Prakriti can be helped only by the one who is not Prakriti || On Advaita Vedanta (2019)

स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणमस्नाविरं शुद्धमपापविद्धम्‌ । कविर्मनीषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूर्याथातथ्यतोऽर्थान्‌ व्यदधात् शाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥

sa paryagācchukramakāyamavraṇamasnāviraṁ śuddhamapāpaviddham kavirmanīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūryāthātathyato’rthān vyadadhāt śāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ

He, the self-existent One, is everywhere; the pure one, without a (subtle) body, without blemish, without muscles, holy and without the taint of sin; the all-seeing, the all-knowing, the all-encompassing One is He. he has duly assigned their respective duties to the eternal Prajāpatis (cosmic powers).

~ Ishavasya Upanishad, Verse 8

✥ ✥ ✥

Questioner: Can you please explain what is meant by the Ātman duly assigning duties to the Prajāpatis , cosmic powers? What are these Prajāpatis ? Do we need to worship them?

Acharya Prashant: Prajāpatis are just the forces of Prakriti (physical nature). Nothing else. What is being implied here is: Prakriti works as per the dictates of Ātman (the Self).

So, all the forces of physical nature that you see around you, the Upanishad is saying, they operate as per the law set by God. He has assigned their respective duties to the air, water, sun…