Advaita : Some Basic Explanations - 13 (The last)

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Fri, 22 Mar 2002, D.V.N.Sarma wrote:

> About the claim that puru.sa must be a conscious
> being, I do not think that gita is using the word puru.sa
> in that sense. Gita is catagorising all that is there
> into three parts namely k.sara puru.sa, ak.sara puru.sa
> and puru.soettama. This includes conscious as well as
> unconscious parts.
>

I think you are right there.  Perhaps what is confusing is is that the
Samkhya/Yoga darshana uses the terms Purush and prakriti in a dualistic
sense.  The Purusha is the knowing jiva and completely distinct
from prakriti which is the natural universe and is insentient.  Vedanta,
particularly Advaita Vedanta, doesn't view Prakrti as a distinct entity
but equates it as maya which is produced by Brahman as Ishwara or the
individual atma.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a girl! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/shailaja/