 |
| Trinity/Trimurti |
God also
exists beyond this world as an impersonal force and/or as the Supreme Person.
Most commonly, that transcendent Supreme is identified with 3 gods in a single
form with 3 faces.
Brahma
as the Generator, Vishnu as the Organizer, and Shiva as the Destroyer came to be known as GOD – Generator, Organizer, and Destroyer. Vishnu is not
only a preserver; Shiva is not only a destroyer.
|
|
Brahma |
Vishnu |
Shiva |
|
|
Creator or
secondary creator? Born of Vishnu or the original creator |
God but yet also
a person |
In charge of
universal destruction, also role in the creation |
|
In charge of |
Raja guna
(quality of passion) |
Sattva guna
(quality of goodness) |
Tama guna
(quality of ignorance) |
|
Stays in |
Kailash |
||
|
Weapons |
Bramastra and
Kamandala |
Sudarshana and
Kaumandala |
Trishula |
|
Mount |
Hamsa |
Garuda |
Nandi |
|
Consort |
Saraswati |
Lakshmi |
Parvati |
|
Worshipped |
Indirectly
through Gayatri manta, since Gayatri is one of his consorts |
in his form as
Krishna and Rama |
Represents male
principle within the world |
 |
| Painting of Trimurti from Andra Pradesh |
Mūrti
idols of Shiva in the Shaivism tradition, Vishnu in the Vaishnava tradition, and Devi
in the Shakta (from Shakti) tradition. Ground-level – at many places where we can
see Trimurti idols - Devi's idol is replaced by Brahma's. The Tridevi is the
trinity of goddess consorts for the Trimūrti.
Brahma
lost worshippers because of telling lies and was merely entrusted with the
task of creation under the direction of the other two gods.
 |
| An art depiction of the Trimurti at the Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu |
Trimurti temples
Temples dedicated to various permutations of the Trimurti can be seen as early as the 6th century C.E. There are still some temples today where the Trimurti are actively worshiped.- Baroli Trimurti Temple
- Elephanta Caves
- Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple
- Prambanan Trimurti Temple
- Savadi Trimurti Temple
- Thripaya Trimurti Temple
- Thirumoorthy hills
What do the Hindu scriptures say about the Trimurti?
Source of wisdom and authority
"Brahma decided to start creation afresh but discovered that the earth was submerged in water. How would his creations survive if there was no earth? He, therefore, requested Vishnu to bring up the earth from under the water. (Kūrma Purana 1.6)”
What does it mean? There are many Hindu scriptures that tell creation stories. This short extract narrates the making of the universe and shows that two of the Trimurti gods played cooperative parts. Brahma as creator, led this process, but Vishnu also used his power in the creation.
Source of wisdom and authority
The Kūrma Purana (1.9) tells a Hindu story of creation, summarised here: Brahma and Vishnu together killed the demons that wanted to sabotage the creation of the universe. After being frustrated with his creative work, Brahma cried and died, but then Shiva was born from Brahma – who was revived. Shiva lived in all of the elements, including the sun, water, sky, fire, wind, and trees.
What does it mean? This creation story emphasizes the role of each of the Trimurti's gods in the universe's making.
Modern Influence
Modern Hinduism has various factions, and there is not a single unique ideology. Most of the belief systems stem back to the Trimurti. Smartism is a modern version in which it is believed the three gods are representations of a supreme higher power that has no form. The Shaktis believe that all three deities came from the divine mother and are aspects of her nature. Some cults worship Vishnu, others Shiva, and some see divinity in all of nature. They are all considered good Hindus.
All over the world, the sound of Om is the symbol of Hinduism. It’s the primordial sound, the very breath of creation, and the justification for our very existence.
According to the legend, it all began with the Trimurti.
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