Indriya and the Panchamaha Bhutas
As nature differentiates further Ahamkara is created, the ‘I-Maker’. This is individualized awareness that operates as a process whereby the Ahamkara possesses different aspects of evolution as its own. We use the ‘I’ in language to refer to individual identity that exists in its own right. Ahamkara is necessary for the individuation that takes place in nature’s evolution. Through this individuation the Guna, as different aspects of nature, diversify and manifest with their own ego-identity.
As a result of the influence of the three universal qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, the five Jnanendriya (sensory pathways), the five Karmendriya (motor pathways), manas (mind), the five tanmatras (objects of sensory perception) and the five elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth) are created.
From the Sattvic and Rajasic aspect of Ahamkara evolve the set of eleven senses, or Indriya: the five sense faculties, the five organs of action and the mind. From the Rajasic and Tamasic aspect comes the Tanmatras and the elements.
According to Samkhya philosophy, Jnanendriya, Karmendriya and Manas stem from Sattva and Rajas Guna.
Jnanendriya are the potential for experience of nature. We experience the manifest world through the senses. They operate on a subtle and gross level; the ears perceive sound moving in space, the skin perceives touch carried by air, the eyes see light generated by fire, the tongue carries taste that manifests through water and the nose observes smell exuding from the earth. Through these senses we know about the world; hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, and smelling it. They are the interface between the inner and outer world. There is a total of five Jnanendriya: Shrotrendriya (faculty of hearing), Sparshnendriya (faculty of touch), Rupendriya (faculty of vision), Rasanendriya (faculty of taste) and Ghrannendriya (faculty of smell.)
Karmendriya are motor faculties or action organs that allow for certain actions which direct certain experiences. They are pure expression and allow the manifestation of ideas. The mouth is responsible for expression that is carried by Ether and sound. The hands are instruments of grasping, utilizing air and touch. The feet allow for motion, requiring the dynamics of heat and direction of sight. The reproductive organs are the potential for reproduction held in water and taste. The anus allows for expression of elimination relating to earth and smell. How we perform these expressive actions is a product of Ahamkara. There are five total Karmendriya: Vak (speech), Pani (hand), Pada (feet), Upastha (genitals) and Payu (excretory organs.)
Manas, the mind is both expressive and receptive. It observes, perceives and projects. The influence of the mind comprehends and directs the organs of sense and action. It is awareness functioning through the senses. Mind directs awareness to an object or goal and then perceives the outer object. The content of mind may be conscious or subconscious. The subconscious mind working through the autonomic nervous system directs most of our bodily functions, the beating of the heart, the breathing of the lungs, the movement of liver and intestinal wall cells etc. The mind is one but operates on levels that we call conscious and subconscious.
According to Samkhya philosophy, Tanmatra and the elements stem from Rajas and Tamas Guna.
Tanmatra are subtle elements that further create the Great Elements. They are objects of sensory perception. They are the ‘primal measure’ and are the causal root energies that hold the potential of all sensory and elemental manifestation. The Tanmatras form the common ground for expression of the objective world and the entire world exists on this ground. The five elements manifest in the functioning of the five senses. They define the pentagal structure of the universe having five main constructive elements. Tan means mother and matra means matter — the mother of matter. The mother of this whole world is the Tanmatras. The Tanmatras are in the womb of the cosmic mother, Prakruti. It is this energy that gives rise to the objective five elements. There are five total Tanmatra: Shabda (sound), Sparsha (touch), Rupa (form), Rasa (taste) and Gandha (odor).
Mahabhuta are the five great elements which further form the Universe. According to Samkhya philosophy, mahabhuta are created from Tanmatra. These five elements are born in the womb on Tamas but contain all three Guna. Though they derive from Tamas, there are some Rajasic and Sattvic qualities in the Tanmatras and therefor in the elements. The five basic elements exist in all matter. There are five total Mahabhuta: Akasha (Ether or Space), Vayu (air), Agni/Tejas (fire), Apa/Jala (water), Prithvi (Earth). All five of these elements originated from the energy within Cosmic Consciousness and all five are present in all matter in the universe. This means that all five of these elements are also present in all living creatures. The five Great Elements are related to the five organs of action, which allow us to respond to the input we receive from the objective world.
In the human body, many spaces are aspects of the Ether/Space element. The spaces in the mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, abdomen, thorax, capillaries and tissues are all examples of Space. Ether is the medium through which sound is transmitted and is thus related to the functioning of hearing. The sensory organ of hearing is the ear. The organ of action associated with the sense of hearing is the mouth and vocal cords, which produce sound.
Air is the element of movement. All movements involve air as an element, because it alone moves everything. Within the human body, Air is present in the pulsations of the heart, expansion and contraction of the lungs, response to a stimulus and nervous system. Air is related to the sense of touch and the sensory organ of touch is the skin. The organ of action related to the sense of touch is the hand. The hand is responsible for the actions of holding, giving and receiving.
The source of fire and light in the solar system is the sun. In the human body, the source of fire is metabolism. The Fire element works in the digestive system, gray matter of the brain, activates the retina, body temperature, thinking process and vision. All metabolism and enzyme systems are controlled by this element. Fire which manifests as light, heat and color is related to vision. The sensory organ of vision is the eye. The organ of action related to the sense of vision is the feet. Eyes give direction to the action of walking.
Water manifests in the body as secretions of digestive juices, in the mucous membranes, plasma and cytoplasm. Water is vital for the functioning of all systems of the body. Water is related to taste. The sensory organ of taste is the tongue. Without water the tongue cannot perceive the different tastes. The related organ of action is the reproductive system. The tongue is closely related in function to the action of the genitals (penis and clitoris). In Ayurveda, the penis and clitoris are considered the lower tongue and the tongue in the mouth is the upper tongue. The person who controls the upper tongue has control over the lower tongue and vice versa.
Life is possible on this planet because the Earth holds all living and non-living substances to its solid surface. In the body, all solid structures are derived from Earth. Earth is related to the sense of smell. The sensory organ of smell is the nose. The organs of action related to the sense of smell are the excretory organs. The nose is related to the anus. An example of this is a person who is constipated or has an unclean colon will experience bad breath and a dull sense of smell.
Ayurveda develops the 24 Tattvas of Samkhya to create a framework for understanding the flow of vitality in the body and universe. It explains the anatomy of dhatus (tissues), srotamsi (channels) and Prakruti (the physiology of constitution) through Doshas (humoral) scheme derived from combinations of the five great elements, the panchamaha bhuta.
