Mask of Vaikuntha Vishnu, late 5th century. Learn more about 5th century masks
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In the Hindu religious tradition, it is a theological concept that describes the primary principle, or source, of matter. In Samkhya philosophy, the union of prakriti, symbolising the feminine with purusha –– the principle of consciousness symbolised as the masculine –– manifests itself as the universe. The term is also used to refer to nature.