XIII. The Pentads &c., of Om.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
The Pentads of Om. The quintuples of om are composed of five letters or divisions of the symbolical circle, standing for so many different things each of which forms a part of the whole, and is called an Om. The five parts are, A, U, M, O and the náda—the nasal half circle above.
1. The Five Vital Airs. पञ्च प्राणाः । Respiration, flatulence, circulation, pulsation and assimilation, commonly known by the names of Prána, Apána, Vyána, Udána and Samána.
2. The Five Caverns. पञ्च कोषाः ।Pancha koshas or sheaths of the soul, folding one over the other “like the coats of an onion”. 1. The sheath of the intellect. 2. The sheath of the mind. 3. The sheath of breathing. 4. The subtle and corporeal bodies. 5. The sheath of Supreme bliss, not admitted by all. (बिज्ञानमय, मनोमय, प्राणमय, अन्नमय, आनन्दमय कोषाः ।)
3. The Five Internal organs, senses and their objects. पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियाणि । The ear, eye, skin, nose and tongue, of hearing, sight, feeling, smell and taste. Their five objects—sound, colour, touch, savour and smell. (श्रोत्रत्वक् चक्षु जिह्व घ्राणानि तथा शब्द स्पर्षरूप रसगन्धानि ।)
4. The Five external Do. पञ्च कर्म्मेन्द्रियानि । The voice, hands, feet, the organs of generation and secretion are organs of action. बाक्पाणि पाद पायूपस्थानि बहिरिन्द्रियाणि । पूर्ब्बोक्तानि अन्तर बा बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि ।
5. The Five Elements. पञ्च भूतानि । Earth, air, fire, water and ether. क्षित्यप् तेजो मरुद्व्योम पञ्च महाभूतानि ।
6. The Five classes of Ignorance. 1. Obscurity (तमस्), 2. Illusion(मोह), 3. Extreme illusion(महामोहः), 4. Gloom (तमिस्र), 5. Utter gloom (अन्ध तमसः).
1. The six letters of Hexads or sextuples. The sextuples of Om are composed of a, u, o, m, the Vindu, cypher, and the náda; and according to another account, the Ardha mátrá of Om is the fourth and the Vindu and náda the fifth and sixth aksharas. (Weber’s Ráma Tapaníya p. p. 292, & 312. Cowell’s Maitrí Up. p. 271).
2. The 6 Organs. The five organs of sense; viz the nose, tongue, the eye, ear, skin and the mind. (Gotama Sutra I. 1, 12). But according to others the mind is not reckoned an organ.
3. Other Sextuples The six seasons (षडृतवः), the six flavours (षड्रसाः), the six musical modes (षड्रागः), the six Vedángas; but I never met a passage of their being preceded by Om.
1. The Heptads or Septuples. The Septuples are formed by a, u, o, m, Vindu, náda and Sánta or ultimate silence, and these are used to symbolise the pantheistic form of the god Viráj, in the following description of him given by Sankara.
2. The 7 Parts of Viráj Body. “His head—the heavens; his eye—the sun; his breath—the wind; his center—the ether; his urine—the water; his feet—the earth; his mouth the fire.” Anquetil gives the five senses, the mind and intellect as his seven members. (Weber’s Indian Studien. Vol. II. p. 107).
3. The Other Heptads. According to other accounts there is a sevenfold septuples included in the figure Om comprising the Universe. The first trisaptaka or triplex septuple comprises the seven spheres of heaven, the seven pátálas or infernal regions, and the seven Bhuvanas of earth. The second trisapta consists of the sapta dwípas or seven continents of the earth, the seven oceans, and the seven planets; and lastly the sapta swara or the seven notes emitted by the planetary motions.
The Octads or octuples. The octuples consist of the aforesaid seven parts and the sákti or word namo added to them at the end, and are used as symbols of Viráj for the five vital airs, or the five organs of action and those of intellect i. e. the mind, intellect and self consciousness or chítta.
The Nonads. These are nine cavities of the body नबद्वारगृह the abode of Brahma.
The Decads. These are the ten internal and external organs (पञ्चकर्म्मेन्द्रिय and पञ्चबुद्धीन्द्रिय) of the body—the seats of Brahma.