Akasha and the Aether
The Upanishads and Nikola Tesla on the Fabric of the Cosmos
Akasha, a Sanskrit word whose root means “to shine” or “to be visible,” is one of the five mahābhūta (great elements) in Hindu cosmology, alongside air (vāyu), fire (agni), water (ap), and earth (pṛthivī).
More than mere emptiness, Akasha is fullness, an omnipresent field of pure potential. It is essentially synonymous with the aether.
It is the subtlest and most pervasive element in the universe, often described as the space or medium that enables the existence of all other elements and phenomena.
The following Hindu scriptures explicitly mention Akasha and its role in creation:
Chāndogya Upaniṣad (c. 800–600 BCE)
“From this Self (Ātman), ākāśa arose; from ākāśa air; from air fire; from fire water; from water the earth.”
—Chapter 1.9.11
This scripture describes Akasha as the first element to emerge from the cosmic Self, serving as the foundation and medium for all subsequent creation.
Taittirīya Upaniṣad (c. 600 BCE)2
“From this very Self (Ātman) sprang ākāśa; from ākāśa, air; from air, fire; from fire, water; from water, earth; from earth, plants; from plants, food; from food, man.”
—Chapter 2.1.1
Akasha/aether is again depicted as the initial element in the cosmic hierarchy, the space that contains and supports all creation.
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (c. 700 BCE)3
"The space within the heart (ākāśaḥ hṛdaye) is the abode of Brahman."
—Chapter 2.3.3
This Upanishad describes akasha/aether as the “space” within which the universe operates, and associates it with the subtle body and the heart’s aether (ākāśaḥ hṛdaye).
It is the medium in which the divine and material converge.
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (c. 400 BCE)4
"The One spreads out the universe through elements like Akasha."
—Chapter 4.2
The One (Brahman) “spreads out” the universe through elements like Akasha, which supports the creation of forms and phenomena.
Maitrī Upaniṣad (c. 300 BCE)5
"Akasha is the element of sound, the medium of divine speech."
—Chapter 6.24
This Upanishad describes Akasha as the “space” that contains all things, associated with sound and the throat chakra (viśuddha), through which divine communication flows.
This idea evokes the creative power of the spoken word to affect, influence and shape the fabric of the cosmos.
Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva (c. 400 BCE–400 CE)6
“Under extreme heat, earth becomes water, then fire, then wind, then ākāśa, then space, then mind, then time, then energy, and finally universal consciousness.” —Book 12, Chapter 224
Akasha/aether is the final element before dissolution into subtler states, indicating its fundamental role.
Bhagavad Gītā (c. 200 BCE–200 CE)7
“Earth, water, fire, air, ether (ākāśa), mind, intellect, and ego—these are My eightfold separated nature.” —Chapter 7.4
Akasha/aether is the spatial (and time) element that underpins material existence.
Sāṅkhya Kārikā (c. 200 CE)8
"From the tanmātra (subtle essence) of sound arises Akasha."
—Verses 22–27
Here, the Akasha/aether is described as the first of the five gross elements (mahābhūta), arising from the subtle essence (tanmātra) of sound.
It is the medium that allows sound to propagate and supports the manifestation of the other elements.
Viṣṇu Purāṇa (c. 300–500 CE)9
"From the cosmic will, Akasha unfolded, and from it emerged the other elements."
—Book 2, Chapter 7
The Akasha/aether is conceived as the “space” created by the cosmic will, from which the other elements evolve, forming the basis of the material universe.
Śiva Purāṇa (c. 800–1000 CE)10
"In the dance of Śiva, Akasha is the stage, the boundless expanse where creation and dissolution whirl."
—Book 2, Rudra-saṃhitā
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References to Akasha by Notable Figures
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902)
In a letter dated February 13, 1896, Vivekananda wrote about his meeting with Nikola Tesla:
“Mr. Tesla was charmed to hear about the Vedantic Prana and Akasha and the Kalpas, which according to him are the only theories modern science can entertain… Mr. Tesla thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. I am to go see him next week to get this mathematical demonstration.”11
Vivekananda saw Akasha as the material element and prana as the vital force, which together formed the basis of Vedantic cosmology and which he believed could align with modern physics.
Nikola Tesla (1856–1943)
In his 1907 article Man’s Greatest Achievement, Tesla wrote:
“Long ago [mankind] recognized that all perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the Akasha or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the life-giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never-ending cycles all things and phenomena.”12
As a result of Vivekananda’s influence, Tesla adopted the Sanskrit term Akasha to describe a universal medium akin to the luminiferous aether, which he believed underpinned his theories of electromagnetism and energy transmission.
Paramahamsa Tewari (1935–2017)
Tewari, an Indian physicist and inventor, wrote:
“Very rightly indeed, did the Upanishads discriminate among the five elements pinpointing the akasha as the most fundamental entity potent with energy. This experiment on generation of power from space will reestablish Vedantic philosophy of eternal existence of Akasha as a substratum, the ‘one reality' out of which the cosmic worlds arose.”13
He linked Akasha to a cosmic, superfluidic substratum (aka aether).
Radhakrishnan, S. (Ed.). (1994). The principal Upaniṣads: Edited with introduction, text, translation and notes (English, Sanskrit and Sanskrit ed.). New Delhi, India: Indus / HarperCollins India.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Easwaran, E. (2007). The Bhagavad Gita (Easwaran's Classics of Indian Spirituality). Nilgiri Press.
Radhakrishnan, S. (Ed.). (1994). The principal Upaniṣads: Edited with introduction, text, translation and notes (English, Sanskrit and Sanskrit ed.). New Delhi, India: Indus / HarperCollins India.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Burke, M. L. (1985). Swami Vivekananda in the West: New discoveries (Vol. 3). Calcutta, India: Advaita Ashrama.
O'Neill, J. J. (2018). Prodigal genius: The extraordinary life of Nikola Tesla. Discovery Publisher.
Tewari, P. (n.d.). Paramahansa Tewari: Space energy generator. Rex Research. Retrieved August 2, 2025, from https://rexresearch.com/tewari/tewari.htm