According to the Bhartiya Darshan, the word tattwa refers to the reality/principle/truth.
Tattwa shows the actual meaning of life in the form reality. When one says , the reality of life i.e,one actually looks towards the genuine aspects which is verified, authentic and infallible.
Tattwa builds the foundation of life in the form of principles, so that one can lives a peaceful and meaningful life after internalising of those principles like the path of dharma, ahimsha,
Tattwa paves the way towards the brightness from the darkness in the form of truth. A truth is always bitter but one can't denies the truth. As death is a unchangeable law of nature but a human couldn't easily dissolves this truth.
All these points when come under a single word it becomes Tattwa darshan. Tattwa Darshan is made up of two words i.e, tattwa and darshan. Tattwa means the principle and darshan is derived from the Sanskrit root word drish, which means to see . The phrase To see refers ,one must see oneself first . Until one doesn't understand oneself, one can't be able to understand an other one. In this case someone famously said that, first understood and then understand. The Bhartiya Darshan is very vast ,extensive and complex in nature. There are mainly six branches of philosophy . These are Sankhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, Purva Mimansha, Uttara Mimansha(Vedanta). Each of these branches mainly described in three ways like epistemology, metaphysics,ethics. Every philosophy of Bharat accepted the concept of tattwa. A tattwa is the details explanation of an entity, it may be live or dead like the Jal tattwa, the Purusha tattwa etc.
In Shankhya darshan, maharshi Kapila described twenty-five tattwas in detail. While Patanjali added one more tattwa and concluded the list with twenty six tattwas.
Shankhya darshan -
5 jyanendriyas( ear, skin,eyes, tongue,nose),
karmendriyas(mouth,hands,feet,genitals,bowel)
5 tanmatras( sound,touch, appearance,flavor,ador)
5 elements(ether, air,fire,water,earth)
3 internal indriyas(mana,buddhi,ahamkara)
Prakriti
Purusha
The extra one tattwa which was added by Patanjali is the Ishwara tattwa.
Later Shaivism extended these 25 tattwas to 36 tattwas . The extra added tattwas are Shiva, Shakti, sadashiva,Ishwara, suddha Vidya, Maya, kalaa, Vidya, raga, kala, niyati.
The literal meaning of these 36 tattwas are given below.
1.Shiva- transcendent light of consciousness
2.Shakti- power of reflective self awareness
3.Sadashiva- willing (iccha)
4. Ishwara- knowing( jyana)
5.Suddha vidya- acting(kriya)
6.maya-illusion
7.kalaa- art
8.vidya- limited knowledge
9.raga-desire, craving
10.kaala-sequential time
11.niyati-casuality
12.purusha-individual consciousness
13.prakriti-primordial nature
14.buddhi-intelligence
15. ahamkara-ego
16 .mana- attention and sense processing
17 -21- janendriyas
22-26- karmendriyas
27- 31- tanmatras
32-36- pancha mahabhoots
As a small introduction of Tattwa is already explained now it is the time to understand the Shiva tattwa. But before understanding the Shiva Tattwa, it is required to understand the Shiva first. In reality it is not so easy for the humans to describe Shiva. The vedas used the phrase Neti-Neti while describing about the lord. But human mind doesn't accept this reality. Curiosity is a natural phenomena which presents inside everyone. So our ancient sages described Shiva in a beautiful way. That is like
शेते तिष्ठति सर्वं जगत यास्मिन सः शिवः शम्à¤ुः विकाररहितः।
Shete tistati sarba jagat Yasmin sa Shiva sambhu bikaranahita
Which translated as , The one in whom the whole world sleeps, the one who is free from vices is Shiva. Those who reduce the evil, they are the embodiment of happiness and good. Lord Shiva is the one who absorbs the entire world into himself and Shiva is compassionate in nature.
Shiva is the source of all creation and in the end all creation take rest inside Shiva. The principle which describes this reality which is the ultimate truth is known as the Shiva Tattwa.
The Shiva Tattwa says , the entire universe is in the form of illumination. In the process of manifestation of the world, Shiva performs five crucial functions. It is the tattwa that connects all other tattwas in a single thread.
The five functions of Shiva are
1. Nigraha- the act of self limitation/ contraction
2. Sristi- creation, the act of self manifestation
3. Sthiti- preservation of the manifest world
4. Samhara- destruction, absorption, withdrawal of worldly manifestation
5. Anugraha- grace, revelation of the true nature.
Shakti is considered the next in serial and is the Hladini Shakti ( energy of bliss) of Shiva.
So Shiva is one who emanates and Shakti is what is emanated. Shakti has five primary modes of expression.
1. Chit shakti- power of consciousness
2. Ananda shakti- power of bliss
3. Iccha shakti- power of will
4. Jyana shakti- power of knowledge
5. Kriya Shakti - power of spontaneous creation
But a common human doesn't show much interest in this type of heavy philosophy. So it is worthless before a large section of the masses and it has no value in the samshara where the Illusion engulfs everything . Even if someone understand this tattwa but not able to take action on it. So for the masses lord Shiva manifested in the form of Shankar and Shakti as maa Parvati so the masses become able to familiarise with their beloved lord and learn the life lessons from them.
Let's understand the attributes Shiva which area present inside a Shiva temple. These are mainly consists of Shiva linga, Parvati, Nandi, Ganesha, Snake, kurma, Hanuman,A narrow entrance path to the Sanctum, kapal,kamandal,bhasma,damru,tridal bilva patra,three eyes of Shiva,trishul,tripundra,a stream of water etc which are not only worshipped but also symbolises different sphere of life.
Shiva linga - it is the atmalinga situated in Shivalaya. The Bramhalinga is in the form of god engrossed in the welfare of the world. Only a soul as great as the Himalayas and as peaceful as Shiva can live admist fierce enemies. It is the symbol of creation and the Shakti which is surrounding the linga together shows the importance of grihastha ashrama . The importance of husband and wife in a family . Which also shows that a woman has the capacity to takes care her male counterpart in this world.
Parvati- she is Shankar's consort. Despite her presence Shankar is fill with consciousness and calmness. So one must live like Shiva alongwith his/her better half and do the sadhana with full mindfulness. Just think about it.
Nandi- As soon as one goes to the shivalaya, the first person sees the statue of Nandi maharaj. Along with being the vehicle of Shiva , the first Yogi. Nandi is also the symbol of celibacy. According to legends, during the churning of the ocean, after consuming halahal poison, Nandi,who was engrossed in meditation,served lord Shiva by releasing air on his throat. That is why Nandi is always present infront of lord Shiva as a form of meditation. Just as Nandi is the vehicle of lord Shiva , similarly the vehicle of our soul is body. Therefore,lord Shiva can be considered a symbol of soul and Nandi can be considered as the symbol of the body. Just as nandi's gaze is always towards sadashiva , similarly our body should remain soul oriented. This should be understood as a sign.
Kurma- after Nandi maharaja, a turtle is seen moving towards lord Shiva in some places. If Nandi symbolises our physical body,then the tortoise is the subtle bodyi.e, our mind. The tortoise is continuously moving towards Shiva indicates to us that we should concentrate and strengthen our mind and continuously move towards lord Shiva. Our mind should be filled with Shiva, think only the welfare, be diligent for the credit of the soul, and control all the senses and attain the essence of Shiva.
Ganesha- Gouri's son besides being the first worshipable god , Ganesha symbolises intelligence and prosperity. That is why the essential qualities are expressed through the symbols in the hands of Ganesha. The curb is a symbol of restraint,self control,the Lotus is a symbol of purity. The book is a symbol of high thinking and the modak is a symbol of sweet nature. No creature that comes in the service of God is insignificant,this is the symbol of the mouse. Only by possessing such qualities does one prove one's eligibility for Shiva darshana.
Hanumanji- the ideal of Rudra form Hanumanji is ready to service and restraint for the welfare of the world,this is the reason why Hanuman was always ready to serve Shri Ram, he remained seated in the flag of Arjuna 's chariot. Only through such devotion,service,and restraint can one attain the auspicious Shiva.
A narrow entrance - the pagoda being slightly higher from the ground and the gate of the pagoda being narrow. Following the ideal of Ganesha and Hanuman can bring ego in the heart of the devotees which can become a hindrance in the union of the soul and God. For this the pagoda is kept a little higher than the steps and the gate also remains narrow. The seeker has to be extremely careful while entering the Shiva temple.the Shiva element can be seen only by bowing down the head and destroying all ego.
Kapal,Kamandalu.Bhasma.and Damru -
Things like kapal,Kamandalu etc worn by lord Shiva are symbols of a contended ascetic and non attaching life. Bhasma is a sign of choosing the imperishable in the perishable world. Damru is in the form of infinity which shows Shiva is eternal and Damru ninad symbolises the bless of atmanad.
Tridal bilva patra, three eyes, Trident, Tripundra- these are the symbols of equalising the three basic qualities of the world i.e satagun, rojogun, TamaGuni. This instructs that lord Shiva is beyond trikaya. Trilok,trikal. The Bramha, Vishnu, maheswar trinity is represented by these sumbol.
The aforesaid description always remind us that how the lord is always ready to mix-up with the devotees. So it is the sole responsibility of a devotee to understand the Shiva tattwa in this simple manner and take action to do sadhana which directs the path towards a meaningful life.
SHIVAHAM, SHIVAHAM SHIVAHAM
TANMEMANAH SHIVA SANKALPASTU.
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