What is the Hindu Trimurti?

Answer

Hinduism is a complex religion with numerous deities who may or may not all be avatars (representatives) of tasks performed by a single supreme lord. Various sects within Hinduism emphasize the worship of different deities based on inclination, guidance, and requirements; and diverse Hindu teachers interpret the same scriptures with varying meanings. The supreme lord in Hinduism also symbolizes the ultimate truth of the universe.

Three of these Hindu deities are occasionally combined to form the “Trimurti,” a triad of deities (typically Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). The term Trimurti originates from the prefix for “three,” tri-, and the Hindi word for “image” or “representation,” murti. Their specific roles (Brahma creates, Vishnu preserves, and Shiva destroys) maintain the world’s equilibrium. Vishnu and Shiva are two significant avatars or representations of the supreme lord, who has three aspects, as per the Rigveda (1700–1100 BC). The Maitri Upanishad (800–400 BC) contains a commentary, not original to the text, regarding the combination of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. However, the first reference to the Trimurti itself was in the poem “Birth of the War God,” composed in the 4th or 5th century AD. It was not until the Puranas (AD 300) that the members of the Trimurti were united to assume their defined roles in maintaining the cosmos.

Brahma creates and imparts life force to his creation. One of his primary aspects is knowledge and the spread of knowledge. He is scarcely worshipped individually today and has only a few temples in India; he was implicated in a transgression (being too lenient and blessing demons, attempting to seduce his daughter, or lying, depending on the narrative) and now works under the supervision of Vishnu or Shiva. Brahma the deity should not be confused with Brahman, signifying “absolute, supreme reality or the manifestation thereof,” or Brahmin, which is the

Hindu caste of priests.

Vishnu maintains the worlds in his care. He was a minor god in the early days of Hinduism, and even now some of his incarnations, such as Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, are worshipped more than he himself. Hindus claim that Buddha is another incarnation, but Buddhists, who believe in enlightened humans instead of gods, disagree. Vishnu represents kingship and military power and enforces order with physical force.

Shiva (or Rudra-Siva) is the destroyer or absorber god. He and Vishnu often competed for the title of “Supreme Lord.” Shiva is prone to fits of anger, and his destructive bent comes from his desire to see the world newer and purer. Like Vishnu, his incarnations are worshipped more than he is. He is the god of male fertility but also of asceticism, as self-denial supposedly increases one’s “ascetic heat” and makes one more attractive to women.

The Hindu Trimurti is the representation of the supreme lord’s work to control the cosmos as illustrated in the combination of the three gods in these specific roles. Each of the three gods has different interests, but when their powers combine to focus on creation, maintenance, and destruction, that is the Trimurti.
One theory is that the concept of the Trimurti came about to bring worshippers from different Hindu sects into a more cohesive group. Vaishnavites who worshipped Vishnu and Saivites who concentrated on Shiva could join in worshipping a single supreme lord who had the aspects of a maintainer and destroyer, with the addition of a creator, while still concentrating on their particular sect. In reality, those who specifically worship Vishnu or Shiva are just as likely to either ignore the Trimurti or explain how their favorite god is the supreme lord who created the other two. Other Hindu sects combine different gods into “Trimurti,” including Brahma, Vishnu, and Bhava, or replace Brahma, Shiva, and Krishna. At any rate, the Trimurti, while mentioned in Hindu literature, isn’t a significant part of Hinduism.

As practiced but more of an explanation of the workings of the cosmos.

The defined concept of the Trimurti is a relatively recent addition to Hinduism, but the significance of the number 3 is longstanding. Hinduism teaches three layers of nature, three states of being, three divisions of both time and the day, and three phases of life and self-realization, among others. It follows naturally that the supreme lord would govern the cosmos through characteristics from three of his avatars.

The teaching of the Trimurti as three manifestations of the supreme lord is akin to the heretical Christian doctrine known as Sabellianism. In Sabellianism, the Members of the Trinity are not distinct individuals but simply three different representations or forms that God chooses to reveal Himself as. The Trimurti is also known as the Hindu triumvirate, a governing body composed of three individuals, which contrasts with Sabellianism as the members’ identities are primarily those of individuals who collaborate.

The Hindu Trimurti differs from the Christian Trinity. The Trinity is one God in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons. Many Hindus reject the concept of the Trimurti, and even those who embrace the Trimurti view the triad as three Hindu gods appearing as avatars, manifestations, or modes of the supreme lord; they are not distinct persons.