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Tattva

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Essential principle, truth, or reality, especially in Indian philosophy, referring to the fundamental elements or truths of existence.

Detailed Definition
Tattva in poetry is the truth beneath the veil—the one thing that does not change, even as names shift. Poets use it to strip away illusion: not what is said, but what is known. It becomes the poem’s core: not ornament, but essence—the whisper that says, “This is real.”
Example
Example in poetry:
Tattva is essential truth—A Vedantic poet writes: “Tattva isn’t belief—it’s the fact that you are, right now, here, aware”; A modern lyric: “I chased meaning in books—Tattva came in the pause between two breaths”; A haiku: “Stone on path—Tattva: / what remains when names fall”; Another: “Tattva isn’t philosophy—it’s the naked truth before labels”; A devotional verse: “Sages don’t teach Tattva—they point to it, like moon to finger”; A minimalist line: “Essential truth. Ultimate reality. / Tattva: what is.”
Additional Notes
Tattva is the fundamental truth underlying all phenomena; in Samkhya, there are 25 tattvas; in Advaita, only one—Brahman; in poetry, invoking a tattva—like Akash or Prakriti—anchors the verse in metaphysical realism, making it essential for interpreting Indian verse as philosophical inquiry, not mere imagery.
Also Known As
Essential Principle Truth Reality Fundamental Element Cosmic Principle
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