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Trimurti

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Divinities

   From left, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
   Enlarge
   From left, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva

   In some schools of Hinduism, such as the Smarta or Advaita traditions,
   the Trimurti (Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति) (also called the Hindu trinity) is
   a concept that holds that God has three aspects, which are only
   different forms of the same one God. The three aspects of God, or
   "Parabrahman," or God's personae are as Brahma (the Source/Creator),
   Vishnu (the Preserver/Indwelling-life) and Shiva (the Transformer
   -Destroyer/Creator).

   Though all the three trimurti's are males, the hidden symbolism
   emphasizing female energy is not difficult to understand. Brahma was
   able to create because his consort is Sarasvati, the goddess of speech
   and learning. Similarly Vishnu's consort Lakshmi, is the Goddess of
   beauty and fortune making it possible for him to preserve the universe;
   and Durga, is the consort of Siva.

   The Trimurti itself is conceived of as a deity and artistically
   represented as a three-faced human figure. 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.

   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.

Views of Trimurti within Hinduism

Advaita

   Trimurti is a strongly held tenet in the denomination of Smartism and
   Ayyavazhi, but not popularly accepted by other denominations of
   Hinduism, such as Vaishnavism.

Vaishnavism

   Vaishnavism generally does not accept the Trimurti concept. For
   example, the Dvaita school holds Vishnu alone to be the supreme God and
   Shiva as subordinate to Vishnu and interpret the Puranas differently.
   For example, Vijayindra Tîrtha, a Dvaita scholar interprets the 18
   puranas differently. He interprets that the Vaishnavite puranas as
   satvic and Shaivite puranas as tamasic and that only satvic puranas are
   considered to be authorative.

   In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Shiva is considered the best of devotee of
   Vishnu (vaisnavanam yatha sambhu) and also an aspect of Vishnu but not
   the same as Vishnu. In this view, Shiva is also viewed as subservient
   to lord Vishnu, although it is still understood that he is above the
   category of an ordinary jiva or living entity. Brahma, a deva is
   considered by Gaudiya Vaishnavites to be the highest of the jivas in
   one interpretation.The example of milk and yogurt is used to describe
   their difference in Brahma Samhita. For example, Prabhupada, founder of
   ISKCON commented that Śiva is not actually like a living entity, but he
   is not Vishnu and his position is somewhere between Vishnu and Brahmā,
   the living entity. Shiva, considered to be like yogurt but yogurt is
   nothing but transformed milk; nonetheless, yogurt cannot be accepted as
   milk. Similarly, Lord Śiva holds almost all the powers of Lord Vishnu
   and he is also above the qualities of the living entity, but he is not
   exactly like Vishnu, just as yogurt, although transformed milk, is not
   exactly like milk.

   However, other Vaishnavite followers, such as Swaminarayan, founder of
   the Hindu Swaminarayan sect, differ and hold that Vishnu and Shiva are
   different aspects of the same God. Notably, the Swaminarayan view is a
   minority view among Vaishnavites.

Saivism

   Saivites, similarly hold a similar view with Vishnu. As the following
   footnoted web site states, Lord Shiva perfoms five acts of creation,
   sustenance, reduction, illusioning and blessing. The holy masters for
   these five activities are Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshwara, Sadashiva
   respectively. Of these the later three are nothing but the forms of the
   Supreme Shiva called Parasiva. Saivites thus believe that Lord Shiva is
   the Supreme, who assumes various critical roles and assumes appropriate
   names and forms, and also stands transcending all these.

Symbolizations

   An art depiction of the Trimurti in Hoysaleswara temple
   Enlarge
   An art depiction of the Trimurti in Hoysaleswara temple

   Swami Sivananda, in his book, All about Hinduism, noted that "Brahma
   represents the creative aspect; Vishnu, the preservative aspect; and
   Shiva, the destructive aspect of Paramatman. These functions are akin
   to wearing different garbs on different occasions. For example, when
   you do the function of a judge, you put on one kind of dress. At home
   you wear another kind of dress. When you do worship in the temple, you
   wear another kind of dress. You exhibit different kinds of temperament
   on different occasions. Even so, the Lord does the function of creation
   when He is associated with Rajas Guna, and He is called Brahma. He
   preserves the world when He is associated with Sattva Guna, and He is
   called Vishnu. He destroys the world when He is associated with Tamas
   Guna, and He is called Shiva or Rudra."

   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.

   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.

   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).

Evolution of Theology on the Hindu Trinity

   The definite settlement of the caste system and the Brahmanical
   supremacy must probably be assigned to somewhere about the close of the
   Brahmanas period. Division in their own ranks was hardly favorable to
   the aspirations of the priests at such a time; and the want of a
   distinct formula of belief adapted to the general drift of theological
   speculation, to which they could all rally, was probably felt the more
   acutely, the more determined a resistance the military class was likely
   to oppose to their claims. Side by side with the conception of the
   Brahman, the universal spiritual principle, with which speculative
   thought had already become deeply imbued, the notion of a Supreme
   Personal Being, the author of the material creation, had come to be
   considered by many as a necessary complement of the pantheistic
   doctrine. But, owing perhaps to his polytheistic associations and the
   attributive nature of his name, the person of Prajapati seems to have
   been thought but insufficiently adapted to represent this abstract
   idea. The expedient resorted to for solving the difficulty was as
   ingenious as it was characteristic of the Brahmanical aspirations. In
   the same way as the abstract denomination of sacerdotalism, the neuter
   brahman, had come to express the divine essence, so the old designation
   of the individual priest, the masculine term brahma, was raised to
   denote the supreme personal deity which was to take the place and
   attributes of the Prajapati of the Brahmanas and Upanishads.

   However the new dogma may have answered the purposes of speculative
   minds, it was not one in which the people generally were likely to have
   been much concerned; an abstract, colorless deity like Brahman could
   awake no sympathies in the hearts of those accustomed to worship gods
   of flesh and blood. 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 their
   affection may have been bestowed on one or another of the old gods who
   was thereby raised to the dignity of chief deity; or new forms and
   objects of belief 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
   grow up, more or less distinct in name and characteristics from the
   gods of the Vedic pantheon. There is, indeed, sufficient evidence to
   show that, at a time when, after centuries of theological speculations,
   some little insight into the life and thought of the people is afforded
   by the literature handed down to us, such a diversity of worship did
   exist. 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 objects of popular devotion, and
   thereby to establish a kind of creed for the whole community - subject
   to the Brahmanical law.

   At the time of the original composition of the great epics 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; and from the manner in which they are
   represented in those works, it would, indeed, 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 in
   some of these we have to recognize special names under which the people
   in different localities worshipped these gods, or deities of a similar
   nature which, by the agency of popular poetry, or in some other way,
   came to be combined with them. The places assigned to them in the
   pantheistic system were coordinate with that of Brahma; 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.

   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.

   As regards Vishnu, this god occupies already a place in the Vedic
   mythology, though 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 many 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. In one or two of
   them, such as his names Vasudeva and Vaikuntha, an attempt may again be
   traced to identify Vishnu with Indra, who, as we have seen, was one of
   the Vedic triad of gods. 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.

   The male nature of the triad was supposed to require to be supplemented
   by each of the three gods being associated with a female energy (
   Shakti). It was symbolized that Brahma was able to create because his
   consort is Sarasvati, the goddess of speech and learning. Similarly
   Vishnu's consort Sri or Lakshmi, is the Goddess of beauty, fortune
   making it possible for him to preserve the universe; and Parvati, the
   daughter of Himavat, the god of the Himalaya mountain, who has a
   variety of other names, such as Kali (the black one), Durga (the
   inaccessible one), Mahadevi (the great goddess) is the consort of Siva.
   On the other hand, it is not improbable that Parvati, enjoyed already 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 was henceforth 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
   Parabrahman itself in its active relation to mundane and seemingly
   material occurrences, the old traditional gods are of this world, are
   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 honour the pitris (the fathers), the spirits of the departed
   ancestors.

Other uses

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

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