The Formation of the
Tanmatras
Eteshaam pancha-tattvaanaam madhye,
aakaashasya saatvikaamshaat shrotra indriyam sambhootam;
vaayoh saatvikaamshaat tvak indriyam sambhootam;
agneh saatvikaamshaat chakshuh indriyam sambhootam;
jalasya saatvikaamshaat rasana indriyam sambhootam;
prithivyaah saatvikaamshaat ghraana indriyam sambhootam;
Among these five Great
Tanmatras or subtle elements,
from the Sattvic aspect
of Space, the organ of hearing (ear) evolved;
from the Sattvic aspect
of Air, the organ of touch (skin) evolved;
from the Sattvic aspect
of Fire, the organ of sight (eye) evolved;
from the Sattvic aspect
of Water, the organ of taste (tongue) evolved;
from the Sattvic aspect
of Earth, the organ of smell (nose) evolved;
The
first set (of eleven) comprises manas (mind),
five buddhi-indriyas (five senses of perception: hearing, touching,
seeing, tasting and smelling) and five karma- indriyas (five organs
of action or rather the functioning of these five organs: speech, apprehension,
locomotion, excretion and procreation). The set of eleven represents the first
stage of man’s contact with the world.
It
is characterized as sattvic-ahamkara; meaning its components are predominantly
of sattva nature.
The
second set of five (out of the group of sixteen mentioned above) consists the
five subtle elements (tanmatras): shabda, sparsha, rupa, rasa and gandha (elemental
sound, touch, form, taste and smell).
This
set of five is characterized by rajasa, the Guna of action.
The
function of the rajasa Ahamkara is to motivate two other Gunas
to be creative.
From
out of the second set consisting five subtle elements,
emerges Bhutas a set of five gross elements, the basic elements of
nature: earth, water, fire, air and space (pancha-bhuta) leading to the gross
or external world.
This
set of five gross elements is said to be tamasa-ahamkara, meaning they are
the forms of Ahamkara characterized by predominance of the
Guna tamas.
Because
of the predominance of tamas, the Bhutas or material elements
are incapable of reflecting intelligence. They are therefore called insentient
matter.
The
gross elements are produced by various combinations of subtle elements.
To
illustrate:
For Space, the
quality of sound alone is supported.
For Air, the
quality of touch is added, so there is sound and touch.
For Fire, the
quality of form is added, so there is in fire sound, touch and
form.
For Water, the
quality of taste is added; it supports sound, touch, form and
taste.
For Earth, the
quality of smell is added; earth supports all the above five
qualities.
THE SATTVA
EVOLUTES
Note carefully that in
the following verse we are only speaking of the subtle senses, not the physical
sense organs. Hence instead of “ear” we are translating it as the faculty
of hearing. The organ is only placed in brackets as a reference to this
faculty.
We take note that the
organs of knowledge are built of the Sattvic aspect. There is no Rajas or Tamas
in them. That is a characteristic of knowledge. Knowledge indicates the
presence of Sattva. To know anything requires Sattva, the most refined of the
three qualities. It is not the gross physical organs of knowledge that know
anything, but it is their subtle equivalents in the subtle body.
And when we say five
subtle elements, which component must be responsible?
The Sattva Guna which
stands for Jnana Shakti. The Sattva Guna components of the five elements are
responsible for the generation of the five sense organs of knowledge.
What is the order of
generation?
- The Sattva Guna
component of Space is responsible for ears
- The Sattva Guna
component of Air is the generator of skin
- The Sattva Guna
component of Fire is the generator of Eye
- The Sattva Guna
component of Water is the generator of Tongue
- The Sattva Guna
component of Earth is the generator of Nose
Love.
