SB 3.26.12 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

महाभूतानि पञ्चैव भूरापोऽग्निर्मरुन्नभ: ।

तन्मात्राणि च तावन्ति गन्धादीनि मतानि मे ॥ १२ ॥

Verse text

mahā-bhūtāni pañcaiva

bhūr āpo ’gnir marun nabhaḥ

tan-mātrāṇi ca tāvanti

gandhādīni matāni me

Synonyms

mahā-bhūtāni — the gross elements ; pañca — five ; eva — exactly ; bhūḥ — earth ; āpaḥ — water ; agniḥ — fire ; marut — air ; nabhaḥ — ether ; tat-mātrāṇi — the subtle elements ; ca — also ; tāvanti — so many ; gandha-ādīni — smell and so on (taste, color, touch and sound) ; matāni — considered ; me — by Me.

Translation

There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle elements: smell, taste, color, touch and sound.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The five great elements are earth, water, fire, air and ether. The sense objects are also considered to be five, starting with smell. Three verses describe these elements. Tāvanti (as much) indicates five.