Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 4

भूमिरापोऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिरेव च | अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिरष्टधा ||

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intelligence, and ego—this is My eightfold divided material nature.

Krishna begins describing His material nature (prakriti). The eight elements: five material elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and three mental elements (mind, intelligence, ego). 'Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā'—divided material nature, eightfold. This is Krishna's lower nature—the material world that appears separate but is actually His manifestation. Everything in the material world—physical objects, thoughts, feelings, identity—comes from these eight elements. This verse sets up the distinction between material nature (this verse) and spiritual nature (next verses), showing that Krishna encompasses both.