Prakriti – Vishnu’s mother as also His consort

Prakriti – Vishnu’s mother as also His consort

In the Vishnu Puranam there is a stuti of Devaki by the Deva-s:

देवता ऊचुः

प्रकृतिस्त्वं परा सूक्ष्मा ब्रह्मगर्भाभवत्पुरा  ।

ततो वाणी जगद्धातुर्वेदगर्भासि शोभने  ॥ ५,२.७ ॥

सृज्यस्वरूपगर्भासि सृष्टिभूता सनातने  ।

बीजभूता तु सर्वस्य यज्ञभूता भवस्त्रयी  ॥ ५,२.८ ॥

फलगर्भा त्वमेवेज्या वह्निगर्भा तथारणिः  ।

अदितिर्देवगर्भा त्वं दैत्यगर्भा तथा दितिः  ॥ ५,२.९ ॥

ज्योत्स्ना वासरगर्भा त्वं ज्ञानगर्भासि सन्नतिः  ।

नयगर्भा परा नीतिर्लज्जा त्वं प्रश्रयोद्वहा  ॥ ५,२.१० ॥

कामगर्भा तथेच्छा त्वं तुष्टिः संतोषगर्भिणी  ।

मेधा च बोधगर्भसि धैर्यगर्भोद्वहा धृतिः  ॥ ५,२.११ ॥

ग्रहर्क्षतारकागर्भा द्यौरस्याखिलहैतुकी  ।

एता विभूतयो देवि तथान्याश्च सहस्रशः  ॥ ५,२.१२ ॥

तथा संख्या जगद्धात्री सांप्रतं जठरे तव  ।

समुद्राद्रिनदीद्वीपवनपत्तनभूषणा  ।

ग्रामखर्वटखेटाढ्या समस्ता पृथिवी शुभे  ॥ ५,२.१३ ॥

समस्तवह्नयोंऽभांसि सकलाश्च समीरणाः  ।

महोरगास्तथा यक्षा राक्षसाः प्रेतगुद्यकाः  ॥ ५,२.१४ ॥

ग्रहर्क्षतारकाचित्रविमानशतसंकुतम्  ।

अवकाशमशेषस्य यद्ददाति नभस्थलम्  ॥ ५,२.१५ ॥

भूलोकश्च भुवर्लोकःस्वर्लोकोऽथ महर्जनः  ।

तपश्च ब्रह्मलोकश्च ब्रह्माण्डमखिलं शुभे  ॥ ५,२.१६ ॥

तदन्तरे स्थिता देवा दैत्यगन्धर्वचारणाः  ।

महोरगास्तथा यक्षा राक्षसाः प्रेतगुह्यकाः  ॥ ५,२.१७ ॥

मनुष्याः पशवश्चान्ये ये च जीवा यशस्विनि  ।

तैरन्तस्थैरनन्तोऽसौ सर्वगः सर्वभावनः  ॥ ५,२.१८ ॥

रूपकर्मस्वरूपाणि न परिच्छेदगोचरे  ।

यस्याखिलप्रमाणानि स विष्णुर्गर्भगस्तव  ॥ ५,२.१९ ॥

त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा विद्या स्वधा त्वं ज्योतिरंबरे  ।

त्वं सर्वलोकरक्षार्थमवतीर्णा महीतले  ॥ ५,२.२० ॥

प्रसीद देवि सर्वस्य जगतः शं शुभे कुरु  ।

प्रीत्या तं धारयेशानं धृतं येनाखिलं जगत् ॥ ५,२.२१ ॥

इति श्रीविष्णुमहापुराणे पञ्चमांशे द्वितीयोऽध्यायः (२)

THE nurse of the universe, Jagaddhátrí, thus enjoined by the god of gods, conveyed the six several embryos into the womb of Devakí  and transferred the seventh after a season to that of Rohińí; after which, Hari, for the benefit of the three regions, became incarnate as the conception of the former princess, and Yoganidrá as that of Yaśodá, exactly as the supreme Vishńu had commanded. When the portion of Vishńu had become incorporate upon earth, the planetary bodies moved in brilliant order in the heavens, and the seasons were regular and genial. No person could bear to gaze upon Devakí, from the light that invested her; and those who contemplated her radiance felt their minds disturbed. The gods, invisible to mortals, celebrated her praises continually from the time that Vishńu was contained in her person. “Thou,” said the divinities, “art that Prakriti, infinite and subtile, which formerly bore Brahmá in its womb: then wast thou the goddess of speech, the energy of the creator of the universe, and the parent of the Vedas. Thou, eternal being, comprising in thy substance the essence of all created things, wast identical with creation: thou wast the parent of the triform sacrifice, becoming the germ of all things: thou art sacrifice, whence all fruit proceeds: thou art the wood, whose attrition engenders fire. As Adití, thou art the parent of the gods; as Diti, thou art the mother of the Daityas, their foes. Thou art light, whence day is begotten: thou art humility, the mother of true wisdom: thou art kingly policy, the parent of order: thou art modesty, the progenitrix of affection: thou art desire, of whom love is born: thou art contentment, whence resignation is derived: thou art intelligence, the mother of knowledge: thou art patience, the parent of fortitude: thou art the heavens, and thy children are the stars: and from thee does all that exists proceed. Such, goddess, and thousands more, are thy mighty faculties; and now innumerable are the contents of thy womb, O mother of the universe. The whole earth, decorated with oceans, rivers, continents, cities, villages, hamlets, and towns; all the fires, waters, and winds; the stars, asterisms, and planets; the sky, crowded with the variegated chariots of the gods, and ether, that provides space for all substance; the several spheres of earth, sky, and heaven; of saints, sages, ascetics, and of Brahmá; the whole egg of Brahmá, with all its population of gods, demons, spirits, snake-gods, fiends, demons, ghosts, and imps, men and animals, and whatever creatures have life, comprised in him who is their eternal lord, and the object of all apprehension; whose real form, nature, name, and dimensions are not within human apprehension–are now with that Vishńu in thee. Thou art Swáhá; thou art Swadhá; thou art wisdom, ambrosia, light, and heaven. Thou hast descended upon earth for the preservation of the world. Have compassion upon us, O goddess, and do good unto the world. Be proud to bear that deity by whom the universe is upheld.”

The above verses make it clear, in great detail, that Prakriti is the Mother of the entire world.

That She is the Jaganmaataa and the consort of Vishnu is also stated by the Vishnu Purana itself in this verse:

श्रीपराशर उवाच

नित्यैवैषा जगन्माता विष्णोः श्रीरनपायिनि  ।

यथा सर्वगतो विष्णुस्तथैवेयं द्विजोत्तम  ॥ १,८.१७ ॥

The Vishnu Purana also says that everywhere in creation, the male-female aspects are Vishnu and Prakriti (Lakshmi). 

Thus, in the VP itself we have ample evidence to conclude that Prakriti is both the mother and the consort of Vishnu.  She is the AdyA Shakti who is indispensable in creating anything, whether the world or giving a form/body to Brahman. For the Vedantin, Vishnu is Brahman, Nishkriya, Nirguna, Nirakara and not a person. Prakriti is the Shakti that has to be resorted to in creation. Says Lord Krishna in the Bh.gita:

मम योनिर्महद्ब्रह्म तस्मिन्गर्भं दधाम्यहम् ।
सम्भवः सर्वभूतानां ततो भवति भारत ॥ ३ ॥

14.3 My womb is the great-sustainer. In that I place the seed. From that, O scion of the Bharata dynasty, occurs the birth of all things.

Shankaracharya’s bhashya:

मम स्वभूता मदीया माया त्रिगुणात्मिका प्रकृतिः योनिः सर्वभूतानां कारणम् ।

Madhva has called Prakriti ‘the Bhaaryaa’ (Wife) of Brahman, Vishnu.

In the VP verses first cited, where deva-s praise Devaki (Prakriti) is a line:

अदितिर्देवगर्भा त्वं दैत्यगर्भा तथा दितिः  ॥ ५,२.९ ॥ ‘You are Aditi, the mother of deva-s. You are Diti the mother of daitya-s, demons.’

It is well known that Vishnu incarnated as Vamana as the child of Aditi and Kashyapa. Thus, Prakriti is both the consort, patni, and the mother of Brahman (Vishnu).

warm regards

subrahmanian.v