Trimurti

In Hinduism the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) is a concept which holds that God has three aspects, which are only different forms of one God. The three aspects of God, (also known as "Parabrahman," or God's personae are Brahma (the Source/Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver/Indwelling-Life), and Shiva (the annihilator or transformer). Some Hindus use the cosmological functions of the three gods of the trimurti to create an acronym for "GOD"; that is Generator (Brahma), Operator (Vishnu) and Destroyer (Shiva). According to the Trimurti belief, these three personae of God are simply different aspects of the one and the same God. In this manner, such beliefs are similar to some interpretations of the Christian Trinity such as Sabellianism. The Trimurti itself is also conceived of as a single deity in its own right and sometimes artistically represented as a three-faced human figure. This Trimurti concept is a tenet most strongly held in Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism,though it is largely rejected by other denominations, such as Vaishnavism.

The Three Divinities

Brahma

Brahma is the personification of creative power of the supreme divinity. He is considered the first of the gods and designer of the universe, the deification of all matter and that in which the universe pre-existed as fruit exists in a seed. According to the Puranas he is self-born (without mother) in the lotus which grows from the navel of Vishnu at the beginning of the universe. This explains his name Nabhija (born from the navel). Another legend says that Brahmā created himself by first creating water. In this he deposited a seed that later became the golden egg. From this golden egg, Brahma the creator was born, as Hiranyagarbha. The remaining materials of this golden egg expanded into the Brahm-anda or Universe. Yet another legend states that the beginning of the process of creation, Brahmā created ten Prajapatis who are believed to be the fathers of the human race, as well as seven great sages. Being born in water, Brahmā is also called Kanja (born in water). Brahmā is said also to be the son of the Supreme Being, Brahman and his female energy, Maya. The beginning of the universe was the sound OM.

Brahmā is traditionally depicted with four heads and four faces and four arms. He is typically coloured red, the colour of the sun. When Brahmā was creating the universe, he made a female deity known as Shatarupā (one with a hundred beautiful forms). Brahmā was immediately infatuated. Shatarupā moved in various directions to avoid the gaze of Brahmā . But wherever she went, Brahmā developed a head. Thus, Brahmā developed five heads, one on each side and one above the others. In order to control Brahmā, Shiva cut off the top head. Also, Shiva felt that Shatarupā was Brahmā's daughter/son, being created by him. Therefore, Shiva determined, it was wrong for Brahmā to become obsessed with her. Each head recites one of the four Vedas. He is usually depicted with a white beard, to match the near eternal nature of his existence. He is shown as having four arms, with none holding a weapon, unlike most other Hindu Gods. One of his hands is shown holding a scepter in the form of a spoon, which is associated with the pouring of holy ghee or oil into a sacrificial pyre - indicating the fact that Brahmā is the lord of sacrifices. Another of his hands holds a water-pot (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water). The significance of the water is that it is the initial, all-encompassing ether in which the first element of creation evolved. Brahmā also holds a string of rosary beads that he uses to keep track of the Universe's time. He also is shown holding the Vedas, and sometimes, a lotus flower. His vehicle is the Swan. This divine bird is bestowed with a virtue called Neera-Ksheera Viveka or the ability to separate milk and water from a mixture of the two. The significance of this is that justice should be dispensed to all creatures, however entwined it might be in a situation. Also, this virtue indicates that one should learn to separate the good from the evil and then accept that which is valuable and discard that which is worthless or evil. His consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning, harmony and artistic endeavour.

In addition to removing Brahma's head, Shiva also directed that there be no proper worship in India for the "unholy" Brahmā. Thus, only Vishnu and Shiva continue to be worshipped, while Brahmā is almost totally ignored. This seems to be philosophically rooted in the notion that creation is past and therefore the creative power of the deity has no immediate pertinence to material existence as we know it now, not to be called into action until the creation of the next kalpa. Brahma's decreased importance may also be due to the idea that Shiva's destruction is actually creation in another form. Although Brahmā is prayed to in almost all Hindu religious rites, India today has but two temples dedicated to Brahmdev alone as opposed to the thousands of temples dedicated to the other deities in the Trinity namely Shiva and Vishnu. The most famous of the Brahma temples is located at Pushkar in Rajasthan state. Once a year, on the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika (October - November), a religious festival is held in Brahmā's honour. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy lake adjacent to the temple. There is also a famous murti of Brahmā at Mangalwedha, 52 km from Solapur district in Maharashtra. There is one more temple for Brahma in the temple town of Kumbakonam, (Thanjavur District) Tamil Nadu. Regular pujas are held for Brahma and during Navrathris, this temple comes to life with colourful festivities. However, Brahma is no longer as relevant as He once was in Hindu writing; some would say that focus on the aspect of the all-in-one Devi or of Shakti, the Divine Mother or God's Power personified, has replaced focus on the Source/Creator as Brahma.

Vishnu

Vishnu is the personification of the preservatory power of the supreme divinity. Known as the Preserver, he is most famously identified with his avatars, or incarnations, especially Krishna and Rama. He is also frequently referred to as Narayana. Hindus believe that Vishnu incarnates periodically for the establishment and protection of righteousness, good dharma and destruction of evil adharma. The characteristic feature of the elder Vishnu is his measuring the world with his three strides, which are explained as denoting either the three stations of the sun at the time of rising, culminating and setting, or the triple manifestation of the luminous element, as the fire on earth, the lightning in the atmosphere and the sun in the heavens. This three strides corresponds with the events that took place when Vishnu incarnated as Vamana and are delineated in the 'Vishnu Sukta' of the Rig Veda (1.154) says that the first and second of Vishnu's strides (those encompassing the earth and air) are visible to men and the third is in the heights of heaven (sky). Although it is unclear as to why the unremarkable Vishnu of the Rg Veda rises to supremacy later on, some Vedic passages suggest the supreme characteristics of Vishnu. Most notably, the Visvakarma Sukta of Rig Veda (10.82) refers to Vishnu indirectly as the Supreme God in the context of the aforementioned lotus which grows from his navel: The waters verily first retained the embryo in which all the gods were aggregated, single deposited on the navel of the unborn (creator), in which all beings abide. The reference to the navel of the unborn is an indication of reference to Vishnu. Vishnu's supreme cosmic importance various stories becomes clearer in the Brahmanas which associate him with the Sacrifice. Here Visnu is said to have become the most significant of all gods since he truly understands the meaning of the sacrifice before all else. The Katha-upanishad portrays Vishnu as the embodiment of the highest level of attainment, stating that "he who has understanding for his charioteer (intellect), and who holds the reins of the mind, he reaches the end of his journey, and that is the highest place of Vishnu." In the Puranas, Vishnu is seen as having ultimate authority over creation, as it was a lotus arising from his navel which ascended from his navel and rose over the primordial waters which covered the world. Brahma, it is told, merely imagined himself to be the first born. It is also the Puranas which mark Vishnu's descents in ten principal Avatars as his distinguishing characteristic. His rise to supremacy is most apparent in the epics (Mahabharata, Ramayana). Perhaps there is no greater illustration of Vishnu's significance as in the Bhagavad Gita, where he appears in the form of Krishna, charioteer of Arjuna, a conflicted warrior. Krishna implores Arjuna to follow his dharma, advice which has resonated in virtually all forms of Hinduism from that point on. From this period he may be considered a manifestation of the Singular God. Thus, according to this interpretation, the division of Hinduism in Vaishnavism and Shaivaism appeared only with the Puranas, where Vishnu's descents in ten principal Avatars become his distinguishing characteristic. Sri or Lakshmi, representing beauty and fortune, is the consort of of Vishnu.

Vishnu is typically depicted as a four-armed male-form: The four arms indicate his all-powerful and all-pervasive nature. The physical existence of Vishnu is represented by the two arms in the front while the two arms at the back represent his presence in the spiritual world. The Upanishad titled Gopal Uttartapani describes the four arms of Vishnu. The color of his skin has to be new-cloud-like-blue: The blue color indicates his all-pervasive nature, blue being the color of the infinite sky as well as the infinite ocean on which he resides. He has the mark of sage Bhrigu's feet on his chest. Also on his chest is the srivatsa mark, symbolising his consort Lakshmi. Around his neck, he wears the auspicious "Kaustubha" jewel, and a garland of flowers (vanamaalaa). A crown should adorn his head: The crown symbolizes his supreme authority. He is to shown wearing two earrings: The earrings represent inherent opposites in creation - knowledge and ignorance; happiness and unhappiness; pleasure and pain. He is shielded by Ananta: the immortal and infinite snake. Vishnu has no particular material form but can be manifest in any form, whether animate or inanimate. Vishnu is always to be depicted holding the four attributes associated with him, being: A conch shell or Shankhya, named "Panchajanya", held by the upper left hand, which represents creativity. The Panchajanya is the originator of the five elements or Panchabhoota - water, fire, air, earth and sky or space. The sound that evolves from blowing this conch is the primeval sound of creation. The chakra, a sharp-spinning discus-like weapon, named "Sudarshana", held by the upper right hand, which symbolizes the mind. The name Sudarshana is derived from two words - Su, which means good, and Darshan, which means vision. The chakra as a weapon thus indicates the necessity of destroying one's ego and illusory self-existence and developing the vision to identify the eternal truth. The discus has six spokes and symbolizes a lotus with six petals, thus representing the power that controls all six seasons. A mace or Gada, named "Kaumodaki", held by the lower left hand, which represents individual existence. The mace symbolizes the primeval force from which all mental and physical strength is derived. A lotus flower or Padma, held by the lower right hand, which represents liberation or dispersion. The lotus symbolizes the power from which the universe emerges. It represents the concentration of truth or Satya, the originator of the rules of conduct or Dharma, and knowledge or Gyana in a single symbol. To this may be added, conventionally, the vanamaala flower garland and Vishnu's bow, the Shaarnga, and his sword Nandaka. Vide "vanamaalee gadhee shaarngee shanki chakri cha nandaki / shreemaan naaraayaNo vishNo vaasudevo abhirakshatu//" In general, Vishnu is depicted in one of the following two forms. Standing upright on a lotus flower, often with Lakshmi, his consort, beside him on a similar pedestal; Reclining on the coiled-up thousand-hooded Shesha Naga, with his consort Lakshmi, seated at his feet; the assemblage rests on the "Kshira Sagar" (ocean of Milk). In this representation, Brahma is depicted as sitting on a lotus that grows out of Vishnu's navel. Vishnu possesses six such divine glories, namely: Jñāna Omniscient; defined as the power to know about all beings simultaneously; Aishvarya Sovereignty, which persist in unchallenged rule over all; Shakti Energy, or power, which is the capacity to make the impossible possible; Bala Strength, which is the capacity to support everything by his will and without any fatigue; Virya Vigour, or valour which indicates the power to retain immateriality as the Supreme Spirit or Being in spite of being the material cause of mutable creations; Tèjas Resplendent, or Splendour, which expresses his self-sufficiency and the capacity to overpower everything by his spiritual effulgence. However, the actual number of auspicious qualities of Vishnu is countless, with the above-mentioned six qualities being the most important. His colour is blue, probably due to his relation to the air and humidity. Like Brahman, he is also related to water.

Those who claim superiority for Vishnu claim that nothing is actually destroyed, but rather, the operation of destructive power simply varies the form of matter. Matter therefore, is only changed, and never actually annhihilated, hence preservation is seen to be the penultimate power in the universe. Of the three gods, Vishnu has the most supporters both in India and throughout the world. Vaishnavism is the division of Hinduism which formally worships Vishnu as the supreme deity in the universe. He is also worshiped in the form of these avatars. It is not clearly known when or how the worship of Vishnu began. In the Vedas, and the information on Hindu beliefs, Vishnu is associated with Indra. However, Shukavak N. Dasa, a Vaishnavite scholar, in reference has commentated that Srivaishnavites would note that the praise of Indra and other devas in the Vedas are not intended for the particular deity, but for the Supreme Being, Vishnu, who is the inner soul of devas and all other beings. Also, the various deities addressed in the hymns are simply different forms of this one Supreme Being. Also, Vaishnavas cite Rigveda 1.22.20, for the supremacy of Vishnu, "As the blazing sun pervades the entire sky like an eye fixed in the heavens, so the divine seers eternally perceive that supreme abode of Vishnu." This worship has spread beyond India in the form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, which came to the North America and Europe by way of ISKCON or the Hare Krishna movement. Also, Buddhism is also arguably a form of Vishnu worship in the Hindu context, as the Buddha is considered by Hindus to be the eighth avatar of Vishnu, the one following Krishna. Hence, worship of Vishnu has spread throughout the entire world, albeit in highly varied forms.

Shiva

The Meenakshi temple in Madurai, India is one of the most famous temples dedicated to Siva.

Shiva is the personification of the destructive power of the supreme divinity . Even though he represents destruction, Shiva is viewed as a positive force (The Destroyer of Evil), since creation follows destruction. However, according to Shaivism, Shiva is not merely a destroyer but performs five functions: 1. Creator, 2. Preserver, 3. Destroyer, 4. Hiding the sins, and most importantly, 5. Blessing. Other views contend that Shiva produces Vishnu who produces Brahma and thus creation began, within which the cycle of the Trimurti exists. Shiva also assumes many other roles, including the Lord of Ascetics (Mahadeva, or the Great God), the Lord of Boons (Rudra, or The Howler - rud-iti rudra), and also the Universal Divinity (Maheshvara, the Great Lord). Shaivaites, the worshippers of Shiva consider as the Ultimate Reality (see Ishta-Deva for fuller discussion). Because of the creation which is seen to follow destruction caused by Shiva, he is typically viewed as embodying many traits which are seemingly in opposition. He is both static and dynamic; both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest; he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal lover. He destroys evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness. Shiva is inseparable from Parvati (also referred to as Shakti), who is the daughter of Himavant and Haimavatī. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva; the two are one, the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss. Shakti inturn is the entire energy of the cosmos. Shiva is said to have shared half of his body for Shakti and is known as Ardhanarishwara (half woman, half man) in this form. In Hinduism, Shiva is said to have taken this form is to depict the equality of men and women.

Shiva is usually represented by the Shiva linga (or lingam), usually depicted as a clay mound with three horizontal stripes on it, or visualised as a flaming pillar. In anthropomorphised images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash, his traditional abode. In Shiva temples, Navagraha (9 planets), Ganesh, Skanda, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Brahma, Ashtathig balar, Durga, Bairava, and all the other Hindu gods will have the place, denoting that Shiva is unique among the gods, so that only he is in a shapeless form (i.e. in linga form). Shiva is visually identifiable by numerous telltale attributes. A third eye on his forehead is the eye of wisdom. It is the eye that looks beyond the obvious. The third eye of Shiva is also popularly associated with his untamed energy which destroys the evil doers and sins. Shiva smears his body with cemetery ashes points the philosophy of the life and death and the fact that death is the ultimate reality of the life. The tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the goddess of power and force. Shiva is beyond and above any kind of force. He is the master of Shakti. The tiger skin that he wears symbolises victory over every force. Tigers also represent lust. Thus sitting on Tiger skin, Shiva indicates that he has conquered lust. Similarly, deer and elephant skins are worn to indicate that he has conquered pride and Shiva has perfect control over the mind, respectively. The deadly cobra worn around Shiva's neck represents that “death” aspect whom he has thoroughly conquered. The cobras around his neck also represent the dormant energy, called Kundalini, the serpent power. Origin of Ganga). The flowing water is one of the five elements which compose the whole Universe and from which earth arises. Ganga also denotes fertility one of the creative aspect of the Rudra. Shiva bears on his head the crescent of the fifth day (panchami) moon. This is placed near the fiery third eye and this shows the power of Soma, the sacrificial offering, which is the representative of moon. It means that Shiva possesses the power of procreation along with the power of destruction. The moon is also a measure of time; thus the Crescent also represents his control over time. Shiva also carries a trident, of which the three prongs represent the three functions of the triad – the creation, the sustenance and the destruction. The Trident, in the hand of Shiva indicates that all the three aspects are in his control. As a weapon the trident represents the instrument of punishment to the evil doer on all the three planes – spiritual, subtle and physical. Another interpretation of the three headed trident is its head represent the past, the present and the future. The trident in the hand of Rudra indicates his control over the present the past and the future.

Shiva is usually represented by the Shiva linga (or lingam), usually depicted as a clay mound with three horizontal stripes on it, or visualised as a blazing pillar. In anthropomorphised images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash, his traditional abode. Shiva is an icon of masculinity. In mythology and folklore, he can be interpreted to inspire masculine characteristics of the most extreme: absolute virility and fertility; aggression, rage and supreme powers in war; his resolve, meditation is absolute, as is his love for his consort.

Shiva is referred to as the good one or the auspicious one. Shiva as Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva as Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' (divine vision), and is 'Nīlakantha' (= "blue necked", as he consumed the poison Halahala to save the world from destruction). Shiva as Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva as Ardh narishvara is both man and woman.

Shiva is inseparable from Parvati (also referred to as Shakti), who is the daughter of Himavant and Haimavatī. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva; the two are one, the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss. Shakti in turn is the entire energy of the cosmos. Shiva is said to have shared half of his body for Shakti and is known as Ardhanarishwara(half woman, half man) in this form. In Hinduism, Shiva is said to have taken this form is to depict the equality of men and women. Shiva's consort is Devi, God's energy or God as the Divine Mother who comes in many different forms, one of whom is Kali, the goddess of death. Parvati, a more pacific form of Devi is also popular. Shiva and Parvati are the parents of Karthikeya and Ganesha.

A statue of Shiva near Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi

Shiva is the supreme God of Shaivism, one of the three main branches of Hinduism practiced in South India today (the others being Vaishnavism and Shaktism). His abode is called Kailasa, a mountain in south Tibet. In Northern India, Shiva and Vishu and their avatars are worshipped equally.

Nayanars (or Nayanmars), saints from Southern India, were mostly responsible for development of Shaivism in the first millennium. Of the schools today, many Śaivite sects are in Kashmir and Northern India, with Lingayats and Virasaivas from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Southern India. The Saiva Siddhanta is a major Śaivite tradition developed in Southern India. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism he is considered the best of devotee of Vishnu (vaisnavanam yatha sambhu) and also an aspect of Vishnu.

Apart from Shaivism, Shiva also inspires Shaktism in Hinduism, which is strong in Assam and West Bengal, the eastern states of India. Shakti is the root power, force of Shiva. Shakti, his prime consort, is the female half of the Supreme Godhead. It is the root of the life force of every living being, and the entire Universe. The bond of absolute love, devotion and passion which embodies the existence of Shiva and Shakti, is considered the Ultimate Godhead form by itself, that a man is an incomplete half without a woman, who is the Ardhangini, (the Other Half) of his existence and power.

It is in his character as destroyer that Shiva holds his place in the triad, and in this he is identified with the Vedic Rudra. The Vedic Shiva was frequently invoked as the lord of nourishment, to bestow food, wealth and other blessings. Another very important function appears, however, to have been assigned to him early on. In his modern worship, the role of a destroyer is especially exhibited in his consort Mahakali, whereas Shiva becomes a generative power, symbolized in the, (lingam).

Like Visnu, Shiva also has avatars, including Indra, Shankara, Hanuman, etc. The five different avataras(forms) of Shiva are

1. Bhairava भैरव
2. Nataraja नतरज
3. Dakshinamurthy दक्षिनमुर्थ्य्
4. Somaskandha सोमस्कन्ध
5. Pitkchadanar पित्क्चदनर्

In most of the South Indian temples, we can see all the five forms in a Shiva temple. All the five characteristics in a single face is said to be Sadashiva. Like Vishnu, Shiva is not limited to the personal characteristics as he is given in many images and can transcend all attributes. Hence, Shiva is often worshipped in an abstract manner, as God without form, in the form of linga.

In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash (reputed to be the same as the Mount Kailash in the south of Tibet, near the Manasarovar Lake) in the Himalayas, his traditional abode).

108 shiva lingas carved on the rock at the banks of river Tungabhadra, Hampi

File:Natraj Stamp.gif

Stamp Issued by India Post in June 19, 2003 on Government Museum, Chennai showing Nataraj.

As Nataraja, Shiva is the Lord of the Dance, and symbolises the dance of the Universe, with all its heavenly bodies and natural laws complimenting and balancing each other. At times, he is also symbolized as doing his great dance of destruction, called Tandava, at the time of pralaya, or dissolution of the universe at the end of every Kalpa.

Bronze Chola Statue of Nataraja at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Symbols and Significance

A widely accepted belief is that it represents earth, water, and fire. The earth, or Brahma, is seen as the originator of all life and hence is regarded as the Creator. Water is the sustainer of life and hence is the Preserver and is represented as Vishnu. Fire transforms or consumes life and hence is the Destroyer and is represented as Shiva. The Trimurti can also represent three individual forms on the different planes of consciousness. On the spiritual plane, the spiritual element is represented by Brahma, the mental/psychic element by Vishnu, and the physiological element by Shiva. On the mental/psychic plane, Brahma is the intuitive and creative thought, Vishnu is intelligence, and Shiva stands for emotions and feelings. The Sky as Brahma, the Sun as Vishnu and the Moon as Shiva form the earthly/physiological plane. Another representation by Adi Shankara, Shiva represents the Nirguna Brahman, Vishnu represents the Saguna Brahman and Brahma the Cosmic Mind. In philosophical terms, Brahma is said to be associated with Divinity's Creative Ground of Being, Vishnu is said to be associated with Divinity's Emanated Idea (Logos, Wisdom, or Word), and Shiva is said to be associated with Divinity's Transformative Energy (Flame, Breath, or Spirit).

Various phases of an individual’s life are said to be represented by the Trimurti. The first of these phases, that of celibacy and studentship, (Brahmacharya Ashram) – is represented by Brahma. During this phase, knowledge is the individual’s constant companion. Knowledge, in this conception, is represented by Goddess Saraswati, who is said to be the consort of Brahma. The second phase of adulthood and household (Grihastha Ashram) is represented by Vishnu. During this phase, the individual fulfils all religious and family obligations by involving oneself in generating wealth, which one uses to sustain oneself and one’s family. During this phase wealth is the individual’s companion and is represented by Vishnu’s consort, Goddess Lakshmi. The third phase is that of old age (Vanaprastha Ashram) and is represented by Shiva. This phase marks the renunciation of one’s worldly life for a life void of material pleasures, dedicated to the pursuit of true knowledge. In ancient days, this typically marked the time when a householder, along with his wife, left their worldly belongings to spend their life in a forest, just like Lord Shiva leads a homeless life with only the essential belongings. The final phase (Sanyasa Ashram) the individual seeks to merge oneself with the Supreme power (Ishwara). One completes the process of renunciation and he along with his wife lead a life completely untouched by any attachments. The only occupation becomes deep meditation, leading to the individual becoming Ishwara Himself, with his wife as Ishwara’s consort becoming the Universal Mother. The three phases of life, represented by the Trinity thus culminates into One underlining the fact that the three are in reality one and the same Ishwara.

Evolution of Trimurti

The development of the Trimurti theology seems to be tied closely to the development of the Hindu caste system. The definite settlement of the caste system and the assertion of Brahmanical supremacy was most likely assigned to somewhere about the close of the Brahmanas period. By formulating a distinct theological system, the priestly caste could rally together in order to create resistance to the Kshatriyas, the military class, who were likely to oppose their claims to supremacy. Further, a united theology prevented for Brahmans any possibility of division within their own rank, which was hardly favorable to their elitist aspirations. The conception of an abstract universal spiritual principle (which had come to be referred to as the neuter brahman, which had referred to the power gained by prayer) which was wielding great influence over speculative thought during this period. However, many felt that this monistic doctrine needed to be complemented by the notion of a Supreme Personal Being which had authored material creation. The divine person of Prajapati (the "Lord of Creatures") who appears in the Brahmanas and Upanishads seems to have been conceived of as insufficiently adapted to represent this abstract idea, owing perhaps to his polytheistic associations and the attributive nature of his name. In order to solve the difficulty, the Brahmins played upon their aspirations and used the masculine term brahma, the old designation of the individual priest, to denote the supreme personal deity which was to take the place and attributes of the Prajapati.

While the new dogma may have served the purpose of satisfying speculative minds, it was not one in which the general populace were likely to have been much concerned with. An abstract, nebulous conception of the divine such as Brahman could awake no sympathies in the hearts of those accustomed to worship of tangible gods and goddesses. Indeed, ever since the symbolical worship of nature had undergone a process of disintegration under the influence of metaphysical speculation, the real belief of the great body of the people had probably become more and more distinct from that of the priesthood. In different localities the principal share of the population's affection may have been bestowed on one or another of the old gods who was thereby raised to the rank of chief deity. Alternatively, this affection may have been bestowed upon new forms and objects of belief which may have sprung up with the intellectual growth of the people.

In some cases even the worship of the indigenous population could hardly have remained without exercising some influence in modifying the belief of the Aryan race. In this way a number of local deities would develop, generally distinct in name and characteristics from the gods of the Vedic pantheon. Indeed, there is sufficient evidence to show that after many centuries of theological speculations such a diversity of worship did exist among the common people. Under these circumstances the policy which seems to have suggested itself to the priesthood, anxious to retain a firm hold in the minds of the people, was to recognize and incorporate into their system some of the most prominent and therefore appealing objects of popular devotion, and thereby to establish a kind of creed for the whole community, albeit one subject to the Brahmanical law.

At the time of the original composition of the great epics (list them here) two such deities, Shiva or Mahadeva (the great god) and Vishnu, seem to have been already admitted into the Brahmanical system, where they have ever since retained their place. Attempts are made to identify Shiva with Agni,- in one passage in the Mahabharata it is stated that the Brahmins said that Agni was Shiva ¹. As regards Vishnu, this god occupied already a place in the Vedic mythology ², occassionally given supremacy as a personal supreme God, and his famous appearance in the Bhagavad Gita in the avatar of Krishna cements this reputations. From the manner in which they are represented in those works, it would appear that both, and especially the former, enjoyed an extensive worship. As several synonyms are attributed to each of them, it is not improbable that some of these were recognized under varying names dependent upon under the different localities in which they were worshipped, or due in part to the deities of a similar nature which, (through the agency of popular poetry or art, among other things) they came to be combined with them. For example, several of Vishnu's alternative monikers, such as Vasudeva and Vaikuntha, an attempt may again be traced to identify Vishnu with Indra, who, another one of the Vedic gods The places assigned to them in the pantheistic system were coordinate with that which had been atrributed to Brahma, and they too came to represent the Supreme Personal Being in their own right. Therefore, the three deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, were to represent a triple impersonation of the divinity, as manifesting itself respectively in the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe.

The male nature of the three gods of the triad was supposed to require supplementation by a female energy (Shakti), and therefore came to be accompanied in mythology by a particular goddess, commonly referred to as their consort. Thus Sarasvati, the goddess of speech and learning, came to be regarded as the Shakti of Brahma; Sri or Lakshmi, representing beauty and fortune, as that of Vishnu; and Uma or Parvati, the daughter of Himavat, the god of the Himalaya mountain, as that of Siva. On the other hand, it is not improbable that Parvati, who has a variety of other names (such as Kali (the black one), Durga (the inaccessible one), Mahadevi (the great goddess)) already enjoyed a somewhat extensive worship of her own, and that there may thus have been good reason for assigning to her a prominent place in the Brahmanical system.

A compromise was thus effected between the esoteric doctrine of the metaphysical and some of the most prevalent forms of popular worship, resulting in what came to constitute the orthodox system of belief of the Brahmanical community. Yet the Vedic pantheon could not be altogether discarded, forming part and parcel, as it did, of that sacred revelation (śruti), which was looked upon as the divine source of all religious and social law, and being, moreover, the foundation of the sacrificial ceremonial on which the priestly authority so largely depended. The existence of the old gods is, therefore, likewise recognized, but recognized in a very different way from that of the triple "revelation" of divinity. For while the triad represents the immediate manifestation of the eternal, infinite soul while it constitutes, in fact, the highest form of brahman itself in its active relation to mundane and seemingly material occurrences, the old traditional gods are of this world, representing individual spirits or portions of the Brahma-like men and other creatures, only higher in degree. To them an intermediate sphere, the heaven of Indra (the svarloka or svarga), is assigned to which man may raise himself by fulfilling the holy ordinances; but they are subject to the same laws of being; they, like men, are liable to be born again in some lower state, and, therefore, like them, yearn for emancipation from the necessity of future individual existence. It is a sacred duty of man to worship these superior beings by invocations and sacrificial observances, as it is to honor the pitris (the fathers), the spirits of the departed ancestors.

Trimurti Today

This Trimurti concept is a tenet most strongly held in Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism, and is largely rejected by other denominations of Hinduism, such as Vaishnavism. Smartas, who follow Advaita philosophy, believe that deities such as Vishnu or Shiva are various forms of one ultimate higher power ("Brahman"), which has no specific form, name, face or features.

Vaishnavism and Shaivism, however believes that Vishnu (and/or his avatars) and Shiva, respectively, are the superior, personalistic forms of god, with all other representations paling in comparison. Whether it be Shiva or Vishnu that they worship in personalized form, the one is seen in both traditions to ultimately transcend all personal characteristics, essentially embodying the monistic essence of the universe like the classical conception of Brahman. Personal characteristics and the related mythologies are considered to be a heuristic aid for the devotee to focus on God, and therefore serve as god's grace for the human devotee. Since these traditions are monotheistic, they view the concept of Trimurti as a falsehood, since it detracts from the worship of the one true divine essence.

Although Vishnu and Shiva have each spawned their own monotheistic devotional tradition, Brahma remains in relative obscurity. The creator god is no longer as relevant as He once was in Hindu writing; some would say that focus on the aspect of the all-in-one Devi or of Shakti, the Divine Mother or God's Power personified, has replaced focus on the Source/Creator as Brahma.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Moor, Edward. The Hindu Pantheon. New Delhi: Cosmo Publications, 2000.

Footnotes

1. ^  It is worthy of note that when the Vedic triad of Soma, Agni and Vayu was still recognized, attempts are made to identify Shiva with Agni,- in one passage in the Mahabharata it is stated that the Brahmins said that Agni was Shiva. (this should be a footnote). Although such attempts at an identification of the two gods remained isolated, they would at least seem to point to the fact that, in adapting their speculations to the actual state of popular worship, the Brahmans kept the older triad distinctly in view, and by means of it endeavoured to bring their new structure into harmony with the ancient Vedic belief.

2. ^  It should be noted that Vishnu's place in Vedic mythology is by no means one of such prominence as would entitle him to that degree of exaltation implied in his character as one of the three hypostases of the divinity. This belief is not universally held as there are several Vedic verses that utter the oppositive view, i.e., Vishnu's supremacy as a personal supreme God. Moreover, although in his general nature, as a benevolent, genial being, the Vedic god corresponds on the whole to the later Vishnu, the preserver of the world, the latter exhibits many important features for which we look in vain in his prototype, and which most likely resulted from sectarian worship or from an amalgamation with local deities.

See also

• Brahma
• Harihara
• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Hindu deities
• List of Hindu deities
• the Journal of Vaishnava Studies
• Krishnology
• List of Hindu deities
• Ardhanari
• Siddha Yoga
• Aum Namah Sivaya, the foremost Saivite mantra
• Shri Rudram, a Vedic chant on the early manifestation of Shiva as Rudra
• Kapalika, a secretive sect worship Shiva in his Bhairava form
• History of Evolution of Saivism
• Saivism
• Aghori
• Hindu views on God and gender
• Shiva Puja

External links

Vishnu:

• Vishnu, is the second god of the Hindu triad
• Parasara Bhattar and Vishnu Sahasranama
• www.akumar.com/thesis - Animation Project based on Vishnu's Ten Incarnations
• http://www.vaishnava.com/aboutvaishnavism.htm
• http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/hindu_trinity.php
• Who is Vishnu? and the Nature of him and other facts.
• Vishnu - the Cosmic Protector by Madhuri Guin (the contents of this link cannot be viewed in India), use Google Cache
• - A vishnu/hanuman Shrine
• Ramayana Site contains info about the Ramayana
• omnamovenkatesaya.com This site contains Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams News and stories in Teligu & English
• Devotional hymns and eulogies on Lord Vishnu.
• Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology
• Discussions on Dharma - includes a discussion of the nature of God in Hinduism

Shiva:

• Lord Shiva Darshan Video*
• Lord Shiva Online Darshan and pilgrimage*
• Lord Shiva in Indian Art
• Madai Sree Vadukunda Shiva Temple
• names of lord shiva
• SHIVA.NET - Offers online darshan
• Lord Shiva - God of God's
• The official site of Sri Kalahasthi Temple
• A Divine Life Society book on Shaivism
• Characteristics of Shiva and Shaivism
• Sroutasaivasiddhanta.org
• Meanings for some of the names of Shiva
• Shiva saves British devotee in the nineteenth century
• Contemplation of Shiva - The lord of the dance of the universe
• Shiva easily pleased, His Greatness and Sivaratri
• Greatness of worshipping Shiva
• The famous Shiva temples
• Shiva and Durga, a Vaishnava view
• Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna
• books on Siva (and other forms of the Divine) in the Bhakti tradition and originally written in English

General:

• Practices in Hindu temples in US, and the problems of having both Vishnu/Shiva temples, which portrays to outsiders inaccurate perceptions about polytheism when, in fact, what is practiced is Monism.
• Hindu Trinity
• Saivite guru Bodhinatha, states that Vishnu and Siva are different aspects of the one and same God.
• Brahma - the Creator Amongst the Hindu Trinity by Madhuri Guin (the contents of this link cannot be viewed in India)
• Contemplation of Brahma - The creative power of the Infinite
• Lord Brahma - The first member of the Hindu Trinity
• Brahma - the Creator Amongst the Hindu Trinity
• Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology

Other uses

Trimurti can also refer to the trinity of Carnatic music, that is, Tyagaraja, Muttusvami Dikshitar and Syama Sastry.

Credits

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