सांख्य दर्शन के अनुसार, प्रकृति universe का root cause है, the raw material from which everything emerges. यह universal intelligence हर चीज का आधार है, material world का building block. Think of it as the potential from which all things manifest. Interesting बात यह है कि प्रकृति, while being the source of everything, cannot create on its own. It’s like the ingredients for a cake – they exist, but they need a baker to turn them into something delicious. प्रकृति passive है, waiting for an activating force.

यहाँ पर पुरुष enter होता है। सांख्य दर्शन में, पुरुष the conscious principle, the creative force है जो प्रकृति को activate करता है। यह important है कि यहाँ ‘पुरुष’ का मतलब gender से नहीं है। It refers to the driving force behind creation, the spark that ignites the potential within Prakriti. पुरुष is the doer, the creator, whether it’s creating an event, a situation, a product, or even a belief system. पुरुष gives direction and purpose to Prakriti’s potential. So, imagine the baker again, using the ingredients (Prakriti) to create the cake (the manifested world).

Prakriti and Purush का interaction ही creation का base है. Prakriti provides the raw material, the what, and Purush provides the impetus, the how. They are distinct but interdependent. Think of it like a dancer and the music. The music (Prakriti) exists, but it needs the dancer (Purush) to bring it to life, to express its potential through movement and rhythm. Similarly, Purush needs Prakriti to have something to work with, to express its creativity. This beautiful interplay is the essence of creation according to Sankhya philosophy.