[these form the 21st to 25th Tattvas] = total twenty five Tattvas. [5 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1
- 1 + 5 + 5 = 25.]
Atharva Veda’s Narad Parivrajak Upanishad, Canto 6, verse no. 2, stanza no. 6
enumerates the twenty-five Tattwas as follows—“The subtle body has twenty-five
components or parts or organs called the Tattwas (elements), and they are the
following—the five perceptions (of smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch), the five
faculties of action (accepting, going, speaking, sensual or sexual awareness and the
desire to excrete or eliminate waste), the five Prans (i.e. the vital winds or airs that
sustain life inside the body—Pran or breath, Apaan, Samaan, Vyan and Udaan), the
five objects of perception (things seen, things heard, things smelt, things tasted and
things felt), the four Antahakarans (i.e. the four aspects of the inner self which are
Mana or mind, Buddhi or intellect, Chitta or sub-conscious, and Ahankar or ego), and
one un-manifest Prakriti (or the latent, hidden but inherent nature and temperament of
a creature). [Refer also to Mahopanishad, 1/4 – 6 of Sam Veda tradition.]”
The Shaarirako-panishad of Krishna Yajur Veda, in its verse no. 18-20, describes
the twenty five elements of creation at the macro level of creation. To quote—“The
five gross organs of perception present in the body such as the ear, skin, eye, tongue
and nose make up the five gross units or elements of creation at the micro level of the
body of the creature. [Total 5 organs of perception.]
Then there are the five organs of action such as the anus, genital, hand, leg and
speech (mouth). These are the five gross organs which add their count to the number
of elements or units or dimensions that exist in this creation at the micro level. [Total
5 organs of action.]
Besides these, there are the five subtle sense perceptions such as the perceptions
of hearing (relevant to the ear), feeling or touching (relevant to the skin), seeing
various forms and shapes (relevant to the eye and the faculty of sight), taste (relevant
to the tongue) and smell (relevant to the nose). [Total 5 senses of perception.]
Thus the tally comes to twenty three elements of creation as follows—8 Vikaars^1 - 5 organs of perceptions^2 + 5 organs of action^3 + 5 senses of perceptions^4 = total 23
(18-19).
The twenty fourth element or unit or dimension of creation is said to be the
invisible and un-manifest cosmic Nature. [This brings the tally to 23 + 1 =24.]
And finally, there is the ultimate chief Authority of creation, called the supreme
Purush, the Supreme Being, who forms the last unit of creation. This entity is
immutable and indivisible, it is non-dual and eternal, it is infinite and imperishable,
and it is all-pervading, all-incorporating and all-encompassing. Therefore there is
nothing beyond it to count; it is the final frontier; there is nothing that exists beyond it
that can be counted as an independent entity superseding the Chief Purush.
Thus we come to the total tally of twenty five elements. [The tally is arrived as
follows—23 elements + 1 invisible and un-manifest cosmic Nature called Prakriti + 1
Supreme Being called Brahm or the Viraat Purush = total 25 elements.]
In this way, the entire universe or cosmos is made up of twenty five elements.”
{^1 The eight Vikaars according to verse no. 17 of the Shaarirak Upanishad of
Krishna Yajur Veda, they are the following— They are the following—one Mana
(mind) + one Buddhi (intellect) + one Ahankar (pride and arrogance) + one Akash
element + one air element + one fire element + one water element + one earth
element = total of eight elements that cast their shadow on the purity of Nature (just
like the shadow of the earth casts its shadow on the bright moon to result in the lunar
eclipse).
(^2) The five organs of perception are the following—ear, eye, nose, tongue and skin.
(^3) The five organs of action are the following—hand, leg, mouth, genitals and
excretory.
(^4) The five perceptions are the following—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and
touching.}