Panca

Panca is a term of Sanskrit origin meaning “five” (pañca). It is used across South and Southeast Asian languages as a root in compounds and as part of proper names. In classical texts, the form pañca appears in several philosophical and religious terms that reflect the idea of five.

In Buddhist and Hindu contexts, pañca appears in several standard expressions. Pañca-sīla refers to the five precepts observed by lay followers in Buddhism. Pañca-bhūta denotes the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The pañca-khandha framework describes the five aggregates that constitute sentient experience in certain schools. These usages show how the concept of five is embedded in ethics, cosmology, and analysis of experience.

In Southeast Asia, the root persists in Indonesian and Malay loanwords, notably in Pancasila, the official state philosophy of Indonesia, meaning “Five Principles.” The word here reflects the same numerical origin, embedded in modern political and cultural language.

As a personal name, Panca appears as a given name or surname in Indonesian and some South Asian communities, often drawn from the numerical meaning or from traditional naming practices. Spelling and transliteration vary, producing forms such as Panca, Pancha, or pañca in different contexts.

Overall, Panca functions primarily as a linguistic root tied to the number five, with enduring presence in religious, philosophical, and contemporary cultural usage through history.