Purusha, Prakriti & Mula Prakriti

Atomic Science of the Soul

"If each of us is born from a mother’s womb, then who gave birth to the first mother?"

Purusha & Prakriti

Within us, we can recognize and differentiate between two aspects; you can call these aspects ‘spirit’ (purusha) and ‘matter’ (prakriti). While Prakriti can be referred to the classical elements like Pancha maha Bhutas (earth, water, fire, air, ether), Mula Prakriti encompasses all potential elements, even those not yet identified.

How do we experience Prakriti (matter) ?

Prakriti is made at the union of sperm and ovum at birth. But there are many factors which are affecting it. Once Prakriti is made, it cannot be changed during its lifetime. There might be alterations, but the original Prakriti always stays the same. Hence prakriti is always feminine and purusha represents masculine energy. It’s also true that both purusha and prakriti exist in each one of us in varying proportions.

To make it more tangible, we can think about it at an experimental level. I experience and recognize in myself a force that drives me to evolve, to develop, to experience, to live fully. This force is Prakriti. It is a very potent energy, a manifestation of nature itself, of life, with all its vibrant and creative energy. It is an evolutionary process.

How do we experience purusha (spirit) ?

On the other hand, I experience moments of silence, of calm presence, and clear awareness, and therefore of wisdom. I can go inside and feel the inner, peaceful space in me especially in deep meditation. The process of going back from the manifested to the unmanifested, internal, primal core is involution. This is an experience of Purusha.

If Prakruti is like a mother, then one can be nourished and pampered in Her lap as She can make us aware of the father. Prakriti evolves in response to Purusha, and its internal elements change further, leading to the formation of the Pancha Maha Bhutas, or the Five Great Elements. The physical universe we are familiar with comprises primarily the Pancha Maha Bhutas, namely, Akasha (Ether or Space), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jala (Water) and Prithvi (Earth).

What is atomic soul?

Here Krishna explains how the atomic soul was created. The supreme lord, when he looked at prakriti, he impregnated Her with individual atomic souls. These individual souls are working in this material world created by lord for satisfaction of sense. They become enjoyers or bhoktas.

They enjoy pleasures of life until the last point when they are being dragged for liberation of the soul where the purusha becomes one with the lord. This union happens only after many many births of living in this material world and satisfying our senses. Finally at some point we all come to a realization that we need to surrender to Him. Because we came from Him.

 Most people are unable to believe the atomic soul concept and the spark that it can produce all over the body. They cannot imagine how something so great can also be so minute and how to believe this idea when you cannot see the soul or the consciousness it carries. Because of this fact we focus on the material aspects of the body because it is easily visible, easily accessible and people become easily obsessed over the physical body.

We fuss over our looks, our belly fat, wanting our spouse to look attractive and our children to get top grades and so on. In short, we become so absorbed in the physical world that we forget our true nature as souls. We fail to fully live in the present moment, drifting instead between memories of the past and worries about the future.

Krishna explains that although the soul is immortal, violence toward any living being should never be encouraged. Yet, when the time comes to protect the vulnerable—women, children, animals, trees, and other innocent beings—war or battle may become a necessary duty.

Quantum physics of the soul-

A concept echoed by many modern thinkers like Deepak Chopra. What he refers to as jivatma can be understood as the “atomic soul,” an indivisible particle of spirit. Its composition cannot be altered by weapons, fire, water, or any sharp element like bullets. It is indestructible.

This means that when the body is placed on a wooden pyre, as is customary in Sanatan Dharma, the fire consumes only physical form. The atomic soul remains untouched, unburnt, and eternal. On the other hand—the form we see and recognize—can never be saved forever or permanently protected. The type of body we receive in our next birth is determined entirely by the karma we have accumulated in this life and previous lives.

The atomic soul, as we have described, is so infinitesimally small that even the most advanced microscope cannot detect it. The only true way to comprehend the nature of this jivatma—the atomic soul—is through the wisdom of the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita. This is the absolute truth, for there is no higher authority to prove or disprove it.

The atomic soul is neither born nor does it ever die. When we say a baby is born, it is actually the soul—now encased in a physical body—that has entered the world. When we say death has occurred, it is merely the physical body, which once housed the soul, that has perished.

This soul also known as atma, consciousness, or a fragment of the Supreme—is eternal. However, the consciousness of the individual soul is not the same as that of the Supreme Soul, or Paramatma. The Supreme Soul is infinite and all-pervading, like an endless ocean. It has no beginning and no end, and holds complete knowledge of the past, present, and future.

The individual soul, by contrast, is forgetful. We do not remember our past lives, nor can we foresee our future. Therefore, we must seek guidance from the Supreme Soul, so that we may awaken and become enlightened to the truth of our inner self.

Now the question arises: who gave birth to the first mother?

Mula Prakriti is considered the primordial, undifferentiated, and unmanifest substratum from which the entire cosmos, including the gods and the universe, originates. It is also known as Avyakta (the unmanifest) or Pradhana (the principal).

In essence, Mula Prakriti is the foundational principle in Hindu thought, representing the unmanifest source from which all creation emerges, governed by the interplay of the three gunas. (tamas, rajas & sattva). It embodies the creative potential of the universe, providing the basis for both material and spiritual existence.

Mula Prakriti, or root Prakriti, is the foundational essence of Prakriti itself. Think of it as the undifferentiated raw material that gives rise to the manifest world.

Hard to believe, isn’t it? Let’s see how the various goddesses were born or came into existence on earth? Even more miraculous is how they died from this planet.

How was Sita born and how did she choose death?

Sita's birth is described as a miraculous event. She wasn't born from a mother's womb but rather emerged from a furrow in the earth while King Janaka was ploughing his field as part of a Vedic ritual. This act was interpreted as the Earth goddess, Bhumi, gifting him a child. Janaka adopted her as his daughter and named her Sita, which means "furrow" in Sanskrit.

Sita made her own choices. She chose to follow Rama into the forest for the first time. She chose to walk into the fire to prove her purity. Finally, she chose to disobey Rama when he asked her to walk through fire again, and as a result, she ended up reuniting with nature. Sita, weary of the trials she has faced, calls upon Bhudevi to take her back, and the earth opens up to receive her. I have watched this scene in many movies and Tv shows as a child and even today it sends goosebumps across my spine. She was not only courageous in her choices, but she didn’t bend to the rules of Patriarchal society and fought her struggles with confidence and conviction. Even today she is revered as a daughter of the Earth, representing nature, stability, and abundance.

How was Radha born and how did she choose death?

Radha was not born in the conventional way but rather emerged in various ways depending on the specific legend. Some accounts say she emerged from Krishna's body, while others describe her as being found by her parents, Vrishabhanu and Kirti, as a baby in a lotus flower on the Yamuna River. Second belief seems to be most prevalent among devotees today. Radha is seen as Krishna's Hladini Shakti, his internal energy of bliss, making her an essential part of his divine being. 

The divine couple, Radha and Krishna, are often seen as inseparable, representing the ultimate union of the divine masculine and feminine. Radha's death is described as a spiritual merging with Krishna. When she was on her deathbed, Krishna played his flute for her, and she passed away while listening to his music. Following Radha's death, Krishna is said to have been deeply saddened, breaking his flute and vowing never to play it again

How was Andal born and how did she end her life?

Andal, also known as Godha Devi or Nachiyar was found as a baby girl under a Tulsi plant in the garden of Vishnu Chitta (also known as Periyalvar). Vishnuchitta, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, was stringing garlands for the deity when he discovered her. He believed her to be a divine gift and raised her as his daughter. Andal grew up to become a revered saint-poet, known for her deep devotion to Lord Vishnu and her unique expressions of love for him. She is a powerful example of Bhakti (devotion) and her poems, especially Thiruppavai, are highly revered in South India, particularly during the Margazhi (mid Dec to mid Jan) festival. She is the only female Alvar among the 12 Alvar saints of South India.

 Goddess Andal did not die in the traditional sense. Instead, she is believed to have merged with the deity Lord Ranganatha in a blaze of glory. She expressed her love for him through her poems and eventually married him in a divine union. The story culminates with her disappearing into the deity, signifying her complete absorption into the divine.

How was Draupadi born and how did she choose to end her life?

Draupadi was born from a yajna, a fire sacrifice, organized by King Drupada of Panchala. She emerged fully grown, along with her twin brother Dhrishtadyumna, from the sacrificial fire. This birth is described as ayonija, meaning she was not born from a woman's womb. Draupadi, a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, is notable for her beauty, courage, and outspoken nature. Draupadi's courage and resolve inspired her husbands, the Pandavas, in their struggles against the Kauravas.

The final journey of the Pandavas and Draupadi, their pilgrimage to the Himalayas and eventual ascent to heaven, is primarily recounted in the Mahaprasthanika Parva (Book of the Great Journey) of the Mahabharata.

Draupadi is the first of the group to fall and die on the journey to the Himalayas. The reason for her fall, as articulated by Yudhishthira, is often cited as her perceived partiality towards Arjuna, failing to love all five of her husband’s equally. Other interpretations suggest Draupadi's early death could be seen as a release from the immense suffering she endured throughout her life, granting her an earlier path to Moksha (liberation).

These 4 women can be considered as the origin of Mula prakriti or root of all roots.

Mula Prakriti is considered the feminine divine power and the foundational nature influencing both spiritual and material realities.

Mulaprakriti represents the latent, unmanifest state of the universe, the primordial root from which all creation arises. Across different traditions, various goddesses are associated with different aspects of Mula prakriti and are linked to different chakras within our Kundalini yoga system:

1. Goddess Sita — embodying the Earth (Bhudevi), connected to the Root Chakra (Muladhara).

   
   

2. Goddess Radha — symbolizing divine love, aligned with the Heart Chakra (Anahata).

3. Goddess Andal — representing creativity, linked to the Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana).

   
   

4. Goddess Draupadi — radiating dynamic fire and the driving force of the Mahabharata, resonating with the Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura).

These goddesses not only chose the form of their birth but also the manner of their passing. Their divine stories have stood the test of time for centuries, continuing to embody bravery, wisdom, and extraordinary power. They are the root of all roots, the essence of all existence, and the mothers of all mothers. Each divine mother symbolizes a unique power, and even today, our own mothers draw inspiration, strength, and energy from the eternal source that is Mulaprakriti.

If you want to talk to Dr. Sahila one-on-one for a private consultation to understand how she helps her clients with overall healing through her chakra chariot program, book an appointment by clicking here.. https://www.wellnesswithsahila.com/privatecounseling