Five Tattvas
Skt., pancatattva; five qualitiesAlthough India does have a term for the 'Five Elements' (Skt., mahabhutas) as they are known in Western Alchemy, the major 'elemental' system is known as pancatattva; speaking of nature's qualities rather than elements in the sense of substances. Although this constitutes a marked difference in philosophical conceptualization, the tattvas are usually regarded as equivalents to the five elements known in the West (a system that has actually heavily borrowed from the East). The 5th Western element ether then corresponds to the space in the Indian tattva's and in the Tibetan system deriving from it.
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Tejas Fire  Red triangle fiery, vital Skt., tejah |
Apas Water  silver crescent liquid, fluid Skt., apas |
Vaju Air  Blue circle wind, air Skt., vayu |
Prithivi Earth  Yellow square wide, extended Skt., prthvi |
Akasha Space  Black egg all-pervading Skt., akasa |