Spiritual pentads

Dr Satish K Kapoor

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The material world is made up of five great elements (pancha mahabhuta) namely, earth, water, fire, air, space and ether. So are pancha tanmatras, namely shabda, sparsha, rupa, rasa and gandha, corresponding respectively to ether, air, fire, water and earth. Human body has five sense organs (panca–jnanendriya ) and five motor organs (pancha-karmendriya). There are five sheaths in the subtle human body (sukshma sharira) — annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya and anandamaya — the physical, vital, mental, intellectual, and the blissful. Time calculation is made by panchanga, almanac, which has five limbs.       

Knowledge is of five kinds:  tattva – cosmology; muktiprada which gives liberation; bhakti prada that confers devotion; yaugika which unites one with the Divine and  vaishayika which is related to  the objects of desire. In the Vedic tradition, an individual is expected to discharge five debts (pancha-rina) through five obligatory  duties (pancha-mahayajna) – to god (deva-rina) by performing  prescribed sacrifices, to sages (rishi-rina), by imbibing  supreme  knowledge, to father and ancestors (pitri- rina) by expiating rites, to Brahmins (brahma-rina) by gifts, and to men (nri- rina) by offering hospitality. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Panchajana  implies  five kinds of beings – gods, humans, animals, birds and manes.

Initiation into Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu, Surya and Ganesha cults is called Panchayatani diksha. Five groups of worshippers are called panchopasakas.  Panchayatani puja is worship of five deities associated with five elemental forces. Ganapati is associated with earth, Shiva with water, Devi with fire, Surya with air and Vishnu with ether. Panchopachara is the worship of deities with five objects — gandha (sandalpaste), pushpa (flowers), dhupa (incense), dipa (lighted lamp) and naivedya (food items). The Pancharatra doctrine speaks of five aspects of Purushottama, the supreme lord, namely,  para - highest, vyuha - emanation, vibhava - incarnation,  antrayamin - indweller and archa - form for worship. 

A  Vaishnava is expected to adopt  five tapta-mudra, purificatory sacraments - branding one’s arms with marks of  shankha and chakra, conch and discus, application of  pundra - one u line in white clay with a red line of vermillion or turmeric powder in between - on the forehead;  getting  nama-spiritual name; receiving mantra-initiation and to perform  yaga-holy deeds.

One of the names of Shiva  is Panchanana, god with five faces, namely – Ishana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojata. Shiva enjoys five-fold powers of chit-shakti luminosity, ananda-shakti, absolute bliss, ichha-shakti), irresistible will, jnana-shakti, supreme knowledge, and kriya-shakti, power of action. Namah Shivaya - mantra in Shaivism has five syllables.

Ancient Shivalinga shrines are associated with five primordial elements: Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) to earth (Prithvilinga), Jambukeshwar (Tamil Nadu) to water (Ablinga), Arunacala (in Tamil Nadu) to  fire (Tejolinga), Kalahasti (Andhra Pradesh) to  air (Vayulinga) and Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu) to space (Akasha linga). Virashaivism has panchachara or five rules of conduct: lingachara, worship of linga, sadachara; observance of morality; shivachara, emulating Shiva’s qualities; bhrityachara, caring for world creatures and  ganachara, living as per community rules. The pontifical seats of Virashaivism are also five, situated at Kedaranatha (Uttaranchal), Srishailam (Andhra Pradesh), Balehonnuru and  Ujjayani (Karnataka) and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).

Shakti, the kinetic aspect of Shiva, is called Panchabrahma Swarupini. She is involved in panchakriya, five actions - srishti, creation, sthiti, preservation, samhara, destruction, tirodhana, disappearance, and anugraha, favour. The  common man is  ordained to  visualize  Shakti  in  at least five  relations  - mother, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law and  guru’s wife. Works on Tantra speak of panchamakara - madya, wine, mamsa,  meat, matsya, fish, mudra, posture, and maithuna, copulation. 

In Yoga - psychology, pancha klesha are the five fetters which obstruct spiritual growth, namely,  avidya, false knowledge, asmita, egotism, raga, attachment, dvesha, hatred, and abhinivesha, adherence. The antidote is panchanga - shuddhi or five-fold purification of atma, soul, sthana, place, mantra, sacred syllables, dravya, offerings  and deva, deity.

While performing  khande di pahul, initiatory rites of  the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh mixed  five  sweetening agents in water, chanted  five banis. He made it obligatory for a Sikh to wear  five K’s – kasha, long hair, kangha, comb, kara, steel bracelet, kaccha, short drawers, and kirpan, sword.

Jainism lays stress on five anuvratas –  ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity) and  aparigraha (limitation of possessions). Obeisance is made to five categories of people: arihants, siddha-s, acharya-s, upadhyaya-s, and to all holy men.

In Buddhism, the human mind is said to be clouded by five vices - greed, anger, foolishness, arrogance and doubt, which can be controlled by five meditations.  Enlightenment is achieved by faith, right effort, right memory, meditation and wisdom. 

(Dr Satish K Kapoor is a former British Council Scholar)