Sarnali Chatterjee

The dichotomy of Prakṛti (the material principle that creates the phenomenal world) and Puruṣa (the conscious principle that experiences it) forms the basis for metaphysical dualism in the Sāṅkhya system. Viewed through a feminist lens, these metaphysical categories reflect a gendered binary, corresponding to the ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ principles. This paper offers a feminist intervention into Sāṅkhya by re-reading the Prakṛti-Puruṣa dichotomy through concepts in feminist philosophy. First, I examine the gendered metaphors, adjectives, and pronouns that characterise Prakṛti and Puruṣa in Īśvarakṛṣṇa’s Sāṅkhya Kārikā to reveal the underlying gendered lens. Next, I explore how Vācaspatimiśra’s Tattva Kaumudī, a commentary on the Sāṅkhya Kārikā reflects the influence of the Advaita Vedānta tradition, attempting to align Prakṛti-Puruṣa dichotomy with the Brahman-Māyā framework, centralising Puruṣa and diminishing Prakṛti. Lastly, I challenge this Advaita Vedāntin interpretation and propose a feminist philosophical reading of Prakṛti and Puruṣa, drawing on Iris Marion Young’s conception of ‘difference’ from Justice and the Politics of Difference.