A conjunction of the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer
Gods in Hindu religion is commonly referred to as the Hindu trinity.
These three powers having different functions are a combination of
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva with the duties of creating, preserving and
destroying the universe respectively.
Each of these is characterized by having several distinctive features,
a different form of nature, a separate vehicle to ride upon, a unique
symbol and a powerful consort with distinct manifestations.
The creator God of the Trinity is Lord Brahma. This four-headed God is
seen comfortably seated on a huge lotus flower and has Goddess Saraswati
as his Consort. The Goddess always dressed in white is the Goddess of
knowledge and is therefore much adored and worshiped by the students,
artist, musicians, etc.
From the cosmological point of view, Lord Brahma is a Golden Embryo from
which the universe develops. All his heads face four different quarters
and are taken to be a representative of the four Vedas, four Yugas
(epochs of time) and the four Varnas (divisions of society based on
nature, nurture and vocation).
Only one temple in India dedicated to Lord Brahma exists which is in
Pushkar, Rajasthan. The annual fair at the temple attracts several
pilgrims every year to Pushkar.
Also known as Mahavishnu, the preserver Lord of the trinity is Vishnu.
Considered to be the centripetal force responsible for sustenance,
protection and maintenance of the created Universe, Lord Vishnu
represents the sattvaguna. Characterized by a dark blue complexion like
that of a hue, Lord Vishnu is also referred to as Narayana.
The lord is characterized by an icon having one human face with four
arms holding Conch, Discus, Mace and a Lotus. Vaijayanti mala and
Kaustubha necklace are also inseperable symbols of the Lord. He has
Lakshami, the godess of wealth, as his consort.
Supposed to have 10 incarnations, the Lord has Garuda, a half man,
half-eagle as his vehicle. Out of all his incarnations, Rama and Krishna
are the most popular and adored ones.
The last but not least of this Trinity, responsible for the dissolution
of the Universe is Shiva. It is believed that post destruction entire
universe hibernates in him till the next cycle of creation. Depending
upon the requirements, Lord Shiva may have two, three, four, eight, 10
or even 32 hands.
Lord Shiva is mainly seen holding a trident and a rosary. One of the
most unique characteristic of the Lord is that he has poisonous snakes
encircled around his neack and his entire body is of a sea blue color.
Also known as a renowned master of dance, he is worshipped as Nataraja
also being capable of 108 modes of dance. He has Parvati (also known as
Uma, Sati, Kali and Durga) as his consort.
With a bull named Nandi as his vehicle, Shiva is accompanied by two of
his sons, Ganapati and Kartikeya, in some of the temples.
