Editing Akasha (section)

==Hinduism==
In Hinduism, ''akasha'' means the basis and essence of all things in the material world; the first element created.  A Hindu mantra "''pṛthivyāpastejovāyurākāśāta''" indicates the sequence of initial appearance of the five basic gross elements. Thus, first appeared aether, from which appeared air, from that fire, from which water, and therefrom the earth. It is one of the [[Classical element#Classical elements in Hinduism|''Panchamahabhuta'']], or "five gross elements"; its main characteristic is ''[[Shabda]]'' (sound). The direct translation of ''akasha'' is the word meaning 'aether' in Hinduism.

The ''[[Nyaya]]'' and ''[[Vaisheshika]]'' schools of Hindu philosophy state that ''akasha'' ([[Aether (classical element)|aether]]) is the fifth physical substance, which is the substratum of the quality of sound.  It is the one, eternal, and all-pervading physical substance, which is imperceptible.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian Metaphysics and Epistemology |first=Karl H. |last=Potter |place=Usharbudh Arya |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publications |year=1977 |page=71 |isbn=81-208-0309-4}}</ref>

According to the ''[[Samkhya]]'' school, ''akasha'' is one of the five ''[[Mahābhūta]]s'' (grand physical elements) having the specific property of sound.<ref>{{cite book |title=Six Systems of Indian Philosophy; Samkhya and Yoga; Naya and Vaiseshika |first=F. Max |last=Müller |author-link=Max Müller |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |year=2003 |orig-year=1899 |pages=40 |isbn=0-7661-4296-5}}</ref>

In the ''[[Shiva Purana]]'', it identifies ''akasha'' as having "the only attribute of sound".<ref>{{Cite book |editor-last=Shastri |editor-first=J. L. |title=Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology |volume=IV: The Siva Purana |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=2017 |location=Delhi |page=1743 |isbn=978-8120838710}}</ref>

In the ''[[Linga Purana]]'' (Volume I, Chapter 65), ''akasha'' is translated as "aether" and listed as one of the 1000 names of [[Shiva]].<ref>{{cite book |translator=Shanti Lal Nagar |title=Linga Mahapurana |volume=1 |publisher=Parimal Publications |year=2011 |isbn=978-81-7110-392-8 |location=Delhi |page=261}}</ref>