Prakrti (Nature)

The root Material Cause of creation (world), according to Sankhya Philosophy is in itself : unconscious (Jada or Acetana), formless (Amurta or Nirakara) and is having three constitutive properties. This primal material cause is known (named) as Prakrti.. The three properties of it are : Sattva (Purebeing, goodness), Rajas (property of activity, manifestation, merry-making), and Tamas (Inertia, darkness, ignorance). In the state of equilibrium of the three ‘ guna(s) ‘ (properties) everything remains intangible. But because of the proximity (nearness) of the conscious substance (God or soul — called Parama Purusa or Purusa) due to arising of the appearance of consciousness in the unconscious (jada) Prakrti, the equilibrium is disturbed and each of the three properties (Triguna – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) starts struggling for its dominance over the other two. With this Visamavastha (disequilibrium), there begins the sequential order of creation. In Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, creation is regarded as Maya (illusion) — generated falsity (Vivarta, illusory appearance). Prakrti and Maya in the Bharatiya (Indian) Philosophy are really two names of the same power.