Sāmkhya: Puruşa, Prakṛti

• Puruṣa (पुरुष): Represents pure consciousness, the self, or the spirit. It is inactive, unchangeable, and a mere witness. It is the observer, the experiencer, but not the doer. There are infinitely many Puruṣas, each representing an individual consciousness.
• Prakṛti (प्रकृति): Represents primordial matter, nature, or the creative principle. It is active, unconscious, and constantly changing. It is composed of three gunas (qualities): sattva (goodness, purity), rajas (activity, passion), and tamas (inertia, darkness). All physical and mental phenomena, including the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkara), and senses, evolve from Prakṛti.

The interaction between the inactive Puruṣa and the active Prakṛti is what leads to the creation and evolution of the universe and all its diverse forms. The goal of Sāmkhya is moksha (liberation), which is achieved when Puruṣa realizes its distinctness and independence from Prakṛti.