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SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBER 5
booklet compiled by Lalitha Venkat for Anita Ratnam (Artistic Director, Arangham Dance Theatre)
Source: Internet

HINDUISM
*  Pancha Rudra  represent the five faces of Rudra (Lord Shiva) and they are sadyojatam (West);  vaamadevam (North); aghora (South); tatpurusha (East) and eesaana  (Oordvaa - looking up).

*  PanchAkshara, the holy five syllables (literally holy five letters) is the supreme mantra of devotees of Lord Shiva. As the name suggests it is made up of five syllables. This great mantra is namaH shivAya. The five syllables in this mantra are na - maH - shi - vA - ya. 

*  The Holy Five Syllables namaH shivAya is the heart of the Vedas. It is the core of the very famous chapter that stands in the middle of the Vedas - the shata rudrIyam or rudra sUktam. This great mantra of Veda Samhita while hailing the God as the Lord of everything of the worlds, salutes the God as namaH shivAya cha shivatarAya cha.

*  The Dance of Shiva - the Nataraja figure represents panchakriya, the 5 activities of God - Srishti (overlooking, creation and evolution), Sthithi (preservation and support), Samhara (destruction, evolution), Tirobhava (veiling, embodiment, illusion and also giving rest), Anugraha (release, salvation, grace). The importance of the 5 activities and the 5 elements is represented in each detail. Nataraja’s nose symbolizes air, his face - the earth, his third eye - the fire, the radiance of his face - the sky, the hair - water.  Separately considered, these are the activities of Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheswara and Sadashiva.


*  Kali Yantra - The encompassing circle is avidya (ignorance); the eight petalled lotus is the eight-fold Prakriti consisting of earth, water, fire, air, ether, manas (mind), buddhi (intellect) and ahamkara (egoism); the five triangles are the five jnanendriyas (jnana - knowledge; indriyas - senses), the five karmendriyas (motor organs) and the five pranas (breathing activities); and the bindu which is pure consciousness reflected in maya in the bija.

*  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). 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.

*  The five-pointed star is the signet of Vishnu.

*  The four arms of every Hindu Deity are the emblems of the four preceding manifestations of our earth from its invisible state, while its head typifies the fifth and last Kalki-Avatar, when this would be destroyed, and the power of Budh - Wisdom (with the Hindus, of Brahma), will be again called into requisition to manifest itself - as a Logos - to create the future world.

*  Pancha Suktham are the five prayers addressed to Lord Vishnu and His consorts - Purusha Suktham, Narayana Suktham, Sri Suktham, Bhu Suktham, Neela Suktham.

*  According to Hindu mythology, Paanchajanya, the first Dakshinavrutha Sankham, emerged during the churning of the Ksheerasagara (ocean of milk) by the devas (gods) and asuras (demons). As it rose out of the ocean, its tremendous decibel frightened the asuras who appealed to Vishnu to save them. Lord Vishnu obliged, taking charge of the conch shell.  The primordial sound of creation, that is the Omkar or Pranavanadham, was thereby controlled. Hence forth, it became a part of Vishnu's five weapons.


*  According to Hanumath Prakaranam in Sri Vidyarnavatantram, Anjaneya has five faces (Pancha Mukha) and ten weapons. The five faces are that of Hanuman, Narasimha, Adivaraha, Hayagriva, and Garuda. There is a belief that one of the faces is that of Sri Vinayaka.  He is a great yogi (mystic) having transcended the five senses (Pancha Indriyas).

- In Kamba Ramayanam (in Tamil), the significance of number five is beautifully narrated as follows: The son of one of the five (son of wind – that is Pavana Thanaya- Hanuman), crossed one of the five (water – the ocean), through one of the five (sky), met the daughter of one of the five (daughter of the earth – Sita Devi), burnt down Lanka by one of the five (fire). Here five means the five elements.

- Sundara Kandam, which highlights the heroic exploits of Lord Hanuman at Lanka is the fifth canto in the Ramayana. Therefore, it is considered auspicious to go around His idol 5 times, 14 times, 23 times, 32 times or with such numbers the digits of which add to five.

*  Panchabhoothas are the five bhoothas referred as akasa (sky), vayu (air), agni (fire), jala (water), and prithvi (earth). The qualities of akasa, vayu, agni, jala, and prithvi are sound, touch, form, taste, and smell respectively.

* Panchabhootha Stalams: Shiva is worshipped as the embodiment of the primary elements at
Kalahasthi temple - Vayu (air)
Thiruvanaikovil temple - Apa (water)
Thiruvannamalai temple - Tejas (fire)
Kanchi Ekambareswarar temple - Prithvi (earth)
Chidambaram Nataraja temple - Akas (ether)

*  Panchalingams - 5 Siva temples in Karnataka - Vaidyeshsara,  Arkeshwara, Vasukishwara or Pataleshwara, Saikateshwara or Maraleshwara and Mallikarjuna. These five Lingams are said to represent the five faces of Shiva.

*  Five Arama kshetras of Andhra Pradesh, sacred to Shiva - Draksharama, Kumararama, Ksheerarama, Bheemarama and Amararama.

*  Pancha pathi (Tamil:The five abodes of God) are the five important pilgrim centers of Ayyavazhi religion. The first pathi is Swamithope pathi itself and is the head quarters of Ayyavazhi. The other pathis are Muttappathi, Thamaraikulampathi, Ambalappathi and Pooppathi.

*  Pancha Ishwaram: Temples, important landmarks of  ancient Ceylon. They were Thiruketheeshwaram and Muneshwaram temples in the West, Thondeshwaram in the South, Koneshwaram in the East and Naguleshwaram in the North.

*  Pancha-Prakara is the layout of standard temple architecture. The five (Pancha) enclosures (Prakaras) around the Sanctum.

*  Panchagavya 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.

*  The five fold offering (Panchopachara) - of Gandha (sandal paste), Pushpa (flowers), Dhupa (fragrance), Deepa (lights) and Naivedya (food) – are submission to the Lord with a request to direct our five senses towards the good and God.

* The entire ritual of daily worship is broadly classified into five - (1) aasana, welcoming the divinity to partake the worship; (2) sthapana, seating and invoking life force into the deity; (3) sannidhi karana, establishing proper communication with the deity; (4) archana, main worship; and (5) visarjana, bidding farewell.

*  Panchaamritam:  It is a mixture of choice fruits namely banana, dates, grapes, jack, mango etc. and amritam meaning nectar.

*  Five is the quinary groups of the world; the five elements of the subtle and coarse states; their primary colors; of senses; five faces of Siva and the twice-five incarnations of Vishnu.

*  The Five Books of Law: The high-priest Hilkiah is said to have found the Book of the Law, the Hindu Puranas (Scriptures) which were known to the Assyrians. These had for many centuries held dominion from the Hellespont to the Indus. The learned Brahmans, says Sir William Jones, pre-tend that five conditions are requisite to constitute a real purana:
1. To treat of the creation of matter in general.
2. To treat of the creation or production of secondary material and spiritual beings.
3. To give a chronological abridgment of the great periods of time.
4. To give a genealogical abridgment of the principal families that reigned over the country.
5. Lastly, to give the history of some great man in particular."