Elements

Traditional Indian cosmology holds that
there are five basic elements, four of
which are similar to those found in
medieval European conceptions: earth,
fire, water, and wind (as moving air that
is perceptible to human beings). The
fifth element, akasha, has no readily
understandable correlate to European
ideas. It is generally translated as
“space” and is considered to pervade
the environment around us, filling the
empty spaces. An unusual feature in
Indian cosmology is that each of these
elements is associated with a particular
sense: earth with smell, fire with sight,
water with taste, wind with touch, and
akasha with hearing.