Markandeya said : O descendant of Bharata, having been thus addressed by that Brahmana, the virtuous fowler again began to speak (on things) so pleasing to the mind.

The Brahmana said : O foremost of all virtuous men, it is said that there are five great elements. Will you describe to me in detail the properties of those five (elements)?

The Fowler said: The earth, water, fire, air and sky, all have properties enter-lapping each other. I shall describe them to you.

O Brahmana, the earth has five qualities, water four, fire three and the air and the sky together three.

Sound, touch, form, flavour and taste, these five qualities belong to earth.

O foremost of Brahmanas, O twice-borm one, O vow-observing Rishi, sound, touch, form and taste have been described to you as the properties of water.

Sound, touch and form are the three properties of fire; sound and touch are the two properties of the air; and sound is the property of the sky.

O Brahmana, these fifteen fifteen properties inherent in five elements, exist in all substances of which this universe is composed.

O Brahmana, they are not opposed to one another; they exist in proper combination. When this universe is thrown into a state of chaos then every corporeal being in proper time assumes another body. It perishes also in due order.

There (everlastingly) exist the five elementary substances of which all the mobile and immobile world is composed. Whatever is perceptible by the senses is called Vyakta (manifest) and whatever is not perceptible by the senses is called Avyakta (not manifest).

When a person engages in Tapa after having duly subdued his senses which have their own proper objective play in the external conditions of sound, form, then he sees that his own spirit pervades the whole universe and the universe is also reflected in him.

He who is bound to the bonds of his previous Karma, although learned in the highest spiritual wisdom, is cognizant only of his own soul's objective existence, but the person whose soul is never affected by the objective conditions around is never subject to ills, owing to its absorption in the primal spirit of Brahma. When a person has overcome illusion, his manly virtues consisting the essence of spiritual wisdom turn to spiritual enlightenment which illuminates the intelligence of all beings. Such a being is called by the omnipotent, the intelligent one who is without beginning and without end, selfexistence, immutable, incorporeal and incomparable.

O Brahmana, what you have enquired of me is the result of self-discipline. This selfdiscipline can only be acquired by subduing the senses. It can not be acquired by any other means.

Heaven and hell both are dependent on our senses. When subdued, they lead us to heaven and when indulged in, they lead us to hell.

This subjugation of the senses is the highest means of attaining spiritual advancement; it is also at the root of all our spiritual degradation.

By indulging in them, a person contracts vices and by bringing them under control, he attains salvation.

The self-controlled man who acquires over his six senses is never tainted with win; and consequently evil has no power over him.

Man's body has been compared with a chariot, his soul with a charioteer and his senses with the horses. A skillful man drives about without confusion, like an able charioteer with well-broken horses.

That man is an excellent driver who knows how to patiently wield the reins of these and horses, namely the six senses inherent in our nature.

When our senses become ungovernable like horses on the road, we must patiently rein them in, for with patience we are sure to get the better of them.

When man's mind is overpowered by any one of these senses running wild, he loses his reason and becomes like a ship tossed by the tempest in the sea.

Men are deceived by illusion in hoping to reap the fruit of those six things the effects of which are studied by persons of spiritual insight who thereby reap the fruits of their clear perception.