Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘thatness’, ‘principle’, ‘reality’ or ‘truth’. According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a tattva (or tattwa) is an element or aspect of reality. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience. Typically, the five tattvas (elements) depicted in the picture below are as follows:
Akasha (Spirit or Space) – black oval symbol
Vayu (Air) – blue circle symbol
Tejas (Fire) – red triangle symbol
Apas (Water) – white moon symbol
Prithvi (Earth) – yellow square symbol
Tattva
