3 / 10
INDIA-2001
encyclopedia
PERCEPTIONS
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
\
/ Touch
TRIGUNAS
Skin \
/ Taste
Tongue \
/ Colour
Eyes \
/
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).