Trimurti

In Hinduism the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) is a concept which holds that the supremeGod or Brahman has three aspects. The three aspects of God, (also known as "Parabrahman," or God's personae) are Brahma (the source or creator), Vishnu (the preserver or indwelling-life), and Shiva (the annihilator or transformer). Some Hindus use the cosmological functions of the three gods to create an acronym for "GOD"; that is Generator (Brahma), Operator (Vishnu) and Destroyer (Shiva). According to the Trimurti belief, these three personae represent different modalities of the one supreme divinity. In this manner, the Trimurti is similar to some interpretations of the Christian Trinity such as Sabellianism. The Trimurti itself can also be conceived of as a single deity in its own right and is sometimes artistically depicted as a three-faced human figure. This Trimurti concept is a tenet most strongly held in Hindu denomination of Smartism, though it is largely rejected by other denominations, such as Saivism and Vaishnavism.

The Three Divinities

Brahma

Brahma is the personification of creative power of the supreme divinity. He has commonly been considered the first of the gods and designer of the universe. Brahma is that in which the universe pre-existed as fruit pre-exists within a seed. According to the Puranas Brahma was self-born (without mother) within the lotus which grew from Vishnu's navel at the beginning of the universe. Alternative stories claim Brahmā to be the progeny of Brahman, the Supreme Being, and his female energy, Maya. Another legend says that Brahmā created himself by first creating water. Being born in water, Brahmā is also known as Kanja (or "born in water"). Brahma promptly deposits his seed into this water which grows to become a golden egg. From this golden egg, Brahma in his creator form 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.

Brahma is typically coloured red, the colour of the sun. His physiognomy is marked with four heads, four faces and four arms. Hindu myths explain that he originally had five heads, though the fifth was cut off by Shiva in order to control Brahma's infatuation with Shatarupā, a female deity. Each of Brahma's remaining heads recites one of the four Vedas. He is usually depicted with a white beard, to match the near eternal nature of his existence. One of his four 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 that Brahmā is the lord of sacrifice. 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. Another of hands holds a water-pot (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water). Brahma's 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. For Hindus this symbolizes the indispensible virtue that one should learn to separate good from the evil, accepting that which is valuable and discarding that which is worthless. He is commonly accompanied by his consort Saraswati, the goddess of learning, harmony and artistic endeavour. he is said to live in Brahmapura, a mythical city located on Mt. Meru.

In addition to removing Brahma's head, Shiva also directed that there be no proper worship in India for the "unholy" Brahmā. This imprecation in the myth carried over into the overt tradition, and Brahmā is almost totally ignored by Hindu devotees while Vishnu and Shiva continue to be worshipped en masse. This seems to be line of thought which interprets creation to have past, at least in this kalpa, thereby rendering the creative power irrelevant to material existence as we experience it now. 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 exclusively to Brahma in contrast to the thousands of temples dedicated to the other deities in the Trinity. The most famous of the Brahma temples is located at Pushkar in the 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 other temple for Brahma is located in the 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. Hindus believe that Vishnu incarnates periodically for the establishment and protection of righteousness, good dharma and destruction of evil adharma, and thus he is most famously identified with his avatars, or incarnations, especially Krishna and Rama. The most important mythological action of the elder Vishnu is his measurement of the universe with his three strides, described in the 'Vishnu Sukta' of the Rig Veda. This have been interpreted to denote either the three stations of the sun at the time of rising, culminating and setting, or else as the triple manifestation of the luminous element: as the fire on earth, the lightning in the atmosphere and the sun in the heavens. Although it is unclear as to why the unremarkable Vishnu of the Rg Veda rose to supremacy later on, some Vedic passages suggest the supreme characteristics of Vishnu. Most notably, the Visvakarma Sukta of Rig Veda (10.82), which tells the story of Brahma's creation, refers to Vishnu indirectly as the Supreme God, since the lotus which spawned Brahma and subsequently the universe originally grew from Vishnu's navel. In the Puranas, this reinterpreted to suggest that Brahma merely imagined himself to be the first born, and it is Vishnu who has true authority over creation. Vishnu's rise to supremacy is most apparent in the great Hindu epics. Perhaps there is more significant an illustration of Vishnu's power as in the Bhagavad Gita, a section of the larger Mahabarata epic. Here he appears in the form of Krishna, who serves as charioteer for Arjuna, a conflicted warrior. Krishna implores Arjuna to follow the path of righteousness and duty without consideration of outcomes, advice which has resonated throughout virtually all forms of Hinduism. From this period Vishnu may be considered a manifestation of the Singular God.

Vishnu is said to have no particular material form but can be manifest in any form, whether animate or inanimate. Vishnu is typically depicted as a four-armed male-form. The four arms indicate his all-powerful and all-pervasive nature, with two arms both on his front and his back representing respectively his precense in the physical and spiritual worlds. Vishnu is always to be depicted holding the four attributes associated with him, being: a conch shell (the sound of which represents the primeval sound of creation), a chakra, (a discus-like weapon which symbolizes the mind without ego), a Gada (a mace from which mental and physical strength is derived), and a lotus flower (or padma, which represents liberation through dharma). Vishnu is usually coloured a cloud-like-blue, as blue represents the pervasiveness of both the sky and the ocean. Around his neck, he wears the auspicious "Kaustubha" jewel, and a garland of flowers. A crown adorns his head symbolizing his supreme authority. Vishnu is to shown wearing which represent inherent opposites in creation, such as knowledge and ignorance, happiness and unhappiness, and so forth. He is shielded by Ananta, an immortal snake. Vishnu possesses six such divine glories, namely omniscience, sovereignty, strength, vigour, splendour (in the way of his self-sufficiency) and shakti, a form of energy which makes all things possible. However, the actual number of auspicious qualities of Vishnu is countless, with the above-mentioned six qualities being the most important. Sri or Lakshmi, the goddess representing beauty and fortune, is the consort of of Vishnu. Her significance as his consort is representing by a marking on Vishnu's chest called the srivatsa.

Those who worship Vishnu as the superior deity often claim that nothing is actually destroyed, but rather, the operation of destructive power attributed to Shiva is simply a transformation of matter. Matter, therefore, is never actually annhihilated, hence Vishnu's preservative ability 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 his avatars. Vaisnavism is very popular in contemporary India, particularly in the northern regions, though it is not clearly known when or how the worship of Vishnu began. However, it is widely held that in the Vedas, Vishnu is associated with Indra, the warrior god who rose to supremacy over the other Vedic deities. Vaishnavite scholars note that praises directed Indra and other devas in the Vedas are not necessarily intended for the particular deity, but rather for the Supreme Being behind all other beings. As could be expected, said Vaishnavite scholars equate this Supreme Being with Vishnu, citing Rigveda 1.22.20 as evidence: "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." Vaishnavite worship has also spread beyond India in the form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, which came to the North America and Europe by way of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement. In addition, Buddhism can arguably be considered form of Vishnu worship in the Hindu context, as the Buddha is labelled by Vaishnavites 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

Shiva is the personification of the destructive power of the supreme divinity. This destructive element seems to have been inherited from Shiva's precursor Rudra, the Vedic god of death and nature. Despite this characterization as an annihilator, Shiva is viewed as a positive force since creation necessarily follows annihilation. In this way, many Shaivites (followers of Shiva) have nuanced the traditional understanding of the god, reconfiguring him as the personification of God's reproductive power, an understanding which seems to have supplanted Brahma's creative importance. According to devotees, Shiva is not merely a destroyer but performs the functions of creator, preserver, and destroyer, while also hiding the sins of humanity and performing blessings. Just as Vaishnavas claim Vishnu to be the Ultimate Reality, so too do Shaivites of Shiva. Shiva worshippers are most likely to believe that it is actually Shiva who produces Vishnu who then produces Brahma, thus setting in motion the process of creation. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. Extrapolating upon these abilities to destroy and create, Shavite mythology portrays Shiva as having the ability to reconcile all polarities observed in the physical world. Hence, Shiva is both static and dynamic, oldest and youngest, virile and celibate, gentle and fierce and so on. He even reconciles the duality of men and women, taking the form of Ardhanarishwara (half woman, half man) in order to depict the equality of men and women. Like Visnu, Shiva also has avatars, including older deities like Indra, mythical personalities such as Hanuman, and the mystic philosopher Shankara. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness.

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

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 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. In anthropomorphised images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash, his traditional abode located in the south of Tibet. 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, so many so that only a few can be mentioned here. A third eye on his forehead is the eye of wisdom, looking beyond the obvious and representing his untamed energy which destroys the evil doers and their sins. Shiva's body is smeared with cemetery ashes representing the fact that death is the ultimate reality of the life. The tiger skin that he wears symbolises his control over lust (often represented by the tiger), and Shakti (who commonly rides a tiger). 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 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 creative, preservative and destructive functions of the divine triad. The Trident itself in the hand of Shiva affirms that all 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. Shiva is inseparable from his consort Parvati (also referred to as Shakti), There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva; the two are one, the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss. Shiva is said to have shared half of his body for Shakti and is known as

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). 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. 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. 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. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism he is considered the best of devotee of Vishnu (vaisnavanam yatha sambhu) and also an aspect of Vishnu.

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. ISBN 81-7755-029-2
• Tapasyananda, Swami. Bhakti Schools of Vedanta. Hollywood, CA: Vedanta Press and Catalog, 1991. ISBN 81-7120-226-8

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. 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

• Aghori
• Ardhanari
• Aum Namah Sivaya
• Brahma
• Harihara
• Hindu deities
• Kapalika
• Krishnology
• Saivism
• Shiva
• Shiva Puja
• Shri Rudram
• Siddha Yoga
• Vishnu

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

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