Perceptions

PERCEPTIONS

INDIA-2001 encyclopedia

PANCHA MAHAABHUTA

(FIVE ELEMENTS)

"Earth, Water, Fire, Air and the Sky, Human body is made from five elements"

Kabir

Aakasha Praana Agni Aapaha Prithvi FIVE ELEMENTS

There are five basic elements. Which are life's main ingredients, 'Earth', 'Water', 'Fire', 'Sky' and the 'Air', Their combinations determine life's fare, Factoral five is one hundred and twenty. For the periodic table, this is quite plenty. "Trikenu"

Sattwa Rajas

/ Sound \

Tamas

/

Ear \

/

Smell

\

/

Nose

\

TRIGUNAS

/ Touch / Taste

Skin \

Tongue \ Eyes \

/ Colour

FIVE PROPERTIES

/

FIVE SENSES \

Pancha Mahaabhutas arranged in the order of increasing "Lightness"

The ether, air, fire, water, and earth are the subtle elements. Combining with the parts of one another and becoming gross, they are the cause of the gross body. Their subtle essences form sense-objects — the groups of five such as sound, which are conducive to the happiness of the enjoyer. The parallels in science to these Pancha mahaabhutas are : 'Ether' for Aakasha, 'Air' for Praana, 'Fire' for Agni, 'Water' for Aapaha and 'Earth' for Prithvi. In the Pancha Mahaabhutas the symbol square represents the element 'earth', circle represents the 'water', triangle represents the 'fire', crescent represents the 'Air' and bindu (point) represents the 'ether'. These elements are arranged in the order of their increasing "Lightness".

The properties of the five elements are sound, touch, colour, taste and smell. In Aakasha ('ether'), 'air', 'fire', 'water' and 'earth', the number of properties successively are one, two, three, four and five. A 'fire' feels hot, and its colour is red. 'Water' makes a characteristic rippling sound; it is cold to the touch; its colour is white, and it is sweet to taste. The 'earth' makes a characteristic rattling sound; it is hard to the touch; its variegated colours are blue, red and so forth; it is sweet, sour and so forth in taste. c The 'earth' emits smells, both pleasant and unpleasant. Thus the characteristic properties of the five elements are well classified. The five senses (which perceive them) are hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell.

'Earth" Prithvi

SPACE "The traditional example, : Space within a pitcher is not really separate from the space outside. It was not distinct before the pitcher was made; it will not be distinct once the pitcher is broken and is not therefore really distinct while the pitcher exists. All the divisions of space into atoms and heavenly spheres is illusory. Space within the atom can be as immense as that within a solar"system, and there can be no limit to the number of possible worlds contained in another system," (Hindu Polytheism: Alain Danielou).