Glossary · Philosophy
Prakriti
प्रकृति
What does Prakriti mean?
Prakriti is the totality of matter and energy, the field in which all change happens. In the Gita's philosophy, prakriti performs all actions; the self merely witnesses. Understanding this distinction is a key to freedom from doership and guilt.
Chapter 13 calls prakriti the cause of all effects and instruments, while purusha is the cause of experience. Krishna also speaks of his 'higher prakriti' — the spiritual energy of living beings that sustains the world.