Pancabrahma, Pañcabrahma, Panca-brahma: 5 definitions
Introduction:
Pancabrahma means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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 Panchabrahma.
In Hinduism
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: Manblunder: Fiva Faces of ShivaLord Shiva has five faces called Ishana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojatha. These five faces of Shiva represent the five basic elements viz. akash, air, fire, water and earth. In fact these faces can be called five forms of Shiva. Any creation has to be made out of these five gross elements.
1) The first form or face called Ishana, is the first physical form of Shiva. This form gives us pleasure that is enjoyed by our physical body. This is represented in the form of organs of hearing and speech in our body and in the form of subtle sound and the celestial sphere or akash. It may be recalled that ancient rishis got the sound of Vedas only from akash.
2) The second form or face is called Tatpurusha, the second physical form of the Lord. This form is identified with prakrti or the source of objectivity. This is the home of atman. This form is represented by organs of touch, organs of action, and is the subtle form of air.
3) The third form is Aghora is the third physical form of Shiva. This is identified with cosmic intellect. This form is represented by eyes, feet and dharma. This is identified with rupa or physical structure and the subtle form of fire.
4) The fourth form is Vamadeva, the fourth physical form of Shiva and exists in man in the form of ego, tongue, rectum and subtle form of water.
5) The next form Sadyojatha is the fifth physical form of the Lord and exists in the form of mind, organs of smell, organs of generation, and the subtle form of earth.
Shiva created these five gross elements and his only other creation is Shakthi, the vimarsha form or the kinetic energy. The five faces Shiva should not be taken in literal sense and these faces represent five basic elements, five organs of action, five organs of knowledge and pancha tanmatras.
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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: WikiPedia: HinduismShiva's body is said to consist of five mantras, called the pañcabrahmans. As forms of God, each of these have their own names and distinct iconography:
- Sadyojāta
- Vāmadeva
- Aghora
- Tatpuruṣa
- Īsāna
These are represented as the five faces of Shiva and are associated in various texts with the five elements, the five senses, the five organs of perception, and the five organs of action.
Source: Shiva Darshana: HinduismThe Pancha-Brahma mantras exalt Shiva through His five forms (faces) – Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusa and Isana. The five faces or forms of Shiva represent the five functions or acts (panchakrityas) – creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealing grace and revealing grace, respectively. The five forms or faces of Shiva also correspond to the five syllables in the holy pentasyllabic mantra – na-mah-shi-vā-ya. Note that the Tatpurusa mantra is but the Rudra Gayatri.
Source: Hinduism Today: Five Powers of Siva(One form of) Siva has five faces and is called Sadasiva. In Sanskrit the five faces are referred to as Panchabrahma, meaning "five great Lords." The term Brahma in this context does not refer to the four-faced creator God (Brahma).
In some temples, Panchabrahma is also represented by five distinct murtis displayed in a prominent place, such as on the outside of the main tower above the sanctum.
In the Ajita Agama, Sadasiva is said to be formed-formless because His body is made up of five mantras. In Sanskrit, this etheric vessel is termed vidyadeha or "knowledge body." The five mantras, known collectively as the Panchabrahma Samhita Mantra, are: Ishana Murdha, Tatpurusha Vaktra, Aghora Hridaya, Vamadeva Guhya and Sadyojata Murta. At the subtle level at which Sadasiva exists, there is still not a definite body in form, only the seeds or potentialities of sound, color and knowledge.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Brahma, Panca.
Starts with: Pancabrahmamantra, Pancabrahman, Pancabrahmanopanishad, Pancabrahmasana, Pancabrahmasvarupini, Pancabrahmavidyopanishad, Pancabrahmopanishad.
Full-text: Pancabrahmavidyopanishad, Pancabrahmamantra, Pancappiramam, Shirshan, Atmashuddhi, Sattra.
Relevant text
Search found 12 books and stories containing Pancabrahma, Pañcabrahma, Panca-brahma, Pañca-brahma; (plurals include: Pancabrahmas, Pañcabrahmas, brahmas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Shaiva Upanishads (A Critical Study) (by Arpita Chakraborty)
8. Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad on “OM” < [Chapter 2 - “Om” and its Esoteric Significance]
5. The form of Tatpuruṣa < [Chapter 5 - Essence of Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad]
1. Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad (Introduction) < [Chapter 5 - Essence of Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Appendix 1 - The five faces of Śiva (pañcānana) < [Appendices]
Chapter 10 - The five-fold activities (pañcakṛtya) and the Oṃkāra-mantra < [Section 1 - Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā]
Chapter 24 - The greatness of the holy ashes (bhasma) < [Section 1 - Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā]
Rudra-Shiva concept (Study) (by Maumita Bhattacharjee)
40. Pañcabrahma incarnation < [Chapter 5 - Rudra-Śiva in the Purāṇic Literature]
2.35. Śiva as Pañcānana < [Chapter 6a - The Epithets of Rudra-Śiva]
2. Rudra-Śiva in the Upaniṣadic Literature < [Chapter 4 - Rudra-Śiva in the Post-Brāhmaṇic Literature]
Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads (study) (by Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya)
Classification of the Upaniṣad < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Thirty minor Upanishads (by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar)
The Linga Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 47 - Installation of the Liṅga (continued) < [Section 2 - Pūrvabhāga]
Chapter 25 - Method of Ācamana and Ablution (snānavidhi) < [Section 1 - Uttarabhāga]
Chapter 27 - The description of the Jaya ablution < [Section 2 - Pūrvabhāga]