In Hinduism, the concept of Aprakrita Sharira holds significant philosophical and theological importance. It refers to non-material bodies or entities that exist beyond the realm of prakriti, the material world governed by the three gunas—sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance). While prakriti constitutes the fundamental constituents of the universe, including both animate and inanimate creation, Aprakrita Sharira represents entities that transcend material existence.
In most theistic systems of Hindu philosophy, including
Vedanta and Bhakti, Aprakrita Sharira is associated with divine beings,
liberated souls, and aspects of the divine such as vyuha (emanations), vibhava
(incarnations), and arca (manifestations in worship). These entities are
characterized by their non-material nature, distinct from the material bodies
governed by prakriti.
The bodies of gods, considered a-prakrita-shariras, are
beyond the limitations of the material world and are composed of Suddha Sattva,
pure existence or pure consciousness. Similarly, the eternal beings (nityas)
and liberated souls (muktas) also possess a-prakrita-shariras, which enable them
to exist in the non-material infinite domain, known as nithya vibhuti.
Aprakrita Sharira embodies the concept of transcendence and
represents the divine aspect of existence that transcends the limitations of
the material world. It serves as a foundational concept in understanding the
nature of the divine, the eternal, and the liberated souls within Hindu
philosophical and theological frameworks.