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Thetattvas inIndian philosophy are elements or principles of reality.[1][2] Tattvas are the basic concepts to understand the nature of absolute, the souls and the universe inSamkhya andShaivite philosophies.Samkhya philosophy lists 25 tattvas while later Shaivite philosophies extend the number to 36.[3]
Tattvas are used to explain the structure and origin of the Universe. They are usually divided into three groups:śuddha (pure tattvas);śuddhāśuddha (pure-impure tattvas); andaśuddha (impure tattvas). The pure tattvas describe internal aspects of theAbsolute; the pure-impure tattvas describe the soul and its limitations; while the impure tattvas include theuniverse and living beings that assist the existence of soul.[4]
Tattva (/ˈtʌtvə/) is aSanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'.[5]Samkhya philosophy enumerates only 25tattvas; twenty-fourātma tattvas along withpurusha, which isātman or the soul.[6] Shaivite philosophies elaborate on these, taking the twenty-fourātma tattvas as theaśuddha (impure) tattvas and adding to them theśuddhāśuddha (pure-impure) andśuddha (pure tattvas), enumerating thirty-six distincttattvas, withpurusha being counted among theśuddhāśuddha tattvas.
According to the early Shaivite philosophies,Parameshwara orParashiva (also spelled Paramashiva, Paramshiva, Parmshiva) is theultimate reality orParabrahman, "the one form where everything emerges".[7] Thenondualisticmonism school of Shaivism,Kashmir Shaivism, describes the tattvas as Paramshiva manifests himself by a process of descent fromParamashiva tojiva, through the 36tattvas.[8] The vibrant creative energy of Parashiva, known as Spanda, moves him to manifest himself these 36tattvas as alīlā or divine play.[9] Some teachings treat Parameshwara and Parashiva, along withParashakti, as three separate aspects ofShiva.
Another important sect of Shaivism,Shaiva Siddhanta, a school that show bothMonistic anddualistic qualities, describes thetattvas in a different perspective. Passive Parameshwara is activated itself byśuddhamāyā or divine grace (Shakti) of him. Like that, the universe, (Prakriti) is activated byaśudda māyā (physical body and all aspects of universe), another aspect of divine grace -Mahamaya. The interaction of Pure Maya and Impure Maya is the Pure - impure Maya where the souls (Pashus) attain knowledge which leads to the existence of whole universe.[2]
Mahāmāyā divides itself into three aspects:śuddha māyā,śuddha-aśuddha māyā, andaśuddha māyā, and causes five, seven, and twenty-four tattvas respectively.[10]
Suddha tattvas, also known asŚaiva tattvas are functioning in the absolute level which leads to thePanchakritya (Five acts) - Creation - Maintenance - Destruction - Concealment - Grace of almighty.[11] Suddha tattvas are called pure because they are directly created by Shiva himself.[8]
Also known as Nāda tattva. One of the two aspects of the omniscient, omnipresent, conscious Absolute. In this essence, the Absolute doesn't consist of any desire (icchā), action (kriyā) or Knowledge (jnāna) related properties. It is in its pure conscious state.
Another aspect of the Absolute which is known as Bindu Tattva. Pairing of Śiva-Śakti causes the creation of all the lower tattvas. The paired Śiva-Śakti is omniscience and consistently active. These two properties of Śiva-Śakti are known asjnāna andkriyāa respectively.
Also calledSadāśiva tattva or Śiva-Śakti tattva. This tattva is responsible for the appearance ofaham orself. This tattva is whenkriyāśakti andjnānaśakti of the Absolute are in equilibrium.
Also known as Ishwara tattva. The tattva where the fourth act ofPanchakritya - delusion or concealment happens.Iśvara tattva activates the souls which are concealed bypāśa.Idam, "this is myself", i.e., the objectivation of self-awareness is caused by Iśvara tattva.[8]
Also known as Sadvidyā or Kriyā. In this tattva the tri-murthis manifest. Jnānaśakti is more initiative than kriyaśakti in Śuddhavidyā tattva. Here, "self-ness" and "this-ness" become balanced.[8] The other three acts of Panchakritya - creation, maintenance and destruction happen at the suddhavidya.
These five tattvas are the Absolute which leads to themoksha of souls. These five tattvas can also be seen as the retrogradation of souls from their lower state to their higher steps towards liberation.
Pure-impure tattvas or Vidya tattvas are described as the "instruments" that assist the souls for their liberation. Soul or Atman is considered as "Purusha tattva" here, while the final manifestation of almighty is known as "Maya tattva". Maya manifests into five more tattvas known as "kanchukas"[12] and these six tattvas adjoins the pusursha tattva and thus, produce seven vidya tattvas.
Maya hides the divine nature of created beings as it creates the sense of separateness from the Divine and from each other.
Kanchukas can be fairly translated as veils. They block the subject from recognising the divine nature of the Universe.
Purusha is the soul. It pairs with maya, the final manifestation of god along with five kancukas. These five vidya tattvas are idle in nature. So, Śiva joins with Maya and Śakti joins with three kancukas - Kāla, Niyati, Kalā. Sadasiva joins with purusha and śuddhavidya operates vidya tattva. Raga is operated by Ishvara.[10] The activated purusha with other vidya tattvas cannot solely exist in the universe, and comes with the assistance of upcoming 24 asuddha tattvas.
Impure tattvas or Atma tattvas are aspects of Universe and physical body.
Antahkarana is a collective term for the 4 tattvas-prakṛti,buddhi,ahamkāra and manas.Consciousness within the limitedpurusha forms thecitta made of Intellect (buddhi), Ego (ahamkāra), and Mind (manas), known collectively as theantahkarana, or "inner organ".Buddhi is the first evolute ofprakṛti. It represents the capacity of discernment. It evolves intoahamkāra afterbuddhi differentiates a notion of a limited individual self. That external sense of self is then experienced through the sensory mind (manas). Tenindriyas (five sense organs and five action organs), fivetanmātras (subtle elements), fivemahābhūtas (gross elements), and the sensory mind evolve fromahamkāra as it modifies intosattvic (sensory),rajasic (active) andtamasic (material) modes. These 24 lowest tattvas that evolve from individual consciousness are known as the impure tattvas (aśuddha).[13]
The five sense organs (jñānendriya) are the mostsattvic functions of manas and include:
The five motor organs (karmendriya), each corresponding to a sense organ, represent the physical organs of action. They are the most rajasic functions of manas.
The five subtle elements (tanmātra) are the most tamasic functions ofmanas and represent the reflection of the corresponding five gross elements in the mind:
The five gross elements (mahābhuta) represent the final point of manifestation:
Whilemahābhūtas are the basis for the material world,tanmātras are but limited aspects and views of it, in no way able to fully describe it. We cannot actually perceive the reality, all we can access are limited "bands" of information that form adescription of reality. These bands of information are the fivetanmātras.
This restriction however applies only to the limited beings (jiva, oraṇu). For one who has gone beyondmāyā, in the realm of thepure tattvas, there can be direct perception of reality, because as one's self isĀtman, so are the external objects. In such a state an enlightened being can perceive the world beyond the five senses (direct perception), in a state of diversity in unity andunity in diversity.[15]
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