36 Tattvas

Brief Definition

The 36 tattvas (Skt. षट्त्रिंशत् तत्त्व, Ṣaṭtriṃśat Tattva) are an integrated ontological system of Kashmiri Shaivism, describing 36 levels of the manifestation of consciousness, from absolute non-dual being (Paramashiva) to gross material elements. This system serves as a common cosmological map for all schools of Kashmiri Shaivism, explaining how the single Absolute Consciousness freely manifests as a diverse universe.

Etymology

The term "tattva" (tattva) traces back to the demonstrative pronoun "tat" (that) with the abstract suffix "-tva" (-tva), forming the meaning "that-ness." In an Advaita context, it refers to the principles of manifestation of the single consciousness—various modes of Paramashiva's self-recognition.

Philosophical Foundations and Systems

The system of 36 tattvas dates back to early Shaiva Tantras and was later adapted and systematized across all schools of Kashmiri Shaivism—Trika, Kaula, Spanda, and Pratyabhijna. Similar classification systems exist in Shaiva Siddhanta, but their interpretation there is predominantly dualistic, whereas in Kashmiri Shaivism, it is consistently non-dual.

Non-dual Nature

The scheme of tattvas is fundamentally non-dual: each level represents a way in which subjectivity (Aham) manifests objectivity (Idam) within the original unity of consciousness. As Kshemaraja explains in "Pratyabhijna-hridaya" (Sutra 7):

"The seven pentads, i.e., thirty-five principles (tattvas) — from Shiva down to earth — also become His nature."

Four Systems of Interpretation

Trika correlates the five pure tattvas with the triad "I – This – their unity" and with the panchakritya (the five acts of the Lord), explaining cosmogony as the free play of consciousness.

Pratyabhijna reads the tattvas as modes of self-manifestation of a single subject: all levels are reflections in pure consciousness. Kshemaraja emphasizes in "Pratyabhijna-hridaya" (Sutra 4):

"A single body and a single embodied being actually contain within themselves all bodies and all embodied beings."

Spanda understands the entire series of tattvas as the rhythm of unmesha/nimesha — the expansion and contraction of cosmic pulsation. Kshemaraja in "Spanda-nirnaya" (comm. on 1.1) explains:

"The principle of Spanda constitutes the nimesha stage (absorption), which causes the dissolution of the entire previously manifested aggregate of tattvas from Shiva to the earth."

Kaula views the tattvas as interpenetrating "families" of powers; the purification and ascent of these families are linked to mantric practice and the inner yoga of folding levels back to the source.

Tripartite Division of Tattvas

Pure Tattvas (Shuddha-tattvas, 1-5)

Levels of freedom and the self-luminosity of consciousness:

Shiva-tattva – pure "I"-consciousness without objective content, absolute subjectivity
Shakti-tattva – the dynamic energy of self-awareness, the creative pulsation of divine will
Sadashiva-tattva – "I am This," with subjectivity predominating over objectivity
Ishvara-tattva – "This is I," with objectivity predominating while maintaining unity
Shuddha-vidya-tattva – "I am I, This is This," in perfect balance of subject and object on the single platform of Consciousness

Mixed Tattvas (Shuddha-ashuddha-tattvas, 6-12)

The transition zone of limitation through Maya and the five cloaks (kanchukas):

Maya-tattva – the principle of differentiation and limitation, creating the illusion of multiplicity
Kalaa-tattva (kalā) – the diminution of creative power, the limitation of omnipotence
Vidya-tattva – the diminution of omniscience, partial and relative knowledge
Raga – the limitation of fullness, the emergence of desire and the feeling of lack
Kaala (kāla) – limitation by time, the introduction of sequence
Niyati – spatial-causal conditioning, the laws of karma
Purusha – the limited individual subject, the empirical soul

Impure Tattvas (Ashuddha-tattvas, 13-36)

The cosmic psychophysics of experience:

Mental Principles (13-16):

Prakriti – primary material nature in the balance of gunas, the matrix of manifestation
Buddhi – the discriminating intellect, the capacity to make decisions and recognize
Ahamkara – ego-consciousness, the principle of individualization and self-identification
Manas – the dual coordinating mind, linking sense organs with objects in a mode of acceptance and rejection

Organs of Cognition (17-21):

Shrotra – hearing, the ability to perceive sound vibrations and their subtle qualities
Tvak – touch, tactile perception through the skin, the sensation of textures
Chakshus – sight, the ability to perceive luminous forms and colors
Rasana – taste, the ability to distinguish flavor qualities
Ghrana – smell, the perception of aromatic qualities and odors

Organs of Action (22-26):

Vak – speech, the capacity for articulated expression of thoughts and emotions
Pani – hands, the capacity for grasping, manipulation, and transformation
Pada – feet, the capacity for movement in space and support
Payu – excretory organs, the capacity for waste elimination and purification
Upastha – reproductive organs, procreation, the capacity for continuity of kind and pleasure

Subtle Elements - Tanmatras (27-31):

Shabda-tanmatra – sound, the subtle essence of acoustic phenomena, primary vibration
Sparsha-tanmatra – touch, the subtle essence of tactile sensations and resistance
Rupa-tanmatra – form, the subtle essence of visual images and light
Rasa-tanmatra – taste, the subtle essence of gustatory experiences and nourishment
Gandha-tanmatra – smell, the subtle essence of olfactory impressions and attraction

Gross Elements - Mahabhutas (32-36):

Akasha – space/ether, the medium for the manifestation of all phenomena, the container of sound
Vayu – air, the principle of movement and vital energy, the carrier of touch
Agni – fire, the principle of transformation, light, and digestion, the carrier of form
Apas – water, the principle of fluidity, cohesion, and dissolution, the carrier of taste
Prithvi – earth, the principle of solidity, stability, and materiality, the carrier of smell

Sapta Pramata — The Seven Types of Perceivers

Each level of tattvas corresponds to a specific type of subject, creating a complete hierarchy of states of consciousness from absolute realization to the total forgetting of divine nature:

Shiva-pramata (tattvas 1-2) — experiences absolute unity, where the entire universe shines as a manifestation of one's own "I". Objects are present as the spontaneous play of self-awareness, without the slightest sense of externality or limitation. Possesses all divine powers in their original fullness.
Mantra-maheshvara (tattva 3) — beings of the Sadashiva level, experiencing the state of "I am This" with the predominance of subjectivity. In their experience, divine will (ichchha-shakti) dominates.
Mantreshvara (tattva 4) — beings of the Ishvara level, experiencing the state of "This is I" with the predominance of objectivity. In their experience, jnana-shakti dominates.
Mantra (tattva 5) — beings of perfect balance at the level of pure knowledge. They experience flawless harmony between "I" and "This". In their experience, kriya-shakti dominates.
Vijnanakala (between 5-6) — liberated yogis who have attained pure knowledge but lack the capacity for cosmic action. They dwell in a state of objectless consciousness, free from karmic bonds and the illusion of multiplicity (karma-mala and maya-mala), but have not yet attained the fullness of divine realization.
Pralayakala (tattvas 6-11) — subjects of cosmic dissolution, dwelling between cycles of creation. Freed from the need for karmic processing (freed only from karma-mala), they experience a state of blissful void but remain under the influence of the kanchukas, which prevent full awakening.
Sakala (tattvas 12-36) — embodied beings, fully identified with psychophysical limitations. Their consciousness functions through the three gunas (sattva-rajas-tamas) and is subject to all forms of limitation (the five kanchukas and three malas). These are all beings residing in samsara.

This classification describes not only different types of beings but also the potential states of the same consciousness on the path from limitation to liberation. The transition between levels occurs through the gradual removal of coverings and the restoration of original divine capacities.

Sources: Ishvara-pratyabhijna-karika with commentary by Utpala, Pratyabhijna-hridaya 11-14, Tantraloka 9th Ahnika.

Practical Methods

Tattva-shuddhi: Ritual-meditative cycles of dissolving the sense organs, elements, and mental principles back into the higher tattvas to ascend through the levels (tattvaroha).
Spanda-yoga: The practice of catching transition moments between levels as nodes of spanda, where the collapse of phenomena is equivalent to a flash of I-consciousness.
Recognition of Divine Nature: Contemplating the current level of identification helps one see how the kanchukas contract the freedom of consciousness and remove the limitations.

Key Sources

Ishvara-pratyabhijna-karika by Utpaladeva with commentaries sets forth the teaching of the universe as a reflection of the internal powers of consciousness.
Pratyabhijna-hridaya provides a concise summary of the descent of consciousness through Maya and its shells.
Spanda-karika links the aggregate of tattvas with cosmic pulsation.

Tantra-sara by Abhinavagupta (10th Ahnika) contains the distinctions of the tattvas: "Such is the pentad of Mastery and the thirty-six tattvas, in which the knowable is twofold—gross and subtle."

36 Tattvas

36 Tattvas

Brief Definition

Etymology

Philosophical Foundations and Systems

Non-dual Nature

Four Systems of Interpretation

Tripartite Division of Tattvas

Pure Tattvas (Shuddha-tattvas, 1-5)

Mixed Tattvas (Shuddha-ashuddha-tattvas, 6-12)

Impure Tattvas (Ashuddha-tattvas, 13-36)

Sapta Pramata — The Seven Types of Perceivers

Practical Methods

Key Sources

See Also

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