What is the job of Prakriti?

[The Crimson Universe]

If its saguna sakara brahman Narayana (Purusha) who creates and preserves everything in this universe, and Shiva (Purusha) who destroys everything, then what is the job of prakriti or shakti?

 

[Aupmanyav]

If! Where do you get this philosophy? Hinduism has many such. Permutations and combinations. If you have decided about creation and destruction, then the third should be for preservance/sustainance. Just a thought.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

I read in a book a long time back, that creation, preservation and destruction are carried out by Narayana who is Ishwara or purusha. Then what does the goddess/prakriti does? I know im not going to get a straight answer because each sect has their own supreme deity.

The Shaktaas would say that their goddess shakti/prakriti does everything, but shaivites and vaishnavas would not agree to the claims of the shaktaas.

Advaitins and Samkhya vadis on the other hand believes that prakriti is always moving (active) while brahman is inactive and remains in the background.

How can we get to the truth, if there are so many versions?

 

[ameyAtmA]

Namaste

Brahman' (vastness) is actually Purusha and PrakRuti-OF-that-Purusha.
The word PrakRuti means "nature" or "svabhAv" -- sva (own) + bhAv (an esoteric word we can keep on the shelf for now).

So this PurNa Purushottam AdiPurusha Dev is the ParaBrahman' who creates as BrahmA , nurtures as VishNu and annhilates as Rudra.
PrakRuti -- and the elements of prakruti is His Nature.
We often mix up the potential Source with the PrakRuti (shakti) in action with the manifest end result - world - enery-matter.

Think in context of Ayurveda : What is your prakruti ? Kapha dominant, Pitta dominant..
See? You also have a Prakruti. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Are you adventurous or cautious? Do you have a sweet tooth? or prefer spicy, savory, sour food ?

This means PrakRuti is not some independant entity.

Story of DurgA --- All Devas put in their glorious shakti to create a composite DurgA.
This means united we stand. The shaktis of the Devas combined to combat the asura.

Your point about Shaktas or Devi bhaktas saying Goddess does everything is a perspective.
When NArAyaN sends the Sudarshan Chakra, the ShAktas say "Shakti is working behind the scenes"

Putting all the heirarchies aside (although they can be sorted out, that is not in the scope of this topic), the simple fact of

Supreme Being = Purusha and His PrakRuti , who is also worshipped as Goddess.

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Now for the elements of Prakruti -- what better source than Shri KRshNa's words in the Bhagvad Gita?
Chapter 7 -- lower (aparA) [prakRuti ashTadhA] and higher (parA) prakruti

ashTadhA (eightfold) aparA (lower) prakRuti : intellect ego mind earth water fire air ether (incidentally these are Krishna's 8 Queens - Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambhavati Satya Kalindi Mitravinda Bhadra Lakshmana )
= kshara purush of chapter 15

parA prakruti of chapter 7 = sentient jiva prakruti == akshar purush of chapter 15

Krishna says I am beyond (I transcend) both parA and aparA prakrutis which make up the beings as a necklace of beads of thread, the same thread woven into beads are the bhutas or beings and the subtle (sUkshAtisUkshma) thread that runs through to keep the beads together is Me, the Purushottam (Chap 7,15 Purushottam Yog).

So everything rests on Brahman' and cannot exist without Brahman' as the subtlemost Uttam Purush.

 

[ameyAtmA]

To answer
What is the job of Prakriti?

Since PrakRuti is the inherent nature of Purusha, its existence , being, presence, properties and qualities - guNa , and the blueprint to transform it into world, maintain and destroy it is its "job" if you want to call it that.
The Goddess or one form of Hers is presiding over the aspect of prakruti that is in consideration.
It means BrahmA VishNu Mahesh cannot do what they have to do without their shakti.

Prakruti of Purusha acts in presence of and by approval of Purusha. In this way Purush is not the doer, Prakruti is the doer of actions. Purush is the witness, sAkshI.

The innermost whorl of chaturvyuha 4 whorls of the adhyAtmic and universal Lotus,
VAsudev has Lakshmi in the form of ShAntA as PrakRuti (embodiment of peace)
VAsudev - AtmA
SankarshaN - ahaMkAr
Pradyumna - manas
Aniruddha - budddhi

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Thanks ameyAtmA.
So when the scriptures say that prajapati brahma (the four headed creator) is responsible for the creation of all living beings, then should we consider that its not really the four headed brahma but his shakti who's creating everything??

When the vaishnavas claim that its Vishnu or Narayana who's creating everything, should we consider that its not actually vishnu, but his shakti Narayani (laxmi) who's creating everything?

 

[Aupmanyav]

I know I am not going to get a straight answer because each sect has their own supreme deity.
How can we get to the truth, if there are so many versions?

Choose the version which resonates with you. Each sect has a straight answer, though others would see it as bent like a stick half-submerged in a pail of water. That is 'refraction' through our mind - perhaps because our minds are dense, being prejudiced.

When the vaishnavas claim that its Vishnu or Narayana who's creating everything, should we consider that its not actually vishnu, but his shakti Narayani (laxmi) who's creating everything?

Yeah, you could. Why would Mother Laxmi allow Narayana to break his rest and take all that trouble?

 

[ameyAtmA]

Thanks ameyAtmA.
So when the scriptures say that prajapati brahma (the four headed creator) is responsible for the creation of all living beings, then should we consider that its not really the four headed brahma but his shakti who's creating everything??

When the vaishnavas claim that its Vishnu or Narayana who's creating everything, should we consider that its not actually vishnu, but his shakti Narayani (laxmi) who's creating everything?

Shakti is not an independant stand-alone entity. Shakti (strength , power) OF ShaktimAn (The strong powerful one).

BrahmA VishNu Mahesh are not 3 different beings.

It is common knowledge irrespective of sects that NArAyaN does not directly create hands-on. He 'gives rise to' the primary primordial - sarga, not visarga.
He delegates, empowers and nourishes. He contains all the knowledge and all that is required. He is the Shelter, protector and nurturer.
Non-sectarian knowledge across Hinduism that BrahmA appears in the Lotus from VishNu's Nabhikamal.

Regarding BrahmA creating *secondary creation, visarga). BrahmA is appointed the creative engineer by NArAyaN (VishNu) and asked to perform further tapas in preparation of the same. He is told that the knowledge and how to create will be given to Him in SamAdhi during the tapa, but He should avoid developing the ego "I am Creator" because the Source is Brahman'. NArAyaN explains the Chatuh-Shloki BhAgwat (condensed gist of bhAgvat in 4 verses) that shows He (Brahman') is immanent in and transcendental to the creation which happens in cyclic form in each era of 28 manvantars ....

Saraswati and Gayatri are BrahmA's inspirational Shaktis -- Saraswati is the Shakti of sound (shabda) speech (vAk) therefore called vAgdevtA in Rg Veda or VANI. She is the shakti of classical music (Sama Veda) , of all empirical knowledge (vidya) and literacy, i.e.. She is the shakti of "how to acquire knowledge" (the means of going from ajnAna to jnAna to vijnAna)
She bestows eloquence, artistic flair in all fields of arts, and is the shakti of scholarship.

Given this, it is understood that Saraswati is the Shakti that BrahmA needs to conduct His creative project. It does not mean Saraswati puts atoms together.
The Shri VidyA Meru is a symbol of the most fundamental principles of Nature which starts with forms of sound.
Saraswati is the aspect of Brahman's Adi-Shakti, Shri, that transfers this in a graspable form for learning. BrahmA has to learn.
An engineer and project manager needs information, literacy, fluency, knowledge.
This is how Saraswati assists BrahmA's project. Each BrahmANDa is a project.
This is what NArAyaN meant when He said to BrahmA 'Tapa Tapa' i.e. - meditate , and the knowledge will come to you"

Lakshmi , as the ardhAngini (better half) of NArAyaNa bestows auspicious qualities, lush greenery, vanaspati, food, abundance and prosperity on the beings. Nourishing and sheltering Shakti.
** Lakshmi is one of the thousand names of VishNu in VishNusahasranAma. ** (need I say more?)

Subtle technical difference. Although Brahman's Shakti is One, just as Brahman' is One, NArAyaNi = the buddhi aspect of NArAyaN's energy-being that is DurgA (who turns into KAli - Time-end when it is time to destroy or de-construct something). Lakshmi, although another form of the same , is His consort.
NArAyaN has a multitude of Shaktis OR in other words His Shakti is multifarious, so

We should not think in terms of human relationships and social framework.
Adi-Shakti, the Goddess. is the embodiment of the Brahman's Shakti.

All of these (Lakshmi NArAyaN, BrahmA Saraswati, Shankar PArvati / Shiv Shakti) are none but Brahman - this is what happens within Brahman'. Organized and modular until the created beings cause chaos and havoc in the creation.
---

Another point of Etymology : (always helps to understand roots of words)

>> Shakti (Strength and power) of ShaktimAn (The strong, powerful One).
(shakti = strength , shakti = power. See the difference between strength and power - - spiritual , intellectual, mental, psychological,,physical)

>> MAyA (appearance, limiting cover) of Brahman' (Absolute Truth)

>> Prakruti (Nature) of Purusha (Being)

----

Consider this : When "you" climb a mountain, study upanishads or build a clay castle, who is doing the actions?

 

[shivsomashekhar]

If its saguna sakara brahman Narayana (Purusha) who creates and preserves everything in this universe, and Shiva (Purusha) who destroys everything, then what is the job of prakriti or shakti?

You are mixing things up.

a) Purusha/Prakriti comes from Sankhya - a Darshana (philosophical system) by itself, and possibly the chronological first of the six Darshanas (6th Century BCE or earlier)

b) Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta are sects formed and followed differently in various parts of India (thousands of years old). This is theology and not philosophy. The ideas of Vishnu as creator and Shiva as destructor are stories from sectarian Puranas and not actual real life beliefs.

c) Brahman comes from Vedanta - the most recent of the six Darshanas. The Darshana dates to the 3rd Century AD, though the source content (the Upanishads) was developed a few centuries earlier.

All of the above were created by different people during times for different purposes. Crossing wires will lead you nowhere.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

May i know what is 'viraj'?
Please check the last sentence in the attached image.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Sankara was a religious leader trying to strengthen Hinduism and perhaps reducing the influence of Buddhism. He was not (so to say) a free soul. He was under constraints because of his position. It is said that Sankara accepted 'Ishwara' only in the lesser reality, i.e., 'Vyavaharika Satya', and not in the absolute reality, i.e., 'Paramarthika Satya'. Like 'People see Brahman as 'Ishwara' in pragmatic reality 'Vyavaharika'. It is also said that his guru, or his guru's guru, Gaudapada was much closer to Atheism. I consider both Sankara and Buddha as my gurus, but I differ from both. Like in the page that you quote.

 

[atanu]

View attachment 34252 May i know what is 'viraj'?
Please check the last sentence in the attached image.

Ishwara, Hiranyagarbha, and Viraj are macrocosmic equivalents of microcosmic: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep forms respectively. Hope it helps.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

Ishwara, Hiranyagarbha, and Viraj are macrocosmic equivalents of microcosmic: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep forms respectively. Hope it helps.

But some non advaitic sources claim that Hiranyagarbha is prajapati brahma and Viraj is virat purusha. Is this true?

 

[atanu]

But some non advaitic sources claim that Hiranyagarbha is prajapati brahma and Viraj is virat purusha. Is this true?

Yes. These are same concepts with different names. The concept is three macrocosmic states equivalent to three microcosmic states of sleep, dream, and waking. The Atman, the Fourth - the Turiya, being same as brahman, as stated in the scripture "ayam atma brahma".

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