In Hindu religion, the concept of vikirti is the effect in philosophical parlance. Prakriti and vikriti are two technical terms in Samkhya philosophy. All objects in the universe (except the primordial nature, viz., mulaprakriti and the self) are looked upon as coming into existence by a way of change or modification (parinama). There is a infinite, unending process of parinama going on in the universe due to which one object gets modified into another. In this process the earlier object is called prakriti, the cause of the modified form, which in turn is called the vikriti (effect) of the earlier form. Thus cloth is a vikriti of threads (tantu), while tantu is the prakriti of cloth (pata). Fruit is the vikriti of flower, which is the prakriti of fruit. In this way there are said to be four main categories into which the twenty-five basic principles (tattvas) of Samkhya philosophy can be divided or grouped. This is mentioned in samkhyakarita (verse III).
The four categories are as follows –
- Mulaprakriti – this includes the original, initial state of the universe, the mother of all that exists in a non-sentient (jada) form. In this category there is only one tattva, the primordial nature. It is called not in itself the vikriti of any other tattva.
- Prakriti – Vikriti – this includes those tattvas which originate from and, in their turn, give rise to other tattvas, and so are prakriti of them. There are seven such prakriti vikritis.
- Vikriti or Vikara – there are sixteen such tattvas. From them no other tattva is produced.
- No prakriti, na vikriti – This is the being (purusha).