pañca : [adj.] five.
Pañca (adj. -- num.) [Ved. pañca, Idg. *penqṷe; cp. Gr. pe/nte, Lat. quīnque, Goth. fimf, Lith. penki, Oir. coic] number 5. -- Cases: gen. dat. pañcannaŋ, instr. abl. pañcahi, loc. pañcasu; often used in compositional form pañca˚ (cp. Ved. pañcāra with 5 spokes i.16413; Gr. pempw/bolos, Lat. quinqu -- ennis etc.). -- 1. Characteristics of No. 5 in its use, with ref, to lit. & fig. application. "Five" is the number of "comprehensive and yet simple" unity or a set; it is applied in all cases of a natural and handy comprehension of several items into a group, after the 5 fingers of the hand, which latter lies at the bottom of all primitive expressions of No. 5 (see also below pañc' angulika. The word for 5 itself in its original form is identical with the word for hand *prəq, cp. Lat. com˚, decem, centum etc.) -
A. No. 5, appld (a) with ref. to time: catupañcāhaŋ 4 or 5 days J ii.114 (cp. quinque diebus Horace Sat i.316); maraṇaŋ tuyhaŋ oraŋ māsehi pañcahi after 5 months Vv 6310, p. māse vasitvā DA i.319 (cp. qu. menses Hor. Sat. ii.3289). -- (b) of space: ˚yojanaṭṭhāna J iii.504; ˚yojan -- ubbedho gajavaro VvA 33; ˚bhūmako pāsādo J i.58 (cp. the house of Death as 5 stories high in Grimm, Mārchen No. 42 ed. Reclam). -- (c) of a group, set, company, etc. (cp. 5 peoples RViii.379; vi.114; viii.92 etc.; gods x.553; priests ii.3414; iii.77; leaders of the Greek ships Hom. Iliad 16, 171; ambassadors Genesis 472; quinque viri Hor. Sat. ii.555; Epist. ii.124): p. janā J v.230; p. amaccā J v.231; p. hatthino DhA i.164; pañca nāriyo agamiŋsu Vv 322; p. puttāni khādāmi Pv i.63. -- Note. No. 5 in this appln is not so frequent in Pāli as in older literature (Vedas e. g.); instead of the simple 5 we find more freq. the higher decimals 50 and 500. See also below §§ 3, 4.
B. No. 15 in two forms: pañcadasa (f. ˚ī the 15th day of the month Vv 156=A i.144; Sn 402) VvA 67 (˚kahāpaṇa -- sahassāni dāpesi), and paṇṇarasa (also as f. ī of the 15th or full -- moon day Pv iii.31; DhA i.198; iii.92; iv.202; VvA 314; SnA 78) Sn 153 (pannaraso uposatho); Vv 642 (paṇṇarase va cando; expld as paṇṇarasiyaŋ VvA 276); DhA i.388 (of age, 15 or 16 years); DA i.17 (˚bhedo Khuddaka -- nikāyo); SnA 357 (pannarasahi bhikkhu -- satehi=1500, instead of the usual 500); PvA 154 (˚yojana). The appln is much the same as 5 and 50 (see below), although more rare, e. g. as measure of space: ˚yojana DhA i.17 (next in sequence to paṇṇāsa -- yojana); J i.315; PvA 154 (cp. 15 furlongs from Jerusalem to Bethany John 11, 18; 15 cubits above the mountains rose the flood Gen. 7. 20).
C. No. 25 in two forms: pañcavīsati (the usual) e. g.DhsA 185 sq.; Miln 289 (citta -- dubbalī -- karaṇā dhammā); paṇṇa -- vīsati, e. g. J iv.352 (nāriyo); Th 2, 67, and paṇṇuvīsaŋ (only at J iii.138). Similarly to 15 and 25 the number 45 (pañca -- cattāḷīsa) is favoured in giving distances with ˚yojana, e. g. at J i.147, 348; DhA i.367. -- Application: of 25: (1) time: years Jiii.138; DhA i.4; (2) space: miles high and wide DhA ii.64 (ahipeto); VvA 236 (yojanāni pharitvā pabhā).
2. Remarks on the use of 50 and 500 (5000). Both 50 and 500 are found in stereotyped and always recurring combinations (not in Buddhist literature alone, but all over the Ancient World), and applied to any situation indiscriminately. They have thus lost their original numerical significance and their value equals an expression like our "thousands," cp. the use of Lat. mille and 600, also similarly many other high numerals in Pāli literature, as mentioned under respective units (4, 6, 8 e. g. in 14, 16, 18, etc.). Psychologically 500 is to be expld as "a great hand," i. e. the 5 fingers magnified to the 2nd decade, and is equivalent to an expression like "a lot" (originally "only one," cp. casting the lot, then the one as a mass or collection), or like heaps, tons, a great many, etc. -- Thus 50 (and 500) as the numbers of "comm -- union" are especially freq. in recording a company of men, a host of servants, animals in a herd, etc., wherever the single constituents form a larger (mostly impressive, important) whole, as an army, the king's retinue, etc. -- A. No. 50 (paññāsa; the by -- form paṇṇāsa only at DhA iii.207), in foll. applns: (a) of time:does not occur, but see below under 55. -- (b) of space (cp. 50 cubits the breadth of Noah's ark Gen. 6. 15; the height of the gallows (Esther 5. 14; 7. 9) J i.359 (yojanāni); DhA iii.207 (˚hattho ubbedhena rukkho); Vism 417 (paripuṇṇa ˚yojana suriyamaṇḍala); DhA i.17 (˚yojana). -- (c) of a company or group (cp. 50 horses RV ii.185; v.185; wives viii.1936; men at the oars Hom. Il. 2. 719; 16. 170, servants Hom. Od. 7, 103, 22, 421) J iii.220 (corā); v.161 (pallankā), 421 (dijakaññāyo); Sn p. 87; SnA 57 (bhikkhū). -- Note. 55 (pañcapaññāsa) is used instead of 50 in time expressions (years), e. g. at DhA i.125; ii.57; PvA 99, 142; also in groups: DhA i.99 (janā). -- B. No. 500 (pañcasata˚, pañcasatā, pañcasatāni). -- (a) of time: years (as Peta or Petī) Vv 8434; Pv ii.15; PvA 152 (with additional 50). (b) of space: miles high Pv iv.328; J i.204 (˚yojana -- satikā); Vism 72 (˚dhanu -- satika, 500 bows in distance). -- (C) of groups of men, servants, or a herd, etc. (cp. 500 horses RV x.9314; witnesses of the rising of Christ 1 Cor. 15 -- 6; men armed Vergil Aen. 10. 204; men as representatives Hom. Od. 3. 7; 500 knights or warriors very frequently in Nibelungenlied, where it is only meant to denote a "goodly company, 500 or more") Arahants KhA 98; Bhikkhus very frequent, e. g. D i.1; Vin ii.199; J i.116, 227; DhA ii.109, 153; iii.262, 295; iv.184, 186; Sāvakas J i.95; Upāsakas J ii.95; PvA 151; Paccekabuddhas DhA iv.201; PvA 76; Vighāsâdā J ii.95; DhA ii.154; Sons PvA 75; Thieves DhA ii.204; PvA 54; Relatives PvA 179; Women -- servants (parivārikā itthiyo) Pv ii.126; VvA 69, 78, 187; PvA 152; Oxen A iv.41; Monkeys J iii.355; Horses Vin iii.6. -- Money etc. as present, reward or fine representing a "round -- sum" (cp. Nibelungen 314: horses with gold, 317: mark; dollars as reward Grimm No. 7; drachms as pay Hor. Sat. ii.743) kahāpaṇas Sn 980, 982; PvA 273; blows with stick as fine Vini.247. -- Various: a caravan usually consists of 500 loaded wagons, e. g. J i.101; DhA ii.79; PvA 100, 112; chariots VvA 78; ploughs Sn p. 13. Cp. S i.148 (vyagghī -- nisā); Vin ii.285 (ūna -- pañcasatāni); J ii.93 (accharā); v.75 (vāṇijā); DhA i.89 (suvaṇṇasivikā), 352 (rāja -- satāni); iv.182 (jāti˚) KhA 176 (paritta -- dīpā). Also BSk. pañ'opasthāyikā -- śatāni Divy 529; pañca -- mātrāṇi strī -- śatāni Divy 533. -- Note. When Gotama said that his "religion" would last 500 years he meant that it would last a very long time, practically for ever. The later change of 500 to 5,000 is immaterial to the meaning of the expression, it only indicates a later period (cp. 5,000 in Nibelungeniled for 500, also 5,000 men in ambush Joshua 8. 12; converted by Peter Acts 4. 4; fed by Christ with 5 loaves Matthew 14. 21). Still more impressive than 500 is the expression 5 Koṭis (5 times 100,000 or 10 million), which belongs to a comparatively later period, e. g. at DhA i.62 (ariya -- sāvaka -- koṭiyo), 256 (˚mattā -- ariyasāvakā); iv.190 (p. koti -- mattā ariya -- sāvakā).
3. Typical sets of 5 in the Pali Canon. ˚aggaŋ first fruits of 5 (kinds), viz. khett˚, rās˚, koṭṭh˚, kumbhi˚, bhojan˚ i. e. of the standing crop, the threshing floor, the granary, the pottery, the larder SnA 270. ˚angā 5 gentlemanly qualities (of king or brahmin): sujāta, ajjhāyaka, abhirūpa, sīlavā, paṇḍita (see anga; on another combnwith anga see below). The phrase pañc' angasamannāgata & ˚vippahīna (S i.99; A v.16) refers to the 5 nīvaraṇāni: see expld at Vism 146. ˚angikaturiya 5 kinds of music: ātata, vitata, ātata -- vitata, ghana, susira. ˚abhiññā 5 psychic powers (see Cpd. 209). ˚ānantarika -- kammāni 5 acts that have immediate retribution (Miln 25), either 5 of the 6 abhiṭhānas (q. v.) or (usually) murder, theft, impurity, lying, intemperance (the 5 sīlas) cp. Dhs trsl. 267. ˚indriyāni 5 faculties, viz. saddhā, viriya, sati, samādhi, paññā (see indriya B. 15 -- 19). ˚vidhaŋ (rāja -- ) kakudhabhaṇḍaŋ, insignia regis viz. vāḷavījanī, uṇhīsa, khagga, chatta, pādukā. ˚kalyāṇāni, beauty -- marks: kesa˚, maŋsa˚, aṭṭhi˚, chavi˚, vaya˚. ˚kāmaguṇā pleasures of the 5 senses (=taggocarāni pañc' āyatanāni gahitāni honti SnA 211). ˚gorasā 5 products of the cow: khīra, dadhi, takka, navanīta, sappi. ˚cakkhūni, sorts of vision (of a Buddha): maŋsa˚ dibba˚ paññā˚ buddha˚ samanta˚. ˚taṇhā cravings, specified in 4 sets of 5 each: see Nd2 271v. ˚nikāyā 5 collections (of Suttantas) in the Buddh. Canon, viz. Dīgha˚ Majjhima˚ Saŋyutta˚, Anguttara˚ Khuddaka˚, e. g. Vin ii.287. ˚nīvaraṇāni or obstacles: kāmacchanda, abhijjhā -- vyāpāda, thīnamiddha, uddhacca -- kukkucca, vicikicchā. ˚patiṭṭhitaŋ 5 fold prostration or veneration, viz. with forehead, waist, elbows, knees, feet (Childers) in phrase ˚ena vandati (sometimes ˚ŋ vandati, e. g. SnA 78, 267) J v.502; SnA 267, 271, 293, 328, 436; VvA 6; DhA i.197; iv.178, etc. ˚bandhana either 5 ways of binding or pinioning or 5 fold bondage J iv.3 (as "ure pañcangika -- bandhanaŋ" cp. kaṇṭhe pañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā S iv.201); Nda 304iii.b2 (rājā bandhāpeti andhu -- bandhanena vā rajju˚, sankhalika˚, latā˚, parikkhepa˚), with which cp. Śikṣāsamucc. 165: rājñā pañcapāśakena bandhanena baddhaḥ. -- There is a diff. kind of bandhana which has nothing to do with binding, but which is the 5 fold ordeal (obligation: pañcavidhabandhana -- kāraṇaŋ) in Niraya, and consists of the piercing of a red hot iron stake through both hands, both feet and the chest; it is a sort of crucifixion. We may conjecture that this "bandhana" is a corruption of "vaddhana" (of vyadh, or viddhana?), and that the expression originally was pañcaviddhana -- kāraṇa (instead of pañca -- vidha -- bandhana -- k˚). See passages under bandhana & cp. M iii.182; A i.141; Kvu 597; SnA 479. ˚balāni 5 forces: saddhā˚ viriya˚ sati˚ samādhi˚ paññā˚ D ii.120; M ii.12; S iii.96; A iii.12 (see also bala). ˚bhojanāni 5 kinds of food: odāna, kummāsa, sattu, maccha, maŋsa Vin iv.176. ˚macchariyāni 5 kinds of selfishness: āvāsa˚ kula˚ lābha˚ vaṇṇa˚ dhamma˚. ˚rajāni defilements: rūpa˚, sadda˚ etc. (of the 5 senses) Nd1 505; SnA 574.˚vaṇṇā 5 colours (see ref. for colours under pīta and others), viz. nīla, pītaka, lohitaka, kaṇha, odāta (of B's eye) Nd2 235I.a; others with ref. to paduma -- puṇḍarīka VvA 41; to paduma DhA iii.443; to kusumāni DA i.140; DhA iv.203. ˚vaṇṇa in another meaning (fivefold) in connection with pīti (q. v.). ˚saŋyojanānifetters (q. v.).˚sangā impurities, viz. rāga, dosa, moha, māna, diṭṭhi (cp. taṇhā) DhA iv.109. ˚sīla the 5 moral precepts, as sub -- division of the 10 (see dasasīla and Nd2 under sīla on p. 277).
4. Other (not detailed) passages with 5: Sn 660 (abbudāni), 677 (nahutāni koṭiyo pañca); Th 2, 503 (˚kaṭuka=pañcakāmaguṇa -- rasa ThA 291); DhA ii.25 (˚mahānidhi); SnA 39 (˚pakāra -- gomaṇḍala -- puṇṇabhāva). Cp. further: guṇā Miln 249; paṇṇāni Vin i.201 (nimba˚, kuṭaja˚, paṭola˚, sulasi˚, kappāsika˚);Paṇḍu -- rāja -- puttā J v.426; pabbagaṇṭhiyo Miln 103; pucchā DhsA 55; mahā -- pariccāgā DhA iii.441; mahā -- vilokanāni DhA i.84; vatthūni Vin ii.196 sq.; vāhanāni (of King Pajjota) DhA i.196; suddhāvāsā Dhs A 14. In general see Vin v.128 -- 133 (var. sets of 5).
-- anga five (bad) qualities (see anga 3 and above 3), in phrase vippahīna free from the 5 sins D iii.269; Nd2 284 C; cp. BSk. pañcānga -- viprahīna. Ep. of the Buddha Divy 95, 264 & ˚samannāgata endowed with the 5 good qualities A v.15 (of senāsana, expld at Vism 122): see also above. -- angika consisting of 5 parts, fivefold, in foll. combns: ˚jhāna (viz. vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, cittass' ekaggatā) Dhs 83; ˚turiya orchestra S i.131; Th 1, 398; 2, 139; Vv 364; DhA i.274, 394; ˚bandhana bond J iv.3. -- angula=˚angulika J iv.153 (gandha˚); SnA 39 (usabhaŋ nahāpetvā bhojetvā ˚ŋ datvā mālaŋ bandhitvā). -- angulika (also ˚aka) the 5 finger -- mark, palm -- mark, the magic mark of the spread hand with the fingers extended (made after the hand & 5 fingers have been immersed in some liquid, preferably a solution of sandal wood, gandha; but also blood). See Vogel, the 5 finger -- token in Pāli Literature, Amsterdam Akademie 1919 (with plates showing ornaments on Bharhut Tope), cp. also J.P.T,S. 1884, 84 sq. It is supposed to provide magical protection (esp. against the Evil Eye). Vin ii.123 (cp. Vin. Textsii.116); J i.166, 192; ii.104 (gandha ˚ŋ deti), 256 (gandhaā, appld to a cetiya); iii.23, 160 (lohita˚); Vv 3318 (gandha˚ŋ adāsiŋ Kassapassa thūpasmiŋ); Mhvs 32, 4 (see trsl. p. 220); DhA iii.374 (goṇānaŋ gandha -- ˚āni datvā); SnA 137 (setamālāhi sabba -- gandha -- sugandhehi p˚akehi ca alankatā paripuṇṇa -- angapaccangā, of oxen). Cp. MVastu i.269 (stūpeṣu pañcangulāni; see note on p. 579). Quotations of similar use in brahmanical literature see at Vogel p. 6 sq. -- āvudha (āyudha) set of 5 weapons (sword, spear, bow, battle -- axe, shield, after Childers) Miln 339 (see Miln trsl. ii.227), cp. p˚ sannaddha J iii.436, 467; iv.283, 437; v.431;vi.75; sannaddha -- p˚ J iv.160 (of sailors). They seem to be different ones at diff. passages. -- âhaŋ 5 days Vin iv.281; J ii.114. -- cūḷaka with 5 topknots J v.250 (of a boy). -- nakha with 5 claws, N. of a five -- toed animal J v.489 (so read for pañca na khā, misunderstood by C.). -- paṭṭhika at Vin ii.117, 121, 152; is not clear (v. l. paṭika). Vin. Texts iii.97 trsl. "cupboards" and connect it with Sk. paṭṭikā, as celapattikaŋ Vin ii.128 undoubtedly is ("strip of cloth laid down for ceremonial purposes," trsl. iii.128). It also occurs at Vin iv.47. -- patikā (f.) having had 5 husbands J v.424, 427. -- mālin of a wild animal J vi.497 (=pancangika -- turiya -- saddo viya C., not clear). -- māsakamattaŋ a sum of 5 māsakas DhA ii.29. -- vaggiya (or ˚ika SnA 198) belonging to a group of five. The 5 brahmins who accompanied Gotama when he became an ascetic are called p. bhikkhū. Their names are Aññākondañña, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Assaji, Mahānāma. M i.170; ii.94; S iii.66; PvA 21 (˚e ādiŋ katvā); SnA 351; cp. chabbaggiya. -- vidha fivefold J i.204 (˚ā abhirakkhā); vi.341 (˚paduma), ˚bandhana: see this. -- sādhāraṇa -- bhāva fivefold connection J iv.7. -- seṭṭha (Bhagavā) "the most excellent in the five" Sn 355 (=pañcannaŋ paṭhamasissānaŋ pañcavaggiyānaŋ seṭṭho, pañcahi vā saddhādīhi indriyehi sīlādīhi vā dhamma -- khandhehi ativisiṭṭhehi cakkhūhi ca seṭṭho SnA 351). -- hattha having 5 hands J v.431.
pañca: num. a. 五(主業格){主格業格pañca; 具格從格pañcahi; 與格屬格pañcannaṃ; 處格pañcasu}
(pañcan)
【梵】पञ्च (पञ्चन्)【中】五
【藏】lnga
【藏】ལྔ་
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