I.

The Tatwas ~
The tatwas are the five modifications of the great Breath. Acting upon prakriti, this
Great breath throws it into five states, having distinct vibratory motions, and
performing different functions. The first outcome of the Evolutionary State
of parabrahma is the akasa tatwa. After this come in order the vayu, the taijas,
the apas and the prithivi. They are variously known as mahabhutas. The
word akasa is generally translated into English by the word ether. Unfortunately,
however, sound is not known to be the distinguishing quality of ether in modern
English Science. Some few might also have the idea that the modern medium of light
is the same as akasa. This, I believe, is a mistake. The luminiferous ether is the
subtletaijas tatwa, and not the akasa. All the five subtle tatwas might no doubt be
called ethers, but to use it for the word akasa, without any distinguishing epithet, is
misleading. We might call akasa the sonoriferous ether, the vayu the tangiferous
ether, apas the gustiferous ether, and prithivi the odoriferous ether. Just as there exists
in the universe the luminiferous ether, an element of refined mater without which it
has been found that the phenomena of light find no adequate explanation, so do there
exist the four remaining ethers, elements of refined matter, without which it will be
found that the phenomena of sound, touch, taste and smell find no adequate
explanation.
The luminiferous ether is supposed by Modern Science to be Matter in a most refined
state. It is the vibrations of this element that are said to constitute light. The vibrations
are said to take place at right angles to the direction of the wave. Nearly the same is
the description of the taijas tatwa given in the book. It makes this tatwa move in an
upward direction, and the center of the direction is, of course, the direction of the
wave. Besides, it says that one whole vibration of this element makes the figure of a
triangle.
Suppose in the figure:

AB is the direction of the wave; BC is the direction of the vibration. CA is the line
along which, seeing that in expansion the symmetrical arrangements of the atoms of a
body are not changed, the vibrating atom must return to its symmetrical position in the
line AB.
The taijas tatwa of the Ancients is then exactly the luminiferous ether of the Moderns,
so far as the nature of the vibration is concerned. There is no exception, however, of
the four remaining ethers, at all events in a direct manner, in Modern Science. The
vibrations of akasa, the soniferous ether, constitute sound; and it is quite necessary to
recognize the distinctive character of this form of motion.
The experiment of the bell in a vacuum goes to prove that the vibrations of
atmosphere propagate sound. Any other media, however, such as the earth and the
metals, are known to transmit sound in various degrees. There must, therefore, be
some one thing in all these media which gives birth to sound -- the vibration that
constitutes sound. That something is the Indian akasa.
But akasa is all-pervading, just as the luminiferous ether. Why, then, is not sound
transmitted to our ears when a vacuum is produced in the bell-jar? The real fact is that
we must make a difference between the vibrations of the elements that constitute
sound and light, etc., and the vibrations in the media which transmit these impressions
to our senses. It is not the vibrations of the ethers -- the subtle tatwas -- that cause our
perceptions, but the ethereal vibrations transferred to different media, which are so
many modifications of gross matter -- the sthula Mahabhutas. The luminiferous ether
is present just as much in a darkened room as in the space without. The minutest space
within the dimensions of the surrounding walls themselves is not void of it. For all
this the luminosity of the exterior is not present in the interior. Why? The reason is
that our ordinary vision does not see the vibrations of the luminiferous ether. It only
sees the vibrations of the media that the ether pervades. The capability of being set
into ethereal vibrations varies with different media. In the space without the darkened
room the ether brings the atoms of the atmosphere into the necessary state of visual
vibration, and one wide expanse of light is presented to our view. The same is the case
with every other object that we see. The ether that pervades the object brings the
atoms of that object into the necessary state of visual vibration. The strength of the
ethereal vibrations that the presence of the sun imparts to the ether pervading our
planet is not sufficient to evoke the same state in the dead matter of the darkening
walls. The internal ether, divided from the eternal one by this dead mass, is itself cut
off from such vibrations. The darkness of the room is thus the consequence,
notwithstanding the presence therein of the luminiferous ether. An electric spark in the
vacuum of a bell-jar must needs be transmitted to our eyes, because the glass of the jar
which stands in contact with the internal luminiferous ether has a good deal of the
quality of being put into the state of visual vibration, which from thence is transmitted

to the external ether and thence to the eye. The same would never be the case if we
were to use a porcelain or an earthen jar. It is this capability of being put into the state
of visual vibrations that we call transparency in glass and similar objects.
To return to the soniferous ether (akasa): Every form of gross matter has, to a certain
extent, which varies with various forms, what we may call auditory transparency.
Now I have to say something about the nature of the vibrations. Two things must be
understood in this connection. In the first place the external form of the vibration is
something like the hole of the ear:

It throws matter which is subject to it, into the form of a dotted sheet:

These dots are little points, rising above the common surface so as to produce
microscopic pits in the sheet. It is said to move by fits and starts (sankrama), and to
move in all directions (sarvatogame). It means to say that the impulse falls back upon
itself along the line of its former path, which lies on all sides of the direction of the
wave:

It will be understood that these ethers produce in gross media vibrations similar to
their own. The form, therefore, into which the auditory vibrations throw the
atmospheric air is a true clue to the form of the ethereal vibration. And the vibrations
of atmospheric air discovered by Modern Science are similar.

Now we come to the tangiferous ether (vayu). The vibrations of this ether are
described as being spherical in form, and the motion is said to be at acute angles to the
wave (tiryak). Such is the representation of these vibrations on the plane of the paper:

The remarks about the transmission of sound in the case of akasa apply here
too, mutatis mutandis. The gustiferous ether (apas tatwa) is said to resemble in shape
the half moon. It is, moreover, said to move downward. This direction is opposite to
that of the luminiferous ether. This force therefore causes contraction. Here is the
representation of the apas vibrations on the plane of paper:

The process of contraction will be considered when I come to the qualities of

This is said to move in the middle. It neither moves at right angles, nor at acute
angles, nor upwards, nor downwards, but it moves along the line of the wave. The line
and the quadrangle are in the same plane.
These are the forms, and the modes of motion, of the five ethers.
Of the five sensations of men, each of these gives birth to one, thus:
(1) Akasa, Sonorifierous ether, Sound; (2) Vayu, Tangiferous ether, Touch;
(3) Taijas, Luminfierous ether, Color; (4) Apas, Gustiferous ether, Taste; (5) Prithivi,
Odoriferous ether, Smell.

In the process of evolution, these co-existing ethers, while retaining their general,
relative forms and primary qualities, contract the qualities of the other tatwas. This is
known as the process of panchikarana, or division into five.
If we take, as our book does, H, P, R, V and L to be the algebraic symbols for (1), (2),
(3), (4), and (5), respectively, after panchikarana the ethers assume the following
forms:

One molecule of each ether, consisting of eight atoms, has four of the original
principle ethers, and one of the remaining four.
The following table will show the five qualities of each of
the tatwas after panchikarana:
(1) H
(2) P
(3) R
(4) V
(5) L

Sound
ordinary
very light
light
heavy
deep

Touch
Taste
Color
Smell

...
...
cool
acid
light blue acid
very hot hot
red
hot
cool
astringent white
astringent
warm
sweet
yellow
sweet

It might be remarked here that the subtle tatwas exist now in the universe on four
planes. The higher of these planes differ from the lower in having a greater number of
vibrations per second. The four planes are:

(1) Physical (Prana); (2) Mental (Manas); (3) Psychic (Vijnana); (4) Spiritual
(Ananda)
I shall discuss, however, some of the secondary qualities of these tatwas.
(1) Space ~ This is a quality of the akasa tatwa. It has been asserted that the vibration
of this ether is shaped like the hole of the ear, and that in the body thereof are
microscopic points (vindus). It follows evidently that the interstices between the
points serve to give space to ethereal minima, and offer them room for locomotion
(avakasa).
(2) Locomotion ~ This is the quality of the vayu tatwa. Vayu is a form of motion itself,
for motion in all directions is motion in a circle, large or small. The vayu tatwa itself
has the form of spherical motion. When to the motion which keeps the form of the
different ethers is added to the stereotyped motion of the vayu, locomotion is the
result.
(3) Expansion ~ This is the quality of the taijas tatwa. This follows evidently from the
shape and form of motion which is given to this ethereal vibration. Suppose ABC is a
lump of metal:

If we apply fire to it, the luminiferous ether in it is set in motion, and that drives the
gross atoms of the lump into similar motion. Suppose (a) is an atom. This being
impelled to assume the shape of the taijas, vibration goes towards (a), and then takes
the symmetrical position of (a'). Similarly does every point change its place round the
center of the piece of metal. Ultimately the whole piece assumes the shape of ABC.
Expansion is thus the result.
(4) Contraction ~ This is the quality of the apas tatwa. As has been remarked before,
the direction of this ether is the reverse of the agni, and it is therefore easy to
understand that contraction is the result of the play of this tatwa.
(5) Cohesion ~ This is the quality of the prithivi tatwa. It will be seen that this is the
reverse of akasa. Akasa gives room for locomotion, while prithivi resists it. This is the

natural result of the direction and shape of this vibration. It covers up the spaces of
the akasa.
(6) Smoothness ~ This is a quality of the apas tatwa. As the atoms of any body in
contraction come near each other and assume the semi-lunar shape of the apas, they
must easily glide over each other. The very shape secures easy motion for the atoms.
This, I believe, is sufficient to explain the general nature of the tatwas. The different
phases of their manifestation on all the planes of life will be taken up in their proper
places.