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Dr. Charlotte Krause : Her Life & Literature
Praksti, on the other hand, is lifeless and unconscious. It consists of the three essences Sattva, i.e., Light; Rajas, i.e., the Faculty of Reacting, and Tamas, i.e., Darkness ( or Sukha, i.e., happiness, Duḥkha, i.e. pain, and Moha, i.e. infatuation), all three of which are, originally in a state of perfect equilibrium.
As soon as Prakrti finds herself in the presence of Purusa, action begins. For as a magnet, though itself inactive, forces the compass needle to react, in the same manner the inactive Purusa creates action within Prakrti. The equilibrium of the three essences is disturbed, and therewith, creation proper sets in. According to Sāňkhya logic, the cause always contains its effect, as e.g. a lump of clay contains the jar, or a quantity of thread the tissue. In the same way, Prakrti contains, in an unmanifest form, the seeds or dispositions of all its later products, the composition and shape of which is destined by the Karmas collected since eternity. All these products consist of the three essences in various stages of apportionment. Thus, Prakrti is also called the Avyakta, i.e. 'the Unmanifest'
As the first product or ‘Vikrti' of Prakrti, the Mahat-tattva, i.e., 'the Great Principle' or the Buddhitattva, i.e. 'Intellect', manifests itself.
The Tattva-portion of intellect has the efficacy of a clear mirror and reflects in itself the image of Purusa. Mistaking this image for its own self, intellect produces the Ahankāratattva, i.e., Self-consciousness. The Sattva-portion of Aharkāratattva, in its turn, makes the 11 senses, viz., the 5 senses of perception, 5 senses of action, and Manas, i.e. 'Mind', spring into existence, whereas its Tamas-portion produces the 5 Tanmātrās, i.e., subtle elements, enumerated as Sound, Tangibility, the object of visual perception which comprises Form and Colour, then Savour and Odour. The latter produce the 5 Mahābhūtas, i.e., gross elements, named Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth, in conformity with the well-known correlations of sound corresponding to Ether, Tangibility to Air, Colour and Form to Fire, Savour to Water, and Odour to Earth.
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