Prakriti and Paramatma,

Bhakta: You used the word, adhyasa. What does it mean, Swami?

Swami: What? You do not know the meaning of that! “Seeing one form and taking it to be another, superimposing one thing upon another.”

Bhakta: How is that? On which object do we superimpose another? Tell me.

Swami: Well, seeing a rope and imagining it to be a snake; seeing waves of hot air in the sun and imagining them to be horses; seeing a mirror shining in the sun and taking it to be a lamp.

Bhakta: But what is it that I see and what do I take it to be?

Swami: You see Paramatma [Super soul] in this form of prakriti [nature] and take it to be mere prapancha or the world, and you are afraid. It is on account of this delusion that you have become the victim of all these varieties of weaknesses and you are declining through doubt and illusion. If you see it right, the delusion will vanish; the fear will disappear; the faith that it is Paramatma will be firmly and boldly established in you. To get that firmness, the lamp of viveka [knowledge] is necessary. How much a man suffers, so long as he sees the rope as a snake! How much is the fear! The delusion! Can it be realized how all that vanished as soon as it was seen in the light? Similarly, these doubts and delusions, too, will vanish unawares as soon as you know that prakriti is Paramatma. Imposing a delusion on a delusion, imagining one object to be another, this is called adhyasa, my boy!

Bhakta: But, Swami, how can prakriti be said to be Paramatma? When you ask me to discern this world that appears, as the world to the eye, as Paramatma, doubt is sure to arise.

Swami: That is true. Still, if the reality is reasoned out, even what you now see will appear as Paramatma. Cloth cannot be formed without yarn, isn’t it? Yarn is essential for cloth. In fact, it is all yarn. In spite of this, yarn is not spoken of as cloth, nor is cloth called yarn. This is exactly the relationship, between prakriti and Paramatma. Paramatma is the yarn of which the cloth, prakriti, is formed. Have the yarn and the cloth become separate? No. The yarn is used in one way, the cloth in another way. But for this reason only it would be wrong to consider yarn and cloth as different.

Bhakta: Yes, Swami. Since prakriti is formed of Paramatma, It is clear that they are not separate. Now, if both these are the same, which among these is jiva [a living being]?

Swami: That is exactly the doubt that is tormenting you, my boy. The jiva is the ‘I’ consciousness; the jiva is associated with the limitations of body and the senses. But He is the atma [soul], the Doer, Enjoyer, and everything.

The Spiritual Relationship Between Prakriti and Paramatma

The relationship between Prakriti and Paramatma helps seekers understand the deeper truth of existence. While Prakriti represents the visible world of nature, forms, and changing experiences, Paramatma is the eternal reality that supports and pervades everything. The confusion arises when a person sees only the outer appearance of the world and forgets the divine essence behind it. This misunderstanding creates the feeling of separation between the individual and the Supreme.

When one understands the unity of Prakriti and Paramatma, the world is no longer seen as something separate from the Divine. Instead, every object, every living being, and every movement of nature is recognized as an expression of the same Supreme Consciousness. Spiritual wisdom teaches that the purpose of life is to remove the ignorance that hides this truth. Through knowledge, devotion, and self-reflection, a seeker gradually realizes that Prakriti and Paramatma are inseparable, just like waves and the ocean, revealing the divine presence everywhere.

Source: Sandeh Nivarini