C076b E09 Prakriti(Srushti) Rajendra G.

Koppikar 20200129

C076bE09 Prakriti (Srushti) कृित (सृि ) or सृ ी

Definition:
One of the interpretation of term Prakriti ( कृित) is Srushti (सृि ) (other meaning being
nature- temperament( भाव), Form, Origin of universe-as per Sankhyas)1.
Prakriti as Srushti is denotes Universe (चराचर सृि ).

Etymology of the term (VYUTPATTI) :

--‘ ’ denotes an adjective indicating ‘intensely, with certain intension-effort’ and ‘कृित’
as a noun is an initiated action to result in to original / natural creation.1 &2
--In सू मा भा (1.4.27) ‘ कषण करोतीित कृित:| is quoted meaning when a thing is
done intensely then the resultant is Prakriti ( कृित).
--सृि is denominative of सृ (srushta - brought forth”), from the root ऋष् (rusha, “to
move, push, go, thrust, flow, bring nearby”)2

As a noun
Srushti (सृि ) means the original source of the material world , nature, creation, world,
Universe.

General translation in English language as ‘nature’ has a limited understanding of the

term denoting as ‘made available by nature’ or as ‘freely available elements in and
around’. As a result, humans have resorted to unlimited use or extraction of elements
for materialistic satisfaction of manmade needs.

Bharateey philosophy, whereas, considers the term in much broader and detailed
sense. The concept ‘Srushti’ begins with an understanding as a creation by the
‘Parameshwar’, the creator – the almighty. Replenishment of used quantity is an
automatic process controlled by the ‘Parameshwar’. In spite of this, Bhaarateey
philosophy hints at use of the elements in controlled manner, based on need.

Literature by Pt. Deendayal Upaadhyaay and Shri. Dattopant Thengadi highlights

importance of Srushti and restrained consumption of resources of the Srushti that
human race has to practice and that the consumption should not be destructive. They
have also suggested to take suitable nourishing measures for long lasting availability of
natural resources for the benefit of entire universe.3 to 10
In वै ाकरणिस दा म जूषा (Pg. 169), नागेश भ defines कृित as follows:
कृितयावदा यभािवधमिवशेषः | It means कृित depends and continues to exist as long as it’s
root exists.
In Bhaarateey dharm, Prakriti (Srushti) is highly revered and treated with utmost
respect. In भगव ीता (7.4) the lord describes कृित saying ‘भू िमरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बु दरे व च|
अह ार इतीयं मे िभ ा कृितर धा || i.e. earth (भू मी:), water (आप:), Fire/Energy (अनल:), Air (वायु :),
Space (खम्), Chitta (मन:), Prajnya (बु ी:) and Ego (अहं कार:) are part of my creation.

Saint Tukaram in his one of the Abhangs has expressed this mentioning the nature (trees etc.)
as human’s relatives (…वृ व ी आ ा सोयरी).

Living beings or non-living elements are treated with equal importance.11

Rivers, Earth are considered as ‘mother’. Bhaarateey farmers prays to the earth for forgiveness
before starting ploughing with plough. Before getting out of bed and steeping on the floor
Bhaarateey dharma suggest to pray to the earth for forgiveness chanting verse, part of it reads
as समु वसने दे वी पवत न मंडले । िव ु प ी नमो ु ं पाद: श म मे ॥

Bharateey theory also considers that everything in Srushti that could be seen with
ordinary eyes, has a form/shape (creation) is considered to be an imbalanced
possession of trigunaas, three attributes i.e. Sattva (purity,knowledge), Rajas
(passion,activity) and Tamas (inertia,motive) and are perishable / destructible. The
indestructible cannot be seen.12

Creation starts when the balance of the gunaas is disturbed, according to Saankhya.13

Srushti along with certain adjectives denotes making; joining, attaching, forming etc.
e.g.14

 Prati-jeeveem Srushti bhinna- The expansion or development of Brahma

constituting the universal system.
 Manoratha Srushti - Mental creation, castle-building: also mental creations,
pictures, or illusions, fictions of the imagination.
 Svapna Srushti - Dreams, the illusory creation of Morpheus.
 Jeeva Srushti - The creation of the Soul or Self; the objects and relations as
subsisting, whether with or without correspondence with the external world, in
the affections and apprehensions of the sentient principle.
 Maayika Srushti - The unreal representations of necromancy (communication
with the dead) or sorcery (black magic); the unreal appearances of the material
universe; illusory or false exhibitions generally.
 Kalpaaa Srushti, Maanasi Srushti, Aasuri Srushti, bhoota Srushti, vishvaamitra
Srushti etc. as appearing in various Hindu literature.

In focussed perspective, almost continuous provision of elements in the Srushti is a part

of the process controlled by the creator. This process is a web of interconnected and
interdependent elements. Use of natural resources in a sustainable way and within
appropriate limits has been very well realized by sages who visualized the sequential
emergence / creation (िनिमित) and obliteration (लय) of essential elements. With the
creator’s will to further create, emerged ---Space (अवकाश) ---Atmosphere (Vaayu -
वातावरण / वायु ) --- Energy (Agni-अि ) ---Water(Liquid/water आप:) ---Earth / non-living
beings (पृिथिव ) – Vegetation/food (वन ित/औषिध) ---Living beings ( ािणमा -पु ष).15

The interconnection and interdependency is experienced in day to day life. E.g.

 Forests-rain-water-living beings
 Vegetation and insects like honey bee / butterfly
 Oxygen-carbon-di-oxide-Nitrogen-vegetation-living beings

Sustainable aspects of development and regeneration of natural sources based on

controlled use of all natural as well as manmade resources has been well respected in
Bhaarateey philosophy. This has been an integral part of life called as Dharm.3

Practicing only essential / imperative consumption of resources from the Srushti will
result in long lasting availability of resources and existence of Srushti.

Results of human greed has already started showing results of imbalance within the
available resources. Manmade ecological disasters have started showing up in the form
of huge parts of earth becoming arid, decreased rainfall, excessive melting of glaciers,
rising level of seawater, elongated seasons, depletion of water bed, infertility of land, air
pollution etc.

Therefore, every human being a beneficiary (referred to as Vyashti - ि ) must respect

the Srushti (Samashti- समि ) and always remain grateful to while gaining benefits from
the Srushti.
Thus, the principles of Hindu dharma related to Srushti are guiding principles for
sustainable global wellness.

References:

1-Sanskrit-Hindi kosh – V.S.Apte and The students’ new sanskrut dictionary –Devsthali,Joshi and
Kulkarni

2 – Monier Williams pg.26 c3 and 1245 c2, corrected edition 2002 and
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/सृि
(https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F
%E0%A4%BF)

3-( दी20पृ.44) धम तो एक ापक त है । वह जीवन के सभी पहलुओं से सं बंध रखनेवाला त है । उससे समाज की
धारणा होती है। और आगे बढ़ तो सृि की धारणा होती है । यह धारणा करने वाली जो व ु है, वह 'धम' है ।
4- (दी20पृ.50) ई र का अवतार धम के िलए होता है। इसिलए ई र भी सब कुछ कर सकता है , पर ु अधम नही ं कर
सकता। यिद बुरा न लगे तो कह सकते ह िक ई र से भी बड़ा धम है । वह धम से चलता है , इसिलए सृ ि चलती है।
5- (दी20पृ.60) िकतु उ ादन का संबंध ाकृितक साधनों से भी है। यिद अ ाधुंध उ ादन बढ़ाते गये तो ये ाकृितक साधन
कब तक साथ दगे ? कुछ लोग यह कहकर समाधान कर दे ते ह िक यिद एक कार के साधन समा हो गये तो दू सरी कार
की व ु ओं की खोज हो जाये गी। नये िवक (सब ी ूट) ढू ं ढ़े जा सकते ह। उनके इस तक म िनिहत बल को ीकार करने
के बाद भी यह कहना पड़े गा िक कृित की स दा अपार होने पर भी उसकी मयादा है । यिद बड़ी ते जी के साथ और
अनाव क प से हम उसका य करते गये तो एक िदन हम पछताना पड़े गा।
6- (दी20पृ.60) कृित की संपदा की मयादा की िचंता न भी कर तो कम से कम इतना तो हम मानना ही पड़े गा िक कृित म
िविभ व ु ओं के बीच एक पर रावल ी स है । एक-दू सरे के सहारे खड़ी तीन लकिड़यों म से यिद हम एक की थित
म प रवतन कर द तो शेष दो अपने आप िगर जायगी। आज की अथ व था और उ ादन की प ित इस सामंज को बड़ी
तेजी से िबगाड़ती जा रही है, प रणामत: जहाँ एक ओर हम नयी-नयी इ ाओं की पूित के िलए नये -नये साधन ढू ं ढ़ रहे ह वही ं
दू सरी ओर नये-नये हमारी संपूण स ता और मानवता को समा करने के िलए पैदा होते जा रहे ह।
7 -(दी20पृ.61) हम कृित से उतना तथा इस कार ल िक वह उस कमी को यं पुन:पू रत कर ले। पेड़ से फल लेने मे
उसकी हािन नही ं होती, लाभ होता है , पर भू िम से अिधक फसल लेने के लोभ म हम ऐसे उवरकों का योग कर रहे ह, िजनसे
कुछ िदनों के बाद उसकी उ ादन-श समा हो जाती है ।
8- (दी20पृ.61) कारखानेदार मशीन आिद के िलए य-िनिध की व था करता है। पर ु कृित के इस कारखाने के िलए
हम िकसी भी य-िनिध की िचंता न कर, यह कैसे हो सकता है? इस ि से िवचार िकया जाये तो कहना होगा िक हमारी
अथ- व था का ल अमयािदत उपभोग नही,ं अ ंत सं यिमत उपभोग होना चािहए।.... हमारा य तो यही रहता है िक
कम से कम ईधन से अिधक से अिधक मा ा म श पैदा हो। यह बचत का ि कोण है । मानव-जीवन के उ े का िवचार
करके हम ऐसी व था करनी चािहए िजससे वह ूनतम ईधन से अिधकतम गित के साथ अपने ल की ओर बढ़ सके। यह
अथ व था मानवी होगी। यह मानव के एक पहलू का िवचार न कर, उसके पूण जीवन का तथा अं ितम उ े का िवचार
करे गी। यह संहारा क न होकर सृ जना क होगी। यह कृित के शोषण पर िनभर न रह कर उसके पोषण पर िनभर रहे गी।
शोषण नही,ं दोहन हमारा आधार होना चािहए, या कृित का हमारे िलए जीवनदायी हो, यही व था करनी चािहए।
9- (दी20पृ.72) हमारी अथ व था का उ े होना चािहए ......... उपयु ल ों की िस के िलए ेक सवय एवं थ
को सािभ ाय आजीिवका का अवसर दे ना तथा कृित के साधनों का िमत ियता के साथ उपयोग करना।
10 -(ठे 13पृ.109) संपूण सृ ि की धारणा करने की मता अपने धम म है । ऐसे कुछ िनयम ह जो सनातन और िचर न ह,
अत: अप रवतनीय ह। उ ी ं के काश म, उ ी ं के आधार पर, बदलती ई प र थितयों म दे श, काल, प र थित के अनुकूल
प रवतनशील रचनाओं का उद् घोष करने वाला धम हमारे यहाँ आ है।
11 -archive.org: Siva Purana - English Translation Śivapurāṇa 2.1.15

12 - archive.org: Puranic Encyclopaedia

13 - Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index - Srishti in Purana glossary
14 -https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/Srushtii

15 – Taitaropanishat-Bramhaanandavalli (2) also Ishaavaasyopanishat

https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/brahman-granthon-mein-Srushtii-vichar-NZY959/

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/Srushtii

https://www.wisdomlib.org/index.php?type=search_chapter&search_input=Srushtii%2C+S%E1
%B9%9B%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADi%2C+S%E1%B9%9B%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%AD%C4%AB%2
C+Srsti%2C+Srushtiis%2C+S%E1%B9%9B%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADis%2C+S%E1%B9%9B%E1
%B9%A3%E1%B9%AD%C4%ABs%2C+Srstis

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/satapatha-brahmana-english/d/doc63351.html

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9
F%E0%A4%BF

https://www.wisdomlib.org/index.php?type=search_chapter&search_input=Srushtii%2C+S%E1
%B9%9B%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADi%2C+S%E1%B9%9B%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%AD%C4%AB%2
C+Srsti%2C+Srushtiis%2C+S%E1%B9%9B%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADis%2C+S%E1%B9%9B%E1
%B9%A3%E1%B9%AD%C4%ABs%2C+Srstis

https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/padma-purana

Entire nature is a web of interconnected and interdependent elements. Use of natural resources
in a sustainable way and within appropriate limits. Sustainable aspects of development based
on use of natural resources