Shiva and Shakti

1.1. Brahma is the composite of Shiva and Shakti

Brahma [Cosmic Entity] is the composite of Shiva [Consciousness] and Shakti [Operative Principle].

A piece of paper has two sides. Although they are two for the sake of argument, they cannot be separated from the one paper entity.

Removal of one side of the paper jeopardizes the existence of the other.

So is the relation of Puruśa [Consciousness] and Prakrti [Operative Principle] in the Cosmic Entity.

None of them can stand without the other. This is why they are an inalienable concomitance.

Shiva or puruśa is extensively used philosophically.

But in common parlance the word átmá [“soul” or “self”] is more extensively used in the same sense.

Shiva means “witnessing consciousness”.

Pure shete yah sah puruśah

Puruśa is “the witness-ship that lies quiescent in every entity is the puruśa.”

Atman means “that which is omni-telepathic”.

The physical sense of the body is telepathized on the mental plate.

In other words, the physical sense is awakened in the mental plate due to the reflection that follows the impact of the crude physical waves on the mental plate.

Similarly, the sense of every crude object is awakened in the mental plate as soon as the reflection takes place following the impact of the waves of the objects on the mental plate.

Identical mental waves hit the soul entity.

This causes the reflection of those mental waves. This awakens in the unit a sense of its indivisibility from the soul.

If, in the language of philosophy, mental waves, that is, thought, be called thought-waves, then the reflection of the mental waves on the soul-plate will have to be termed telepathic waves.

And so in reference to the soul-plate, we may say that it is telepathic to the mind.

All mundane objects, crude, subtle, or causal, consist in mental waves or thought-waves.

So we may call the Soul omni-telepathic.

It is because of this omni-telepathic Átman that the existences of all mundane objects, visible or invisible, large or small, find their factual substantiation and recognition.

Had there been no Átman, the existence of everything would have been in jeopardy.

1-2. Shakti (the Operative Principle) is the shakti (force) of Shiva

Every object has a material cause and an efficient cause.

Over and above these there is also a conjunctive agency linking the upádána kárańa [material cause] with the nimitta kárańa [efficient or instrumental cause].

The determination of the firmness or laxity of the relation of the material cause with the efficient cause depends on the degree of conjunctive functions.

In the process of creation:

• Puruśa is the material factor
• Prakrti is the linking force between the material and the efficient causes.

As the efficient cause:

• Puruśa is the primary factor
• Prakrti is the secondary one.

Puruśa is the all-pervading entity.

So only He can be the material cause.

Prakrti is not all-pervading.

She is sheltered in Puruśa.

In the body of Puruśa, Prakrti can only work as much as She is given opportunity to by Puruśa.

And so, in the science of creation, Puruśa alone as the doer entity is the chief efficient or instrumental cause.

Prakrti is the subordinate efficient cause since she has been posing as the doer with the authority given to Her by Puruśa.

The distortions or expressions which are taking place in the material cause through the efficient cause and which we call worldly manifestations, are effected by the 3 guńas [attributes or binding principles: sattva, rajah and tamah] of Prakrti.

These accounts for Prakrti are the linking force between the efficient cause and the material cause. So the firmness or feebleness of the object-body fully depends upon the degree of the influence of Prakrti.

The role of Puruśa is foremost in all the spheres.

Prakrti only acts to whatever extent Puruśa has authorized or authorizes Her to act.

In the process of evolution, Puruśa gives Prakrti the authority to work, and She goes on working.

The subtle Puruśa goes on attaining crudity gradually due to the bondage of the 3 guńas of Prakrti.

In the ultimate state of His crudity, Puruśa slowly and gradually keeps shrivelling up the opportunity and liberty of Prakrti previously given to Her.

Thus, the crudified Puruśa, gradually regaining His subtlety, returns to His own ultimate characteristic state.

The flow of manifestations of the Puruśadeha [Cognitive Body] under the binding influence of Prakrti is what we call saiṋcara [extroversion from the subtle to the crude].

The gradual process of liberation that results in the Puruśadeha due to progressive looseness of the bondage is what we call pratisaiṋcara [introversion from the crude to the subtle].

Prakrti is free to make honest use of Her acquired power. But the attainment or non-attainment of this power depends on Puruśa, or Citishakti [Cognitive Principle].

This is why Prakrti is but the characteristic of Puruśa Himself.