Garbha Upaniṣad 2

2

pañcātmakam iti kasmāt pṛthivy āpas tejo vāyur ākāśam ity asmin pañcātmake śarīre kā pṛthivī kā āpaḥ kiṃ tejaḥ ko vāyuḥ kim ākāśam / tatra pañcātmake śarīre yat kaṭhinaṃ sā pṛthivī yad dravaṃ tā āpaḥ yad uṣṇaṃ tat tejaḥ yat saṃcarati sa vāyuḥ yac chuṣiraṃ tad ākāśam / tatra pṛthivī dhāraṇe āpaḥ piṇḍīkaraṇe tejaḥ prakāśane vāyur vyūhane ākāśam avakāśapradāne / pṛthak śrotre śabdopalabdhau tvak sparśe cakṣuṣī rūpe jihvā rasane nāsikā ghrāṇe upastha ānandane apānam utsarge buddhyā budhyati manasā saṃkalpayati vācā vadati / ṣaḍāśrayam iti kasmāt madhurāmlalavaṇatiktakaṭukaṣāyarasān vindatīti ṣaḍjaṛṣabhagāndhāramadhyamapañcamadhaivataniṣādāś cetīṣṭāniṣṭaśabdasaṃjñāḥ praṇidhānād daśavidhā bhavanti ||

Why is the body said to be composed of five? Because there are five elements in this body (viz.), pṛṭhivī, āpas, agni, vāyu, and ākāś. In this body of five elements, what is the pṛṭhivī element? what āpas? what agni? what vāyu? and what ākāś? Pṛṭhivī is said to be that which is hard; āpas is said to be that which is liquid; agni is said to be that which is hot; vāyu is that, which moves; ākāś is that which is full of holes (or tubes). Of these, pṛṭhivī is seen in supporting (objects), āpas in cohesion, ṭejas (or agni) in making forms visible, vāyu in moving, ākāś chiefly in avakāśa (viz., giving space). (Then what are the five objects of sense, etc.?) The ear exists in sound, the skin in touch, the eye in forms, the tongue in taste, and the nose in odour. (Then) the mouth (exists) in speech, the hand in lifting, the feet in walking, the anus in excreting, and the genitals in enjoying. (Then) through buḍḍhi, one knows and determines; through manas, he thinks and fancies; through chiṭṭa, he recollects; through ahaṅkāra, he feels the idea of 'I'. Thus these perform their respective functions.

Whence the six supports? There are six kinds of rasas (essences or tastes)—sweet, sour, saltish, bitter, astringent, and pungent. The body depends upon them while they depend upon the body. There are six changes of state (viz.), the body exists, is born, grows, matures, decays, and dies. And there are also six chakras (wheels) depending on the ḍhāmāni (nerves), (viz.), mūlāḍhāra, svāḍhishthāna, maṇipūraka, anāhaṭa, viśuḍḍhi, and ājñā. Also the guṇas are six—kāma (passion) and others and śama (mental restraint) and others; there being properly—association (with the former) and devotion (to the latter). Then there are seven kinds of sounds, (viz.), shadja (sa), ṛshabha (ri), gānḍhāra (ga), maḍhyama (ma), pañchama (pa), ḍaivaṭa (da), and nishāḍa (ni), which are stated to be seven agreeable and disagreeable ones; and there are seven kinds of ḍhāṭus having seven colours, (viz.), śukla (white), rakṭa (red), kṛshṇa (dark-blue or indigo), ḍhūmra (blue), pīṭa (yellow), kapila (orange-red), and pāṇdara (yellowish white). In whomsoever these substances arise and increase, the rasa (essence) is the cause of the one following and so on (as stated below). (These) rasas are six in number; from the rasas (probably chyme) arises blood: from blood, flesh; from flesh, fat; from fat, bones; from bones, marrow; and from marrow, śukla (the male seminal fluid). From the union of śukla and śoṇiṭa (the female vital energy), occurs garbha (conception in the womb). Being stationed in the heart, it is led. In the heart of persons, (there is) an internal agni; in the seat of agni, there is bile; in the seat of bile, there is vāyu; in the seat of vāyu, is hṛḍya (heart or Āṭmā).