Pancabhuta, Pañcabhūta, Panca-bhuta, Pancan-bhuta, Pamcabhuta: 18 definitions

Introduction:

Pancabhuta means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Alternative spellings of this word include Panchabhuta.

In Hinduism

Yoga (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Yoga glossary
Source: Centre for Yoga Studies: Āyurveda & Yoga – The Pañca Bhūta

The Five Elements (Pañca Bhūta): The five great elements are ether or space, air, fire, water and earth. The physical universe is made up of infinite elemental patterns because of their many, many combinations. Also remembering the first axiom of Āyurveda, namely, everything in the universe has its counterpart in the human body. Therefore the five basic elements present in all matter also exist within each individual’s body.

Comparing the five elements in the human being and the universe we have:

  1. Earth is incarnate, so the incarnation of the human body is earthy.
  2. Just as water carries everything, so in the human being water carries elements and excreta.
  3. Just as fire on earth cooks and bakes things, so the Agni or digestive fire cooks food inside the human system.
  4. Wind affects everything, moving constantly, both in the universe and the human body.
  5. Ether provides space of cavity, both in the universe and in the human body.

The qualities of these five elements within the human body are:

  1. Earth (Pṛthvī) as the basic element comprises those parts that are gross, firm, incarnate, heavy, inactive, rough, hard. (For example, hails, bones, gums, flesh, skin, excrement, hair, sinews, teeth, muscles, etc.)
  2. Water (Ap) as the basic element comprises those parts that are fluid, moving, slow, oily, soft, cold, slimy, moist, taste predominant. (For example chyle, blood, fat, phlegm, lymph, urine, bile, sweat, etc.)
  3. Fire (Agni) as the basic element comprises those parts that are penetrative, light, dry, rough, cold, trans-colour predominant. (For example bile, digestion, body heat, colour, sight, etc.)
  4. Air (Vāyu) as the basic element comprises those parts which are penetrative, light, dry, rough, cold, transparent, touch predominant, etc. (For example all movements of the body and organs, blinking, inhale, exhale.)
  5. Ether (Ākāśa) as the basic element comprises those parts that are penetrative, light, soft, smooth, transparent, sound predominant, etc. (For example all cavities, gross and subtle, pores, channels.)

These are examples of the primary qualities of the elements and how they manifest themselves in the human body.

Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason Birch

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत) refers to the “five elements”, according to the Amanaska Yoga treatise dealing with meditation, absorption, yogic powers and liberation.—Accordingly, as Īśvara says to Vāmadeva: “[...] [Now], I will teach the practice of that, which produces absorption. [...] Having abandoned the thought that the universe exists of five elements (pañcabhūta-stha); that the body consists of five elements; and that everything consists of the elements, cultivate the thought, ‘[everything consisting of the elements] does not exist’. [...]”.

Yoga book cover
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Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).

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Vastushastra (architecture)

Source: The India Center: Architecture (Vastu Shastra)

According to Vastu Shastra, the world comprises of the five elements known as the pancha-maha-bhuta. Out of the eight planets, ours has life because of the presence and balance of these five elements.

The five elements are as follows.

  1. Earth (Bhumi),
  2. Water (Jal),
  3. Air (Vayu),
  4. Fire (Agni),
  5. Space (Akasha).

There is an invisible and constant relation between all the five elements. Thus, the person can improve their conditions by properly designing their buildings by understanding the effectiveness of these five natural forces.

Vastu Shastra combines all the five elements of nature and balances them with the person and the material. It takes advantage of the benefits bestowed by the five elements of nature to create a congenial living and working environment thereby facilitating spiritual well-being and paving the way for enhanced health, wealth, prosperity and happiness.

Vastushastra book cover
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Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Purana glossary
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत).—Pṛthvī (earth), Ap (water), Tejas (fire), Vāyu (air) and Ākāśa (ether) are the Pañcabhūtas (five elements). The whole visible world is composed of one or more of these five elements. This is called the Pāñcabhautikasiddhānta (doctrine of five elements). Besides these five dravyas (elementary substance), people in Bhārata have reckoned Time, space, soul and mind also as Padārthas or categories. Dravya, one of the seven categories according to Nyāya Vaiśeṣikasūtras, has nine svabhāvas (inherent properties). The seven Padārthas of Vaiśeṣika are Dravya, Guṇa, Karman Sāmānya, Viśeṣa, Samavāya and Abhāva.*

The word 'Padārtha' has got a very wide meaning. The word 'matter' in English cannot indicate the full significance of the word Padārtha. Kaṇāda in his Vaiśeṣika sūtras has given the name 'Artha' combining in it the three svabhāvas, Dravya, Guṇa and Karman. Of the above seven padārthas Praśastapāda, the famous logician, has included only the first six in his book 'Padārthadharma Saṃgraha'. The Vaiśeṣikas of a later period included 'abhāva' also and raised the number of arthas to seven. Gautama, the Nyāyasūtrakāra and Vātsyāyana, the Nyāyabhāṣyakāra, and all their followers accepted the number of arthas as seven. (See full article at Story of Pañcabhūta from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Shaktism glossary
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत) refers to the “five gross elements”, according to the Ṭīkā (commentary) on the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “[...] Once (the god) had known himself here in the company of the goddess, he assumed a five-fold state, that is, Kula consisting of the five gross elements (pañcabhūta-ātmaka) and was (thus) endowed with a body. Again, initially (everything) was as if void. [...]”.

Source: Shodhganga: Iconographical representations of Śiva (shaktism)

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत) or Pañcabhūtatantra refers to one of the twenty-eight Gāruḍatantras, belonging to the Śāktāgama (or Śāktatantra) division of the Āgama tradition. The Śāktāgamas represent the wisdom imparted by Devī to Īśvara and convey the idea that the worship of Śakti is the means to attain liberation. According to the Pratiṣṭhālakṣaṇasamuccaya of Vairocana, the Śāktatantras are divided into to four parts, the Pañcabhūta belonging to the Garuḍa class.

Shaktism book cover
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Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Shaivism glossary
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (philosophy)

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत) [=Bhūtapañcaka?] refers to the “five elements”, according to the Īśvarapratyabhijñāvivṛtivimarśinī 2.131:—“[...] For the former [i.e., Ṣaḍdhātusamīkṣā] acknowledge that ordinary human practice is accounted for if this much [is admitted]: the five elements (bhūtapañcaka) and consciousness, because such other [things as] the sense organs are included in these; whereas the latter admit that the ordinary human practice [consisting in the relationship between] an apprehending [subject] and an apprehended [object] is accounted for if a particular transformation called ‘consciousness’ arises in the four elements from [some of their] various combinations, and if this transformation does not arise [from other combinations of the four elements]”.

Shaivism book cover
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Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

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Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: Shodhganga: Kasyapa Samhita—Text on Visha Chikitsa (p)

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत) or Pañcabhūtamaṇḍala refers to the “five bhūta-maṇḍalas” (of Garuḍa), according to the second chapter of the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā (Toxicology).—Accordingly, text text dictates that a Garuḍa-upāsaka, the aspirant, must meditate on Garuḍa of the following form—The Kāśyapasaṃhitā describes the different forms of Garuḍa in the five bhūta-maṇḍalas on which the aspirant has to meditate upon to cure the snake-bite victim from the poison which could have killed him.

The Pañcabhūta-maṇḍala are:

  1. pṛthvī-maṇḍala or bhū-maṇḍala;
  2. varuṇa-maṇḍala;
  3. tejo-maṇḍala;
  4. vāyu-maṇḍala;
  5. vyoma-maṇḍala;
Pancaratra book cover
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Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Hinduism glossary
Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

The system of five elements are found in Vedas, especially Ayurveda, the pancha mahabhuta, or "five great elements", of Hinduism are

  1. bhūmi (earth),
  2. ap or jala (water),
  3. tejas or agni (fire),
  4. marut or pavan (air or wind),
  5. vyom; or shunya or akash (aether or void).

They further suggest that all of creation, including the human body, is made up of these five essential elements and that upon death, the human body dissolves into these five elements of nature, thereby balancing the cycle of nature.

The Creator used akasha (aether), the most "subtle" element, to create the other four traditional elements; each element created is in turn used to create the next element, each less subtle than the last. The five elements are associated with the five senses, and act as the gross medium for the experience of sensations.

India history and geography

Source: Yale Journal of Music & Religion: Ritual Music in Contemporary Brahmanical Tantric Temples of Kerala

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत) refers to the “five elements” (that constitute the universe) which are connected to the Pañcaprākāras or “five successive enclosures” surrounding the shrine (=śrīkōvil), according to Kerala Brahmanical temple tradition.—The pañcabhūta theory maintains that the universe consists of five elements: ether (ākāśa), air (vāyu), fire (tejas), water (jala), and earth (pṛthivī). They are associated respectively with the qualities of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Each one of them is generated by the previous one and absorbs its qualities. Ether is not only the first element but the one that generates all the others. It is symbolically represented by sound, and for this reason musical forms are considered extremely important ritually. The relationship of the five elements with the five enclosures may be visualized through the image of five concentric circles, where the innermost represents the element ether and the outermost the element earth.

India history book cover
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The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Sanskrit glossary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत).—the five elements; पृथ्वी, अप्, तेजस्, वायु (pṛthvī, ap, tejas, vāyu) and आकाश (ākāśa).

Derivable forms: pañcabhūtam (पञ्चभूतम्).

Pañcabhūta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms pañcan and bhūta (भूत).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत).—mn.

(-taḥ-taṃ) The five elements; earth, air, fire, water, Akas. E. pañca, and bhūta an element.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत).—[neuter] [plural] the five elements.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत):—[=pañca-bhūta] [from pañca] n. [plural] the 5 elements (earth, air, fire, water, and ākāśa), [Kapila]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Pañcabhūta (पञ्चभूत):—[pañca-bhūta] (taṃ) 1. n. The five elements.

[Sanskrit to German]

Pancabhuta in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Kannada-English dictionary

[«previous next»] — Pancabhuta in Kannada glossary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Paṃcabhūta (ಪಂಚಭೂತ):—[noun] (pl.) the five basic elements the earth, air, fire, water and ether (or space).

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Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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