E-Book

Five Elements
Of nature

By

Tamarapu Sampath
Kumaran

About the Author:

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on

Management, Business, Ancient Temples, and Temple Architecture to many
leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles are, popular in The Young World
section of THE HINDU
His e-books and articles on nature, and different cultures of people around the
world are educative and of special interest to the young.
He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi
Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement to:
Google for the photographs, Ayurveda journals and Scribd.com for hosting my ebooks.

- Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

There are 5 elements in many philosophies and traditions around the world.
Five Elements of Nature; Air, Water, Earth, Space and Fire along with various
other forces of nature sustain life and maintain equilibrium in this Planet.
Imbalance in any of these Elements of nature leads to chaos. An invisible equation
operates within and outside these Five Elements of nature to maintain the
equilibrium on this Planet.
God has given this wonderful Elements within our body, which increases the more
you spend. You get more energy the more you work. Physical activity of our body
is a must to gain strength. It can be done either by way of exercises or by any other
work which involves physical activity.
As long as man maintains equilibrium of these five Elements of Nature in his body,
he remains safe and healthy. The moment he creates an imbalance in any of these
Elements, he suffers. Whenever there is imbalance in any of these five Elements of
nature we see havoc like Earth Quakes, Storms, and Drought etc.
Historians trace the evolution of the modern theory of chemical elements, chemical
compounds and chemical substance mixtures to the medieval and Greek models.
A Greek text called the Kore Kosmou ("Virgin of the World") ascribed to Hermes,
(the name given by the Greeks to the Egyptian god Thoth), names the four
elements fire, water, air, and earth. a text written between the 18th and 16th
centuries BC, involves four gods that we might see as personified cosmic elements:
sea, earth, sky, wind. In other Babylonian texts these phenomena are considered
independent of their association with deities, though they are not treated as the
component elements of the universe, as later in Empedocies.
The ancient Greek believe in five basic elements, these being earth ( ge), water
( hudor), air ( aer), fire ( pur) and aether ( aither), dates from
pre-Socratic times and persisted throughout the Middle Ages and into the
Renaissance, deeply influencing European thought and culture. These five
elements are sometimes associated with the five platonic solids
Many concepts once thought to be analogous, such as the Chinese Wu Xing are
now understood more figuratively. In classical thought, the four elements earth,

water air and fire as proposed by Empedocles frequently occur, Aristotle added the
fifth element or quintessence (after "quint" meaning "fifth") called aether in
Ancient Greece, and akasha in India.
In Buddhism, mahabhuta ("great elements") or catudhatu ("four elements") are
earth, water, fire and air. In early Buddhism, the four elements are a basis for
understanding suffering and for liberating oneself from suffering. The earliest
Buddhist texts explain that the four primary material elements are the sensory
qualities solidity, fluidity, temperature, and mobility; their characterization as earth,
water, fire, and air, respectively, is declared an abstraction instead of
concentrating on the fact of material existence, one observes how a physical thing
is sensed, felt, perceived.
Buddha's teaching regarding the four elements is to be understood as the base of all
observation of real sensations rather than as a philosophy. The four properties are
cohesion (water), solidity or inertia (earth), expansion or vibration (air) and heat or
energy content (fire). He promulgated a categorization of mind and matter as
composed of eight types of "kalapas" of which the four elements are primary and a
secondary group of four are color, smell, taste, and nutriment which are derivative
from the four primaries.
A text written between the 18th and 16th centuries BC, involves four gods that we
might see as personified cosmic elements: sea, earth, sky, wind. In other
Babylonian texts these phenomena are considered independent of their association
with deities, though they are not treated as the component elements of the universe,
as later in Empedocles.
The Chinese had a somewhat different series of elements, namely Fire, Earth,
Metal (literally gold), Water and Wood, which were understood as different types
of energy in a state of constant interaction and flux with one another, rather than
the Western notion of different kinds of material.
Although it is usually translated as "element", the Chinese word xing literally
means something like "changing states of being", "permutations" or
"metamorphoses of being". In fact Sinologists cannot agree on any single
translation. The Chinese elements were seen as ever changing and moving one
translation of wu xing is simply "the five changes".
In Bon or ancient Tibetan philosophy, the five elemental processes of earth, water,
fire, air, and space are the essential materials of all existent phenomena or
aggregates. The elemental processes form the basis of the calendar, astrology,
medicine and psychology and are the foundation of the spiritual traditions of
shamanism, tantra and Dzogchen.

Japanese traditions use a set of elements called the godai, literally "five great".
These five are earth, water, fire, wind and void. These came from Indian
philosophy and Buddhist beliefs; in addition, the classical Chinese elements wu
xing are also prominent in Japanese culture, especially to the influential NeoConfucianists during the Edo period.
Earth represented things that were solid.
Water represented things that were liquid.
Fire represented things that destroy.
Air represented things that moved.
Void or Sky/Heaven represented things not of our everyday life.
The concept of the five elements formed a basis of analysis in both Hinduism and
Buddhism. In Hinduism, particularly in an esoteric context, the four states-ofmatter describe matter, and a fifth element describes that which was beyond the
material world. Similar lists existed in ancient China and Japan. In Buddhism the
four great elements, to which two others are sometimes added, are not viewed as
substances, but as categories of sensory experience.
The system of five elements are found in Vedas, especially Ayurveda. The
Panchamahabhuta or the "five great elements", of Hinduism are Bhoomi (earth),
Ap or Jala (water), Tejas or Agni (fire), Marut or Pavan (air or wind), Vyom or
Sunya (zero) 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.

PANCHABHUTA or Five Elements. Our whole cosmic quest of the world and
beyond starts from the point of panchabhuta (five elements) which then manifests
in an enjoining manner to form the life force and then, later, those five elements
disintegrates to ensure a celestial traverse at the Paramanu (atom) level.
Of the five elements in Panchamahabutas the most subtle, Akash is space. It is fine,
subtle, soft, light, porous, and smooth. In the body, aakash is found in its tubes and
channels, like the blood and lymph vessels, pores, and the intestinal tract. Vayu or
air is the gaseous form of matter. It is mobile, dynamic, light, cold, rough, fine,
subtle, and dry. Air flows freely throughout the body, controls breathing, feeds the
cells with oxygen and helps to give movement to biological functions. Agni or fire
is hot, sharp, subtle, fine, light, slightly sticky, and radiant in quality. Agni is found
in the heat and energy of the body. Agni transforms food into energy. It creates the
impulses of nervous reactions, our feelings, and even our thought processes. Jala or
water is liquid, sticky, cold, soft, compact, heavy, and moist in quality. Water
constitutes the liquids of the body. A large part of the human body is made up of
water. Our blood, lymph, and other fluids move between our cells and through our
vessels, bringing energy, and carrying away wastes, regulating temperature,
fighting disease, and carrying hormonal information from one area to another.
Finally there is earth or prithvi, the solid state of matter. Earth is heavy, hard,
stable, compact, rigid, and dense in quality. Bones, teeth, muscles, fat, and the
structure of the different organs are derived from the earth element.
The five elements are associated with the five senses, and act as the gross medium
for the experience of sensations. The basest element, earth, created using all the
other elements, can be perceived by all five senses (i) hearing, (ii) touch, (iii)
sight, (iv) taste, and (v) smell. The next higher element, water, has no odor but can
be heard, felt, seen and tasted. Next comes fire, which can be heard, felt and seen.
Air can be heard and felt. "Akasha" (aether) is the medium of sound but is
inaccessible to all other senses.
This concept underpins the Chineses philosophy to health and Medicine. That
health is achieved and disease prevented by maintaining the body in a balanced
state. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the focus is on treating the patient
and not the disease. Therefore the body is observed in its entirety and work is done
to support the entire system to promote wellness at every level.
In TCM it is understood that health results from a harmonious flow of energy, also
referred to as chi. Chi has been defined as the energetic medium existing between
matter and spirit the life-force energy when pertaining to the physical body

In Chinese medicine, the theory of the Five Elements is a philosophy that sees the
world in dynamic states or phases of constant change. Classical Five-Element
Acupuncture uses the laws of nature to bring the body, mind and spirit into balance
and harmony. The five elements are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.

Western astrology uses the four classical elements in connection with astrological
charts and horoscopes. The twelve signs of the Zodiac are divided into the four
elements: Fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo
and Capricorn, Air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, and Water signs are
Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
The Aristotelian tradition and medieval Alchemy eventually gave rise to modern
scientific theories and new taxonomies. By the time of Antoine Lavoisier, for
example, a list of elements would no longer refer to classical elements. The
classical elements correspond more closely to four of the states of matter: solid,
liquid, gas and plasma.
Modern science recognizes classes of elementary particles which have no
substructure (or rather, particles that are not made of other particles) and composite
particles having substructure (particles made of other particles).

Every substance in our world is made up of these five substances. All substances
can be classified according to their predominant element. For example, a mountain
contains earth, water, fire, air and ether. But as earth is the predominant element, it
is classified as prithvi. As for you and me, we too are an assemblage of the five
great elements or panchamahabutas plus the immaterial self which is what
makes us what we are.
However, we will first try to understand these five elements which are Earth, or
Prithvi; Water or Jal; Fire or Agni; Air or Vayu and then Ether or Akasha. Each of
these Five elements has its own character and celestial elements which we will
gauge in the following lines.
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 third 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 breathe 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.

According to Ayurveda, Man is the epitome of the universe. Within each individual
there is as much diversity as there is in the universe. Everything in the Universe,
including the human body is made up of five elements- earth, fire, water air and
space. Now we must understand that when we speak of any of these elements like
fire, it should not be taken literally. Rather, the term refers to characteristics of fire,
like heat and combustion. Ether is the most subtle of the 5 elements and has its
origin from consciousness itself. Air has its origin from ether, fire originates from
air, water has its origin from fire, and earth has its origin from water and is the
densest of the 5 elements. The human body is made up of millions of cells, and
when these five elements are in harmony, the body is healthy, self-perpetuating and
self-correcting just as the universe is.
The five elements together are known as the Panchamahabutas. The most subtle,
Akash is space. It is fine, subtle, soft, light, porous, and smooth. In the body,
aakash is found in its tubes and channels, like the blood and lymph vessels, pores,
and the intestinal tract. Vayu or air is the gaseous form of matter. It is mobile,
dynamic, light, cold, rough, fine, subtle, and dry. Air flows freely throughout the
body, controls breathing, feeds the cells with oxygen and helps to give movement
to biological functions. Agni or fire is hot, sharp, subtle, fine, light, slightly sticky,
and radiant in quality. Agni is found in the heat and energy of the body. Agni
transforms food into energy. It creates the impulses of nervous reactions, our
feelings, and even our thought processes. Jala or water is liquid, sticky, cold, soft,
compact, heavy, and moist in quality. Water constitutes the liquids of the body. A
large part of the human body is made up of water. Our blood, lymph, and other
fluids move between our cells and through our vessels, bringing energy, and
carrying away wastes, regulating temperature, fighting disease, and carrying
hormonal information from one area to another. Finally there is earth or prithvi,
the solid state of matter. Earth is heavy, hard, stable, compact, rigid, and dense in
quality. Bones, teeth, muscles, fat, and the structure of the different organs are
derived from the earth element.
Every substance in our world is made up of these five substances. All substances
can be classified according to their predominant element. For example, a mountain
contains earth, water, fire, air and ether. But as earth is the predominant element, it
is classified as prithvi. As for you and me, we too are an assemblage of the five
great elements or panchamahabutas plus the immaterial self which is what
makes us what we are.
The traditional healthcare system of India, originated 5000 years ago. The five
element theory is fundamental basis of Ayurvedic philosophy. In Ayurveda, the five
elements are precisely known as Panchmahabhuta which includes space, air, fire,

water and earth (these may be referred to as five basic elements). The five elements
are building blocks of human life just as amino-acids are building blocks of
proteins. The five elements have significant role in Sharira Rachna (Human
Anatomy) and Sharira Kriya (Human Physiology).
Each and every constituent of the universe is outcome of specific ratio of the five
elements. By determining the dominance of element inside human body, one can
estimate the nature of the physical or mental aspects of the disease. The remedial
act is to enhance the opposing elements in order to achieve equilibrium.

Functions of Five Elements, as per Ayurveda:

Space (Akasha): Space is omnipresent. It acts as ground substance or basis
for the functioning of other elements.
Air (Vayu): Air is moving force of the body as it ensures movements of the
biological humors, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Air element is largely responsible
for oxygen supply to cells and tissues.
Fire (Agni): Fire element fulfils heat requirement of human body and
produces radiant energy. Fire element is vital for biochemical and metabolic
(anabolic or catabolic) pathways operating inside the human body.

 Water (Jala): Water is essential constituent of the universe (macrocosm) and

human body (microcosm). Water constitutes 70% of human body and is
essential for carrying out physiological functions.
Earth or ether (Prithavi): Earth is nothing but solid state of matter and
acquires stable equilibrium. Earth element plays significant role in make-up
of human body. Human nutrition is also dependent upon food from the
Earth.
Five Elements and Three Biological Humors (Tridosha)
Just like the five element theory, is mainstay of Ayurveda way of practice.
Tridosha, commonly referred to as three biological humors are the primary lifeforces in the human body. Vata, Pitta and Kapha correspond to the elements of air,
fire and water. Primarily, ageing and senescence (decay) are under the influence of
three biological humors.
Vata is derived when air and ether interact.
Pitta is derived when fire and water interact.
Kapha is derived when earth and water interact.
The three biological humours remain in dynamic equilibrium which represents
health. Imbalance among three biological humours is disease. With medicines,
either derived out of herbs or minerals, we enhance the opposing elements in order
to
achieve
equilibrium
among
three
biological
humours.
Five Elements and Seven Tissues (Sapt dhatu)
Seven tissues (Sapt dhatu) are building blocks of human body. The five elements,
in turn are building blocks of seven tissues viz; Plasma (Rasa), Blood (Rakta),
Muscle (Mamsa), Adipose tissue (Meda), Bone (Asthi), Bonemarrow (Majja) and
Seminal
fluid
(Shukra).
Five Elements and Gurvadi Guna (Twenty Opposing Qualities)
Guna represents physical property or quality of a drug. Ayurveda recognizes fortyone guna including 20 Gurvadi guna. Five elements act as building of the 20
Gurvadi guna which in turn are responsible for pharmacological actions of drugs.
Five

Elements

and

Six

Taste

(Rasa)

Taste has significant place in Ayurvedic medicine. A diagnosis of a disease is based

on disturbance in equilibrium among three biological humours or Tridosha (Vata,
Pitta, and Kapha) and treatment is based on six tastes (sweet, sour, salt, pungent,
bitter and astringent). Evolution of six taste is based on five elements and is
tabulated below

As we discussed in the Principles of Ayurveda, Life could be defined as a

constant, incessant flow of energy and material. When this flow of energy and
material stops, that particular event is termed as Death.
Now there are different kinds of materials around us. Metals are very hard,
whereas Vegetables are comparatively softer. Still, Vegetables are solid and may
not be as soft as a liquid form like Water or Milk. Then there is Air, which is a
combination of Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen etc. And of course, there is
Space, everywhere. So, there are different types of materials.
Ayurveda explains that the entire Cosmos or Universe is made up of five different
types of materials. The same is applicable to our Body as well, as we are also a part
of the Cosmos. Everything in the Universe is made up of the same materials. And
thats the reason why the external materials can easily get converted into our
internal materials, when we consume them as food. The basic ingredients in the
Wheat and Rice that we eat, are the same as our Body. Otherwise the
transformation is not possible, right?

So, its very clear that the materials are the same. Ayurveda mentions about five
different types of materials, or as they are called, Pancha-bhootas:
The first among them is the Earth. When we say Earth, it is not the Globe; it
is the solid material.
Then comes Water, or the liquid material.
Next is Fire, which heats or transforms.
Fourth is the Air, the gaseous material,
And finally, the fifth is Space, which is all around us.
The entire Cosmos, including our bodily systems are made up of these five
materials.
We can feel the solid material in our Body, it is understood that we have liquid
forms within us including Blood and various other fluids. The Fire within us
transforms our food into energy. Hydro-Chloric Acid is what is chiefly responsible
for digesting out food. And this acid is nothing but the liquid form of Fire. We
inhale Oxygen and give out Carbon Dioxide. That is the Air component. And
finally, we all occupy Space. If we move out of one place, then there is an empty
Space that is left behind.
According to Ayurveda, Man is the epitome of the universe. Within each individual
there is as much diversity as there is in the universe. Everything in the Universe,
including the human body is made up of five elements- earth, fire, water air and
space. Now we must understand that when we speak of any of these elements like
fire, it should not be taken literally. Rather, the term refers to characteristics of fire,
like heat and combustion. Ether is the most subtle of the 5 elements and has its
origin from consciousness itself. Air has its origin from ether, fire originates from
air, water has its origin from fire, and earth has its origin from water and is the
densest of the 5 elements. The human body is made up of millions of cells, and
when these five elements are in harmony, the body is healthy, self -perpetuating
and self-correcting just as the universe is.

In South India, Tamil Nadu, there is a group of ancient Siva temples

known as the Pacha-bhta Sthalam. They are each associated with one of the five
great elements of nature earth, water, fire, air and space.