Prajna and Upaya as male and female is an interpretation of the bipolarity of ultimate reality. Seen from the psychological and mythological angle, the bipolarity of ultimate reality led to the conception of the two as man and woman. In its cosmicized version, this could be interpreted as God and Goddess. The characterisation of the bi-polar nature of the ultimate reality as male and female is common in various religions, as well as in mystical and magical traditions of the world. However, in tantra the ascription of gender to the bipolarity and the consequent sexual connotations are more pronounced than in other traditions. The Hindu tantric tradition assigns the dynamic element to the female and the static element to the male. In the Buddhist tantric tradition, these roles have been reversed. The Indian and Tibetan masters of Vajrayana school of Buddhism ascribed all cognitive terms of spiritual consummation such as wisdom, realisation, beatitude etc., to the static and terms like compassion, method, energy etc., to the dynamic. Though grammatically both the terms, prajna and karuna are feminine in gender, the Vajrayanist always considered the latter male. The Hevajra Tantra calls prajna as female and upaya as male. Upaya refers to the yogi and prajna to the mudra (female co-practitioner). The synonyms for prajna such as mudra, mahamudra, vajrakanya, yuvati, lotus (the female organ) bhagavati etc., show that prajna is feminine. In the Hevajra Tantra, prajna is also called Mother, Sister, Washerwoman, Dancing girl, Daughter, Dombi Prajna should be understood from the absolute and the relative points of view. From the former point of view it is transcendental wisdom, while from the latter it refers to the wisdom consort of the yogi. Of the four grades of sunyata that Nagarjuna speaks of in his Panchakrama, the first sunyata is prajna, which is also called woman. The second (i.e. atisunyata) is called upaya and here too the sexual connotation is implied. Similarly Sri-cakrasamvara- Compassion is the Male Deity, whilst the Void, Prajna, Tranquillity and Great Bliss are, the Female Deity.

Since the understanding of Absolute reality is based on its dual nature, a number of different interpretations of duality have been added to the concept of Prajna and Upaya. One of the ways of understanding these metaphysical terms is by means of explaining Prajna and Upaya as female and male, the extremes of bipolarity.

Prajna and Upaya as Lalana and Rasana
Prajna and Upaya as Lalana and Rasana is one of the ways by which the Hevajra Tantra explains the dual nature of ultimate reality.

Prajana and Upaya as Lalana and Rasana is one of the many complex combinations of the bipolarity of ultimate reality. Absolute is said to exist in a kind of combination of dissimilar attributes, active-passive, positive-negative, male-female, intelligence emotion etc. Prajna and Upaya are among the chief contradictions that comprise the absolute. Prajna refers to the static principle, and comprises the ultimate knowledge of all reality and operates at the metaphysical level. Upaya refers to the active element, operating on the physical level. Prajna and Upaya as Rasana is one of the many interpretations of the bipolarity of ultimate reality.

There are three important nadis employed in tantric sadhana- these are lalana, rasana and avadhuti. The Hevajra Tantra associates the dual nature of the Absolute with the first two nadis. Lalana is said to be of the nature of wisdom (prajna) and rasana of means (upaya). The dual nature of Ultimate reality is referred to as lalana and rasana and their union is termed as avadhuti. Lalana is believed to be on the left, rasana on the right and avadhuti in the middle. Hence, lalana and rasana are also called udma and dakshina respectively. Again, lalana is considered to be the nature of the moon and rasana of the sun.

Another contradictory interpretation is that the lalana is the bearer of the seed, and rasana, of the ovum. Here there is an anomaly because lalana, which is prajna (female,), is said to carry the seed while rasana, which is upaya (male), bears the ovum. However, the real aim is to show that the essential duality of the ultimate descends on the physical body as well.

This interpretation is therefore one of the many ways of showing the duality of Absolute reality. Everything is said to exist as a combination of opposing elements, more so the Absolute reality. These opposing elements, Prajana and Upaya, may be understood and interpreted in a variety of ways of which Lalana and Rasana is one.