Pañcha Mahā Bhūta: The Five Great Elements

The pañca mahā bhūtas or the five great elements are the building blocks of Ayurveda’s foundational principals. They are ether (ākāsha), air (vāyu), fire (agni), water (āpas), and earth (prithvī). Ether was the first element to exist in the universe and each element manifested sequentially from the sum of the preceding element(s).

Everything in the universe is made up of these elements, including both the external environment and the human body. Maintaining balance of the elements plays a vital role in maintaining overall balance in health and wellbeing in the physical, mental, and emotional bodies. As each person is a microcosm of nature, the five elements are all related to, and influence the functioning of the body, mind, and senses.

Ether: Ākāsha

Ether or space, is the first element and represents consciousness. It is empty space that holds all other elements, and houses everything in the universe. It represents empty spaces within the body such as the space between the cells, space in the ears, lungs, blood vessels, the G.I. tract, and the bladder. The ears are the organs most connected to ether, representing hearing and the quality of sound. Ether is subtle, expansive and represents freedom.

When in balance, ether represents the expansion of consciousness, creativity, and openness. When out of balance, it manifests as anxiety, ungroundedness, isolation, and fear.

Ether’s qualities are: clear, light, subtle, soft.

Air: Vāyu

When consciousness (ether) moves, it is air. Air facilitates all movement including the flow of prāna. It allows for movement within the body such as the circulation of blood, nerve impulses, movement within the cells, respiration, peristalsis, movement of muscles, and the movement of thoughts. Air is associated with the skin and the sense of touch. Air is light and subtle, and keeps the body moving.

Balanced air element manifests as joy, enthusiasm, mental clarity, feeling energised, and the free flow of thoughts. Imbalanced air can show up as anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, and an inability to concentrate.

Air’s qualities are: mobile, dry, light, cold, rough, subtle.

Fire: Agni

Ether and air then become fire from the friction created from movement. Fire is all about transformation. It governs the transformative processes of digestion, metabolic processes, body temperature, and energy production. Fire is associated with the eyes and the sense of sight. It processes perception into knowledge.

A balanced fire element sparks intelligence, warmth, comprehension, confidence, clarity, vitality, and motivation, while out of balance fire invokes anger, criticism, coldness, envy, and digestive issues.

Fire’s qualities are: hot, sharp, light, dry, subtle.

Water: Āpas

As water cools, it causes air to become dense, and this creates water. Water is necessary for nourishment and protection. It is what the human body is primarily comprised of. Water governs the transportation of nutrients, lymph flow, plasma, hydration, and saliva. Water is associated with the tongue and the sense of taste.

When water is balanced, it manifests as emotional stability, compassion, feeling nourished, and contentment. Unbalanced water element can create undernourishment, dryness and dehydration.

Water’s qualities are: cool, liquid, dull, soft, oily, slimy.

Earth: Prithvī

When water coagulates it becomes earth, creating our final element containing within it all the previous elements. Earth provides structure and stability. It is responsible for strength, growth, and support, and can be found within the bones, cartilage, nails, teeth, and hair. Earth is linked to the sense of smell and the nose.

Balanced earth provides a feeling of being grounded, stability, strength, and forgiveness, while out of balance it can cause depression, indecisiveness, attachment, insecurity, and ungroundedness.

Earth’s qualities are heavy, dull, static, dense, hard, gross.

Each of the primordial forces of energy; the doshas, are made up of the union of two of the five elements.

Ether and air combine to make vata dosha.

Fire and water combine to make pitta dosha.

Water and earth combine to make kapha dosha.

Click here to learn more about the doshas.