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The creation has originated from these five great elements. Earth, water, fire, air and sky are called the five great elements.
The word bhut is formed by the sum of the kt affixes in bhu sattayam (ground metal). Bhut means one who has power (existence) or one who exists. Bhut are not the work of any other person, that is, there is no reason for their origin, but the existence of everything else as a factor cause of the great elements.
According to Maharishi Charak, these great elements are very small and difficult to identify by the senses.
'''(Charak shastra 1/32)'''
The great elements are called mahabhuta -
¶egfUr Hkwrkfu egkHkwrkfu¸
Because of their importance or grossness, they are known as mahabhuta. The body and non living substances of all living beings are made from them.
bg fg nzo;a i×pegkHkwrkRede
These are the five great elements:
1. Sky
2. Air
3. Fire
4. Water
5. Earth
=== Sky ===
The sky has been considered to be eternal. One of the properties of the sky is shabd. Just as the sky is eternal, so is its property - "shabd" is also everlasting.
=== Wind ===
The origin of air is assumed to be from the sky. ¶vkdk'k}k;q%¸ air is also considered to be eternal. The air has its own property of touch and the quality of the sky shabd. In this way the two properties of air - touch and word are everlasting.
=== Fire ===
Fire is also called tej. The origin of fire is believed to be from air.
Fire is considered to be ¶ok;ksjkfXu¸. Fire has three properties of shabd, touch and form. All three qualities are eternal. Such are the three properties of fire.
=== Aap ===
Aap is called water. The origin of water is assumed to be from aap -¶vxzsjki%¸. aap is considered to be everlasting.
Water has shabd, touch, form and taste properties. All four properties are eternal.
=== Earth ===
Earth is believed to originate from water. Amazing earth. shabd, touch, form, taste, smell are the five properties of earth.
Apart from the above basic essential properties, there are some other characteristics in these mahabhutas which we can feel through our senses, for example in the earth, water, light, air respectively, we can infer the characteristics of smell, liquidity, consistency etc. Similarly, we can see the experience of resistance in the sky.
The Five Great Elements Properties
Sky shabd
Air shabd, touch
fire (tej) shabd, touch, form
aap (water) shabd, touch, form, taste
Earth shabd, touch, form, taste, smell
The manifestations of Sattva, Rajas, Tamas qualities are described in the five great elements. As per the nature of their qualities, the predominance of sattva quality in the sky, rajo quality in air, sattva and rajo quality in fire, sattva and Tamas qualities in aap (water) and tamas quality in the earth can be seen.
Five great elements Predominance of sattva, rajas, tamas
Sky Sattva predominance
Wind Rajas predominance
fire Sattva + Rajas predominance
aap Sattva + Tamas predominance
Earth tamas predominance
The entire universe is created by these five elements.
• The five great elements- Water, fire, air, sky and earth.
• The five great elements and their properties are continual.
• The creation of the universe is made from these five elements.
Prthu by the end of his bow put in arrangement at one place the thousands of mountains which were lying scattered over the country. The grounds were not even and so there were formerly no divisions into villages and towns. There were no grain-plants like paddy or wheat, no agriculture, no cow-protection and no trade. It was since the time of Prthu that all these came into being. People desired to live in places where the grounds were even. Then the people lived on fruits, leaves and roots. When they were all destroyed people found it difficult to live. Therefore Prthu making Svayambhuva Manu as calf milked for the welfare of his people all plants from the earth. People do live even today by what was milked then. Prthu, because he gave life to BhumidevI, became her father and she got the name Prthvi. (Page 609, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi)
Prthu by the end of his bow put in arrangement at one place the thousands of mountains which were lying scattered over the country. The grounds were not even and so there were formerly no divisions into villages and towns. There were no grain-plants like paddy or wheat, no agriculture, no cow-protection and no trade. It was since the time of Prthu that all these came into being. People desired to live in places where the grounds were even. Then the people lived on fruits, leaves and roots. When they were all destroyed people found it difficult to live. Therefore Prthu making Svayambhuva Manu as calf milked for the welfare of his people all plants from the earth. People do live even today by what was milked then. Prthu, because he gave life to BhumidevI, became her father and she got the name Prthvi. (Page 609, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi)