Purusha, Prakriti and Hrit

Sri Ramana Maharshi

In the course of conversation with a learned man who asked about Purusha and Prakriti, Sri Bhagavan said:

Purusha and Prakriti are only the bifurcation of the one Supreme. They are surmised because the student has the sense of duality deep rooted. The same Gita also says that Purushottama lies beyond Purusha and Prakriti.

D.: What are para-nadi, Sushumna nadi and the Heart? 

M.: But Sushumna resolves into the para (Sushumnatu pareleena). Heart is usually understood to be the muscular organ lying on the left of the chest. The Modern Psychological Review speaks of the physical organ on the left and the Heart centre on the right. The Bible says that a fool’s heart is on the left and a wise man’s on the right. Yoga Vasishta says that there are two hearts; the one is samvit; and the other the blood-vessel. 

D.: What is Anahata? 

M.: Anahata is the chakra lying behind the heart. It is not samvit. Lalita Sahasranama has it, Anahata chakrasthayai namo namah (Salutations to the core situated in Anahata) and the next mantra Hrit (in the Heart). Thus it is clear that Anahata is not the same as Hrit.