Prakriti
The primordial will and creative potential from whose womb the entire universe is born; Awareness with choice, the Divine Mother, feminine creative energy.
Prakruti — Primordial Creative Potential
Prakruti is primordial will, primordial matter, creative potential. Unlike Purusha, Prakruti has form, color, and attributes in the field of action. It is Awareness with choice, Divine Will, the One who desires to become many. The universe is the child born out of the womb of Prakruti, the Divine Mother.
Prakruti creates all forms in the universe while Purusha is the witness to this creation. Prakruti cannot exist without Purusha, but Purusha can exist without Prakruti. Sankhya describes Prakruti as creativity, the feminine energy. The root cause of the entire universe is Prakruti, not Purusha.
Before Prakruti begins to manifest, at the merging point of Purusha and Prakruti, the state is called avyakta (unmanifested). Once Prakruti manifests, it is vyakta (manifestation). This transition from avyakta to vyakta is the journey of Consciousness into matter.
Source: Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles, Chapter One: Shad Darshan (Six Philosophies of Life)
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