TRIMURTI

Maurice Winternitz notes that there are very few places in Indian literature where the Trimurti is mentioned.The identification of Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma as one being is strongly emphasized in the Kūrma Purāṇa, where in 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.

Historian A. L. Basham explains the background of the trimurti as follows, noting Western interest in the idea of trinity:

Early western students of Hinduism were impressed by the parallel between the Hindu trinity and that of Christianity. In fact the parallel is not very close, and the Hindu trinity, unlike the Holy Trinity of Christianity, never really "caught on". All Hindu trinitarianism tended to favor one god of the three; thus, from the context it is clear that Kālidāsa's hymn to the Trimūrti is really addressed to Brahmā, here looked on as the high god. TheTrimūrti was in fact an artificial growth, and had little real influence.

Freda Matchett characterizes the Trimurti system as one of "several frameworks into which various divine figures can be fitted at different levels."

The concept of trimurthi is also present in the Maitri Upanishad, where the three gods are explained as three of his supreme forms.

TRIMURTI

The Puranic period (c. CE 300-1200) saw the rise of post-Vedic religion and the evolution of what R. C. Majumdar calls "synthetic Hinduism."

This period had no homogeneity, and included orthodox Brahmanism in the form of remnants of older Vedic faith traditions, along with different sectarian religions, notably Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism that were within the orthodox fold yet still formed distinct entities One of the important traits of this period is a spirit of harmony between orthodox and sectarian forms. Regarding this spirit of reconciliation, R. C. Majumdar says that:

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 ofBrahmā, 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.

TRIMURTI

TRIMURTI :: BRAHMA (creator) , VISHNU (preserver ), SHIVA ( destroyer & creator)

The Trimurti (English: ‘three forms’; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्तिः trimūrti) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahmā the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Śhiva the destroyer or transformer,"These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity",often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara."

One type of depiction for the Trimurti shows three heads on one neck, and often even three faces on one head, each looking in a different direction.

TRIMURTI :: TRINITY IN HINDUISM

TRIMURTI

Trimurti (Sanskrit: trimūrti; „drei Formen“) ist ein Konzept des Hinduismus, welches die Vereinigung der drei kosmischen Funktionen der Erschaffung, Erhaltung und Zerstörung/Umformung, durch die Verbildlichung der großen Götter Brahma als des Schöpfers, Vishnu als des Erhalters, Shiva als des Zerstörers darstellt.

Die Trimurti symbolisiert, dass alle göttlichen Wirkungen von einer Einheit ausgehen, da die drei Aspekte sich gegenseitig bedingen und ergänzen; sie repräsentiert das formlose Brahman und drückt die schöpfenden, erhaltenden und zerstörenden Aspekte dieses höchsten Seienden aus. Sie wird entweder durch die drei Götter nebeneinander dargestellt, als eine einzige Figur mit drei Köpfen oder in einer dreiköpfigen Figur mit sechs Armen, die den jetzt personal gedachten Brahma mit Wasserkrug und Gebetskette zeigt, Vishnu mit Wurfscheibe und Muschel sowie Shiva mit seinem Dreizack und der kleinen Doppeltrommel Damaru.

Eine weitere Darstellung dieser Trimurti ist Dattatreya, auch Datta-Atreya (Datta, Sohn des Atri), genannt. Er verkörpert die ewig jugendliche Manifestation der göttlichen Drei-Einheit von Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. Dementsprechend wird er mit drei Gesichter dargestellt und ist oft in Begleitung von Hunden zu sehen.

Die Trimurti wird von indischen Philosophen oft aus den drei Gunas erklärt, den Grundursachen der Wirkungen und Tätigkeiten:

• Tamas bedeutet Unwissenheit, Trägheit, geistige Dunkelheit und sind Shiva zugeordnet, der diese zerstört;
• Rajas, Aktivität, Leidenschaft und Neubeginn, wird mit Brahma assoziiert,
• Sattva bedeutet Klarheit, Güte und Harmonie und wird mit Vishnu in Verbindung gebracht.

Den Gunas sind Farben zugeordnet: schwarz für Tamas, rot für Rajas und weiß für Sattva. Gleichermaßen weist man der Trimurti die Elemente Erde (Brahma), Wasser (Vishnu) und Feuer (Shiva) zu.

Shakti-Verehrer, die Anhänger der weiblich dargestellten Form Gottes, kennen auch eine weibliche Trimurti, Tridevi genannt, mit Saraswati der Schöpferin, Lakshmi der Erhaltenden und Kali der Zerstörerin.

Die Trimurti ist die konzeptionelle Einheit des dreiseitigen kosmischen Prinzips, ähnlich der christlichen Trinität, und keine Trias, also keine drei verschiedene, zusammengehörende Gottheiten, wie aus den meisten polytheistischen Mythologien bekannt. Das christliche Konzept der Dreifaltigkeit mit Gott dem Vater, Gott dem Sohn und Gott dem Heiligen Geist weicht in Interpretation und Religionsphilosophie von der hinduistischen ab.

OM NAMAH SHIVAY

Shravan Somvar vrat

Shravan Somvar Vrat (Monday fasting on Shravan month) One of the name of Lord shiva is soma - saha uma. For the Lord someshvara Who wears the soma, the moon crescent on the matted hair, on the somavara day (Monday), this festival is observed. Though all Mondays can be observed as vrat there are special mondays when it is much more emphasised to observe like the shravan Somvar and karthikai sOmavAr. According to skandha purANa, on the Mondays of the month kArthikai (mid Nov to mid Dec) this vrata is observed. Way of observing After taking bath pray to the Auspicious and Graceful Lord Shiva. Anointing the Lord with panchAmRitam and other pleasant substances, hail the Lord offering bilva leaves. During the day don't take any solid food. U can take Milk/ buttermilk/ fruit juice/ fruits . After 6'o clock in the evening pray to Lord Shiva and break ur fast and eat normal solid food (avoid onions and garlic) . Your fasting should start from 12 in the midnight and ends at in the evening on monday. It is believed that one who fasts on all Monday of Shravan has all prayers from the heart answered. It is not necessary to undergo rigid practices. Even for this fast, different people may have different practises....e.g. some people may not have buttermilk or some may have specific mantras to be chanted. You can follow whatever gives you a peace of mind.

Shravan month ::also in Hindi Savan month

Things to do during Shravan month
• Wear Rudraksh, and also use a Rudraksh mala for Japa.
• Offer Lord Shiva Bhibhuti and place some on your forehead.
• Make offerings of Bel leaves, Panchamrut (milk, yoghurt, clarified butter, honey and jaggery) on Shiva Ling.
• Recite Shiv Chalisa and Aarti.
• Chant Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra.
• Fasting on Mondays. Girls who fast on all Mondays of Shravan get a good husband.