According to various Indian schools of philosophy, tattvas are the elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience. The Samkhya philosophy uses a system of 25 tattvas, while Shaivism recognises 36 tattvas. In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list of dhammas which constitute reality, as in Nama-rupa.
Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'.[1]
The Samkhya philosophy regards the Universe as consisting of two eternal realities: Purusha and Prakrti. It is therefore a strongly dualist philosophy. The Purusha is the centre of consciousness, whereas the Prakriti is the source of all material existence. The twenty-five tattva system of Samkhya concerns itself only with the tangible aspect of creation, theorizing that Prakriti is the source of the world of becoming. It is the first tattva and is seen as pure potentiality that evolves itself successively into twenty-four additional tattvas or principles.
See main article: Tattva (Shaivism). In Shaivism the tattvas are inclusive of consciousness as well as material existence. The 36 tattvas of Shaivism are divided into three groups:
The first five tattvas are known as the shuddha or 'pure' tattvas. They are also known as the tattvas of universal experience.
The next seven tattvas (6 - 12) are known as the shuddha-ashuddha or 'pure-impure' tattvas. They are the tattvas of limited individual experience.
The last twenty-four tattvas (13 - 36) are known as the ashuddha or 'impure' tattvas. The first of these is prakriti and they include the tattvas of mental operation, sensible experience, and materiality.
Within Puranic literatures and general Vaiśnava philosophy tattva is often used to denote certain categories or types of being or energies such as:
The Supreme God. The causative factor of everything including other Tattva(s).
Any incarnation or expansion of Śrī Narayan / Krishna.
The multifarious energies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It includes his internal potency, Yoga Maya, and material prakṛti.
The living souls (jivas).
Śrī Śiva (excluding Rudra(s)) is not considered to be a jiva.
The total material energy (prakṛti).[2]
See main article: Pancha Tattva (Vaishnavism). In Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy there are a total of five primary tattvas described in terms of living beings, which are collectively known as the Pancha Tattva and described as follows:
In Hindu tantrism there are five tattvas (pañcatattva) which create global energy cycles of tattvic tides beginning at dawn with Akasha and ending with Prithvi:[3]
Each complete cycle lasts two hours.[4] This system of five tattvas which each can be combined with another, was also adapted by the Golden Dawn (→Tattva vision).
See main article: Ganachakra and Panchamakara. Arthur Avalon (1918) [5] affirms that the five nectars of Tantra, Hindu and Buddhist traditions are directly related to the mahābhūta or Five Elements and that the pañcamakara is actually a vulgar term for the pañcatattva and affirms that this is cognate with Ganapuja:"Chakrapuja" is cognate with Ganachakra or Ganachakrapuja.
See main article: Tattva (Ayyavazhi). Tattvas are the 96 qualities or properties of human body according to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the religious book of Ayyavazhi.
See main article: Tattva (Siddha medicine).
The Siddha system of traditional medicine of ancient India was derived by Tamil Siddhas or the spiritual scientists of Tamil Nadu.[6] According to this tradition, the human body is composed of 96 constituent principles or tattvas. Siddhas fundamental principles never differentiated man from the universe. According to them, "Nature is man and man is nature and therefore both are essentially one. Man is said to be the microcosm and the Universe is Macrocosm, because what exists in the Universe exists in man."[7]
See main article: Tattva (Jainism). Jain philosophy can be described in various ways, but the most acceptable tradition is to describe it in terms of the tattvas or fundamentals. Without knowing them one cannot progress towards liberation. According to major Jain text, Tattvarthsutra, these are:
Each one of these fundamental principles are discussed and explained by Jain scholars in depth.[8] There are two examples that can be used to explain the above principle intuitively.
This simple scenario can be interpreted as follows:
See main article: Abhidharma. In Buddhism the term "dhamma/dharma" is being used for the constitutional elements. Early Buddhist philosophy used several lists, such as namarupa and the five skandhas, to analyse reality. The Abhidhamma tradition elaborated on these lists, using over 100 terms to analyse reality.