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Prakrti means nature

Expressions researched:
"Prakrti means energy, nature, nature" |"Prakrti means this material nature" |"Prakrti means" |"means nature" |"nature, prakrti" |"prakrti means material nature" |"prakrti means nature" |"prakrti means nature" |"prakrti, material nature" |"prakrti, material nature" |"prakrti, means nature" |"prakrti, nature" |"this prakrti, this material nature"

Notes from the compiler: Vedabase query: "prakrti means nature"@5

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

The Lord explains His prakṛti, or His form. Prakṛti means "nature," as well as svarūpa, or "one's own form." The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body, as the common living entity changes from one body to another.
BG 4.5, Translation and Purport:

Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.

The Lord has spoken about the peculiarity of His birth: although He may appear like an ordinary person, He remembers everything of His many, many past "births," whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before. If someone is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for a common man to answer immediately. He would surely have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing exactly at the same time one day before. And yet, men often dare claim to be God, or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims. Then again, the Lord explains His prakṛti, or His form. Prakṛti means "nature," as well as svarūpa, or "one's own form." The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body, as the common living entity changes from one body to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different body in the next birth. In the material world, the living entity has no fixed body but transmigrates from one body to another. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body, by His internal potency.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

Puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead or anyone who imitates the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an enjoyer, and prakṛti means "nature."
SB 3.25.11, Purport:

Sāṅkhya philosophy, as is well known, deals with prakṛti and puruṣa. Puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead or anyone who imitates the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an enjoyer, and prakṛti means "nature." In this material world, material nature is being exploited by the puruṣas, or the living entities. The intricacies in the material world of the relationship of the prakṛti and puruṣa, or the enjoyed and the enjoyer, is called saṁsāra, or material entanglement. Devahūti wanted to cut the tree of material entanglement, and she found the suitable weapon in Kapila Muni. The tree of material existence is explained in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā as an aśvattha tree whose root is upwards and whose branches are downwards. It is recommended there that one has to cut the root of this material existential tree with the ax of detachment. What is the attachment? The attachment involves prakṛti and puruṣa. The living entities are trying to lord it over material nature. Since the conditioned soul takes material nature to be the object of his enjoyment and he takes the position of the enjoyer, he is therefore called puruṣa.

SB Canto 6

The word prakṛti means material nature.
SB 6.1.55, Translation and Purport:

Since the living entity is associated with material nature, he is in an awkward position, but if in the human form of life he is taught how to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, this position can be overcome.

The word prakṛti means material nature, and puruṣa may also refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one wants to continue his association with prakṛti, the female energy of Kṛṣṇa, and be separated from Kṛṣṇa by the illusion that he is able to enjoy prakṛti, he must continue in his conditional life. If he changes his consciousness, however, and associates with the supreme, original person (puruṣaṁ śāśvatam), or with His associates, he can get out of the entanglement of material nature.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

As soon as we fall down under the clutches of this prakṛti, material nature, which means; prakṛti's composed of three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. So we capture one of the qualities.
Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa has got loving propensities with His pleasure potency, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Similarly, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have also got this loving propensity. So this is svabhava. But when we come in contact with this material nature... Kṛṣṇa does not come into the contact of the material nature. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But we are prone to fall down, to be under the... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. We are now under the influence of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As soon as we fall down under the clutches of this prakṛti, material nature, which means... Prakṛti's composed of three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. So we capture one of the qualities. That is the cause, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sanga (BG 13.22). Guṇa-saṅga. Means associating with different quality. Guna-saṅga asya jīvasya, of the living entity. That is the cause. One can ask: "If the living entity is as good as God, why one living entity has become dog, and one living entity has become god, demigod, Brahmā?" Now the answer is kāraṇam. The reason is guṇa-saṅga asya. Asya jīvasya guṇa-saṅga. Because he's associating with a particular guṇa. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.

God has eternal two hands, two legs.
Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: Purport: "The Lord has spoken about the peculiarity of this verse. Although He may appear like an ordinary person, He remembers everything of His many, many past births, whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before. If somebody is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for him to answer immediately. He would have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing. And yet men often dare to claim to be God or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims. Then again, the Lord explains His prakṛti or His form. Prakṛti means nature as well as svarūpa, or one's own form. The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body as the common living entity does from one to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different one in the next birth. In the material world the living entity transmigrates in this way. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form with two hands and holding a flute."

Prabhupāda: Yes. In your Bible also it is said that "Man is made after God," not that God is made after man. The atheist class, they say that "You have created a God according to your own feature," but no scripture says like that. God has eternal two hands, two legs. So man... God is so kind that man is also made according to His form. That is a special facility given to man, not that somebody imagines God, "Because man has two hands, therefore God has two hands." No. That is not a fact. Here it is explained nicely.

Now, you should know there are two kinds of prakṛti. Prakṛti means nature.
Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Now, you should know there are two kinds of prakṛti. Prakṛti means nature. You'll find it in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord says that He has got two... Why Lord says? In the Vedic scripture also we'll find, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport) "There are different kinds of nature of the Supreme." Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. So out of many kinds of nature of the Supreme Lord, they have divided the whole thing into three divisions. One is called external nature, and the other is called internal nature. And there is another nature which is called marginal nature. The external nature, the material world, manifestation of this material world, is external nature. And this is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, as we'll find it in the Seventh Chapter, that apareyam. Aparā. Aparā means inferior or lower nature, lower nature. So He has got higher nature.

Here, our body, now we have got human body. So next life it may be a demigod's body, or it may be cat's body, dog's body. The body changes. Kṛṣṇa does not. Avyayātmā.
Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Pradyumna: "And then again the Lord explains His prakṛti, or His form. Prakṛti means nature as well as svarūpa, or one's own form. The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body as the common living entity changes from one body to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different body in the next birth."

Prabhupāda: Here, our body, now we have got human body. So next, next life it may be a demigod's body, or it may be cat's body, dog's body. The body changes. Kṛṣṇa does not... Avyayātmā. That is the difference.

Prakṛti means nature.
Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

So Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā: "Although I have no business to come down here, and I am eternal..." Both of us are, the Lord and the living ent..., we are, both of us are eternal. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Īśvara. Why He comes? When Lord comes, He comes out of His good will. And when we come, we are forced. We have been forced to accept this body under the condition of the material nature. So when Lord comes or His representative comes, they do not accept the condition of the material nature. That is the distinction between ordinary living entity and the Supreme Lord or His representative. Just like Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. So he could not be crucified. It is a, I mean to say, false notion. There was, there was resurrection. Because God or God's representative, they are not under the laws of this material nature. That's a very, I mean to say, wide subject matter. We shall gradually understand as we make progress in the Bhagavad-gītā. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Although I am the Lord of everything, still, I assume this incarnation and I come. I come."

Prakṛtiṁ svām adhi... The difference is that prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. Prakṛti. Prakṛti means nature. Now, we have got this body offered by the material nature. In the Seventh Chapter you'll find that God has two kinds of nature. One is called lower nature. One is called the lower nature and the other is called the higher nature. That thing will be very nicely analyzed in the Seventh Chapter, when we go to the Seventh Chapter. Now we are in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter. So the Lord has two kinds of nature. One is called lower nature, another is called higher nature, or superior nature or, I mean to say, inferior nature. This nature, this material nature, is inferior nature. And beyond this inferior nature, there is superior nature. And how superior, inferior is calculated?

Now yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). You'll find. It is analyzed like this, that all this material nature—I mean to say, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego—these eight, these eight kinds of material nature, they are, and they have been described as aparā. Aparā means inferior. And beyond this eight nature, there is another ninth nature. And which is that? Now, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho: these living entities. That is the living force. The living force, that is superior nature and this matter is inferior nature. And the whole world is moving due to the superior nature, not the material, inferior nature.

Prakṛti is not independent. Prakṛti means nature. It is dependent on the Supreme Lord.
Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

Prabhupāda: Kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni kalpādau visṛjāmy aham. Now, this verse we have been discussing the last meeting that this whole cosmic manifestation, it is not permanent. It is created, and it is again annihilated, and the whole energy is wound up into the body of the Supreme Lord. It comes out, and again it is winded. Now, jagad avyakta-mūrtinā... Sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām. The prakṛti... Prakṛti is not independent. Prakṛti means nature. It is dependent on the Supreme Lord. When He desires or when the time is, He gives us chance. This prakṛti, this material cosmic manifestation, is meant for the conditioned souls. We are all conditioned souls. So this manifestation is given, a chance, so that we can return back to the eternal prakṛti or eternal nature. Otherwise this prakṛti, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), as you have studied in the Eighth Chapter, it is created, it is maintained and it is annihilated.

Prakṛti means this material nature.
Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

Whatever I am speaking, I am not speaking something manufactured by me. I am speaking the simple words that is left by the merciful Lord in this Bhagavad-gītā. I am speaking to that. He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Adhyakṣa means superintendence. "Under My superintendence..." Prakṛti means this material nature. Sūyate, sūyate means producing. What she is producing. She is producing carācara. Cara acara. Cara means which is moving, just like we are moving. We have got life. And acara, there are many things acara, that does not move. So two things are there, cara and acara, moving and not moving. And above this, there is God, who is controlling both this cara and acara.

There are five things: God; the living entities; the prakṛti, the nature; the time; and combined together, there is work. So the work is not permanent; it is temporary. But this prakṛti is eternal, nature is eternal, God is eternal, you are eternal, and time is eternal. Out of four things—God, living entities, nature, time, and the work—these four material manifestation, whatever you are seeing, they are composed of these five things: God, living entity, nature, time, and work. Out of that, four things—God, we living entities, time and nature—they are permanent. This nature is nonpermanent, but there is another part of this nature. That is permanent. And I am permanent, you are permanent, God is permanent, and there is a permanent nature also. So our whole problems will be solved if we can transfer into that permanent nature. Now we are struggling hard because we are put into this nonpermanent nature, but there is a permanent nature. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā.

Prakṛti means nature, and puruṣa means the exploiter of the nature.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

So here Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa as his guru. And he submissively says that prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva. Prakṛti, prakṛti means nature, and puruṣa means the exploiter of the nature. Just like here in this material world, especially in the Western countries they are very much fond of developing undeveloped countries. That means exploiting, or to become puruṣa, enjoyer. You Americans, you came from Europe, and now you have developed the whole America, very nice cities, towns, and very well developed. That is called the exploiting the resources. So prakṛti, nature, and we are, living entities, especially the human being, they are puruṣa. But actually we are not enjoyer. We are false enjoyer.

Prakṛti means nature, material nature, and puruṣa means the enjoyer, just like the living entities. We are trying to enjoy this material nature. Another prakṛti-puruṣa. Puruṣa means, real puruṣa means, the supreme enjoyer, God, Kṛṣṇa. And prakṛti means which is enjoyed.
Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

So here Arjuna's question is to understand the field and the worker on the field. He questions, arjuna uvāca, Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa,

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva
kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca
etad veditum icchāmi
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava

Kṛṣṇa's another name is Keśava. So he is addressing Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Keśava, I want to know these subject matters—prakṛti, puruṣa." Prakṛti means nature, material nature, and puruṣa means the enjoyer, just like the living entities. We are trying to enjoy this material nature. Another prakṛti-puruṣa... Puruṣa means, real puruṣa means, the supreme enjoyer, God, Kṛṣṇa. And prakṛti means which is enjoyed. Another meaning—prakṛti, means woman and puruṣa means man. So this material world is going on—one party is trying to enjoy, and the other party is being enjoyed. So Arjuna wanted to know what is the distinction, what is the integral part and parcel of this prakṛti and puruṣa. Then kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jña. Jña means one who knows, and kṣetra-jña means one who knows the field. Just like the agriculturist, the cultivator, he knows that "This is my field." He works there. Different cultivator works in his own field. So this kṣetra means this body, kṣetra, the field of activity. We have got different field of activities.

Prakṛti means this material nature. You don't think material nature is blind. Material nature has got her intelligence, and she is taking intelligence from the Supreme Lord. And according to that she is supplying food or grains and everything.
Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

You may have tractors, you may have very good arrangement for producing food, machinery, but still, if the land or earth does not produce food, your, this tractor or all other arrangements will be failure. So after all, we should know the supply of things are in the hands of the material nature. And material nature works under the direction of God. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means this material nature. You don't think material nature is blind. Material nature has got her intelligence, and she is taking intelligence from the Supreme Lord. And according to that she is supplying food or grains and everything, because you get everything from the earth. Either you take metal or this wood or water or food grains, whatever you are taking, using, you are exploiting the resources of material nature, but material nature is the agent of God. Material nature is an energy of God. So if God does not wish to supply you, however you may bring tractor and anything.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Prakṛti means nature. He's giving, by nature. Just like, if you infect, if you become infected with some disease, so you'll get that disease. It is nature's way. If you touch fire, your finger will be burned. Not that nature has to make a particular arrangement.
Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

So take advantage of this great movement. Come to the platform of goodness and see the Absolute Truth. Then your life is successful. Otherwise, you remain like cats and dogs, eat like cats and dogs. If you want, nature will give you facility. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti means nature. He's giving, by nature. Just like, if you infect, if you become infected with some disease, so you'll get that disease. It is nature's way. If you touch fire, your finger will be burned. Not that nature has to make a particular arrangement. By nature it is there. Similarly, if you remain like cats and dogs, then by nature you'll get the body of cats and dogs. There is no necessity of making separate attempt, "How shall I become a dog? How shall I become cat?" Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Prakṛti, nature, will give you. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. How nature is helping? Nature, this material nature is matter. How it is being done, how matter is working? That is, answer is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "He's acting under My direction." God is giving direction. How he's giving direction? Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61)—God is situated within your heart. When He sees that you are very much anxious to become a cat, a dog, He knows. He asks nature that "Just give him a body of dog. He wants to become a dog. He wants to become a hog; give him a body of hog. He wants the body of a tree, he wants the body of god; give him the body of god." Anything, you can take. You can have the body of a dog, or you can have the body of a god, as you want.

This prakṛti, this material nature, is not eternal. It is temporary.
Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "This prakṛti," means nature, "will be wound up, again come to Me within." Just like the spider. The spider makes a cobweb. From the saliva from him, he can work—he knows how to work on it—and again he can wound it up. That is practical example. Similarly, the material nature... Here is the point of creation. The energy is conserved. Energy is never lost, avyaya. But this prakṛti, this material nature, is not eternal. It is temporary.

Prakṛti means nature. Don't take that the nature is producing without the active cooperation of the Supreme Lord, puruṣa. Just like when a woman has got a child, produced a child, you must know that she had connection with a man, the puruṣa. So it is common sense.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

You cannot manufacture this nice fruit. It is not in your power. You may be very much expert in conducting a big factory for manufacturing these motorcars, but it is not possible for you to manufacture these nice grapes or oranges or banana or rice. No. That is not in your power. Therefore a sane man should admit that "This is sent by God." This is common sense. What is beyond your power... If you say it is product of nature... What do you mean by nature? Nature means an energy which is acting under the direction of God. That is nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means nature. Don't take that the nature is producing without the active cooperation of the Supreme Lord, puruṣa. Just like when a woman has got a child, produced a child, you must know that she had connection with a man, the puruṣa. So it is common sense.

"Prakṛti," means nature, "is working under My superintendence, under My superintendence." How you can deny? If there is nature's law, who made this law? You see that the clock is running very nicely, the machine is going on, but that is not the ultimate. There is a maker of the clock or watch.
Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

Science of God is not sentiment. It is science. It is... Actually it is science, the science of sciences. Every science takes his, what is called, data, from this science. Just the material science begins from the sunshine, but the sunshine is based on this science, God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Philosophy, any philosophy, er, any science you take, you have to accept some axiomatic truth. Then you go on. But wherefrom the axiomatic truth? Science is discovering some subtle laws of the nature, but who made that law? As soon as you say that "Here is a law which is being carried very nicely," there must be a lawmaker. You have to accept it. The science of astronomy, the planets, the stars, the sun, the moon moving in their orbit very nicely, very perfectly, and accurately—there is law. This is law of nature. You might have discovered—you are great scientist—that under this law, the law of gravitation or this law, that law, so many laws there are. But the background you have to inquire, "Who is the law-maker?" Unless there is law-maker, how there can be law? Take for example your state laws. As soon as you say that this is law, "Keep to the right," you have to accept there is a law-maker under whose direction this law is being carried out nicely. If you don't carry out, then you are punished. Similarly, nature's law is not ultimate. There is law-maker, and that law-maker is God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Prakṛti," means nature, "is working under My superintendence, under My superintendence." How you can deny? If there is nature's law, who made this law? You see that the clock is running very nicely, the machine is going on, but that is not the ultimate. There is a maker of the clock or watch. Without understanding the maker, simply if you understand the clock only, that is not sufficient knowledge.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Prakṛti means nature.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

So it is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt: "Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is beyond the touch of this material qualities." Therefore His body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is not made of this tri-guṇa. Our, this material body is made of these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who have got this body from the modes of goodness, they are called brāhmaṇas, or the most intelligent persons. And those who have got their body from the modes of passion, they are called kṣatriyas. They have got creative initiation. And those who are mixed, they are called vaiśyas, or the mercantile community. And those who have got purely body from modes of ignorance, they are called śūdras. So harir hi... But Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this. He is transcendental. Harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ means... Prakṛti means nature. This material nature, He is beyond this material nature. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ.

sa sarva-guṇa upadraṣṭā
taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet

The advantage is that if you want to get release from the infection of these three guṇas, three qualities, then you have to render devotional service to the Lord. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Festival Lectures

So Kṛṣṇa has explained this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. Now, this is also nature, prakṛti. There is another nature, prakṛti. Prakṛti means strī-liṅga, woman. Jīva-bhūta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as puruṣa. Not puruṣa.
Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

Prabhupāda:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho
yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat
(BG 7.5)

So Kṛṣṇa has explained this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. Now, this is also nature, prakṛti. There is another nature, prakṛti. Prakṛti means strī-liṅga, woman. Jīva-bhūta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as puruṣa. Not puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think themselves as puruṣa. The karmīs also, they think they are puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that the living entity is puruṣa. He says prakṛti. Prakṛti is always subordinate to the puruṣa. That is the natural way.

In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that prakṛti, or strī, never deserve to be independent. Na strī svātantryam arhati. So as soon as the living entity is accepted as prakṛti, then it is to be understood that she is under the control of the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣottama. And Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the puruṣa by Arjuna. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). It is not that Kṛṣṇa has become puruṣa now, and before that He was impersonal. No. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, eternally He is puruṣa, eternally He is enjoyer. He's never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Kṛṣṇa, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-mārga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be puruṣa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakti-yoga. So this material energy is inferior, and the spiritual energy, although prakṛti, still, it is superior energy. That is explained. Why superior? Because the spiritual energy, prakṛti, can control over the material energy. There is some tint of puruṣa activities, but actually, living entity is not puruṣa. He's prakṛti. So as the material energy, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ, is controlled by the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa, similarly, we are also controlled by the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa. And because Kṛṣṇa is controller both of the material energy and the spiritual energy, He's called the supreme controller.

General Lectures

Prakṛti means nature. This nature is called the material energy. And there is another, spiritual energy.
Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

We take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā and we practice. You will be able to understand. Then after bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), when you become mature, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, "Oh, Vāsudeva is everything," then you surrender. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That person, who has widened his soul in that way, he is very rare to be seen. And what are the functions of such mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā, one who is so broadminded, he is not crooked to be under the spell of this material energy. He is under the protection of the spiritual energy, daivī prakṛti. Prakṛti means nature. This nature is called the material energy. And there is another, spiritual energy. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam. These are aparā. Aparā means inferior energies, material energy. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Beyond this inferior energy, there is another, spiritual energy. There are so many verses you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Material world means it is being manipulated by the material energy of Kṛṣṇa, prakṛti, nature. Nature means whose nature? As soon as we speak of nature, it must be inquired, "Whose nature?" God's nature. Nature is not acting independently.
Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

Material world means it is being manipulated by the material energy of Kṛṣṇa, prakṛti, nature. Nature means whose nature? As soon as we speak of nature, it must be inquired, "Whose nature?" God's nature. Nature is not acting independently. That is another foolishness. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly said that nature, this material nature is not independent. Just like a foolish man, when he sees that machine is working automatically, machine is not working automatically. There is a driver. A foolish man cannot see behind the machine a driver. That is our defect in vision. A machine, there is electronics working very wonderfully. But behind that electronic work, there is a great scientist who is pushing the button. It is very simple to understand. Machine is matter. It cannot work out of its own accord. It is working under some spiritual direction.

Philosophy Discussions

So I will be servant of prakṛti, material nature. That means I will be servant of my senses. By nature, my senses dictate, "Now you do this," I will be forced to do it. This is my position.
Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: He also sees things in that way. He sees the unfolding of reality as the fulfillment of duty, that one must always strive for what ought to be, what is fulfillment of his duty.

That, that information we are giving that in reality everyone is servant, but he is under misconception, he's thinking he's master and he's forced to serve māyā. This is reality. Just like a outlaw, he is thinking that free from the state law but he's forced to abide by the state law in the kingdom. Similarly my position is I must carry the order. I am inferior. I must carry out the order of the superior. The superior, the supreme superior is Kṛṣṇa. If I voluntarily become the servant and carry out His order, then it is my normal life. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam vraja (BG 18.66). Otherwise it is abnormal life. I have to serve māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Māyā will kick upon my face and force me to do something, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). So I will be servant of prakṛti, material nature. That means I will be servant of my senses. By nature, my senses dictate, "Now you do this," I will be forced to do it. This is my position.

Śyāmasundara: When you spoke earlier about what the definite idea of what is good, to strive for, if you were to say that "Thou shall not kill" is good, then what if Kṛṣṇa says "Kill"? Then that doesn't have any meaning, "Thou shall not kill."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa does not say, "Thou shall not kill." Where Kṛṣṇa has said, "Thou shall not kill."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

It is energy, exactly the name. Because we say prakṛti. Prakṛti means energy, nature.
Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: So we are very pleased that you are accepting that the life comes... Life is energy. Now, which is...

Dr. Sallaz: We give it a name, energy. It is much higher.

Prabhupāda: No, it is energy, exactly the name. Because we say prakṛti. Prakṛti means energy, nature, nature. Just like it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. You find out this verse. (Yogeśvara translates.)

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

Qualitatively we are one with Krishna: There is no qualitative difference, although the living entity has a different function than Krishna. Prakrti means nature.
Letter to Lilavati -- Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969:

Regarding your question about the relationship between the living entities and Krishna, the answer is that qualitatively we are one with Krishna: There is no qualitative difference, although the living entity has a different function than Krishna. Prakrti means nature. Just like fire; its nature is heat, and the heat is not a different quality although the function is different. In one sense, fire and heat are nondifferent. Therefore, Lord Caitanya's philosophy of inconceivably simultaneously one and different is the perfect philosophy of our relationship with the Absolute Truth. Everything is manifestation of the prakrti of the Lord, exactly like the heat and light of the fire. Heat and light are not different from the fire, but at the same time, heat and light are not the fire. In this way we have to understand the purusa and prakrti. The Lord is the purusa, or Enjoyer, and prakrti is the enjoyed.

Page Title:Prakrti means nature
Compiler:Labangalatika, MadhuGopaldas
Created:21 of Aug, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=2, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=19, Con=1, Let=1
No. of Quotes:24