trimurti

• trimurti


  3 major aspects of brahman
• brahma


  creator
• vishnu


  preserver
• shiva


  destroyer
• brahman exists beyond the world but within the universe
• manifestations of god
• represents 3 eliments of existence

  creation upkeep and destruction
• each of the trimurti has a consort

  a female patner, 3 godessed

  female equivilent of male trimirti
• brahmas consort-saraswati


  "mother of the Vedas"

  appears as a river- flows creative powers

  pure-untouched by worldly attachments

  pure wisdom- goddess of knowledge and the arts
• Vishnu's consort- Lakshmi


  embodies strength and enemies of Vishnu

  some worship vishnu through Lakshmi

  goddess of wealth and fortune
• consort of shiva- Parvati

  when she killed herself shiva withdrew in a state of depression

  impressed shiva by being tireless in spiritual practice

  mother pf Ganesh

  shhiva replaced his head with an elephant

  goddess of love, fertility, and family
• vaishnavism


  branch that considers vishnu to be the supreme being
• shaiviam


  branch that considers shiva to be the supreme god
• vaishnavism

  focus worship on vishnu

  vishnu is the supreme god

  many worship him through his avatars

  brahma and shiva are forms of vishnu

  tend not to accept trimurti-vishnu is a manifestation of brahman
• shaivism

  focus worship on shiva

  shiva is the supreme god

  dont consider him part of the trimurti

  responsible for creation, maintenance and destruction

  he is not got of destruction

  he has taken on all roles

  trimurti is not 3 firures but him with 3 heads