CONCEPTS OF VEDANTA
Creation of the subtle elements

    Taitt.up.2.1.1.S.B.-tasmaad etasmaad brahmaNaH aatma- svaruupaat----- From that Brahman, which is identical with the indwelling self, aakaas'a, space, was created.
aakaas'a means, that which is possessed of the attribute of sound and provides space
for all things that have form. From that aakaas'a was born vaayu, air, which has two attributes, namely, its own quality, touch, and sound, the quality of its cause, aakaas'a. From air was produced agniH, fire, with three qualities, namely, its own quality, colour
and the qualities of air and space. From fire was born aapah, water, with its own quality, taste, and the qualities of fire, air and space. From water was produced the element, pr.thivii, with its own quality, smell and the qualities of water, fire, air and space. These
are the five subtle elements.

    In Ch.up.6.2.3, the creation of only three elements is mentioned, namely fire, water
and earth. S'rii S'ankara says here that it is logical to assume that, after creating space
and air, Brahman created fire. The intended meaning is that all these have originated
from sat, Existence, or Brahman and are therefore sat alone. The statement that all
these elements arose from Brahman is clarified in Panchadas'i 1.18 by saying that
these elements arose at the command of iis'vara from that aspect of prakr.ti in which
tamas predominates.
 

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