The 36 tattvas

The tattvas are the cascades, essences, elements or principles of reality. Tattvas are the basic concepts to understand the nature of absolute, the souls and the universe in Shaivite and Samkhya philosophies. Shaivaite philosophies count them as thirty six while Samkhya philospophy defines them as twenty five.

Tattvas are used to explain the creation and the existence of the Universe. They are usually divided into three groups: Shudda, (pure) tattvas; Shuddhashuddha (pure-impure) tattvas; and Ashuddha (impure) tattvas. The pure tattvas describe internal aspects of the Absolute while the pure - impure tattvas describe the soul and its limitations. The impure tattvas include the universe and living beings that assist the existence of soul.

According to Shaivite philosophies, Parashiva or Parameshwara is the ultimate Reality or Parabrahman, "the one form where everything emerges. The nondualistic monism school of Shaivism, Kashmir Shaivism, describes the tattvas as Paramshiva manifests himself by a process of descent from Paramashiva to jiva, through the 36 tattvas. Spanda, The vibrant creative energy of Parashiva known as Spanda, moves him to manifest himself these 36 tattvas as a leela or divine play.

Another important sect of Shaivism, Shaiva Siddhanta, a monism cum dualistic school describes the tattvas in a different perspective. Passive parameshwara is activated itself by Suddha Maya or divine grace (Shakti) of him. Like that, the universe, (Prakriti), is activated by ashudda Maya (physical body and all aspects of universe), another aspect of divine grace - Mahamaya. The interaction of Pure Maya and Impure Maya is the Pure - impure Maya where the souls (Pashus) attain knowledge which leads to the existence of whole universe.

...
Wikipedia