[4] प्रकृति _Prakriti_, or मूल प्रकृति _Mula Prakriti_, “the root or Plastic origin of all;” termed प्रधान _Pradhána_, “the chief one; the universal material cause;” identified by the cosmogony of the Puránás with _Maya_, or “illusion;” and by mythologists with _Bráhmí_, “the power or energy of Brahmá” (_Colebrooke’s Essays_). _Prakriti_, in philosophy, “the passive or material cause of the world,” as opposed to the active or spiritual; and in mythology, a goddess united to the primeval male, and the genitress of the world (_Wilson_).――D. S. [5] The quotations of our author are too general for being referred to particular parts or passages of the Hindú books. The above doctrine is contained in a great number of their treatises. In the _Vedanta sara_, or “Essence of the Vedanta doctrine” (p. 16, Calcutta edit.), we find mentioned the fourteen भुवनानि _Bhuvanáni_, or “worlds.”――A. T. [6] योजन _Yojana_, or _Jojun_, “a measure of distance” equal to four Crosas, which at 8,000 cubits or 4,000 yards to the Crosa, or Cas, will be exactly nine miles: other computations make the Yojana but about five miles, or even no more than four miles and a half (_Wilson’s Dict._).――D. S. [7] More properly of egotism, which is the literal sense of the term: its peculiar function is अभिमान _Abhimana_, or “selfish conviction; a belief that in perception or meditation _I_ am concerned; that the objects of sense concern _me_; in short, that _I_ am” (_Colebrook’s Essays_).――D. S. [8] Derived from _Mahat_, “great,” महत् also the intellectual principle and तत्व _Tatva_, “essential nature――the real nature of the human soul, considered as one and the same with the divine spirit animating the universe;” the philosophical etymology of this word best explains its meaning, _Tat_, “that; that divine Being;” and त्वं _Twam_, “thou:”――“that very God art thou.” _Tatva_ also means “reality, truth, substance,” opposed to what is illusory or fallacious (_Wilson_).――D. S. [9] भूर्लोक _Bhúrlóka_. [10] भुवर्लोक _Bhuvarlóka_. [11] सुरलोक _Suralóka_, “the heaven of Indra, and residence of the celestials.” [12] महर्लोक _Maharlóka_, “a region;” said to be one Crore, or a million of Yojanas above the polar star, and to be the abode of those saints who survive the destruction of the world. [13] जन लोक _Jana-lóka_, “the region where the sons of Brahmá and other pious men reside.” [14] तप लोक _Tapa-lóka_, “the abode of Ascetics.” [15] सत्य लोक _Satya-lóka_, “the abode of Brahma and of truth.” [16] Here begin the seven divisions of the infernal regions:――अतल लोक _Atala-lóka_, “the region immediately below the earth.” [17] वितल लोक _Vitala-lóka_, “the second region in descent below the earth.”