same with the शक्ति or personified energy or wife of a deity, as लक्ष्मी, दुर्गा &c.; also considered as identical with the Supreme Being), [W.]; [IW. 140]; [RTL. 223]
   ( pl.) N. of a class of deities under मनु रैभ्य, [Hariv.]
   (in polit.) pl. a king's ministers, the body of ministers or counsellors, ministry, [Mn.]; [MBh.] &c.
   the subjects of a king, citizens, artisans &c., ib.
   the constituent elements or powers of the state (of which are usually enumerated, viz. king minister, allies, treasure, army, territory, fortresses, [Mn. ix, 294; 295])
मध्यम   the various sovereigns to be considered in case of war ( viz. the , विजिगीषु, उदासीन and शत्रु; to which should be added 8 remoter princes, viz. the मित्र, अरिमित्र, मित्र-मित्र, अरिमित्र-मित्र, पार्ष्णि-ग्रह, आक्रन्द, पार्ष्णिग्राहा-सार, आक्रन्दा-सास; each of these 12 kings has 5 प्रकृतिs in the form of minister, territory, fortresses, treasure and army, so that the total number of प्रकृतिs may be 72), [Mn. vii, 155; 157]; [Kull.]
   (in gram.) the crude or elementary form of a word, base, root, an uninflected word, [Sāh.]; [Pāṇ.] Sch.; [Vop.]
    N. of 2 classes of metres, [Col.]
   (in arithm.) a co-efficient multiplier, ib.
   (in anat.) temperament, the predominance of one of the humours at the time of generation, [W.]
त्रितीया   (with ) the third nature, a eunuch, [MBh.]
   matter, affair, [Lalit.]
   the male or female organ of generation, [L.]
   a woman or womankind, [L.]
   a mother, [L.]
   an animal, [L.]
    N. of a woman, [Buddh.]
    N. of wk.

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

प्रकृतिः [prakṛtiḥ]  f. f.
   The natural condition or state of anything, nature, natural form (opp. विकृति which is a change or effect); तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया [Bg. 7.2.] प्रकृत्या यद्वक्रम् Ś1.9; उष्णत्वमग्न्यातपसंप्रयोगात् शैत्यं हि यत् सा प्रकृतिर्जलस्य [R.5.54;] मरणं प्रकृतिः शरीरिणां विकृति- र्जीवितमुच्यते बुधैः [R.8.87;] [U.7.19;] अपेहि रे अत्रभवान् प्रकृतिमापन्नः [Ś.2.] 'has resumed his wonted nature'; प्रकृतिम् आपद् or प्रतिपद् or प्रकृतौ स्था 'to come to one's senses', 'regain one's consciousness.'
   Natural disposition, temper, temperament, nature, constitution; प्रकृतिः खलु सा महीयसः सहते नान्यसमुन्नतिं यया [Ki.2.21;] कथं गत एव आत्मनः प्रकृतिम् [Ś.7.] 'natural character'; अपश्यत् पाण्डवश्रेष्ठो हर्षेण प्रकृतिं गतः [Mb.39.66] (com. प्रकृतिं स्वास्थ्यम्); so प्रकृतिकृपण, प्रकृतिसिद्ध; see below.
   Make, form, figure; महानुभावप्रकृतिः [Māl.1.]
   Extraction, descent; गोपालप्रकृतिरार्यकोऽस्मि [Mk.7.]
   Origin, source, original or material cause, the material of which anything is made; नार्थानां प्रकृतिं वेत्सि [Mb.4.49.1;] प्रकृतिश्चोपादानकारणं च ब्रह्माभ्युपगन्तव्यम् Ś. B. (see the full discussion on [Br. Sūt.1.4.23] ); यामाहुः सर्वभूतप्रकृतिरिति [Ś.1.1;] [Bhāg.4.28.24.]
   (In Sāṅ. phil.) Nature (as distinguished from पुरुष,) the original source of the material world, consisting of the three essential qualities सत्त्व, रजस् and तमस्. It is also mentioned as one of the four contentments; प्रकृत्युपादानकालभागाख्याः Sāṅ. [K.5.]
   (In gram.) The radical or crude form of a word to which case-terminations and other affixes are applied; प्रकृतिप्रत्यययोरिवानुबन्धः [Ki.13.19.]
   A model, pattern, standard, (especially in ritualistic works); [Bhāg.5.7.5.]
   A woman.
   The personified will of the Supreme Spirit in the creation (identified with माया or illusion); मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् [Bg.9.1.]
   The male or female organ of generation.
   A mother.
   (In arith.) A coefficient, or multiplier.
   (In anatomy) Temperament of the humours; प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति [Bg.3.33.]
   An animal.
   An artisan.
   The Supreme Being; न ह्यस्ति सर्वभूतेषु दुःख- मस्मिन् कुतः सुखम् । एवं प्रकृतिभूतानां सर्वसंसर्गयायिनाम् ॥ [Mb.12.] 152.16.
   Eight forms of the Supreme Being; भूमि- रापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च । अहंकार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृति- रष्टधा ॥ [Bg.7.4.]
   The way of life (जीवन); सतां वै ददतोऽन्नं च लोकेऽस्मिन् प्रकृतिर्ध्रुवा [Mb.12.18.27.] (pl.)
   A king's ministers, the body of ministers or counsellors, ministry; अथानाथाः प्रकृतयो मातृबन्धुनिवासिनम् [R.12.12;] [Pt.1.48;] अशुद्धप्रकृतौ राज्ञि जनता नानुरज्यते 31.
   The subjects (of a king); प्रवर्ततां प्रकृतिहिताय पार्थिवः [Ś.7.35;] नृपतिः प्रकृतीरवेक्षितुम् [R.8.18,1.]
   The constituent elements of the state (सप्ताङ्गानि), i. e. 1 the king;
-2   the minister;
-3   the allies;
-4   treasure;
-5   army;
-6   territory;
-7   fortresses &c.; and the corporations of citizens (which is sometimes added to the 7); स्वाम्यमात्य- सुहृत्कोशराष्ट्रदुर्गबलानि च [Ak.]
   The various sovereigns to be considered in case of war; (for full explanation see Kull. on [Ms.7.155] and 157).
   The eight primary elements out of which everything else is evolved according to the Sāṅkhyas; see Sāṅ. [K.3.]
   The five primary elements of creations (पञ्चमहाभूतानि)i. e. पृथ्वी, अप्, तेजस्, वायु and आकाश; प्रकृतिं ते भजिष्यन्ति नष्टप्रकृतयो मयि [Mb.5.73.17.] -Comp.
-अमित्रः   an ordinary foe; प्रकृत्यमित्रानुत्थाप्य [Dk.2.4.]
-ईशः   a king or magistrate.
-कल्याण a.  a. beautiful by nature.-कृपण a. naturally slow or unable to discern; [Me.5.] -गुणः one of the three constituent qualities of nature; see गुण.
-ज a.  a. innate, inborn, natural.
-तरल a.  a. fickle by nature, naturally inconsistent; प्रकृतितरले का नः पीडा गते हतजीविते [Amaru.3.]
-पाठः   a list of verbal roots (धातुपाठ).
-पुरुषः   a minister, a functionary (of the state); जानामि त्वां प्रकृतिपुरुषं कामरूपं मघोनः [Me.6.]
   a standard or model of a man.
-षौ   nature and spirit.-भाव a. natural, usual. (-वः) natural or original state.
-भोजनम्   usual food.
-मण्डलम्   the whole territory of kingdom; अधिगतं विधिवद्यदपालयत् प्रकृतिमण्डलमात्म- कुलोचितम् [R.9.2.]
-लयः   absorption into the Prakṛiti, dissolution of the universe.
-विकृतिः   mutation of the original form.
-श्रैष्ठ्यम्   superiority of origin; [Ms. 1.3.]
-सिद्ध a.  a. inborn, innate, natural; सुजनबन्धुजने- ष्वसहिष्णुता प्रकृतिसिद्धमिदं हि दुरात्मनाम् [Bh.2.52.]
-सुभग a.  a. naturally lovely or agreeable.
-स्थ   a.
   being in the natural state or condition, natural, genuine; दृष्ट्वा चाप्रकृतिस्थां ताम् [Rām.7.58.17.]
   inherent, innate, incidental to nature; रघुरप्यजयद् गुणत्रयं प्रकृतिस्थं समलोष्ट- काञ्चनः [R.8.21.]
   healthy, in good health.
   recovered.
   come to oneself.
   stripped of everything, bare.

Shabda-Sagara

प्रकृति  f.  ( -तिः)
   1. Nature; in philosophy the passive or material cause of the world, as opposed to the active or spiritual; and in my- thology, a goddess, the personified will of the Supreme in the creation identified with Māyā or illusion, and in an especial manner the prototype of the female sex; hence it is the same with the Sakti or personified energy or bride of a deity, as LAKSHMI, DURGĀ, &c. in some systems Prakriti is considered the same with the Supreme Being.
   2. The natural state or condition of any thing.
   3. A radical form or predicament of being, an illusion, intelligence, consciousness, and the five elements, or Ākās, fire, air, earth, and water.
   4. The five elements collectively.
   5. Cause, origin.
   6. A woman or womankind.
   7. A mother.
   8. An animal. 9. The male organ of generation.
   10. The female organ of genera- tion.
   11. An uninflected word; the radical form of a word, before the affixes forming cases, &c. are subjoined.
   12. A requisite of regal administration, of which seven are enumerated; the king, the minister, an ally, treasure, territory, fortresses, and an army: the corporations or companies of citizens are sometimes added, making an eighth class.
   13. A form of metre, consisting of a stanza of four lines, each line containing twenty-one syllables.
   14. (In arithmetic,) A given coefficient. (In anatomy,) Temperament, [Page473-a+ 60] the predominance of one of the humours at the time of generation.
    E. प्र implying priority or precedence, कृ to make aff. क्तिन् or क्तिच्; being the first step towards creation.

ROOTS:

प्र कृ क्तिन् क्तिच्;