Pancha means ‘five’ in Sanskrit. The word ‘panch’ has many references in ancient Indian literature. An attempt has been made to collect the words that are often used in India with a prefix ‘pancha’ and its heritage relevance with Indian culture .
1) Pancha Kajjaya It is a Mangalorian, South Indian dish made of Thin beaten rice, Grated coconut, White sesame seeds, jaggery and Cardamom.
2) Pancha Kosha description: According to Indian tradition, every conscious and intelligent being is equipped with Pancha Koshas, i.e., five sheaths or layers. This model is stated in the Taitriya Upanishad and interpreted in many Indian texts. These are respectively stated as follows.
(i) Annamaya Kosha means the physical body sustained by food (or Anna). This is the gross or body of the individual.
(ii) Pranamaya Kosha means the vital energies (i.e. Prana) provided by the harmonious functioning of the different components of ‘pranas’ i.e. breathing, circulation, nervous systems, digestive and inner organs like liver and glands.
(iii) Manomaya Kosha means reflex capacities, emotion, and similar functions of the mind and the system. Manomaya is responding to stimuli – both external and emotional.
(iv) Vigyanamaya Kosha means the discriminative faculty that helps in undertaking action according to what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’.
(v) Anandamaya Kosha means the sheath of bliss.
3) Panchabhoothas are the five boothas referred as akasa (sky), vayu (air), agni (fire), jala (water), and pruthvi (earth). Of these five 'akasa' is the subtlest, and 'pruthvi' the heaviest. The qualities of akasa, vayu, agni, jala, and pruthvi are sound, touch, form, taste, and smell respectively.
4) Pancha-Prakara is the layout of standard temple architecture. As the term indicates, the five (Pancha) enclosures (Prakaras) around the Sanctum which include sanctum sanctorum, Anthar-mandala, Bali-Kall, Namaskaara-mandapa etc.
5) Pancha Karma Pancha means "five" and karma means "actions" or "process". The five basic processes are: vomiting: purgatives or laxatives; medicated enemas; nasal ad-
ministration of medication and purification of the blood. These processes are cleansing to the body. mind and emotions.
6) Pancha Sila, or Pansil, of Buddha are five precepts and they are
1) I Undertake The Rule of Training of Harmlessness
2) I Undertake The Rule of Training Not to Take What is Not Given.
3) Purification of the Body
4) Purification of Speech
5) Purification of the Mind
7) Pancha nidana: Ayurveda uses five types of evaluative tools, known as the pancha nidana, to diagnose disease. Pancha means “five”, and nidana is “diagnostic methods.” These are the cause (nidana), preliminary signs (purva rupa), symptoms (rupa), exploratory methods (upashaya) and disease development (samprapti).
8) Panch ‘K’ of Sikhs. It is meant for Sikhs and theyareKesha (longhair), Kangha (comb), Kara (steel bracelet), Kaccha (short drawers) and Kirpan (sword) .
9) Panj Piare, mixing of five sweetening agents namely treacle, white sugar, red sugar, candy sugar and honey, in water
10) Panchsheel Agreement: This was basically a trade pact between China and India streamlining their bilateral trade operations in Tibet region of china and India. They are
(1) Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty;
(2) Mutual non-aggression;
(3) Mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs;
(4) Equality and mutual benefit: and
(5) Peaceful coexistence
11) Pancha Pakshi are referred in Astrology and they are Vulture, Crow, Cock, Owl and Peacock
12) Pancha Poojas: According to the traditional Vedic system, the Hindus are prescribed five daily Vedic pujas for all round prosperity and to ward off all evils. The pancha pujas are: Ganesha Pooja, Soorya pooja, Shiva Pooja, Devi Pooja and Vishnu Pooja.
13) Pancha mahayajna: There are five great daily sacrifices that are to be performed by every householder. They are: Brahma Yajna, called also Veda Yajna, sacrifice to Brahman or the Vedas or the sages; Deva Yajna, sacrifice to the celestials; (iii) Pitri Yajna, sacrifice to the manes; Bhuta Yajna, sacrifice to all the creatures; and Manushya Yajna, sacrifice to men
14) Pancha quotient: It is a modern concept for development of personality among youth and they are Aptitude, Attitude, Aspiration, Communication and Wisdom
15) Panchalokhs : The metallic frame is made of Panchdhatu or five metals i.e. gold, silver, copper, iron and brass.
16) Pancha Nadai are five different tala cycles in bharathanatiyam.
17) Pancha pandavas In the Mahabharata, panch pandavas are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu, by his two wives Kunti and Madri. The five Pandavas have distinct traits:Yudhishtira - righteous and truthful. Bhima - known for his strength, and his appetite. Arjuna - the great archer, Nakula and Sahadeva - proficient horsemen and swordsmen.
18)Pancha Suktham are the five prayers addressed to Lord Vishnu and His consorts. It is created in such a way that it creates ambience of the ancient Indian 'Gurukula' where these sacred Sukthams would be taught to the students by their Guru. The five Sukthams are Purusa Suktham, Narayana Suktham, Sri Suktham, Bhu Suktham, Neela Suktham
19) Pancha Makaras: The Pancha Tattva is essential for the worship of Sakti. The Pancha Tattvas are wine (Madya), meat (Mamsa), fish (Matsya), sign (Mudra) and sexual union (Maithuna). As they all commence with the letter M, they are vulgarly called Pancha-ma-kara or five M's. All these constitute the five elements (or the five tatva) of which the atmosphere is made. Wine is fire; flesh is air; fish is water; cereal is earth; sexual union is ether.
20) Panchagavya . It is a mixture of five products of a Cow namely, cow dung, cow’s urine, cow’s milk, curd and ghee in a regular combination. It is now-a-days used in agriculture for crop production.
21) Pancha pathi (Tamil:The five abodes of God) are the five important pilgrim centers of Ayyavazhi religion. These are also considered as the primary Pathis and as worship centers of Ayyavazhi with primary status. The first pathi is Swamithope pathi itself and is the head quarters of Ayyavazhi. The other Pathis are Muttappathi, Thamaraikulam Pathi, Ambalappathi and Pooppathi.
22) Pancha Mugha Anjaneyar means Anjaneyar with Five faces. One of the faces is Anjaneyar. The other four faces are Sri Narasimhar, Sri Garudalwar, Sri Varahar and Sri Hayagreevar. These five faces have unique characters and shakhtis to explain.
| Face |
Direction |
Objects |
| Sri Anjaneyar |
East |
riding away sorrows |
| Sri Garudalwar |
West |
prolonged life |
| Sri Varahar |
North |
good life |
| Sri Narasimhar |
South |
protection from evil things |
| Sri Hayagreevar |
Top center of all these faces |
Gnana and Bhakti |
23) Panchaamritam: It is a mixture of choice fruits namely banana, dates, grapes, jack, mango etc. and amritam means nectar.
24) Pancha Ishwaram: These five celebrated Ishwarams or Temples were important landmarks of ancient Ceylon and had India's adoration . They were Thiruketheeshwaram and Muneshwaram Temples in the West, Thondeshwaram in the South, Koneshwaram in the East and Naguleshwaram in the North in Ceylon.
25) Pancham means poverty. I presume the word ‘pancham’ may be coined as the people were devoid of or without the five resources for living namely Financial resource, Material resource, , culturalresource, social resource and health.
26) Pancha Rudra represent the five faces of Rudra (Lord Siva) and they are Sadyojatam (West); vaamadevam (North); aghora (South); tatpurusha (East) and Eesaana (Oordvaa - looking up).
Authors:
C.Swaminathan & R. Richard Kennedy from The Agricultural College & Research Institute Killikulam- 628 252, Thoothukudi District
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