Tattva
Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning "thatness", principle, reality or truth. The number of factors of existence varies in different philosophical systems. The philosophy of Samkhya is based on 25 factors of existence, Shaivism counts 36 factors. The "Indian materialists" only accept 4 tattvas.
Tattva in the teaching of Samkhya
The teaching of Sankhya starts from two basic principles which shape the world. These are the purely spiritual, conscious, immutable souls ( Purusha ) and the unconscious, active primordial nature ( Prakriti ). From the Prakriti, all further factors of existence should arise in a process of "unfolding". Together with the Purusha and the Prakriti, this results in a list of 25 Tattvas as factors of existence, from which the process of creating the world is explained. These 25 tattvas are:
| Sanskrit | Transliteration IAST | meaning | Group of existence | Existence factor |
| पुरुष | puruṣa | Soul, consciousness | one | |
| प्रकृति | prakṛti | active primeval nature | two | |
| बुद्धि | buddhi | Recognition, intelligence | three | |
| अहंकार | ahaṃkāra | I-consciousness | four | |
| मनस् | manas | sensory thinking | five | |
| शृनोति | śrotra | Hearing | Organ of knowledge (buddhîndriya) | six |
| त्वच् | tvac | skin | Organ of knowledge (buddhîndriya) | seven |
| चक्षण | cakṣuṣī | eyes | Organ of knowledge (buddhîndriya) | eight |
| रस | jihvā | tongue | Organ of knowledge (buddhîndriya) | nine |
| घ्राण | ghrāṇa | odor | Organ of knowledge (buddhîndriya) | ten |
| वाच् | vāc | speech | Tatorgan (karmendriya) | eleven |
| पाणि | pāṇī | hands | Tatorgan (karmendriya) | twelve |
| पाद | pādau | Feet | Tatorgan (karmendriya) | thirteen |
| पायु | pāyu | Excretory organ | Tatorgan (karmendriya) | fourteen |
| उपस्थ | upastha | Procreative member | Tatorgan (karmendriya) | fifteen |
| शब्द | śabda | sound | Pure substance, subtle element (tanmātra) | sixteen |
| स्पर्श | sparśa | contact | subtle element (tanmātra) | seventeen |
| रूप | rūpa | shape | subtle element (tanmātra) | eighteen |
| रस | rasa | taste | subtle element (tanmātra) | nineteen |
| गन्ध | gandha | odor | subtle element (tanmātra) | twenty |
| आकाश | ākāśa | Ether, space | great element, gross element (mahābhūta) | twenty-one |
| वयु | vāyu | Wind, air | gross element (mahābhūta) | twenty-two |
| तेजस् | tejas | Embers, fire | gross element (mahābhūta) | twentythree |
| अप् | ap / āpas | water | gross element (mahābhūta) | twenty four |
| पृथिवी | pṛthivī | earth | gross element (mahābhūta) | twenty five |
Tattva in the teaching of Shaivism
Shaivism makes use of the 25 principles of Samkhya and provides them with a superstructure of 11 more, the origin of which is Shiva .
These are divided into three groups:
- Shuddha Tattvas
The first five tattvas are as shuddha or 'pure' tattvas. They are also known as Tattva's universal experience.
- Shuddha-ashuddha Tattvas
The next seven tattvas (6–12) are known as shuddha-ashuddha or 'clean-unclean' tattvas or as Shuddhashuddha Tattvas with the five Kanchukas (Kalā, Vidyā, Rāga, Kāla, Niyati). They are the tattvas of limited or individual experience.
- Ashuddha tattvas
The other 24 tattvas (13-36) are known as ashuddha or 'unclean' tattvas. The first of these is Prakriti and they include the tattvas of mental activity, sensory experience, and matter.
Tattva in the teaching of the materialists
The teaching of the Indian materialists, also known as Carvakas , assume a multiplicity of eternally existing elements which, by mixing, produce everything. The four elements earth, water, fire and air are the basis.
