Subtle Sense Objects
The five objects of sensory perception — sound (shabda), touch (sparsha), form (rupa), taste (rasa), and odor (gandha) — which are the subtle qualities (gunas) of the five elements.
The Subtle Elements (Tanmatras)
The word tanmatra comes from tan meaning subtle (or mother) and matra meaning elements (or matter). The tanmatras are the subtle elements that serve as the objects of the five senses: shabda (sound), sparsha (touch), rupa (form), rasa (taste), and gandha (odor or smell). They are the ways in which the objective world is sensed and form the Common Ground for the expression of the entire objective world.
The tanmatras are in the womb of the Cosmic Mother, Prakruti, and it is this energy that gives rise to the objective five elements. Each element is related primarily to one tanmatra but contains a portion of the others as well. The elements accumulate tanmatras progressively: Ether has sound alone; Air has sound and touch; Fire has sound, touch, and sight; Water has sound, touch, sight, and taste; Earth has all five.
The five elements are also related to the five sensory organs (ears, skin, eyes, tongue, nose) and five organs of action (vocal cords, hands, feet, genitals, excretory organs), which together allow us to perceive and respond to the external environment.
Source: Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles, Chapter Two: Universal Attributes and Doshic Theory
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