चत्वार्येवेति तत्रापि तेज आपोऽन्नमात्मन: । जातानि तैरिदं जातं जन्मावयविन: खलु ॥ २१ ॥
catvāry eveti tatrāpi teja āpo ’nnam ātmanaḥ jātāni tair idaṁ jātaṁ janmāvayavinaḥ khalu
- catvāri
- four
- eva
- also
- iti
- thus
- tatra
- in that case
- api
- even
- tejaḥ
- fire
- āpaḥ
- water
- annam
- earth
- ātmanaḥ
- from the Self
- jātāni
- all arising
- taiḥ
- by them
- idam
- this cosmos
- jātam
- has come about
- janma
- the birth
- avayavinaḥ
- of the manifest product
- khalu
- indeed
Some philosophers propose the existence of four basic elements, of which three — fire, water and earth — emanate from the fourth, the Self. Once existing, these elements produce the cosmic manifestation, in which all material creation takes place.