Akasha

[ah-kah-shuh]

Vedic Meaning

Akasha (or Akash, Ākāśa, आकाश) is the Sanskrit word meaning "aether" in both its elemental and mythological senses. In Hinduism Akasha means the basis and essence of all things in the material world; the smallest material element created from the astral world. It is one of the Panchamahabhuta, or "five great elements"; its main characteristic is Shabda (sound). In Hindi the meaning of Akasha is sky.

Meaning in different systems

Akasha is space in the Jain conception of the cosmos. It falls into the Ajiva category, divided into two parts: Loakasa (the part occupied by the material world) and Aloakasa (the space beyond it which is absolutely void and empty). In Loakasa the universe forms only a part. Akasha is that which gives space and makes room for the existence of all extended substances.

In Buddhist phenomenology Akasha is divided into Skandha, Desa, and Pradesa.

The Nyaya Vaisheshika states that Akasha or ether 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.

According to the Samkhya Akasha is one of the five Mahābhūtas (grand physical elements) having the specific property of sound.

The Cārvāka philosophy states that this world is made of four elements and exclude the fifth element, Akasha, because its existence cannot be perceived.

The Vaibhashika (an early Buddhist school) hold its existence to be real.

Popular Culture

Anne Rice used the word "Akasha" as the name of the very first vampire in the novel The Queen of the Damned.
The name has been taken by a music duo from the United Kingdom Akasha (band).
In the anime series Code Geass, the Emperor of the Britannia Empire had built a shrine-like building called the Sword of Akasha, which was described as a weapon to defeat the gods.
Akasha is also used in the main title of "Akasha Seal", a RPG Maker XP Episodic Series (RMXP Episode for short) by ScriptKitty. The series was left unfinished at episode 4, where the connection of the title and the story is still a mystery.
In the Super Robot Wars series of strategy video games, Akashic Buster is one of the many attacks in the repertoire of the mecha Cybuster.
In the Mage: The Ascension role-playing game, a group of mages calls itself the "Akashic Brotherhood", after a character called Akasha.
In popular Warcraft III custom map DotA, Akasha is the name of a female hero with the ability to create waves of sound that damage multiple units.
Akasha is the name of the female Necris High Inquisitor in the Unreal Tournament 3 single player campaign.
In the PS2 game, Persona 3, the 12th Shadow (boss enemy) performs an attack called "Akasha Arts".