The 36 Tattvas and Their Significance

24 Tattvas of Samkhya

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 creation of the diversity of worlds, their objects and beings,
individual bodies, limbs and organs. In short their aggregation and segregation constitute the building
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 a meditative mantra. Tat means "that" tvam means "you" or
"the individual". Thus tattvam means that which is both transcendental and immanent, or macrocosm 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 find an 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 Jainism and
Buddhism have their own version of tattvas.
The Samkhya school of Hinduism made the concept of tattvas their central philosophy while detailing the
process of creation. The Samkhya school of philosophy identifies 24 tattvas that are used in creation. In
Samkhya there is no divine element or para tattva. The Vedanta school of philosophy accepts these 24
tattvas with some improvements. They also recognize a supreme or divine tattva which is absent in the
Samkhya. Saivism identifies 36 tattvas and considers Siva tattva as the highest. Beyond Siva tattva is the
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 all the tattvas,
symbolized by sivalinga, experienced in the state of samadhi
1 Siva (Chit) 1- 5 are Iswara-
tattvas. They
belong to the pure
2 Shakti (Kriya) worlds.
Shakti-tattva is again
subdivided into following
five 6-10 are Shakti-
tattvas.

6 Kaala (time) 11-16 are

recognized as
atma-tattvas .
7 Niyati (space)

17 - 36 are
8 Vidya (material prakriti-tattvas.
knowledge) Through them
Prakriti manifests
gross bodies,
9 Raga (passion) organs, senses,
sense-objects and
other things of
10 Kala (power) gross material.

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 jivas as their physical, mental
12 Purusha and subtle bodies. The five shakti tattvas (1-5)
veil the five Siva-tattvas (6-10) which give rise to
limitations of experience and awareness. Atma-
13 Buddhi (wisdom)
tattvas perpetuates these limitations till the jivas
are liberated.
14 Ahamkara (ego)

15 Manas

16 Prakriti

17-
Prakriti-tattva is again subdivided into the following 20
36
17- Five Gnanendriyas
The 5 Gnanendriyas
21

17 Srotra

18 Tvak

19 Chakshu

20 Jivha

21 Ghrana

22- Five Karmendriyas

The 5 Karmendriyas
26

22 Vak
 23 Pani

24 Pada

25 Payu

26 Upastha

27- Five Tanmantras

The 5 Tanmantras
31

27 Shabda

28 Sparhsa

29 Rupa
 30 Rasa

31 Gandha

32- Five Mahabhutas

The 5 Mahabhutas
36

22 Akasha 33

23 Vayu 33

24 Agni 34

25 Apa 35

26 Prithvi 36

The significance of the number 36

The symbolic significance of the number 36 has been very beautifully explained by Yogacharya Sri
Somananda 1 in the following lines:
Does it matter whether there are twenty-five or thirty-six Tattvas? The answer 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 of
harmony and unity, all Yogic traditions must agree with this.
However, there is another important reason. The number "36" is a sacred number which has a special
meaning in Yoga. Indeed, it has many different meanings or one meaning with many different facets, like
a diamond. Strictly speaking, this must be revealed by the Teacher to the disciple. We may nevertheless
disclose some of it so that the seeker may acquire a taste of the infinitely profound, unsurpassed and
incomparable Wisdom of Yoga Dharma.
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 of Lord Shiva; and "6" represents the Six Disciplines of Yoga
(physical postures, breath-control, detachment, concentration, meditation, union with Shiva); 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 the Greatest: He is the Greatest on Earth (the Terrestrial Plane);
the Greatest in the 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 Five Divine 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 is the
innermost, secret meaning.
3) In terms of external reality which is the domain of multiplicity, when multiplied 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 of Being 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 Ever Present, 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 and the Establishment of Divine Life on Earth.
Finally, if we add "3" and "6", we obtain the number "9". "Nine" ("Nava") in the Sanskrit Language, also
means "New", thus indicating the advent of a New World Order based upon the Eternal Principle of All-
Encompassing Unity and Harmony, that is to say, the Supreme Eternal Law of Heaven (Sanatana Dharma)
which must prevail over all other laws as Shiva (the Supreme Intelligence) Himself decreed at the
beginning of time