Ashtottaram # 81 81) OṀ PANĊHABHŨTĀRĀDHANABHŨMYAI NAMAH:

By: Devakinanda Ji

OṀ(AUM)-PAN-ĊHA-BHOO-TAA-RAA-DHA-NA-BHOO-MYAI—NA-MA-HA

ॐ पञ्चभूताराधनभूम्यै नमः

(Panćha Bhūtās: Five fundamental elements of creation; Ārādhana: Worship, service)

The words Pancha bhūta refer to the five fundamental elements: prithvī (earth), āp (water), tejas (fire), vāyu (air), and ākāśa (ether/space), the permutations and combinations of which result in this physical universe. These bhūtās have two aspects, the primary and the secondary. In the primary aspect they are sūkshmabhūtās or tanmātrās. They arise from the Ātman associated with ajnāna or nescience and are called so since each of them contains only that quality. For instance, the primordial element ākāśa has only śabda (sound or vibration) as its characteristic and hence is called the śabda^–tanmātra. The other primordial elements are: sparśa tanmātra (vāyu or air), rūpa tanmātra (Agni or fire), rasa- tanmātra (āpa or water) and gandha- tanmātra (prithvī or earth).

When these primordial elements combine among themselves by the process of panćī^–karaṇa or quintuplication, they produce the secondary elements, the gross ones, more commonly called the mahābhūtās or sṭhūla bhūtas. Further creation takes place out of them, associated of course, with the Ātman.

There are different meanings for the term bhūta. The word is also applied to all living beings as a general term. Another meaning is spirits, ghosts, and goblins. One of the eight sections of Āyurveda is designated as Bhūtavidya.

With their power of tapas (austerities) and divine vision, our ancient sages realized that these fundamental elements are not jaḍam (inert objects) and they have power and energy. They are the manifestations of Almighty (Parabrahman). The ṟishis gave them rūpas (forms) and imparted that knowledge to us, and gave us the hymns to worship these five fundamental elements. To date, every Hindu worships Ganga (water), Agni (fire), and Earth (as the deity-Bhūmāta). In the Panćhāksharī mantram, all these panćhabhūtās are embedded. When there is famine, or drought, our priests perform homams (fire rituals) for the welfare of humanity. Dhārmic and ritualistic Hindus, as soon as they get up from bed at dawn, before they even touch the ground with their feet, recite a hymn to the Earth goddess, asking her permission to walk on her. That's the kind of respect and understanding we have about the panchabhūtas.

Our land is 'Panćhabhūtārādhana Bhūmi'.