pancha

Pancha is a Sanskrit term meaning five. It functions as a numeral root and prefix in many Indian languages to indicate the number five, appearing in a wide range of religious, philosophical, medical, and literary terms.

In Hindu philosophy, pancha bhuta refers to the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space—that are said to constitute the physical world and the human body. The concept also appears in theories of perception and action, such as pancha jnana-indriya (the five sense organs) and pancha karmendriya (the five organs of action).

In Ayurveda, pancha karma denotes a coordinated set of five therapeutic procedures designed to cleanse and balance the body: vamana (emesis), virechana (purgation), basti (enema), nasya (nasal administration), and rakta mokshana (bloodletting or detoxification).

In Sanskrit literature, Panchatantra is a famous collection of animal fables attributed to Vishnu Sharma, traditionally interpreted as five tantras or five books that impart political and ethical guidance through storytelling. The name itself means either “five teachings” or “five sections.”

Pancha also appears in modern social and cultural terms, such as Panchayat, the assembly or council of five or more elected representatives, and as a component in various place names and organizational titles. It is used as a given name in parts of South Asia and remains a productive element in compound terms across the region.