Awareness, being the instrument of knowing, had to know what was happening during the process of creation. This thirst for knowledge paved way for the creation of the basic principles for the formulation of the senses. Thus, as Ether evolved, along evolved the principles for the evolution of the sense which can detect the presence of the Ether element. That sense was hearing. For knowing Ether, the sense of hearing evolved.
Why did Kapila connect hearing with Ether? He knew space is needed for sound to travel. Modern science has advanced to the extent that we know air is needed for sound to travel. But Kapila traced the medium through which sound could travel to space which is absolutely essential for the movement of Air. He was attempting to go beyond sound in his search and saw that the subtler aspect of sound was the echo. He arrived at the conclusion that Ether was needed as a supporting background for the subtler sound, echo, to exist. So, the subtle aspect of sound is the echo and the subtle sense that can understand sound is the sense of hearing, says Kapila. In the same way, along with the evolution of the Air element, the subtle monad, the thermal sense of touch, evolved. From Fire, the sense of vision evolved. Heat, fire and light are inseparable phenomena. Thus, to know the fire element, the sense of vision evolved. From the water element, the principle of the evolution of the sense of taste evolved. From the Earth element, the principles for the creation of the sense of smell evolved.
In this way, from each of the elements, corresponding principles for the formulation of relevant senses of knowing evolved. All the above senses evolved from the Satwa quality which is present in the elements. Why from the Satwa quality?
As Satwa is the quality of knowledge, the sense of knowing can only evolve from the knowledge aspect present in the elements. The whole of creation started as a process initiated by Awareness. Whatever happened had to be understood at the very same moment by Awareness, as Awareness had the inherent tendency to know. Thus all the senses evolved are from the Satwa quality, which is contained within the elements.
From the Rajasic quality, which is also present in the elements, the principles of the creation of work organs evolved as the Rajasic quality is the quality of passion and activity. From the Rajasic quality present in the Ether element, the principles of the creation of the sound-producing organ, the mouth, evolved.
The Rajasic quality present in the Air element gave rise to the principles for the formulation of the manipulative organ which can expand, create and dominate—the hands evolved as Air represents expansion and movement.
From the Rajasic quality present in the Fire element, the principle for the creation of a locomotive organ, the legs, evolved. This organ always creates friction and fire, when it moves on the surface of earth.
The Rajasic quality present in the Water element gave rise to the principles for the evolution of the organs of procreation came into being. Procreative organs are naturally associated with the water element in the eye of Sankhya considering the fact that life originated in water. And thanks to the Rajasic quality present in the Earth element, the principles for the formulation of an excretory organ evolved.
Energy was needed for the functioning of all these organs. This energy or Prana also evolved from the Rajasic quality present in the elements. Prana has different names based on the different functions it performs – Apana, Samana, Prana, Udana and Vyana. We will go into the details of the different functions of Prana later.
