The Trimurthi

[Vinayaka]

Indeed, not in the Hindu DIR itself, but in other places, we do need all the help we can get. The misconceptions, they are a-plenty.

 

[Shantanu]

Indeed, not in the Hindu DIR itself, but in other places, we do need all the help we can get. The misconceptions, they are a-plenty.

Your wish is granted: I will do my best.

 

[तत्त्वप्रह्व]

According to this ... Trimurti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Vaisnavites, Saivites, Shaktas, and even Smartas don't accept it. So just who does?

I've only encountered it from outsiders, never from within Hinduism, and I've been around quite a bit.

So what exactly is the history, why is it still portrayed as Hindu thought, who invented it, and maybe more importantly, what can we do about to rid ourselves of it, or at least make it less common?

Thoughts?

I think the basis for this and "symbolic gods (in another thread)" is similar and its roots can be traced to the purāṇas popularized by paṇḍits conducting pravacanas and picked up from there by the later orientalists. The disconnect is that the purāṇas intertwine symbolic narratives, analogies, metaphors, and stories, amidst cosmogony and actual history, which for the naive is quite indistinguishable and forms the basis for a variety of popular stories like Gaṇesha being born from mud on Pārvati's body, which by the way is symbolic.

The symbolic stories nevertheless convey deep insights; what i think would help set the narratives right is to solicit authentic ones from those who know and make it available as widely as possible. The lack of access to traditional insights is still limited to a very few in direct association with the wise, with most others preferring to surrender to Wikipedia than to a Guru or traditional literature. I think including saṁskritam in school would go a long way in reversing the general apathy and/or naivety.

श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ।

 

[Aupmanyav]

I think including saṁskritam in school would go a long way in reversing the general apathy and/or naivety.

Learning whatever little or more of Sanskrit is absolutely necessary for all Hindu students.

Thank you very much for the offer, but I honestly don't think we need it.

I sincerely think you need my help when you are confronted by atheists and followers of Abrahamic religions. Being an atheist Hindu, I am better equipped to deal with them.

 

[Kalibhakta]

Dattatreya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They have a Murti to this deity at my local *American* temple.

He is apparently very popular. He is the Trimurthi as one deity.

 

[Vinayaka]

I sincerely think you need my help when you are confronted by atheists

Indeed, we get confronted by one particular atheist a lot. But most of us just ignore it.

 

[Poeticus]

I sincerely think you need my help when you are confronted by atheists...

Indeed, we get confronted buy one particular atheist a lot. But most of us just ignore it.

^

 

[Vinayaka]

That kid is so cute, P. Is it you, at 4?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Indeed, we get confronted by one particular atheist a lot. But most of us just ignore it.

I am one of your own.

 

[Poeticus]

I am one of your own.

Awww, of course you are, Aup-dada. Don't ever doubt that. Even though you can be wacky at times, youz still my dude.

I hope this makes you feel better. It's Mukesh singing Kishkindha Kanda:

​

 

[Aupmanyav]

That was nice, happier now.

 

[ShivaFan]

Atheism in Hinduism simply means you do not accept the Gods as real. But you accept all the other things. AND - and you consider the "not-Gods" as Divine in Their Wisdom and Instruction (such as Krsna lecturing Arjun right in the middle of a battlefield, or the Buddha, or a great yogi, or Shiva and so on) and that at least before They died, they thought the highest thoughts and forceful in imagination - AND, and actually took the time to share it to all. And that as long as Their thoughts, instructions full of eternal values are remembered, while Their Body may have died, They are eternal in Their instruction and words and deeds while their body is not.

Which means that in those Words, Hinduism is eternal. Dharma is Sanatana.

Many great Hindus. Many great one's among them.

Of course, they are wrong. But still Great. Just as a letter which still arrives to your home with a $1 million dollar lottery payout but came in a envelope with the incorrect postage amount. The stamp may say 45¢ and should have been 52¢ but the letter arrived even though the POSTAGE WAS WRONG.

So they are wrong, the Postal Admiral exists, but ... what the heck. The letter still arrived with the $1 million dollar check anyway.

Of course ... the lottery might be banned.

naw. won't happen.
would it?

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram Vinajaka ji

According to this ... Trimurti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Vaisnavites, Saivites, Shaktas, and even Smartas don't accept it. So just who does?

I've only encountered it from outsiders, never from within Hinduism, and I've been around quite a bit.

So what exactly is the history, why is it still portrayed as Hindu thought, who invented it, and maybe more importantly, what can we do about to rid ourselves of it, or at least make it less common?

Thoughts?

sorry I dont quite understand what you are saying ?

that the Trimurti is not accepted by Hindus ?

are you for or against ?

The ones that accept it are, perhaps, mostly village Hindus.

So I am a Brajvassi again .....jia jai nothing wrong in that

The most important thing to consider right now is whether any of ya'll like my Surya Yantra signature or not ...

yes yes very nice ....but three arrows , ....you want to shoot down Brahma Vishnu and Shiva ?

I am not so sure about this , not sure it is a good idea at all !

 

[Poeticus]

yes yes very nice ....but three arrows , ....you want to shoot down Brahma Vishnu and Shiva ?

I am not so sure about this , not sure it is a good idea at all !

I used to have the Surya Yantra (which, I was told, can also be called the Ram Yantra) as my signature. But I changed it to an astra from the Ramayana that Bhagwan Shri Ram supposedly wielded. Unfortunately, I forgot its name---can't remember all the syllables, haha.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. and you consider the "not-Gods" as Divine in Their Wisdom and Instruction ..

Well, you can say that, I consider them as 'beacons' for the Hindu society, not accepting the word divine in any sense other than very nice, exemplary, etc.

Unfortunately, I forgot its name---can't remember all the syllables, haha.

Lord Rama's bow was known as 'Shāranga', and that is why one of his names is 'Shārangapāni'. Sanskrit Dictionary.de gives the meaning of 'Shāranga' as having color, a kind of metre, having a nasal sound, derived from the antelope called 'sāragga', spotted, dappled, of a poet, kind of spotted antelope, kind of bird, particular rāga, kind of antelope, bee. This is because the bow was encrusted with jewels and therefore shined in various colors. The bow was given to Rama by Sage Agastya saying that it once belonged to Lord Vishnu and the Lord decimated many demons with it. So Rama should use it and protect the righteous.

Another name for the bow is 'Kothanda' from Tamil or 'Kodanda' in Sanskrit. I do not know the derivation of that name. But I think I could find it with a little research. A popular name in South India of temples and men is 'Kodandaraman' (the Rama with the Kodanda bow).

Google

Kothandaraman temples:

Vaduvur Kothandaraman temple, Kothandaraman temple at Madurantakam

A beautiful Andhra Pradesh temple but large image so I give the link: Panoramio - Photo of Kodanda Rama Temple
Hampi has Kodandaraman temple.
Kodandaraman temple at Vontimitta

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram Poeticus ji

I used to have the Surya Yantra (which, I was told, can also be called the Ram Yantra) as my signature. But I changed it to an astra from the Ramayana that Bhagwan Shri Ram supposedly wielded. Unfortunately, I forgot its name---can't remember all the syllables, haha.

Manava Astra ....whit which he banished Maricha ?

or Brahmastra whith which He killed Ravan ? ....I think most possibly Brahmastra as Rama prays to Aditya before evoking the Brahmastra , .....???

 

[atanu]

According to this ... Trimurti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Vaisnavites, Saivites, Shaktas, and even Smartas don't accept it. So just who does?

I've only encountered it from outsiders, never from within Hinduism, and I've been around quite a bit.

So what exactly is the history, why is it still portrayed as Hindu thought, who invented it, and maybe more importantly, what can we do about to rid ourselves of it, or at least make it less common?

Thoughts?

I think that the Trimurti concept is one concept among many similar other concepts. The Trimurti concept is supported by verses in Maitri and some other upanishads, wherein brahmA, Vishnu, Rudra personify three different gunas (qualities) of the universal mind. The same is further expanded in some puranas.

Similarly, the Brahma Sutra starts with a definition of Brahman as that from which proceeds creation etc. ( most commentators expand the etc. to mean maintenance and dissolution also). Traditionally, even in the Vedas, Vishnu is known as the maintainer, Rudra the dissolver, and brahmA-Prajapati the creator.

However, upanishads also teach five forms of Shiva or Vishnu to encompass all. For example the Shiva sadyota mantras. Especially, Maha Narayana upanshad has all these diverse worship forms and categories compiled together -- and these are directly from the Vedas.

So, I think, it all part of great variety that Hinduism is.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think that the Trimurti concept is one concept among many similar other concepts.

So, I think, it all part of great variety that Hinduism is.

True, and true. Just nowhere near as common as western encyclopedias tend to portray it. But that's true for a lot of Hinduism ideas that are common in the west, not just this one.