Symbolism in Numbers – Number 5

Every number has a certain power which is expressed both by its symbol to denote its representation and by its connection to universal principles. Numbers have relationships with all things in nature, thus making them supremely powerful symbolic expressions.

 

Five is the symbol of human microcosm. No. 5 represents the human forms – the pentagon when arms and legs are out stretched. The pentagon is endless-sharing the symbolism of perfection and power of the circle. Five is a circular number as it produces itself in its last digit when raised to its own power.

Five is the number of balance. Five symbolizes man, health and love. It combines the female number two with the male number three. Five is the number of marriage. The Pythagoreans thought of five as “hieros gamos”, the marriage between heaven and earth.

• Five – It is a symbol for man. On a figure of man, a line joining head to outstretched arms and legs forms a pentagram. It also represents Earth.
• The number 5 is the fifth Fibonacci number, being 2 plus 3. 5 is also a Pell number and a Markov number, appearing in solutions to the Markov Diophantine equation.
• Pentagon – A polygon with five sides is a pentagon.
• Boron – The atomic number of boron is five.
• The number of appendages on most starfish, which exhibit pentamerism.
• Hurricanes – The most destructive known hurricanes rate as Category 5 on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale.
• The most destructive known tornadoes rate an F-5 on the Fujita scale.
• Fingers – Almost all amphibians, reptiles, and mammals which have fingers or toes have five of them on each extremity
• Human body has five jnanedriyas(sense organs) and five karmedriyas (functional organs)
• Five sense organs are ear, eye, nose, tongue and skin representing hearing, vision, smelling, tasting and touching.
• Five karmedriyas are Hand, legs, mouth, genital and anus and does the functions of grasping, walking, speaking, procreation and excretion.
• The Hindu calendar is called Panchang because it has five parts. They are Thithi (date), vara (day of the week), nakshatra (star), karana (half a thithi) and yoga(auspicious moments).
• 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), crossed one of the five (water – the ocean), through one of the five (sky), met 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. Therefore, it is considered auspicious to go around His idol 5 times.
• Five tantric substances are called ‘panchamakara’. They are matsya(fish), mamsa(meat), madira(wine), maithuna(sexual intercourse) and mudra(parched cereals).
• Panca Kanya – Five ideal wives as per Hindu scriptures are – Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara and Mandodhari.
• Five Great sins (Panchamahapataka) as per scriptures are – Brahma hatya (killing of a brahman), Shishu Hatya (killing of an infant), Sura Pana (drinking alcohol), Swarna steya (stealing of Gold) and Guru Talpa Gamana (having sex with Guru’s wife).
• Pancabana – Manmatha, the God of Love or lust is said to discharge five kinds of arrows of different flowers from his bow made of sugarcane stalk towards his victims to make them lovelorn.
• Pancabhutalinga – The Sivalingas in the following famous Siva temples represent the 5 elements of nature – space, air, fire, water and earth.
  • Prithvilinga – Kanchipuram
  • Ablinga – Jambukesvara
  • Tejolinga – Arunachala
  • Vayulinga – Kalahasti
  • Akasalinga – Chidambaram.
• Pancakosha – According to Yogic philosophy, the nature of human being encompasses physical and psychological aspects that function as one holistic system. The Kosha system refers to these different aspects as layers of subjective experience. Layers range from the dense physical body to the more subtle levels of emotions, mind and spirit
  • 1.Annamaya kosha, appearance due foodstuffs-sheath (Anna)
  • 2.Pranamaya kosha, appearance due energies-sheath (Prana/apana)
  • 3.Manomaya kosha appearance due mind-stuff-sheath (Manas)
  • 4.Vijnanamaya kosha, appearance due wisdom-sheath (Vijnana)
  • 5.Anandamaya kosha, appearance due bliss-sheath (Ananda)