Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.12
महाभूतानि पञ्चैव भूरापोऽग्निर्मरुन्नभ: ।
तन्मात्राणि च तावन्ति गन्धादीनि मतानि मे ॥ १२ ॥
mahā-bhūtāni pañcaiva
[mahaa-bhootaani panchaiva]
bhūr āpo ’gnir marun nabhaḥ
[bhoor aapo ’gnir marun nabhah]
tan-mātrāṇi ca tāvanti
[tan-maatraani cha taavanti]
gandhādīni matāni me
[gandhaadeeni mataani me]
Word-for-word
mahā-bhūtāni
—
the gross elements
pañca
—
five
eva
—
exactly
bhūḥ
—
earth
āpaḥ
—
water
agniḥ
—
fire
marut
—
air
nabhaḥ
—
ether
tat-mātrāṇi
—
the subtle elements
ca
—
also
tāvanti
—
so many
gandha-ādīni
—
smell and so on (taste, color, touch and sound)
matāni
—
considered
me
—
by Me.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mahā-bhūtāni pañcaiva
mahā-bhūtāni
the gross elements
pañca
five
eva
exactly
bhūr āpo ’gnir marun nabhaḥ
bhūḥ
earth
āpaḥ
water
agniḥ
fire
marut
air
nabhaḥ
ether
tan-mātrāṇi ca tāvanti
tat-mātrāṇi
the subtle elements
ca
also
tāvanti
so many
gandhādīni matāni me
gandha-ādīni
smell and so on (taste, color, touch and sound)
matāni
considered
me
by Me.
There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle elements: smell, taste, color, touch and sound.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
The five great elements are earth, water, fire, air and ether. The sense objects are also considered to be five, starting with smell.
Three verses describe these elements. Tāvanti (as much) indicates five.
Personal Guidance
Five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and five subtle (smell, taste, color, touch, sound) compose all material existence. Sāṅkhya teaches us to see the world in terms of these basic categories rather than as undifferentiated 'stuff.' Discernment begins with knowing the building blocks.
Reflection Questions
- Which gross or subtle element predominates in my current life — and what does that reveal?
- How does naming the basic elements change my relationship to material experience?
My note
Source: vedabase.io