Shuddha Tattvas, Tattvas - Part 1

Brahman, Tattvas and Soul

Brahman is a supreme, universal spirit that is eternal, unchanging and present throughout the universe. It is the root of all that exists in the universe as well as the fabric of all beings. It is the Supreme Entity, which manifests itself into this world and retracts it back into it during the time of the deluge. It is thus the single binding unity behind the diversity in all that exists in the universe. Hindu scriptures describe Brahman as non-dual pure consciousness, infinite, and all-pervading like the sky. Brahman is of the nature of existence-knowledge-bliss-absolute-the ground of all existence, basis of all awareness, and source of all bliss.

Brahman has two aspects: transcendent and immanent. In Its transcendent aspect, Brahman is devoid of name, form, and other attributes. But in Its immanent aspect, Brahman is endowed with them. The Upanishads designate the transcendent Brahman by the word "It" or "ParamporuL" in Tamil, and the immanent Brahman by the word "He". ParamporuL or Parasivam is the Absolute or static aspect that transcends material existence.

Parasakti, the immanent pure consciousness or energy is the dynamic aspect of existence, the power and substratum of all form. Passive Brahman activates itself through Parasakti/Paraparai or His Divine Grace. Through a cascade of tattvas, Brahman, or the pure consciousness, evolves through knowledge to lesser consciousness to matter. Tattvas are stages or evolutes of manifestation. They are the primary principles, elements, states of existence, the building blocks of the universe. The Saiva Siddhanta analyses the universe into 36 Tattvas (principles).

In the transcendental sphere, Paraparam unites with Paraparai and evolves into Paranadam and Parabindu. From Paranadam and Parabindu of transcendental sphere, Siva, Sakti, aparanadam and aparabindu evolve. Out of these four categories, Sakti manifests as the primal Jnana, Kriya and Ichcha Saktis; aparabindu unites with ichcha Sakti and evolves into suddha maya.

Suddha Maya is maya in its primal state. From it arise the five pure principles called Siva Tattva, Sakthi Tattva, Sadasiva Tattva, Iswara Tattva, and Suddhavidya Tattva. Siva functions through these five pure principles. At mahāpralaya, cosmic dissolution, they enfold into their respective sources, with only the first two tattvas surviving the great dissolution. Suddha maya or Mahamaya or divine grace of Lord evolves into the subtle principles, and then into the gross by dividing itself into three aspects - Suddhamaya, Suddha asuddha maya and Asuddha maya and causes five, seven, twenty four tattvas respectively.

• Five Shudda or Saiva tattvas The pure tattvas describe internal aspects of the Absolute.

• Seven ashuddha or Vidya tattvas: the souls (Pashus) attain limited knowledge which leads to the existence of whole universe.

• Twenty-four Suddha-Ashuddha or Atma tattvas: Through the interactions of pure-impure tattvas The impure tattvas include the universe and living beings that assist the existence of soul.

Suddha Tattvas or Pure Spiritual Energy

Siva Tattva belongs to the superconscious realm and is the basis of all consciousness and action. It is undifferentiated (Nishkala Suddha Maya or Mahamaya). Suddha Maya(chit shakti) is maya in its primal state. From the interaction of the Absolute and the Suddha Maya, five pure principles called Siva Tattva, Sakthi Tattva, Sadasiva Tattva, Iswara Tattva, and Suddhavidya Tattva arise.

1. Shiva-Tattva: "Supreme Energy", or Infinite Consciousness. From Shiva Tattva emerges primal sound, Paranada, soundless sound). Nada is more mystically known as movement, the first impulse arising from perfect quiescence or motionlessness. The Siva tattva pervades all other 35 categories and possesses the powers of will, knowledge and action (icha, jnana, kriya). Siva tattvas are functioning in the absolute level which leads to the Panchakritya (Five acts) - Creation-Maintenance-Destruction-Concealment-Grace of almighty. Shiva’s Tirodhana Shakti produce Shakti (or Maya which is Shiva’s own inherent Power that conceals His immanence within existence) along with the other impurities (three malas – ānava, karma, māyā).

2. Shakti-Tattva: Pure, Infinite Bliss which is the Power whereby God experiences the Boundless Joy of His Own Existence. Corresponds to bindu, light, the cause of form (more precisely Parabindu, primal nucleus).

3. Sadashiva-Tattva: Pure, Infinite Will-Power ( Icchashakti), being the Power of revealing grace whereby God experiences Himself as an Unlimited, Independent Force that is ready and able to perform any action He wishes. At this stage God forms the resolve to bring His Power of Creation into operation. In this realm the energies of knowledge and action are in perfect equilibrium. This is the realm of the anandamaya kosha.

4. Ishvara-Tattva: the energy of concealment, concealing grace (Jnanashakti). He veils Himself from us, the embodied souls, purposefully limiting our awareness, keeping us ensconced in the world–oblivious to our true nature, our past and future lives and karmas–thus allowing us to evolve. This beguiling force is called tirodhana shakti. The energy of action prevails over that of knowledge in order to arouse cosmic activity in its subtle form. At this stage God begins to conceive in His Mind the Universe to be created.

5. Satvidya-Tattva: Pure, Infinite Action (Kriyashakti). Assuming this Power, God may assume or manifest Himself as any form or shape. Up to and including this stage, Creation is very much one with the Mind of God just as a thought or idea of the person who conceives it. The Universe at this level is purely Spiritual and is inhabited by Spiritual Beings. Although they may assume any form and shape they wish, they have no bodies.

Additional Explanation

Nadam does not mean the sound perceived by the ear, but the subtle unmanifested sound. When the dynamic power of creation is released through the conjoining of Siva and Sakthi, it has manifested itself to create forms. That first manifestation is known as Bindu, or literally, ‘a point.’ It is compactness of energy ready to produce. Thus, both Nadam and Bindu are only aspects of Sakti, and Sakti is an aspect of Siva, the source of all energy. Thus Siva, Sakti, Nadam and Bindu can be seen as four inseparable entities in the chain of causation conjointly performing the act of creation.

In the next posts, we will study the tattvas arising from Asuddha Maya and Suddha-asuddha maya.