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Prthvi (Samskrit:  पृथ्वी) or Earth is one of the five great elements or Panchamahabhutas, the others being Ap (water), teja (fire), Vayu (air) and Akasha (space). The creation is said to have originated from these five elements.<ref name=":0" />

Prthvi (Samskrit:  पृथ्वी) or Earth is one of the five great elements or Panchamahabhutas, the others being Ap (water), Teja (fire), Vayu (air) and Akasha (space). The creation is said to have originated from these five elements.<ref name=":0">Vijnana - Level A ([https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/OBE_indian_knowledge_tradition/Level_A/Vijnana-A_Englishi_OBE/Science-A_E_Ch-2.pdf Chapter 2]), Noida: National Institute of Open Schooling (Open Basic Education Programme).</ref>

== Introduction ==

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

The creation has originated from these five great elements. Earth, water, fire, air and sky are called the five great elements.

The body of all living beings and non-living substances of this earth are made of the Panchamahabhutas viz. earth, water, fire, air and sky.<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>इह हि द्रव्यं पञ्चमहाभूतात्मकम् ।१७.२<ref>Ashtanga Sangraha, Sutra Sthana, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A7-%E0%A5%A8%E0%A5%A6 Adhyayas 11-20]</ref> iha hi dravyaṁ pañcamahābhūtātmakam ।17.2</blockquote>Speaking of the evolution of the five great elements, the Taittiriya Upanishad<ref>Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/358/mode/2up?view=theater See: Jivatman]</ref> says,<blockquote>आकाशाद्वायुः । वायोरग्निः । अग्नेरापः । अद्भ्यः पृथिवी ।...॥ १ ॥<ref>Taittiriya Upanishad, Brahmananda Valli, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80#%E0%A5%A5_%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A5 Anuvaka 1].</ref> ākāśādvāyuḥ । vāyoragniḥ । agnerāpaḥ । adbhyaḥ pr̥thivī ।...॥ 1 ॥</blockquote>Meaning: Air originated from the sky, from air came fire, from fire came water and from water came earth.

महन्तानि भूतानि महाभूतानि । mahantāni bhūtāni mahābhūtāni ।

So, earth is believed to have originated from water.<ref name=":0" /> According to Tarkasangraha, a basic text of the Nyaya-Vaisheshika schools of Indian philosophy, the characteristic of Prthvi is smell. Prthvi is of two kinds, Nitya (eternal) and Anitya (perishable). It is nitya in the form of Paramanu (earth-particles) and anitya in the form of Karya (all the products made of earth). The earth in the form of products can further be classified into three types viz. body of living beings, sense organs and objects made of earth.<ref>V N Jha (2010), [https://archive.org/details/TarkasangrahaOfAnnambhattaVNJha/page/14/mode/2up?view=theater Tarkasangraha of Annambhatta], Kerala: Chinmaya International Foundation Shodha Sansthan.</ref><ref>Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/546/mode/2up?view=theater See: Pancabhuta]</ref> <blockquote>तत्र गन्धवती पृथिवी । सा द्विविधा, नित्याऽनित्या च । नित्या परमाणुरूपा । अनित्या कार्यरूपा । पुनस्त्रिविधा शरीरेन्द्रियविषयभेदात् ।...॥१॥<ref>Tarkasangraha, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Dravya Lakshana Prakarana].</ref>

Because of their importance or grossness, they are known as mahabhuta. The body of all living beings and non-living substances of this earth are made from them.<ref name=":0" />

tatra gandhavatī pr̥thivī । sā dvividhā, nityā'nityā ca । nityā paramāṇurūpā । anityā kāryarūpā । punastrividhā śarīrendriyaviṣayabhedāt ।...॥1॥</blockquote>Infact, each of the mahabhutas are said to have a basic essential property and as they evolve from one another, their properties also expand. Therefore, along with the distinguishing property of earth viz. smell, the property of akasha and others ie. shabda, touch, form and taste together form the five basic properties of earth which like the earth itself are everlasting in nature.  

Manifestation of the qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are also described in the five great elements. And the earth is considered tamas predominant.<ref name=":0" />

 

Speaking of the evolution of the five great elements, the Taittiriya Upanishad<ref>Vettam Mani (1975), Puranic Encyclopaedia, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/358/mode/2up?view=theater See: Jivatman]</ref> says,

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• The creation of the universe is made from these five elements.<ref name=":0">Vijnana - Level A ([https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/OBE_indian_knowledge_tradition/Level_A/Vijnana-A_Englishi_OBE/Science-A_E_Ch-2.pdf Chapter 2]), Noida: National Institute of Open Schooling (Open Basic Education Programme).</ref>

 

== Amarakosha ==

== Amarakosha ==

-- Above text from [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/142/mode/2up?view=theater Page 142, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi]

-- Above text from [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/142/mode/2up?view=theater Page 142, Puranic Encyclopedia - Vettam Maṇi]

== References ==

== References ==

[[Category:Puranas]]

[[Category:Puranas]]

[[Category:Devatas]]

[[Category:Devatas]]