Five elements of the human body based on Indian spiritual
beliefs.......
Earth(Prithvi): One can touch earth and smell it too ! However,
there are two types of earth one is Eternal or (nitya) which are in
the form of atom (Paramanu).The other type is perishable (anitya)
which exists in the form of Karya or Work at animate and inanimate
levels. Symbolically speaking our body, sense organs are the earth
which as a whole get the shape of Jiva or life but those are
perishable. But elements or atoms are eternal as after death may we
bury, or burn the body, all the atoms get disintegrated to come
back to its original eternal form. So our body and its Karya or
Work are perishable as the mountain or rock forms but the atom
remains which are eternal.
Water or Jal is the second element which again has two
characters as in the Earth i.e. eternal in the shape of atom and
Karya (Work) be it as river, pond or sea are perishable. As from
sea or river water evaporates to be in the sky as cloud then again
in the shape of rain it comes down on earth. So the eternal atom is
only changing its karya or shape of work and what we see is the
perishable form.From the sense organ perspective we can touch it to
feel and taste it as well.
The thrid element is Air or Vayu.Again it has two levels as
earth and water i.e.eternal atom and perishable Karya. One can feel
air, as we breath in or out.We feel the storm or strong breeze
which are temporary but air at atomic level remains around us
eternally. In the Purana there is a mention of 49 types of Maruts
or winds.Seven are important namely 1. Pravaha 2 Avaha; 3,Udvaha 4.
Samvaha; 5 Vivaha; 6 Parvaha and 7.Paravaha. The wind which takes
the water from the ocean is called Udvaha.
Fire or Agni is the fourth element of Indian Panchabhuta. Again
it has eternal and perishable elements as we have seen above. The
essential character of Fire is to generate heat.According to Hindu
Mythology, Agni is one of the Eight guardians who guards our
universe and is known as Asta- dik-palakas (Asta-eight,
dik--Zone,Palaka-Guardian). The Fire is posited in the South East
of the Universe.
However, in Indian mythology there are mentions of various types
of fires. The four important ones are fire of the earth, fire of
the sky, fire of the stomach (can mean hunger and digestive power
as well) and the fire we commonly use.
Then comes the last of the Panchabhuta or five elements which is
sound or ether. Ether is unique as it has only one character i.e.
eternal. Ether is the carrier of sound be it man made or otherwise.
One can hear it. As ether is the only eternal element of the five
elements it attracted the attention of various sages. The concept
of Akashvani or Devine sound which is heard by sages of higher
order is related to this Ether or Akasha.The primordial mantra AUM
then in modern times Raam or Shyaam are to work as linkages between
Jivatma(life force--atman or soul) to Paramatman or (Omnipotent of
supreme soul).The concept of sound and Mantra will be discussed in
the next issue. Now we should concentrate on elements, other than
five mentioned above which are very important to Hindu theological
perspective. Those are Time(Kala) and Space (Sthan or Dik i.e.
place and direction); Soul and Mind.
Like ether Time and Space are eternal. Time or kala is common
cause of all actions of all the elements and is eternal link of
predetermined actions and happenings. Thus in Hindu astrologly the
whole world and its course are equated with "time". The Direction
or Dik are part of Space and North, South, West and East are
eternal no matter the Universe undergoes whatever changes.
Then the other element is Soul which is related with the
knowledge system of man as jivatman and the eternal Knowledge of
God or Paramatman(omnipotent).The last of the nine main elements is
the manas or Mind. Its the sense-organ or path to experience the
world eternally and otherwise. These sense organs are in the shape
of eternal paramanu or atom and works is combinations to derive
pleasure at worldly levels. These are the brief out line of main
five elements and other four primary elements. It is said that our
universe was created out of the manifestation of five elements.
This was described in the Devigita very elaborately.