Among all the digital numbers, the number 5 assumes a great importance and vital significance due to various reasons which are historical, philosophical, religious and even astronomical. In this debate here, we will discuss these reasons in order to understand the core of the subject that has remained quite interesting from times immemorial. The subject has a tremendous context of the civilizational impact of India which makes it more fascinating and enthralling.
We often take the names like Panch-Parmeshwar, Panch-Mahabhoot, Panch-Indriya, Panch-Phoron, Panch-Prayag, Panchkarma, Pancham, Panch-Pran, Panch-Pratigya, Panch-Pandav, Panchang, Panchastavi, Panchsheel etc. ‘Panch’ literally means five and is derived from languages like Sanskrit. It is often used in terms of a Village-Council (Gram Panchayat) which we have been calling Panch for several centuries. It also refers to anything that has five ingredients or has five specific or special characteristics. Let us take them up one by one in order to know more about them and their relevance in our day to day life and the scenario in which we live and exist.
The Pancha-Mahabhutas is a philosophical conglomeration of five elements that constitute all matter in the universe recognised by Ayurveda, Samkhya, Yoga and Vedanta. These elements are: Prithvi (earth), Jala (water), Vayu (air), Agni (fire) and Aakash (space/ether). These elements determine the structure, function, qualities and emotions of beings. They form a link between the universe and the human body and in a way are a bridge between the macrocosm and the microcosm. The ancient Indian descriptive connotations in this context are elaborative and vivid and are a subject of research at many levels, both scientific and philosophical.
Panch-Parmeshwar refers to Panchayat with five members which traditionally is the Village-Council in Indian villages. During the ancient times it would be the council of elders/seniors in a village and would be known as Panch. It is recognised as the oldest form of local self-governance model. The voice of Panch would often be final and would be treated as the voice of Parmeshwar (God). Historically and in modern times, the Panch refers to an authority or an arbitrator which has now been provided the constitutional and legal standing by law of the land in India. There are regular elections being held for these Panchayats throughout the length and breadth of the country.
Panch-Indriya refers to five sensory organs namely, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Traditionally in the Indian philosophy of various hues Hindu, Jain, Ayurveda and even the other core religious contexts, Pancha-Indriyas means the five gyanendriya through which humans perceive the physical world. Shrota (hearing), Chakshu (sight), Ghrana (smell), Rasana (taste) and Sparsha (touch) are the five classical gyanendriya. In Jainism, Panchendriya Jivas are the highest order of living beings possessing all five senses like humans, elephants, lions, birds and fish.
‘Panchendriya’ in the modern Indian technological context also refers to Bharat’s first indigenously built and developed system for submarines, created by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It also refers to a hybrid wireless sensor network architecture designed for border surveillance. This system integrates five types of sensors namely, geophones, hydrophones, microphones, infrared and cameras (to detect human intrusion).
In the traditional Indian philosophy, Pancha-Prana refers to ‘pancha-vayus’ and means five vital winds or energies of life responsible for various functions of the body and mind. Prana: governs inhalation, sensory intake, and the chest/heart region, Apana: governs elimination, reproduction and downward-flowing energy in the pelvic region, Samana: governs digestion, metabolism and the assimilation of nutrients in the abdominal area, Udana: governs expression, speech, growth and upward movement toward the head and throat and Vyana: governs circulation and the distribution of energy throughout the entire body.
On August 15, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared his envisaged Panch-Pran (Five Pledges) before the nation to guide India’s forward march towards the year 2047 when India is will be a fully developed nation through the Amrit-kal of 25 years. The five pledges include: Viksit Bharat, freedom from colonial mindset, pride in indigenous heritage of Bharat, unity and solidarity and sense of duty among the citizens of India.
‘Pancham’ refers to the fifth note of Hindustani and Carnatic music. Pancham ‘pa’ is the fifth note among the saptaswaras (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni). Sometimes, we refer to anything born or produced at number five of the series also as Pancham. There was a very famous name in the Indian music R.D.Burman also known as Pancham only because his father, the legendary S.D.Burman, noted his (son’s) birth cry as the fifth note of the music ‘pa’ and nicknamed him as ‘Pancham’. The connotation of Pancham also refers to the fifth element in various literary contexts.
In the rich Sikh tradition, “panch-pyare” are the first five disciples (Shishyas or Sikhs) who obeyed the orders of Guru Gobind Singh ji, took Amrit and established the Khalsa-Panth in 1699 on the historic day of Baisakhi. The panch-pyare were: Daya Ram (Lahore-Punjab), Dharam Chand (Hastinapur-Uttar Pradesh), Himmat Rai (Puri-Orissa), Mohakkam Chand (Dwarka-Gujarat) and Sahib Chand (Bidar-Karnataka). In addition to this, the state of Punjab literally means the land of five rivers. ‘Punj’ is a derivative of Panch and ‘Aab’ is the derivative of Aapa (meaning water in Vedic Sanskrit). The Persian word Aab is taken from the Sanskrit word for water (Aapa). The five rivers of Punjab are: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas.
In Mahabharata, there were five Pandavas (sons of king Pandu) namely, Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjun, Nakul and Sehdev. They had special blessings of five gods called ‘devtas’ like Dharmarajya, Pawan, Indra and twin Ashwani Kumars. The five Pandavas are also recognised as the ‘Icha-Putras’ of these five gods and thus had their typical characteristics in their character. Yudhishthira represented steadfastness, Bhima immense strength, Arjuna the unparalleled archery & focus, Nakula exceptional handsomeness and skill and Sehdeva deep wisdom and intelligence. They were united by their commitment to Dharma (righteousness) and facing trials together and are thus an example for others.
In Biblical parlance and the Jewish tradition, five assumes significance symbolizing God’s grace, goodness and favour. It is often inked to the Pentateuch (Five books of Moses), five-fold offerings in the Temple, Jesus’s five wounds and the multiplication of 5×5 for ‘grace upon grace’. It has also a reflection on the divine provision of ‘feeding the 5,000 with five loaves’ exhibiting divine order and redemption in accordance with the structure of Torah and the Gospel of Matthew.
Panchang is the Hindu almanac-calendar and literally means five limbs or ‘five elements’. These five limbs of the panchang are: Tithi (lunar day), Vara (weekday), Nakshatra (lunar constellation/star), Yoga and Karana (half-tithi). The Panchang gives us a description about these five elements which acts as a guide for our daily activities, festivals and important life events in Vedic astrology, religious beliefs and Sanatan tradition. India has a number of functional almanacs along with the other almanacs in the world; and the oldest among them date back to more than five thousand years.
In the Buddhist lineage of traditional thinking, Panchsheel or Panchshila is a well recognised doctrine of co-existence. It has a deep impact from the Sanatana view point. Panchshila of Buddha comprises the basic teachings of conduct which are as under: No killing: Respect for life, No stealing: Respect for others’ property, No sexual misconduct: Respect for our pure nature, No lying: Respect for honesty and No intoxicants: Respect for a clear mind.
In the background of this doctrine, India and China came to an understanding in 1954 and adopted ‘Panchsheel’ as an agreement emphasizing mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful existence. It is another story that the government of China broke the mutually signed agreement immediately after its adoption and occupied Tibet and parts of Ladakh and attacked India militarily in 1962.
Panchastavi is a collection of five devotional hymns commonly practiced in Kashmir among the Sanatana believers. Panch refers to five and Stavi refers to hymns. They are in Sanskrit and are in the praise of the Divine supreme Mother called ‘Maha-Tripurasundari’ who represents the active and the creative power of the Absolute. These identify the Mother as the source (yoni) of five glories: Consciousness, Bliss, Will, Knowledge & Action. The five poems define the five activities of the Absolute: Creation, Preservation, Dissolution, Concealment and Revelation.
Panchastavi holds profound secrets of energy systems and was historically preserved in Kashmir but unknown to the world for a long time. Its chanting is believed to provide protection, prosperity and spiritual growth by raising the levels of consciousness. The creator of Panchastavi is unknown but it is sure that he or she was an ardent Shaiva who had all the ‘shades of five’ in his mind. The learned members of the Kashmiri Pandit community recite Panchastavi with great devotion and enthusiasm particularly on big occasions of spiritual and religious importance.
Panch-Prayag refers to the five confluences of rivers in the Uttarakhand state and they are all considered greatly significant in the Hindu ethos which devotees and pilgrims visit throughout the year. These are: Vishnu-Prayag, Nand-Prayag, Karna-Prayag, Rudra-Prayag and Dev-Prayag. A dip in these spiritually meaningful Sangam points is regarded highly venerable. The significant role of five is thus, both philosophical and historical and has a great meaning in the backdrop of the geographical, religious and spiritual contexts.
