Panchikarana

Panchikarana - The Fivefold Division

Panchikarana is the process by which the five subtle elements (tanmatras) combine to form the gross elements that constitute the physical universe. This teaching is essential for understanding how the one non-dual reality appears as the many.

The Five Subtle Elements

From Brahman, associated with the power of maya, arise the five subtle elements:

1. Akasha (Space) - the subtlest element, from which sound (shabda) arises
2. Vayu (Air) - which has the qualities of sound and touch
3. Agni (Fire) - which has sound, touch, and form
4. Apas (Water) - which has sound, touch, form, and taste
5. Prithvi (Earth) - which has sound, touch, form, taste, and smell

Each succeeding element contains the qualities of the previous ones plus its own unique quality.

The Process of Panchikarana

Panchikarana literally means “making into five parts.” In this process:

Each subtle element is divided into two equal halves. One half of each element remains itself. The other half is divided into four equal parts, which mix with the other four elements.

The result is that each gross element contains:

• 1/2 of its own subtle element
• 1/8 of each of the other four subtle elements

This explains why the physical world has all five qualities (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) in varying proportions, even though each element has one predominant quality.

The Importance of This Teaching

Panchikarana is important because it explains:

• How the one Brahman appears as the many without undergoing real change
• How the physical body is composed of the five elements
• How the gross universe is a transformation of the subtle elements, which themselves are transformations of maya, which is Brahman with its limiting adjunct

This teaching is found in the Vivekachudamani and the Tattva Bodha, and it is essential for understanding the Vedantic cosmology.