catvāri - four; eva - also; iti - thus; tatra - in that case; api - even; tejaḥ - fire; āpaḥ - water; annam - earth; ātmanaḥ - from the Self; jātāni - all arising; taiḥ - by them; idam - this cosmos; jātam - has come about; janma - the birth; avayavinaḥ - of the manifest product; khalu - indeed.

Some philosophers propose the existence of four basic elements, of which three — fire, water and earth — emanate from the fourth, the Self. Once existing, these elements produce the cosmic manifestation, in which all material creation takes place.