Shiv Tattwa has the highest Consciousness, which diminishes in a gradient fashion to Shuddh Vidyaa Tattwa. This is a two-way street from 1 to 36 and 36 to 1. Shiv Tattwa uses Shakti Tattwa to create this world of gods, beings and matter. From 1 to 36 Tattwa, there is diminution of Shiv Consciousness from the highest #1 to the insentient 36th Tattwa, the Earth. The First Pentad is the five Shuddh Tattwa or Pure Principles (gods). These entities can be compared to Board of Directors. But Shiv is number one, Shakti is #2, Sadaashiv is #3, Eeshwar is #4, and Shuddh Vidyaa is #5. Their powers and Consciousness diminish from one to five. Each one has an important function: Shiv is Supreme although Shakti is also equal to him. Shakti is like a Co-Director. Together with Shiv, Shiv-Shakti gives rise to Sadaashiv, Eeshwar and Shuddh Vidyaa Tattwa in a linear fashion so much so that Sadaashiv is the second generation, Eeshwar is the third generation and Shuddh-Vidyaa is the fourth generation. Sadaashiv is the interface between the lower Tattwa and Shakti-Shiv. Sadasshiv #3 is the agent who confers Grace to a human soul on its ascent to Shiv from existence in this phenomenal world so that the soul full of Grace can merge with Shiva. Tattwa from 1 to 36 show the projection of Supreme Shiv into 1st, a world of gods (Tattwa 1-5), 2nd a world of human souls and its qualities and limitations (6-12), and 3rd a world of matter (13-36).

Descent from Tattwa 1 to Tattwa 36 is that of Shiv from Supreme Consciousness, to human consciousness to insentient matter. The human soul is called Purush and its number is 12. By its mere relative position one can know that its consciousness is diminished to the 12th position. This is dumbing down of Shiv Consciousness to human consciousness. The insentient matter like water, air, fire, earth are necessary for the human soul with body (Jeev) to sustain in this world. Once the human soul rolls in this world of hard knocks and gets rid of its impurities (Mal), it is ready to take a centripetal ascendant journey from #36 to number 1. You may say I am not the Earth, the 36th principle. Yes! you are Earth, because your body has the essential minerals from Earth that sustain you (think of essential elements like Sodium, Potassium, Calcium). All these Tattwa are burden on the soul which yearns to merge with Shiv. The body has to shed itself along with other Tattwa; Shakti Tattwa helps the individual soul in that it (Kundalinee Shakti) absorbs all these Tattwa on one's way up. Once one reaches the level of number 4 (Eeshwar Tattwa) on his ascent and sheds all the impurities and the distal Tattwa, Sadaashiv (Tattwa #3) confers Grace, without which his soul will not merge with Shiv-Shakti and later with Shiv.

Get the idea of Eeshwar Tattwa (Tattwa #4) and its function. Eeshwar Tattwa carries the opposite function of Sadaashiv Tattwa which is the giver of Grace. Eeshwar Tattwa is an important entity when Shiv-Shakti evolves downstream giving rise to human consciousness, soul and matter. It veils spiritual knowledge from the human soul on its birth in this world with a body. So one sees Eeshwar Tattwa is operative in the downstream procession of Tattwa in that is veils knowledge. Sadaashiv Tattwa is operative in the ascent phase of the human soul in that it gives Grace. Obscuration and veiling of Spiritual knowledge from the human soul serves a purpose. The new, nascent, young, immature and impure soul does not have the ability to use Spiritual Knowledge or receive Grace because it is full of ignorance and impurities.

For example, a professor of Mathematics has a pre-schooler son, actively hides higher math from his son and lets him struggle with simple additions. When his son is mature, intelligent and grown up, he will reveal Higher Math to him. In similar manner, when the soul is mature and pure, Sadaashiv reveals Spiritual knowledge (Grace) to it. When you look at these 36 Tattwa, you see that the soul and matter are recycled. When one dies carrying a Kaarmik bag, he will be born again as human, animal or plant according to the weight and quality of Kaarmik bag. This death and rebirth will go on until the Kaarmik bag is empty and shed once for all. That is when he will get grace from Sadaashiv.

Paraa-Samvit or Param-Shiv being above Shiva Tattwa is not a Tattwa because Param-Shiv is not mutable (as Tattwa are or subject to). Tattwa are mutable and mutability is not the quality of the Supreme Supreme. If something is mutable, it is matter.

1. Shiv Tattwa,  (Shiv Tattwa = Sa-kalaa Shiv = Sat-Chit-Aanand) In Shiv Tattwa, Gyaan or Knowledge exists without Ichchchaa and Kriyaa (Will and Action);
2. Shakti Tattwa, In Shakti Tattwa, action (Kriyaa) occupies the centerpiece;
3. Sadaa-Shiv Tattwa, In Sadaa-Shiv Tattwa (Naad), knowledge and action (Gyaan and Kriyaa) are in balance;
4. Eeshwar or Eesh Tattwa, in Eeshwar Tattwa, (Bindu) action is dominant while Knowledge is in the background;
5. Shuddh Vidyaa Tattwa.  in Shuddh Vidyaa Tatttwa, knowledge is dominant while action is in the background.

These are Pure Tattwa with higher consciousness, though Shiv Tattwa is the purest Consciousness and others, from 2 to 5, are progressively less pure (by small amounts) and have linear degradation in their consciousness, representing five generations of consciousness. Limited human consciousness is less pure than the five Shuddh Tattwa, means, we are further down the line, liable to make mistakes and commit errors. Animals don't even come close. They have instinct and sub-consciousness. Consider this for didactic purposes. Amoeba's consciousness is 0.0000000001; Human consciousness is 1 and the 1st Perfection Shiv is zillion times more than human consciousness. Human consciousness is 1 Watt bulb, while Shiv's Consciousness is a zillion watt bulb; It is a mere number for illustration of infinite Splendor (Prakaash). Shaiv Siddhaant asserts the power of Shakti (Tattwa) exists in all beings and matter. Consciousness sleeps in the stone, feels in the flora, senses in the fauna and thinks in man. Sentience runs parallel with consciousness. The body of Jeev containing limited human consciousness is the individual Prakriti or A-Vidyaa (ignorance) with impure Sattwa (Malin Sattwa Gun Pradhaan).