Trimurti
Trimurti | |
---|---|
Supreme Trinity of the Universe The Gods of Creation, Preservation, and Destruction Nandi (mount of Shiva) | |
Gender | Male |
Consort | Tridevi: |
The Trimurti
Evolution
The Puranic period from the 4th to the 12th century CE saw the rise of post-Vedic religion and the evolution of what R. C. Majumdar calls "synthetic Hinduism".[10]
This period had no homogeneity, and included orthodox
Its most notable expression is to be found in the theological conception of the Trimūrti, i.e., the manifestation of the supreme God in three forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva... But the attempt cannot be regarded as a great success, for Brahmā never gained an ascendancy comparable to that of Śiva or Viṣṇu, and the different sects often conceived the Trimūrti as really the three manifestations of their own sectarian god, whom they regarded as Brahman or Absolute.[13]
The identification of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva as one being is strongly emphasized in the Kūrma Purāṇa, wherein 1.6 Brahman is worshipped as Trimurti; 1.9 especially inculcates the unity of the three gods, and 1.26 relates to the same theme.[14] Noting Western interest in the idea of trinity, historian A. L. Basham explains the background of the Trimurti as follows:
There must be some doubt as to whether the Hindu tradition has ever recognized Brahma as the Supreme Deity in the way that Visnu and Siva have been conceived of and worshiped.
Maitri Upanishad, where the three gods are explained as three of his supreme forms.[16]Trimurti temples
Temples dedicated to various permutations of the Trimurti can be seen as early as the 6th century CE, and there are still some temples today in which the Trimurti are actively worshipped.
- Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple
- Trimurti Temple Thevalapuram
- Prambanan Trimurti Temple
- Savadi Trimurti Temple
- Thripaya Trimurti Temple
Trimurti statue 1940s bazaar art of TrimurtiViews within Hinduism
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2021)In general it can be said that the trimurti has less of a role in the Hinduism of recent centuries than in ancient India.
Shaivism
). Thus, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra are not deities different from Shiva, but rather are forms of Shiva. As Brahma/Sadyojata, Shiva creates. As Vishnu/Vamadeva, Shiva preserves. As Rudra/Aghora, he dissolves. This stands in contrast to the idea that Shiva is the "God of destruction". Shiva is the supreme God and performs all actions, of which destruction is only but one. Ergo, the Trimurti is a form of Shiva Himself for Shaivas. Shaivites believe that Shiva is the Supreme, who assumes various critical roles and assumes appropriate names and forms, and also stands transcending all these.Gharapuri Island.
Despite the fact that the
satvic and Shaivite puranas as tamasic and that only satvic puranas are considered to be authoritative.[19] The tradition of Sri Vaishnavism in the south holds that all major deities that are hailed in the Puranas are in fact forms of Vishnu, and that the scriptures are dedicated to him alone.[20]Shaktism
The female-centric
Mahalaxmi (Preservatrix), and Mahakali (Destructrix). This feminine version of the Trimurti is called Tridevi ("three goddesses"). The masculine gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) are then relegated as auxiliary agents of the supreme feminine Tridevi. In Srimad Devi Bhagwat Purana's 1st book and 4th chapter. Devi addressed Trimurti as follows:"I am Adi Parashakti. I am the owner of this universe. I am the Absolute Reality. I am dynamic in feminine form and static in masculine form. You have appeared to govern the universe through my energy. You are the masculine form of Absolute Reality, while I am the feminine form of that Reality. I am beyond form, beyond everything, and all the powers of God are contained within me. You must know that I am the Eternal limitless energy.
She then said: Brahma! You will be generator of the universe; the Goddess Sharada (Saraswati) is your consort, she will be recognized as the goddess of wisdom and the primeval sound. Lord Brahma, this goddess will be with you when you create the universe.
She continued: Lord Narayana (Vishnu)! You are formless, yet you take form. I assign you to be the preserver of the universe. You will take different incarnations in order to save this universe's inhabitants. Oh Narayana! You have created Lord Brahma, and Brahma will further create thirty three kinds of gods and goddesses. I am goddess Mahamaya, who has made you reappear from your mystic sleep. Your consort will be goddess Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu, this goddess will be with you when you rule/maintain the universe. When life evolves, you will take the form of Vishnu, the one who will perform the task of observing and preserving this universe.
At Last she instructed: "Oh Lord Rudra Shiv, the Great God, you are the personification of time, which is above all. You will perform the task of destroying and regenerating this universe. When you are formless, time stands still. It is due to my power that you become dynamic and are capable of bringing about the destruction and regeneration of this universe. Mahakali is myself, my full form, whereas Laxmi and Saraswati are just my clones, my partial forms but due to meditation, you will surpass all my forms. It is then that I will incarnate from your left half in my manifested form. This form will be my truest manifested form. Lord Shiva, She will perform the task of destroying evil and will be your consort.''
Smartism
monistic philosophy preached by Śankarācārya made it possible to choose one of these as a preferred principal deity and at the same time worship the other four deities as different forms of the same all-pervading Brahman.Saura
The Saura sect that worships Surya as the supreme personality of the godhead and saguna brahman does not accept the Trimurti as they believe Surya is God. Earlier forms of the Trimurti sometimes included Surya instead of Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva or as a fourth above the Trimurti, of whom the other three are manifestations; Surya is Brahma in the morning, Vishnu in the afternoon and Shiva in the evening. Surya was also a member of the original Vedic Trimurti, which included Varuna and Vayu. Some Sauras worship either Vishnu or Brahma or Shiva as manifestations of Surya, others worship the Trimurti as a manifestation of Surya, and others exclusively worship Surya alone.
See also
- Ahuric triad
- Dattatreya
- Moirai
- Om
- Three Pure Ones
- Tridevi
- Trikaya
- Trinity
Triple deitiesFootnotes
IAST: trimūrti,)Citations
- ^ "Trimurti" Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
ISBN 0-7914-2440-5. ISBN 90-74597-07-6.- ^ Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli (Editorial Chairman) (1956). The Cultural Heritage of India. Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.
- ^ Winternitz, Maurice (1972). History of Indian Literature. New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation.
- ^ For quotation defining the trimurti see Matchett, Freda. I real all the three deities are avatar of Shiva. The Brahma is "Swetamber"(one who wears white clothes), Maha Vishnu is "Pitamber" (one who wears yellow/red/orange clothes) and the Shiva is "Digamber/Vaagamber"(one who doesn't wear any cloth, only the skin of tiger). "The Purāṇas", in: Flood (2003), p. 139.
- ^ For the Trimurti system having Brahma as the creator, Vishnu as the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva as the destroyer. see Zimmer (1972) p. 124.
- ^ Young Scientist: A Practical Journal for Amateurs. Industrial Publication Company. 1852.
- ^ Bahubali (18 March 2023). "Tridevi – the three supreme Goddess in Hinduism". Hindufaqs.com. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ For dating of Puranic period as c. CE 300–1200 and quotation, see: Majumdar, R. C. "Evolution of Religio-Philosophic Culture in India", in: Radhakrishnan (CHI, 1956), volume 4, p. 47.
- ^ For characterization as non-homogeneous and including multiple traditions, see: Majumdar, R. C. "Evolution of Religio-Philosophic Culture in India", in: Radhakrishnan (CHI, 1956), volume 4, p. 49.
- ^ For harmony between orthodox and sectarian groups, see: Majumdar, R. C. "Evolution of Religio-Philosophic Culture in India", in: Radhakrishnan (CHI, 1956), volume 4, p. 49.
- ^ For quotation see: see: Majumdar, R. C. "Evolution of Religio-Philosophic Culture in India", in: Radhakrishnan (CHI, 1956), volume 4, p. 49.
- ^ For references to Kūrma Purana see: Winternitz, volume 1, p. 573, note 2.
ISBN 81-208-1700-1. Maitri Upanishad[5.2]- ^ "Abode of God Shiva".
ISBN 0-521-43878-0 ISBN 81-208-1575-0. Archivedfrom the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2010.- ^ "Introduction to Sri Vaishnava Philosophy". ramanuja.org. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ Flood (1996), p. 17.
- ^ Dating for the pañcāyatana pūjā and its connection with Smārta Brahmins is from Courtright, p. 163.
- ^ For worship of the five forms as central to Smarta practice see: Flood (1996), p. 113.
- ^ Grimes, p. 162.
General and cited sources
- Basham, A. L. (1954). The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent Before the Coming of the Muslims. New York: Grove Press.
- Courtright, Paul B. (1985). Gaṇeśa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings. New York: Oxford University Press.
ISBN 0-19-505742-2.- Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 0-521-43878-0.- Flood, Gavin, ed. (2003). The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
ISBN 1-4051-3251-5.- Zimmer, Heinrich (1972). Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
ISBN 0-691-01778-6.External links
- Media related to Trimurti at Wikimedia Commons