The five māhābhūtas are the gross manifestations of the five tanamātrās. They are, namely, jal (water), vāyu (air), ākāsh (ether), tej / agni (light / fire) and prithvi (earth). Ākāsh or ether is only perceived as the primordial vibration of the universe, the oṅkāra. These are represented in the sixth and seventh rows of the game board.
The five tanamātrās are the subtle elements perceived by our sense organs. They are, namely, shabda (sound), sparsha (touch), rūpa (form), rasa (taste) and gandha (smell). On the game board gandha, rasa, and spaṣta dhvani (shabda) are in the fourth row. Why are sparsha and rūpa missing from the game board? I think that rūpa is the board itself, and sparsha is our throwing of the dice and moving of our pieces on the board. Thus completing the representation of the five tanamātrās on the game board. I maybe wrong, but this thought fills a void in the design in my mind.
The fifth row, between the tanamātrās and the māhābhūtas, has a representation of the life force, the prāna. According to the Vedic theory of creation, the tanamātrās are units of energy. Each having three qualities, the satva, the raja and the tamas.
- The sāttvik aspects combine to form the antah-karna or the inner body. This inner body comprises of the mānas, buddhi, citta and ahaṅkāra.
- The rājasik aspects combine to form the life energies, the prāna. The prāna, apāna, vayāna, udāna, and samāna are the five main life energies, together known as prāna.
- The individual tāmasic aspects combine with the sāttvik and the rājasik to produce the five māhābhūtas.
The snake connecting hiṁsā to naraka is beautiful. The subtle “naraka” manifests itself as gross violence on the plane of “prithvi”.
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“The inner body or antah karan comprises of manas, buddhi, citta and ahankara.” Is ahankara basic to human physiology?
According to the Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad the Brahman, was once an indistinct nothingness (avyakta). From this indistinct state emerged the mahat (vast), and from the mahat emerged the self-conscious mind (ahamkAra) and the five subtle elements. ahamkAra is therefore more subtle than the mind. Now the mind has four functions, according to the Mandukya Upanishad. These are the mAnas (sensory and processing mind), citta (memory / contemplative mind), buddhi (intellect / cognitive mind) and ahamkAra (ego / individuality).
There is a definite hierarchical relationship between the four parts of the mind from mana to ahamkAr in ascending order. mana, being intangible hence superior than the body and sensory organs can control them but it can’t control or perceive citta as it is superior to mana. chitta can’t perceive buddhi and buddhi can’t perceive ahamkAr. ahamkAr being the subtlest of the four can perceive all these parts of the mind as well as the gross physical body.
So I think the answer to your question is YES. ahamkAra is part of the human physiology and probably it’s subtlest aspect. Infact, ahamkAra is part of everything that is manifested or created and perceived by us. Every existing thing has ahamkAra. Actions intended to “satisfy this ahamkAra” lead to a deeper engagement in mAyA. This, in my personal opinion, is what the board game alludes too.
Yes, I think ahankar is must to exist.