Tattva - Tattvas in Gaudiya Vaishnavism (i.e., The Philosophy Behind ISKCON)

Tattvas in Gaudiya Vaishnavism (i.e., The Philosophy Behind ISKCON)

Within Puranic literatures and general Vaishnava philosophy tattva is often used to denote certain categories or types of being or energies such as :

Krishna-tattva

The Supreme personality of Godhead. The causative factor of everything including other Tattva(s).

Vishnu-tattva

Any incarnation or expansion of Krishna.

Sakti-Tattva

The multifarious energies of the Lord Krishna. It includes his internal potency Yoga Maya and material prakrti

Jiva-tattva

The living souls (jivas).

Siva-tattva

Lord Siva (excluding the Rudra(s)) is not considered to be a jiva.

Mahat-tattva

The total material energy (prakrti).

In Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy that there are a total of five primary tattvas described in terms of living beings, which are collectively known as the Pancha Tattva and described as follows:

"Spiritually there are no differences between these five tattvas, for on the transcendental platform everything is absolute. Yet there are also varieties in the spiritual world, and in order to taste these spiritual varieties one should distinguish between them".