Pancha Bhoota
Pancha Bhoota or Pancha Maha-Bhoota, five great elements, also five physical elements, is a group of five basic elements, which, according to Hinduism,
is the basis of all cosmic creation. These elements are: Prithvi/Bhudevi, Apas/Varuna/, Agni, Vayu, Akasha/Dyaus/Ether. These elements have different characteristics and these also account for different faculties of human experience. In ayurveda and Indian philosophy, the human body is considered to be made of these five elements. However, Cārvāka did not accept Akash as basic element as it is not tangible and according to him, there are only four basic elements. Buddhism also accepts four basic elements and Akash is left out. These five elements of Indian cosmological system are similar but not identical to five element theory used in East Asia.
These are also called Pancha Tattva.
Description
The pancha bhoota are associated with a sense which is perceived by sense organ in human being. Below table gives details of associated sense, sense organ, and other attributes of elements.| Bhoota | Associated Sense | Associated Sense Organ | Perception mode | Associated Finger | Associated consort | Affiliation |
| Akash/Dyaus | Sound | Ear | Heard | Middle Finger | Bhumi/Prithvi | Deva |
| Vayu | Touch | Skin | Heard, Felt | Index Finger | Lehari | Deva |
| Agni | Sight/Color | Eye | Heard, Felt, Seen | Thumb | Swaha | Deva |
| Jal/Varuna | Taste | Tongue | Heard, Felt, Seen, Tasted | Little Finger | Varuni | Deva |
| Prithvi/Bhumi | Smell | Nose | Heard, Felt, seen, Tasted, Smelled | Ring Finger | Dyaus/Akasha and Vishnu | Devi |
Ayurveda
According to ayurveda and Yoga, Pancha Bhoota are associated with overall health of human being. Any disorder in human body indicates imbalance of one or more of these elements. Yoga Tattva Mudra Vijnana relates these five elements to five fingers of human being. Different Mudra were developed to balance these in human body which form the Hasta Mudra in yogic tradition and are used in Naturopathy.The three dosha- three intrinsic tendencies, which, according to ayurveda are intrinsic in every human being, are representation of combination of these five elements in human body. The three Dosha have subtle positive essences which control the mind and body function.
| Dosha | Bhoota Composition | Characteristic |
| Vata | Vayu, Akash | Prana |
| Pitta | Agni, Jal/Apas | Tejas |
| Kapha | Prithvi, Jal/Apas | Ojas |
Yogic View
According to Yoga, the aim of sadhana is to have mastery over oneself. This mastery can be achieved by mastering all the basic elements. The process of gaining mastery over these elements and purifying them is called Bhuta Shuddhi.Pancha Bhoota Stalam is representation of pancha bhoota for yogic practice. People used to move from one temple
to another and do sadhana on particular basic element.
The seven Chakras in the human subtle body are associated with these five elements.
| Chakra | Bhoota | Characteristic |
| Muladhara Chakra | Prithvi | Stability, Support |
| Swadhishthan Chakra | Jal | Joy, Well-being |
| Manipura Chakra | Agni | Wisdom, Power |
| Anahata Chakra | Vayu | Compassion |
| Vishuddha Chakra | Akash | Trust, Creativity |
| Ajna Chakra | Akash | Knowledge, Intuition, Dignity |
| Sahasrara Chakra | Akash | Oneness |
Hasta Mudras
Hasta Mudra or hand posture is based on the panch bhootas. The basic assumption is that all the five elements can be represented by five different fingers in human body as shown in the table below.| Finger Name | Bhoota |
| Kanishthika, Little Finger | Jal/Apas |
| Anamika, Ring Finger | Prithvi |
| Madhyama, Middle Finger | Akash |
| Tarjani, Index Finger | Vayu |
| Angustha, Thumb | Agni |
Vastu
emphasizes on the placement of five elements in specified direction and the balance of these elements determines the condition of the associated structure.| Bhoota | Associated Direction | Characteristics |
| Akasha/Dyaus | East | Expansion, enhancement |
| Vayu/Pavan | North | Movements, joy, happiness |
| Agni | South | Power, confidence, fame |
| Jal/Apas/Varuna | West | Spirituality, ideas, thoughts, healing |
| Prithvi/Bhumi | Center, Diagonal | Stability, peace and harmony |
These correlations are used to define an ideal home: The house itself is placed so that maximum load and weight is in the southwest area of the plot. Thus, there is maximum open space in the north and east sides of the plot, satisfying Vayu/air and Akasha/aether. The main gate, the verandah and the main door are in the northeast of the house; south of the verandah the main living room, and south of that one or two bedrooms. The kitchen is placed in the southeast corner of the house, to balance Akasha and Agni.
Taste
Pancha Bhoota is associated with six human tastes as below.| Taste | Associated Bhoota |
| Sweet | jal, prithvi |
| Sour | Prithvi, Agni |
| Salty | Jal, Agni |
| Pungent | Vayu, Agni |
| Bitter | akash swaraj |
| Astringent | vayu prithvi |