SHIVA TATTVAS:

Tattvas constitute the building blocks of the whole material manifestation aspects of nature. It is their combination, permutation, presence or absence that plays an essential role in the creation of the diverse world, their objects and beings. ‘Tattvam’ means that which is both transcendental and immanent. It is the macrocosm and microcosm of both God and the individual expressed by the Upanishadic Tat Tvam Asi – Thou Art That.
Beyond Tattva is ‘atattva’ meaning ‘never begun or created'. In Shiva Tattva, Siva is unoriginated, beyond time, form and space. Basically Atattva negatives the term tattva. The term is just used to describe the indescribable Reality – the Absolute, ParaSiva, the Self God which transcends all the 36 categories of manifestation. This pure spiritual energy is a spiritual mystery known to the knower as Parashakti Nada – Satchinanda or Pure Consciousness. The concept ‘anutarra’ means ‘One that whom nothing is higher’. Thus Atattva connotes Parasiva – Sivalinga the Absolute Reality. It is pertinent to summarise the 36 tattvas in abbreviation.

1. SIVA TATTVA: (Chit) Parashakti-Nada, Satchidananda –Pure consciousness

2.SHAKTI TATVA: (Kriya) Parameshvara, Kriya of energy, light and love

3.SADASIVA TATTVA: (Jnana and Kriya) Sadasiva – Power of revealment

4.ISHVARA TATTVA: (Jnana and Kriya) Mahesvara – Power of Concealment

5.SHUDDHAVIDYA TATTVA: (Jana and Kriya)- Powers of creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu) and dissolution (Rudra). Dharma, pure knowing

6.MAYA TATTVA: Mirific energy

7.KAALA TATTVA: Time

8.NIAYATI TATTVA: Space, Karma

9.KALA TATTVA: Creativity, aptitude

10.VIDYA TATTVA: Material knowledge

11.RAGA TATTVA: Attachment, desire, passion

12.PURUSHA TATVA: Soul shrouded by Tattvas 6-11.

13.PRAKRITI TATTVA: Primal nature

14.BUDDHI TATTVA: Intellect

15.AHAMKARA TATTVA: External ego

16.MANAS TATTVA: Instinctive mind

17.SHROTRA TATTVA: Hearing (ears)

18.TVAK TATTVA: Touching (skin)

19.CHAKSHU TATTVA: Seeing (eyes)

20.RASANA TATTVA: Tasting (tongue)

21.GRAHANA TATTVA: Smelling (nose)

22.VAK TATTVA: Speech (voice)

23.PANI TATTVA: Grasping (hands)

24.PADA TATTVA: Walking (feet)

25.PAYU TATTVA: Excretion (anus)

26.UPASTHA TATTVA: Procreation

27.SHABDHA TATTVA: Sound

28.SPARSHA TATTVA: Feel, palpation

29.RUPA TATTVA: Form

30.RASA TATTVA: Taste

31.GANDHA TATTVA: Odor

32.AKASHA TATTVA: Ether

33.VAYU TATTVA: Air

34.TEJAS TATTVA: Fire

35.APAS TATTVA: Water

36.PRITHVI TATTVA: Earth

ISWARA TATTVAS: 1. Siva (Chit), 2.Shakti (Kriya), 3.Sadasiva (Jana and Kriys), 4. Iswara (Jana and Kriya) and 5. Suddavidya (Jnana and Kriya). These Tattvas belong to the pure worlds.



SHAKTI TATTVAS: The five Shakti Tattvas veil the five Siva Tattvas giving rise to limitations of experience and awareness. This is subdivided as 6. Kaala (time), 7.Niayati (space), 8. Vidya (material knowledge), 9. Raga (passion) and 10. Kala (power)



ATMA TATTVAS: Atma Tattvas perpetuates the limitations of Shakti Tattvas till Jivas are liberated. These are 11. Maya tattva, 12. Purusha Tattva 13. Buddhi Tattva, 14. Ahankara Tattva and 15. Manas Tattva.



PRAKRITI TATTVAS: These are the Tattvas listed as 16-36. Through them Prakriti manifests gross bodies, organs, senses, sense-objects and other things of gross material. Prakrithi Tattvas are subdivided into Gnanendriyas, Karmendriyas, Tanmantaras, Mahabhutas.



FIVE GNANENDRIYAS: 17. Srotra (Hearing) 18.Tvak (Touching) 19.Chaksu (Seeing) 20. Rasana (Tasting) 21. Ghrana (Smelling)



FIVE KARMENDRIYAS: 22. Vak(Speech) 23.Pani(Grasping) 24.Pada(Walking) 25.Payu(Excretion) 26.Upastha(Procreation)





FIVE TANMANTRAS: 27. Shabda(Sound) 28. Sparsha (Feel) 29.Rupa (Form) 30. Rasa (Taste) 31. Gandha (Odor)



FIVE MAHABHUTAS: 32. Akasha(Ether) 33.Vayu (Air) 34. Agni(Fire) 35. Apa(Water) 36. Prithvi(Bumi) – Earth; that which holds everything.



DUALISM-NONDUALISM: The above Tattvas are the divine elements in Shaivism, which philosophy is traced back to the Vedas. Shaivite schools may differ in their tattva notions but the above are well-worth knowing as basic Shivite tattvas. There would be a difference of opinion on the dualist-nondualist aspect of God or Brahman within the Samkhya school, Yoga, Nyaya or logics, Vaisheshika, the empirist school of atomism, Mimamsa, anti-mysticist school of orthopraxy, Vedanta school and the Nastika schools. Of these schools the prominent Hindu philosophies are Dvaita and Vedanta schools. Shaiva Vedanta fine tunes Shaiva Vedanta philosophy in its own inimitable way. Om Nama Shivaya