Here, the _avyakta_—matter is reckoned as prior to the _purusha_ or animal soul; whereas in the Vedánta the _purusha_ or primeval soul is considered as prior to the _avyakta_-matter. The Sánkhya, therefore, recognizes the adoration of matter as its yoga, and its founder Kapila was a yogi of this kind. Later materialists meditate on the material principles and agencies as the causes of all, as in the Vidyanmoda Taranginí; प्रकृतिस्तेमहत्तत्वं सम्बर्द्धयतुसर्ब्बदा । [Sidenote: Of Spirit—Purusha.] These agencies were first viewed as concentrated in a male form, as in the persons of Buddha, Jina and Siva, as described in the Kumára Sambhava आत्मानमात्मन्यबलोकदन्तः; and when in the female figure of _Prakriti_ or nature personified, otherwise called _Saktirupá_ or the personification of energy, as in the Devi máhátmya; या देबी सर्ब्बभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता &c. They were afterwards viewed in the five elements _panchabhúta_, which formed the elemental worship of the ancients, either singly or conjointly as in the _pancha-bháutiká upásaná_, described in the _Sarva darsana sangraha_. [Sidenote: Nature worship in eight forms.] The materialistic or nature worship was at last diversified into eight forms called _ashta múrti_, consisting of earth, water, fire, air, sky, sun, moon, and the sacrificial priest, which were believed to be so many forms of God _Ísa_, and forming the objects of his meditation also. The eight forms are summed up in the lines; जलं सूर्य्योमहीबह्णिः बायुराकाशमेबच । दीक्षितोब्राह्मणः सोमः इत्यष्टौ तनवः स्मृताः । or as it is more commonly read in Bengal, क्षितिर्जलं तथा तेजो वायुराकाशमेव च । याज्ञिकार्कस्तथा चन्द्रो मूर्तिरष्टौहरस्यच । That they were forms of Ísa is thus expressed by Kálidása in the Raghu-vansa; अवेहि मां किङ्करमष्ट मूर्तेः । कुम्भोद्भबो नाम निकुम्भमित्रं; and that they were meditated upon by him as expressed by the same in his Kumára Sambhava; तत्राग्निमाधाय समित् समिद्धं । स्वमेब मूर्त्यन्तरमष्ट मूर्तिः ॥ The prologue to the Sakuntalá will at once prove this great poet to have been a materialist of this kind; thus; या सृष्टिः स्रष्टु राद्या बहति बिधि हुतं या हबिर्याचहोत्री । ये द्वेकालं बिधत्तः श्रुतिबिषयगुणा यास्थिताब्याप्यविश्वमं ॥ या माहुः प्रकृतिरिति यया प्रणिनः प्रणबन्तः । प्रसन्नस्तनुभिरबतु बस्ताभिरष्टाभिरीशः ॥ “Water the first work of the creator, and Fire which receives the oblations ordained by law &c. &c. May Ísa, the God of Nature, apparent in these forms, bless and sustain you.” Besides all this the Sivites of the present day, are found to be votaries of this materialistic faith in their daily adoration of the eight forms of Siva in the following formula of their ritual; १ सर्ब्बाय क्षिति मूर्त्तिये नमः । २ भबाय जल मूर्त्तिये नमः । ३ रुद्र ।य अग्नि मूर्त्तिये नमः । ४ उग्राय बायु मूर्त्तिये नमः । ५ भीमाय आकाश मूर्त्तिये नमः । ६ पशुपतये यजमान मूर्त्तिये नमः । ७ महादेबाय सोम मूर्त्तिये नमः । ८ ईशानाय सूर्य मूर्त्तिये नमः ॥