Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.26.10
Sarga· CreationDistinguish Unmanifest Pradhāna from Manifest Prakṛti
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifest state and is called pradhāna. It is called prakṛti when in the manifested stage of existence.”
What the purport teaches
- Pradhāna is the subtle, undifferentiated sum total of material elements. It is the eternal, unmanifest combination of the three modes before material manifestation.
- When the material elements become manifest through the interaction of the three modes, this manifestation is called prakṛti. In pradhāna, cause and effect are not clearly manifested.
- Pradhāna is not Brahman, because Brahman has no material modes. It is also distinct from time and from the living entities.
Try this today
Write two short definitions today: pradhāna as undifferentiated material nature, and prakṛti as its manifested condition.
Ask yourself
Can I distinguish the unmanifest material elements from their manifested condition?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.