Concept

The Four Elements and Three Kingdoms of Nature in Sanai's Cosmology

In Section 50 of Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Sanai outlines a fundamental cosmological framework by detailing the four classical elements (arkan or tabayi') and the three kingdoms of nature (mawalid-i thalatha) that emerge from their interaction.

The Four Classical Elements:

Sanai describes a nested, hierarchical structure descending from the celestial spheres down to the terrestrial center:

  • Fire (Atash): The first and uppermost element immediately below the celestial spheres.
  • Air (Hava): The space and atmosphere filling the region below the sphere of fire down to the center.
  • Water (Bahr-i Akhzar or Green Sea): The third layer, representing the oceans and water bodies.
  • Earth (Aghbar-i Tireh): The fourth, lowest, and most solid element forming the physical center of the universe.

The Three Kingdoms of Nature:

Combining these four elements creates the sublunary world, categorized into three ascending kingdoms of generation:

  1. **Plants (*Nabat...

0

1

Updated 2026-07-04

Contributors are:

Who are from:

References


Tags

Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course