Purusha: puryam shete iti: “The one who is resting in the house.”; the soul.
Purusha is the consciousness that observes, witnesses, watches, and supervises Prakriti . It is the spiritual energy or the efficient cause of the universe. This is also referred to as Sat, imperishable, Atma, consciousness, spirit, self, soul, energy, field knower, creator, and the unmanifest state. Prakriti and Purusha are not two independent identities but the two aspects of Brahman, the Absolute Reality.
Prakriti is that which creates diversity, and all that can be seen or known is called Prakriti . Prakriti is also the material cause or the material out of which everything is made. Prakriti is the original source of the material world consisting of three Gunas, and eight basic elements out of which everything in this universe has evolved according to Saamkhya doctrine. Prakriti is also referred to as Asat, perishable, body, matter, nature, material nature, Maya, Mahat Brahma, field, creation, and manifest state.
Purusha is the spiritual energy; life-force (Chi, Hebrew; Chayah, or Egyptian Ka) and consciousness; self, ego, individuality inhabiting Prakriti; Matter (Hebrew; Adamah), the world as we know it; which is Asat (illusion).
All manifestations come out of the unmanifest state or Prakriti at the arrival of Brahmaa's day, and they again merge into the same Prakriti at the coming of Brahmaa's night. Bhagavad-Gita 8.18
The ego, intellect, mind, ether, fire, air, water, and earth are the eightfold transformation of My Prakriti. Bhagavad-Gita 7.04
This Prakriti is My lower energy. My other higher energy is the Purusha by which this entire universe is sustained, O Arjuna. (7.05)
My Prakriti (that which came forth; nature) is the womb wherein I place the seed (Purusha) from which all beings are born. Bhagavad-Gita 14.03
Prakriti and Purusha are not two independent identities but two aspects of Brahman, the Absolute Reality.
Atman; Spirit/ Higher Self is the third aspect of Brahma. Like the Hebrew word "An" or "On" for power (spirit = energy), it can also mean "Son".
This Holy Spirit (Hebrew; ruach Kadosh) in general is called Brahman and is also referred to as Sat, (reality) the imperishable and the unmanifest state of things; the truth behind everything.
Everything comes forth from the original pure energy, released at the Big Bang. Everything our senses perceive is the material state of this energy. Everything is energy; matter, Prakriti is the illusion; Asat. The evolution of things and life into the overwhelming variety of nature is caused by this original energy or Spirit.
This is the efficient cause of the universe; the consciousness that observes, witnesses, watches, and supervises Prakriti. Brahman is the creational energy flowing from the source; Brahma; self expanding one, (Hebrew; Ab rama; Father above.) the field knower, the Creator.
The Jeeva (Jiva; bondage) is the individual earthbound animal soul, (Hebrew; Nephesh) while Atma may become its spirit.
This Spirit, when guiding our soul is called the Atma, individual spirit, (Hebrew; Neshama) forming a newly born Self (a son) as the Jeeva-atma (Hebrew; Adam). Because of this, the human soul (Adam) is named after the Atma.
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The word Atma has strong connections with the Egyptian god Atum, ("he who completes, or perfects"; the primeval Egyptian sun god and creator of the world. The Memphite creation myth stated that Atum was conceived in the heart of Ptah and was created by his word.) and the Manichaean word Ataom that both indicate "the guiding Spirit in man". |
In which case, the soul's Spirit is called; Parama-atma;
The Supreme Spirit in the body is also called the witness, the guide, the supporter, the enjoyer, and the great Lord or Paramaatma. Bhagavad-Gita 13.22
or more generally; Purush-atma, or Purushottama; पुरुषोत्तम the supreme soul, actually; the soul's spirit; the core, the essence, God.
I am beyond the perishable body, and higher than the imperishable Atma (spiritualized soul); therefore, I am known in this world and in the Vedas as Purushottama (Purusha-Atma), or the Supreme Spirit. Bhagavad-Gita 15.18