Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Pancabhuta included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, 鈥榯he five characteristics of a Purana鈥�).
Story of Pa帽cabh奴ta
笔峁泃丑惫墨 (earth), Ap (water), Tejas (fire), 痴腻测耻 (air) and 膧办腻艣补 (ether) are the 笔补帽肠补产丑奴迟补蝉 (five elements). The whole visible world is composed of one or more of these five elements. This is called the P膩帽cabhautikasiddh膩nta (doctrine of five elements). Besides these five dravyas (elementary substance), people in 叠丑腻谤补迟补 have reckoned Time, space, soul and mind also as 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 or categories. Dravya, one of the seven categories according to 狈测腻测补 痴补颈艣别峁办补s奴tras, has nine 蝉惫补产丑腻惫补蝉 (inherent properties). The seven 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 of 痴补颈艣别峁办补 are Dravya, 骋耻峁嘺, Karman 厂腻尘腻苍测补, 痴颈艣别峁, 厂补尘补惫腻测补 and 础产丑腻惫补.*
The word '笔补诲腻谤迟丑补' has got a very wide meaning. The word 'matter' in English cannot indicate the full significance of the word 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补. 碍补峁嚹乨补 in his 痴补颈艣别峁办补 s奴tras has given the name 'Artha' combining in it the three 蝉惫补产丑腻惫补蝉, Dravya, 骋耻峁嘺 and Karman. Of the above seven pad膩rthas Pra艣astap膩da, the famous logician, has included only the first six in his book '笔补诲腻谤迟丑补dharma 厂补峁僩谤补丑补'. The 痴补颈艣别峁办补s of a later period included 'abh膩va' also and raised the number of arthas to seven. Gautama, the 狈测腻测补s奴trak膩ra and 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补, the 狈测腻测补bh膩峁ak膩ra, and all their followers accepted the number of arthas as seven.
All that can be perceived by the senses are included in the seven 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 according to the systems of 狈测腻测补 and 痴补颈艣别峁办补. Excepting abh膩va all the other six are 产丑腻惫补蝉. 碍补峁嚹乨补 has dealt with 'abh膩va' but has not treated it as a category. Pra艣astap膩da has not mentioned about 'abh膩va' at all. Gautama deals with sixteen 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉. The 惭墨尘腻峁僺补办补蝉 take into account only five 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 and the 厂腻峁卥丑测补蝉 count only two 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 viz., 笔谤补办峁泃颈 and 笔耻谤耻峁. Advaitav膩dins reckon only two 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 and to them they are Cit and 闯补岣峚 (膧迟尘腻 and An膩tman). Vi艣i峁ａ弓膩dvaitins add god also to the above and make the number of 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 three. According to 狈测腻测补 痴补颈艣别峁办补s奴tras there are seven 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补蝉 and they comprise nine kinds of Dravyas which are the 笔补帽肠补产丑奴迟补蝉 (five elements), 碍腻濒补 (time), Dik (space), 膧迟尘腻 (soul), and Manas (mind). They are described below:
笔峁泃丑惫墨. (earth).
The characteristic of this pad膩rtha is smell. 笔峁泃丑惫墨 is of two kinds, Nitya (eternal) and Anitya (perishable). Nitya is in the form of atom (辫补谤补尘腻峁嘘) and anitya in the form of 碍腻谤测补. They are classified into body, sense organs and objects.
Jala (water).
Jala has a cold touch. It is of two kinds Nitya and Anitya. Nitya is in the form of 辫补谤补尘腻峁嘘 (atom); Anitya in the form of 碍腻谤测补.
Agni (fire).
It generates heat. It is of two kinds, Nitya and Anitya. Nitya is in the form of 辫补谤补尘腻峁嘘 and Anitya, in the form of 碍腻谤测补. There are four kinds of Agnis: Fire of the earth, fire of the sky, fire of the stomach (digestive power) and the fire commonly used.
痴腻测耻 (air).
It is without form but with the sense of touch. It is also of two kinds. Nitya in the form of 辫补谤补尘腻峁嘘 and Anitya in the form of 碍腻谤测补.
膧办腻艣补 (ether).
This is the carrier of sound. It is single and eternal.
碍腻濒补 (time).
It is general cause for all actions embracing the elements. It is also single and eternal.
Dik.
Places like north, south, east and west which are eternal.
膧迟尘腻 (soul).
It is related to knowledge and is of two kinds, 闯墨惫腻迟尘腻 and 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘腻.
Manas (mind).
It is the sense-organ to enjoy pleasures. It is in the form of 辫补谤补尘腻峁嘘 and eternal.
To know the views of Manu on the origin of the 笔补帽肠补产丑奴迟补蝉 see under 厂峁涐梗峁璱.
*) 1. 痴补颈艣别峁办补. One of the six principal 诲补谤艣补苍补蝉 or systems of Philosophy founded by 碍补峁嚹乨补. 2. 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补. Anything which can be named; a category. 3. Dravya. An elementary substance, the substratum of properties. 4. 骋耻峁嘺 A characteristic or property of all substances. 5. Karman. Motion, action. 6. 厂腻尘腻苍测补. General characteristic. 7. 痴颈艣别峁. A peculiar attribute, the eternal distinguishing factor of each of the nine dravyas. 8. 厂补尘补惫腻测补. Intimate union, inseparable inherence or existence of one thing in another. 9. 础产丑腻惫补. Nullity or negation. 厂腻峁卥丑测补蝉 followers of the 厂腻峁卥丑测补 philosophy. Advaitins followers of the Advaita philosophy. 惭墨尘腻峁僺补办补蝉 followers of the 惭墨尘腻峁僺腻 system of philosophy. 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘腻 The supreme being. 闯墨惫腻迟尘腻 The individual soul enshrined in the body. 碍腻谤测补 Evolute.