Why the jīva is portrayed - as Feminine in Vedic Thought?
At first, it may sound strange to hear that the jīva — the individual self — is described as feminine in relation to the Supreme. Why is God, the Puruṣa, portrayed as male, and we as feminine?
The answer is not about gender, but about the sacred relationship between the jīva and the Divine. In the Bhagavad Gita (7.14), Puruṣa — the Supreme Person — is described as the one who sustains and provides for all. All beings belong to Prakṛti, the Divine energy through which creation unfolds. Prakṛti is feminine in nature — receptive, creative, and nurturing — while Puruṣa is the conscious principle that awakens her.
Metaphorically, Puruṣa is seen as masculine because He gives the seed of creation to Prakṛti, who then manifests life in endless forms. For this reason, Prakṛti is described as feminine — for she receives, nurtures, and brings forth what the Divine initiates. This image is drawn from human experience: just as a woman receives the seed and gives birth to new life, Prakṛti receives the touch of consciousness and gives rise to the universe.
In the same way, every jīva (individual self) is considered feminine in relation to the Divine — not by gender, but by relationship. The jīvātmā is called feminine because it receives the Divine’s grace and responds with devotion to the ultimate Beloved — the giver and sustainer of all. The jīva finds its deepest fulfillment in this sacred reciprocity.
The feminine essence is the power of receptivity, surrender, and loving response — the inner capacity through which the Divine becomes revealed in our lives. When we connect with the inner feminine— beyond all gender identity — we attune our hearts to the living presence of the Divine.
Perhaps the deeper question is not what the feminine is, but how she lives through us. In what ways can you feel her presence?