The 36 Tattvas or Components of Nature

8/12/2019 The 36 Tattvas or Components of Nature

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The 36 Tattvas Or Components Of Nature

By Jayaram V

Tattvas are parts or principles or aspects of nature. Their presence or

absence, combination and permutation play an important role in the creationof the diversity of worlds, their objects and beings, individual bodies, limbsand organs. In short their aggregation and segregation constitute thebuilding blocks of the whole material manifestation.

The meaning of tattva

One of the most popular expressions found in the Upanishads is "Tattvamsi"

which means "Thou art That", which is used in many schools of yoga as ameditative mantra. Tat means "that" tvam means "you" or "the individual".

Thus tattvam means that which is both transcendental and immanent, ormacrocosm and microcosm, or Godhead and also the individual.

The significance of tattvas

Whether they belong to Hinduism or not, Indian philosophers have been

familiar with the concept of tattvas since ancient times. It is difficult to findan Indian school of philosophy that do not deal with this subject. Even the

atheistic schools talk about it. So important is the concept that even Jainismand Buddhism have their own version of tattvas.

The Samkhya school of Hinduism made the concept of tattvas their centralphilosophy while detailing the process of creation. The Samkhya school of

philosophy identifies 24 tattvas that are used in creation. In Samkhya thereis no divine element or para tattva. The Vedanta school of philosophy

accepts these 24 tattvas with some improvements. They also recognize asupreme or divine tattva which is absent in the Samkhya. Saivism identifies

36 tattvas and considers Siva tattva as the highest. Beyond Siva tattva isthe atattva, which is not counted among the 36. The names of the 36

tattvas and their descriptions are as below.

Atattva - ParaSiva or formless absolute Brahman who is beyond allthe tattvas, symbolized by sivalinga, experienced in the state ofsamadhi

1 Siva (Chit) 1- 5 are


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2 Shakti (Kriya) Shakti-tattva is againsubdivided into following

five6 Kaala (time)7 Niyati (space)8 Vidya (material

knowledge)9 Raga (passion)10 Kala (power)

Iswara-tattvas.They belongto the pureworlds.

6-10 areShakti-tattvas.

11-16 arerecognized asatma-tattvas .

17 - 36 areprakriti-tattvas.Through themPrakriti

manifestsgross bodies,organs,senses,sense-objectsand otherthings of grossmaterial.

2 Sadasiva (Jnana and Kriya)

3 Iswara (Jnana and Kriya)

5 Sudda-Vidya (Jnana and Kriya)

11 Maya These are atma tattvas. The atma-tattvas (11-15) and the prakriti tattvas

(17-36) manifest themselves in the jivasas their physical, mental and subtlebodies. The five shakti tattvas (1-5) veilthe five Siva-tattvas (6-10) which giverise to limitations of experience andawareness. Atma-tattvas perpetuatesthese limitations till the jivas areliberated.

12 Purusha13 Buddhi (wisdom)

14 Ahamkara (ego)

15 Manas

16 Prakriti

17-

36Prakriti-tattva is again subdivided into the following 2017-

21 Five Gnanendriyas The 5 Gnanendriyas17 Srotra18 Tvak19 Chakshu


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20 Jivha21 Ghrana

22-

26 Five Karmendriyas The 5 Karmendriyas

22 Vak23 Pani24 Pada25 Payu26 Upastha

27-

31 Five Tanmantras The 5 Tanmantras27 Shabda28 Sparhsa29 Rupa30 Rasa31 Gandha

32-

36 Five Mahabhutas The 5 Mahabhutas22 Akasha 3323 Vayu 3324 Agni 3425 Apa 3526 Prithvi 36

The significance of the number 36

The symbolic significance of the number 36 has been very beautifullyexplained by Yogacharya Sri Somananda1in the following lines:

Does it matter whether there are twenty-five or thirty-six Tattvas? Theanswer is that it does matter. Lord Shiva is the Lord of Yoga and His

tradition teaches that the Tattvas are 36 in number. For the sake ofharmony and unity, all Yogic traditions must agree with this.

However, there is another important reason. The number "36" is a sacrednumber which has a special meaning in Yoga. Indeed, it has many different
http://www.saivism.net/articles/tattvas.asp#1http://www.saivism.net/articles/tattvas.asp#1http://www.saivism.net/articles/tattvas.asp#1http://www.saivism.net/articles/tattvas.asp#1


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meanings or one meaning with many different facets, like a diamond.

Strictly speaking, this must be revealed by the Teacher to the disciple. Wemay nevertheless disclose some of it so that the seeker may acquire a taste

of the infinitely profound, unsurpassed and incomparable Wisdom of YogaDharma.

1) "30" represents the Moon (the thirty-day lunar month of the Indian

calendar is called "Maasa" or "Moon", in Sanskrit) which is the symbol ofLord Shiva; and "6" represents the Six Disciplines of Yoga (physical

postures, breath-control, detachment, concentration, meditation, union withShiva); the Six Paths (Shadadhvaa: mantra, varna, pada, kalaa, tattva,

bhuvana); and the Six Chakras or Sthalas; which are the Path that leads to

Shiva.

2) By further applying the Yogic method of numerological interpretation,"36" will be explained as follows. "3" signifies that Shiva is Three-times theGreatest: He is the Greatest on Earth (the Terrestrial Plane); the Greatest inthe Air (the Astral Plane); and the Greatest in Heaven (the Celestial Plane).

"6" is made up of "5" and "1" . "5" signifies that Shiva is the Lord of the FiveDivine Powers (Intelligence, Bliss, Will, Knowledge and Action) and the

Performer of the Five Divine Acts (Creation, Preservation, Dissolution,Obscuration and Illumination or Salvation).

"1" (One) signifies that the Supreme Lord is the All-Powerful, Unique, Ever

Existing One Who alone exists and Who holds the totality of all things within

Himself. Therefore, "5" and "1", being inseparable, are taken together as"6". Thus by writing "3" and "6" we arrive at the sacred number "36". This isthe innermost, secret meaning.

3) In terms of external reality which is the domain of multiplicity, whenmultiplied by the base "10", it yields "360" which is the number of days in a

year; the number of degrees in a circle, etc. It stands for the Totality ofBeing or All-Encompassing Supreme Reality Itself.

In brief, it represents a symbol of completeness. In practice, therefore, the

number "36" (or 360) symbolises man's (and the World's) Revolution or

Completion of the Circle of Life and return to the original Point of departure.

This Spiritual Revolution is not a return to the past but a return to the EverPresent, Ever-Living Truth that nourishes all life. It is a return that must be

urgently effectuated by the modern World for the Salvation of all Souls andthe Establishment of Divine Life on Earth.


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The 36 Tattvas or Components of Nature