Purusha is the male, while Prakruti is the female energy. Purusha is formless, colorless, and beyond attributes and takes no active part in the manifestation of the universe. This energy is choiceless, passive awareness.
Prakruti has form, color and attributes: it is awareness with choice. It is Divine Will, the One who desires to become many. The universe is the child born out of the womb of Prakruti, the Divine Mother.
Prakruti creates all forms in the universe, while Purusha is the witness to this creation. It is primordial physical energy containing the three attributes, or gunas, found in all nature, the evolving cosmos.
The Three Gunas are:
Satva - essence.
Rajas - movement.
Tamas - inertia.
These three are the foundation for all existence. They are contained in balance in Prakruti. When this balance is disturbed, there is an interaction of the gunas which thus engenders the evolution of the universe.
The first manifestation from Prakruti is Cosmic Intellect - Mahad or Buddhi. From Mahad, ego is formed. Ego (Ahamkar) then manifests into the five senses (tanmatras) and the five motor organs, with the help of satva, thus creating the organic universe. The same Ego further manifests into the five basic elements (bhutas) with the help of tamas, to create the inorganic universe.
Rajas is the active vital life force in the body which moves both the organic and inorganic universes to satva and tamas, respectively. So satva and tamas are inactive, potential energies which need the active, kinetic force of rajas. Satva is creative potential (Brahma); rajas is a kinetic protective force (Vishnu); and tamas is a potential destructice force (Mahesha). Creation (Brahma), Protection (Vishnu) and Destruction (Mahesha) are the three manifestations of the first cosmic soundless sound, aum (Om), which are constantly operating in the universe.
