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| :: HINDU TRINITY :: |
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Lord Brahma
is the first member of the Brahmanical triad, Vishnu being the second and
Shiva, the third. Brahma is the god of creation and he is traditionally
accepted as the Creator of the entire universe.
An individual's subtle body is constituted of his mind and intellect, that
is, his entire thoughts. Man's subtle body is responsible for the creation
of his gross body and also the world that he experiences. The thoughts of
an individual determine the type of physical body he possesses. The same
thoughts are also responsible for the type of world that the individual
experiences around him. As the thoughts, so the world. If a man possesses
good thoughts he sees a good world. If his thoughts are bad he sees a bad
world. Yudhisthira, a virtuous man saw virtue everywhere, while Duryodhana
saw vice everywhere. When thoughts are absent there is no world at all. In
deep sleep there are no thoughts, no world. This phenomenon is true not only of the microcosm but of the macrocosm as
well. The cosmic subtle body is the aggregate of all subtle bodies of all
living beings. The cosmic subtle body called the Hiranyagarbha, is said to
be the creator of the entire universe. This creator is Brahma. |
The manifested world of plurality has emerged from the unmanifest Reality.
To indicate this Brahma the creator is described as being born from the
navel of Vishnu as he is lying on the great serpent, Ananta in the milky
ocean.
One of the earliest iconographic descriptions of Brahma is that of the
four-faced god seated on a lotus. The Lord has in his four hands a
water-pot (kamandalu), a manuscript (Vedas), a sacrificial implement (sruva)
and a rosary (mala). He wears the hide of a black antelope and his vehicle
is a swan {hamsa).
The description of Brahma like those of other deities of Hinduism bears a
mystic symbolism. The lotus represents the Reality. Brahma sitting on the
lotus indicates that he is ever-rooted in the infinite Reality. Reality is
the foundation on which his personality rests. The four faces of Brahma
represent the four Vedas. They also symbolise the functioning of the inner
personality (antahkarana) which consists of thoughts. They are the mind (manas),
the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkara) and conditioned-consciousness (chitta).
They represent the four ways in which thoughts function. They are the
manifestations of the unmanifest Consciousness.
The animal hide worn by Brahma stands for austerity. A seeker who desires
to realise his godhead must first go through spiritual disciplines.
Observing such austerities the seeker must carefully study and reflect
upon the scriptural truths which are suggested by the manuscript (Vedas)
held in one hand. Having acquired the knowledge of scriptures he must work
in the world without ego and egocentric desires, that is engage in
dedicated and sacrificial service for the welfare of the world. This idea
is suggested by the sacrificial implement held in the second hand. When a
man works in the world selflessly he drops his desires. He is no longer
extroverted, materialistic, sensual. His mind is withdrawn from its
preoccupations with the world of objects and beings. Such a mind is said
to be in uparati. A man who has reached the state of uparati is in a
spirit of renunciation.
That is indicated by Brahma holding the kamandalu in his hand. Kamandalu
is a water-pot used by a sanyasi-a man of renunciation. It is a symbol of
sanyasa or renunciation. The mind of such a man which is withdrawn from
the heat of passion of the world is available for deeper concentration and
meditation. The rosary (mala) in the fourth hand is meant to be used for
chanting and meditation. Meditation is the final gateway to Realisation.
Through deep and consistent meditation the mind gets annihilated and the
seeker attains godhood. A god-man maintains his identity with his supreme
Self while he is engaged in the world of perceptions, emotions and
thoughts. He retains the concept of unity in diversity. He separates the
pure unconditioned consciousness underlying this conditioned world of
names and forms. Brahma's association with a swan is most appropriate in
this context.
A swan is described in Hindu mysticism as possessing the unique faculty of
separating pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. It is reputed to
have the ability to draw the milk alone and leave the water behind.
Similarly does a man of Realization move about in the world recognizing
the one divinity in the pluralistic phenomena of the world.
Brahma is said to be the Lord of creation. The creator must necessarily
possess the knowledge to create. Without knowledge no creation is
possible. Hence Brahma is said to be wedded to the goddess of knowledge,
Saraswati. Life in this world is a manifestation of the three principles
of creation, sustenance and destruction. In fact these three are
interconnected. The apparent destruction is only an essential forerunner
to creation.
Destruction and creation go hand in hand. They are like two sides of a
coin. For example, the destruction of morning is creation of noon and the
destruction of noon is creation of night. This chain of continuous
destruction and construction maintains the day. Similarly, the destruction
of childhood is the creation of youth and the destruction of youth the
creation of old age. In this process of birth and death the individual is
maintained. Hence the three gods of the Trinity viz. Brahma, Vishnu and
Siva representing creation, maintenance and destruction, are essentially
one and the same.
The above idea is well portrayed in Lord Dattatreya, in whose form the
three gods are combined. Dattatreya has the three faces of Brahma, Vishnu
and Siva to indicate that the three principles for which they stand are
inseparable. Lord Dattatreya is shown with four dogs following him. The
four dogs represent the four Vedas. A dog is one of the most faithful
animals in the world and it follows its master in all environments and
circumstances. So, too, the Vedas arc said to follow a man-of-Realisation
in the sense that all his actions, thoughts and desires are in perfect
accord with the principles enunciated in the Vedic textbooks.
All creations arise out of vikshepa (thought disturbances). This
vikshepa-sakti is Lord Brahma-the total mind-intellect equipment. Man,
being essentially constituted of his mind and intellect, has already
invoked this vikshepasakti and realised Brahma. Hence the worship and
invocation of Brahma is practised by few.
Yet there are a few shrines dedicated to Brahma. He is worshipped and
invoked particularly by scientists and kings for generating more creative
ideas to serve the world of men and matter. The rulers invoke the Lord in
order to surrender their ego and produce plans and schemes to serve the
nation. Similarly, the research scholars invoke creative inspiration and
flashes of new thoughts revealing the secrets of nature.
Lord Brahma is not popularly worshipped in India. This is so, because the
idea of creation is repugnant to seeker of Truth since the creation of
thoughts has veiled the infinite Reality. The attempt of all spiritual
seekers is to destroy the existing thoughts and maintain the state of
single pointed thought until the Reality is revealed. Hence, Siva (god of
destruction) and Vishnu (god of maintenance) are worshipped more than
Brahma. In fact, there are very few temples of Brahma-one in Rajasthan and
another in Orissa -compared to innumerable shrines of Siva and Vishnu
existing all over India
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LORD
VISHNU |
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Lord
Vishnu, major god of Hinduism and Indian mythology, popularly
regarded as the preserver of the universe. In the ancient body of
literature called the Veda, the sacred literature of the Aryan
invaders, Vishnu ranks with the numerous lesser gods and is usually
associated with the major Vedic god Indra in battles against demonic
forces. In the epics and Puranas-writings belonging to subsequent
periods in the development of Hinduism-Vishnu (especially in his
incarnations) becomes prominent. Some Puranic literature refers to
him as the eternal, all-pervading spirit and associates him with the
primeval waters believed to have been omnipresent before the
creation of the world. So regarded, Vishnu is depicted frequently in
human form, sleeping on the great serpent Shesha and floating on the
waters. The concept
of Lord Vishnu as preserver is comparatively late. It is based chiefly on
two beliefs: humans may attain salvation by faithfully following
predetermined paths of duty, and good and evil powers (gods and demons)
contend for dominion over the world. Occasionally, the balance of power is
upset in favor of evil, and then Lord Vishnu is believed to descend to
earth in a mortal form (his avatar) to save humankind or the world. |
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Ten
such avatars (descents or incarnations) are commonly recognized, of which
Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are the most important. Nine descents are
thought to have already occurred; the tenth and last is yet to come.
Scholars believe that Vishnu's role as preserver (or redeemer) arose from
the characteristic practice of assimilating local legendary heroes and
gods into the Hindu pantheon by attributing their deeds to one of the
major Hindu deities.
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Representation |
Lord Vishnu
is depicted as dark blue or black (his avatars appear in other colors).
Normally, he is depicted with four arms: One hand holds a lotus; a second
holds a conch; a third holds a discus (which always returns by itself
after being thrown); and the fourth carries a mace. The petals of the
lotus are believed to symbolize the unfolding of creation; the conch is
said to symbolize that from which all existence originates; and the discus
and the mace reputedly were obtained by Lord Vishnu as rewards for
defeating the God Indra. Lord Vishnu is said to possess also a special
sword called Nadaka and a special bow called Sarnga. His wife is Goddess
Lakshmi (also known as Shri), goddess of beauty and fortune. He rides a
huge creature, half bird and half man, called Gandara. His home is in a
heaven called Vaikuntha (where the Ganges River is believed to flow from
its source at Vishnu's feet). The god has a thousand names, the repetition
of which is regarded as an act of devotion.
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Articles
& Materials for Lord Vishnu Puja |
| 1 |
An altar with a picture or
an idol of Lord Vishnu |
| 2 |
Ghanta, Bell |
| 3 |
Panchapatra, a small
vessel filled with clean water, Arghya |
| 4 |
Agarbatti, incense |
| 5 |
Deep, 2 oil lamps with oil
and cotton wicks |
| 6 |
Kapur, camphor |
| 7 |
Chandan, sandalwood paste |
| 8 |
Kumkum in small container |
| 9 |
Haldi, turmeric powder |
| 10 |
Tulsi
Mala |
| 11 |
Fresh fruits, placed on a
tray |
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Coconut, cut in half |
| 13 |
Fresh fruits, placed on a
tray |
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Panchamrita |
| 15 |
Flowers, whole or petals |
| 16 |
A flower garland ,
Banana Leaves |
| 17 |
A plate to offer Aarti |
| 18 |
Naivedyam, food prepared
for offering |
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LORD
SHIVA |
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Shiva is
one of the gods of the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction.
The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of
maintenance. The three gods represent the three fundamental powers of
nature which are manifest in the world viz. creation, destruction and
maintenance. These powers exist perpetually. Creation is going on all the
time. So is destruction and maintenance. All three powers are manifest at
all times. They are inseparable. Creation and destruction are like two
sides of a coin. And maintenance is an integral part of the processes of
creation and destruction. For example, morning dies to give birth to noon.
Noon dies when night is born. In this chain of birth and death the day is
maintained. To indicate that these three processes are one and the same
the three gods are combined in one form of Lord Dattatreya. Lord
Dattatreya has the faces of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Shiva is
married to the Goddess Uma. Uma represents frakriti which means perishable
matter. Shiva's marriage with Uma signifies that the power of destruction
has no meaning without its association with perishable matter. Destruction
manifests itself only when there is perishable matter. Lord Shiva sits in
a meditative pose against the white background of the snow-capped
Himalayas in Mount Kailas. His posture symbolises perfect inner harmony and poise, experienced by a
man of Realisation. He is rooted in God- consciousness. He revels in the
bliss of the transcendental Reality. Nothing disturbs him. The
vicissitudes of nature, the challenges of life, the trials and
tribulations of the terrestrial world do not affect him at all. He
maintains perfect serenity, equanimity and tranquility in all environments
and circumstances. |
The snow-white background symbolises the absolute purity of mind. When the
mind is disturbed, agitated, you do not see the divinity in you.
Recognising your divine self is like seeing a reflection in a pool of
water. When the water is dirty or disturbed you cannot see your own
reflection. Only when the water is clear and steady do you recognize your
reflection. Similarly, the divinity in you is lost in a pool of thoughts.
If the thoughts are dirty (tamasic) or agitated (rajasic) you miss your
divine Self. By spiritual practices you ought to raise your personality
from its tamasic and rajasic states to the state, of sattwa. In the
sattviic state when the mind is absolutely pure and steady you recognise
your supreme Self. That is the state of Shiva in Kaila
On the auspicious occasion of MahaShivaratri, Shiva performs the ecstatic
dance of realisation. In the dance pose Shiva is known as Nataraja. The
dance symbolises the thrill of god-realisation. Beyond the realms of the
waking, dream and deep-sleep states of consciousness. Beyond the '
experiences of the body and its perceptions, the mind and its feelings,
the intellect and its thoughts lies the bliss of Godhood. Shiva reaches
this state of Godhood and dances with the intoxication of supreme bliss
Shiva is said to have a third eye known as gyana chakshu. Gyana chakshu
literally means eye of wisdom. The eye whose vision reaches beyond that of
the two mortal eyes. The idea of the third eye is not to be taken
literally to mean that a third fleshy organ exists in Shiva. It only means
that Shiva has a divine vision of Reality. Your vision is confined merely
to perceptions, emotions and thoughts but when you transcend the
limitations of your body, mind and intellect you gain realisation of your
inner Self. That is indicated by the opening of the gyana chakshu
Shiva us also known as “Gangadhar”, Gangadhar literally means the
carrier of Ganga (River Ganges). Shiva is said to carry the Ganges in his
locks. Shiva is sometimes shown with his trident (“trishool”) in
his hand. The “trishool” is a three pronged weapon which symbolizes
the destruction of the ego with its three-fold desires of the body, mind
and intellect. Shiva with his weapon indicated his victory over his ego
and attainment of the state of perfection. |
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Articles
& Materials for lord Shiva Puja |
| 1 |
An altar with a picture
or an idol of Lord Shiva |
| 2 |
Ghanta, Bell |
| 3 |
Panchapatra, a small
vessel filled with clean water, Arghya |
| 4 |
Agarbatti, incense |
| 5 |
Deep, 2 oil lamps with
oil and cotton wicks |
| 6 |
Kapur, camphor |
| 7 |
Chandan, sandalwood paste |
| 8 |
Bel Patra ( Bel Patra
Leaves ) |
| 9 |
Haldi, turmeric powder |
| 10 |
Akshat, raw rice coloured
yellow with turmeric |
| 11 |
Dhatura |
| 12 |
Fresh fruits, placed on a
tray |
| 13 |
Coconut, cut in half |
| 14 |
Bhasma ( ash ),
Rudrakshas |
| 15 |
Fresh fruits, placed on a
tray |
| 16 |
Two betel leaves and nuts
placed on a tray |
| 17 |
Flowers, whole or petals (
preferable - madaar) |
| 18 |
A flower garland ,
Banana Leaves |
| 19 |
A plate to offer Aarti |
| 20 |
Naivedyam, food prepared
for offering |
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