Pranam TRIMURTHY WORSHIP
1 One of the oldest and rarest Shiva temple. The temple dates to 3rd century situated in a little village near Srikalahasti. The deity is in the form of Linga resting on the shoulders of a dwarf. The Linga is unique as it depicts the trimurthy Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva. It is difficult to express the visual experience in words, one must go & see personally to experience it. Located in Gudimallam village, it is a famous Siva temple with a very old inga considered to be of 2000 years old. Located exactly 9 km away from Renigunta railway station amidst the middle of village. Reaching is possible only by way of auto or private vehicle. The climate is quite hot. A small temple of lord shiva well maintained by ASI. (Parameswara temple). 2 The specific Hindu gods that combined to make the Trimurti (Brahma <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Brahma>, Vishnu <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Vishnu>, and Shiva <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Shiva>) each have their own origins in Hindu mythology, scripture, and folklore. However, how they came together in a single iconographic representation is still a source of scholarly interest. According to scholarship, the origins of the Trimurti can be traced back to the Rig Veda, where the earliest expression of god in three aspects is found. Here, the all-important element of fire is conceived in three forms: in the hearth, it is Agni; as lightning it is Vidyut; and in the form of the sun, it is Surya. Later on, in the Maitrayaniya Upanishad 4.5, it is reported that meditation upon the One reveals it to be embodied in a series of *triadic entities*, one of these being the triad of Gods Brahma, Rudra, and Vishnu. 3 One passage in the Mahabharata the Brahmins claimed Agni to be Shiva. In regard to Vishnu <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Vishnu>, this god already occupied a place in the Vedic mythology, occasionally being given supremacy as a supreme personal God. His famous appearance in the Bhagavadgita <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bhagavadgita> in the form of Krishna <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Krishna> only reinforced this reputation.{Although such attempts at an identification of the two gods remained isolated, they would suggest that, in adapting their speculations to the actual state of popular worship, the Brahmans kept the older Vedic triad of Soma, Agni and Vayu distinctly in view, endeavouring to bring their new structure into harmony with the ancient Vedic beliefs.2 Vishnu's place in Vedic mythology ( Vishnu is said to be one of the 12 adityas) is by no means one of such prominence as would entitle him to the degree of exaltation he received as one of the three hypotheses of the divine. There is also some question as to the links between the Vedic Vishnu and Vishnu as he has been commonly known within the Trimurti. Although his general nature within the Vedas as a benevolent, genial being corresponds overall to the later Vishnu, the later Vishnu exhibits many important features which are not found within his prototype and were most likely attributed to him from an amalgamation with regional deities. However, there are several Vedic verses that do utter the view that Vishnu does indeed have supremacy as a personal God.} 4 The Padma-Purana, a Vaishnava text, explains the origin of the three modalities of the one supreme Vishnu: "In order to form this world, the supreme spirit produced from his right-side Brahma. To maintain the world, he created from his left side Vishnu. To destroy it he gave rise to Shiva from his middle. Some men worship Brahma, others Vishnu, and yet others Shiva. Since these three are one, the devout should draw no distinction between them." This is the first explicit statement of the three gods' essential oneness as constituents of the supreme principle. However, it should be noted that at no time was the trinity itself worshiped. 5 Trimurti statue found on Elephanta island (near Mumbai <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mumbai>, India) was carved during the eighth to tenth century. This sculpture has been attributed the imperial Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta (in present day Karnataka), who ruled the southern and the central parts of India this period and used the image of the three Gods as their insignia. In this image, Shiva is depicted as manifesting all three aspects of the Godhead. These three forms or faces of the Trimurti represent God's roles of creation, preservation and destruction, which are associated with Brahma <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Brahma> (the source or creator), Vishnu <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Vishnu> (the preserver or indwelling-life), and Shiva <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Shiva> (the destroyer and transformer) respectively. Some Hindus use these cosmological functions of the three gods to create an acronym for "GOD"; that is *G*enerator (Brahma), *O*perator (Vishnu) and *D*estroyer (Shiva). 6 Vishnu <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Vishnu> represents the active caring side of the supreme divinity. Hindus believe that Vishnu incarnates periodically for the protection of righteousness *(dharma)* and the destruction of evil, and he is most famously identified with his avatars <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Avatar>, especially Krishna <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Krishna> and Rama. His name literally means "all-pervading one" and likely derives from the story of his measurement of the universe with three strides, described in the 'Vishnu Sukta' of the Rig Veda. Vishnu rose to supremacy in the Hindu pantheon after defeating Indra in mythological <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mythology> lore. The Visvakarma Sukta of Rig Veda (10.82) that tells the story of Brahma's creation, seems to refer to Vishnu indirectly as the Supreme God, since the lotus which spawned Brahma and subsequently the universe originally grew from Vishnu's navel. In the *Puranas*, this story was reinterpreted to suggest that Brahma merely imagined himself to be the first born, and it is Vishnu who has true authority over creation. Vishnu's rise to supremacy is most apparent in the great Hindu Epics. 7 Vaishnavites (those who worship Vishnu as the superior deity), often claim that nothing is actually destroyed, but rather, the operation of destructive power attributed to Shiva is simply a transformation of matter. Matter, therefore, is never actually annihilated, hence Vishnu's preservative ability is proclaimed to be the ultimate power in the universe. He is also worshiped in the forms of his avatars <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Avatar>. Vaishnavism <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Vaishnavism> is very popular in contemporary India, particularly in the northern regions, and has also spread beyond India in the form of diaspora of Hinduism <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hinduism> and Gaudiya Vaishnavism, which came to North America by way of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/International_Society_for_Krishna_Consciousness_(ISKCON)> in the 1960s. 8 On the psychic plane, Brahma epitomizes intuitive and creative thought, Vishnu is intelligence, and Shiva represents emotion. On the physical plane, the sky is Brahma, the Sun is Vishnu and the Moon is Shiva. Various phases of an individual’s life are said to be represented by the Trimurti. The first of these phases, that of celibacy and studentship *(Brahmacharya Ashram)* is represented by Brahma. During this phase, knowledge, represented by Brahma's consort Saraswati, is the individual’s constant companion. The second phase of adulthood and householders *(Grihastha Ashram)* is represented by Vishnu. During this phase, the individual fulfills all religious and family obligations by becoming involved in generating wealth, which is then used to sustain the family. During this phase wealth is the individual’s companion and is represented by Vishnu’s consort, Goddess Lakshmi. The third phase is that of old age *(Vanaprastha Ashram)* and is represented by Shiva. This phase marks the renunciation of the material world for an austere life dedicated to the pursuit of true knowledge. In ancient days, this typically marked the time when a householder, along with his wife, left his worldly belongings to live in a forest with only essential belongings, just like Lord Shiva. In the final phase *(Sanyasa Ashram)* the individual seeks merger with the Supreme power (Isvara). The three phases of life, then, just like the trimurti, culminate into a transcendent One, bolstering the idea that the three gods are in reality one and the same Isvara. 9 The philosopher Shankara <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Shankara> provided another cosmological interpretation of Trimurti. In his view, Shiva represents the Nirguna Brahman (or Brahman without features), Vishnu the Saguna Brahman (Brahman with features) and Brahma the Cosmic Mind. In more philosophical terms, Brahma is associated with Divinity's Creative Ground of Being, while Vishnu is said to be associated with Divinity's Emanated Idea (Logos, Wisdom, or Word), and Shiva is said to be associated with Divinity's Transformative Energy (Flame, Breath, or Spirit). 10 The most famous of the Brahma temples is located at Pushkar in the Rajasthan state. The other temple for Brahma is located in the town of Kumbakonam, (Thanjavur District) Tamil Nadu. Thus, Brahma is no longer as relevant as he once was in Hindu writing, as the focus upon other generative deities, such as Shakti, the Divine Mother has supplanted Brahma as the Source/Creator. As is the case with followers of Vishnu and Shiva who view their own God to be the embodiment of all three divine personas, Shakti worshipers believe the three deities emerge from the Divine Mother, and they are merely aspects of her nature. Today Trimurthy is dwi murthy only. KR IRS 271121 On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 at 09:40, 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 < [email protected]> wrote: > > > QUES ANSW DIVINE 59 > > Dear friends, > > These are information posted by members compiled as QA by me in > 1998’s-2004’s and stored in my computer. At this date I have no information > of the members posted. > > BEING COMPILATION THERE MAY BE ERRORS. > > Sincerely, > > *R. Gopalakrishnan, 78, Former AGM Telecom Trivandrum dated 27 -11-2021* > Q1 Why do Lord Vishnu is coloured blue? > > A1 One of the theories is that Vishnu, *because of his association with > water, is depicted blue*; therefore all his incarnations including > Krishna, are shown as such. In Hinduism, persons who have depth of > character and the capacity to fight evil are depicted as blue skinned. > Q2 What does Namaskar mean? > > A2 Namaskar is the most popular form of greeting in India. It is a general > salutation and is used as a welcome and also a farewell. *Namaskar also > means ‘I BOW TO THEE’*. The palms are placed together and raised to touch > the forehead, the position of the Third Eye > > Q3 Why cow is considered sacred? > > A3 The cow is supposed to be the living symbol of Mother Earth. *For the > early migrants the cow was an indispensable member of the family*. As > agriculture was the occupation of the migrants, the cow provided them with > milk and its byproducts and also necessities of life such as *fuel, > manure for the farm, etc*. It was through the instrumentality of Agni > (fire) that the offering of milk pudding and a drink of milk, curds and > honey (madhupeya) were conveyed to one’s chosen gods. Thus the cow supplied > the major requirements of the yagna and this association soon made it > sacred. > > *Gradually the cow came to be known as ‘Gaumata’ (cow, the Mother*) and > ‘Aditi’ (mother of gods). The rise of Vaishnavism amongst the prosperous > middle and lower castes (expressed in the figure of the cowherd god > Krishna) helped consolidate the importance and the religious glorification > of the cow. > > Q4 How do Trimurthy worship started? > > A4 The transition from Vedic gods to the Puranic gods led to the TRIMURTI > or the *Hindu Trinity gaining more importance in the post Vedic > period.*Gradually > the Vedic gods other than AGNI, VAYU and SURYA took second place to the > Hindu Triad. > > At the same time personification of nature like rivers, heroes who proved > their utmost faith to the legendary heroes of the Puranas and served them > were elevated to the status of gods. > > Although these gods are not individually worshiped expect for some they > have a special place in the Hindu mythology and are often seen in temples > or in paintings or pictures beside the main three triads and their various > manifestations. > > Q5 Which are the other deities of Hinduisam? > > A5 The other deities of Hinduisam are the following:- > > HANUMAN > > the monkey god > > devotee of Rama > > INDRA > > King of the abode of gods > > YAMA > > the god of death > > GAYATRI > > personification of the Vedic hymn > > GANGA > > personification of the holy river > > KAMADEVA > > god of love > > KUBERA > > god of wealth > > NARADA > > the wandering seer who features in almost all the Puranas > > VARUNA > > the god of oceans > > SOMA > > the moon god > > VISHWAKARMA > > the divine architect of the universe > > Q6 What is soma/who is soma? > > A6 *Soma is the moon god also known as Chandra*. Soma is identified with > amrita (nectar). He is represented as a copper coloured man, trailing a red > pennant behind his three wheeled chariot, which is drawn either by an > antelope or by ten white horses. He has normally four hands, one carrying a > mace, second carrying nectar or soma, the third carrying a lotus and the > last in protective mode. *His lineage says he was the son of Dharma or > of Varuna, lord of oceans, from which the moon rises.* > > According to a legend, Surya nourishes the moon with the water from the > ocean when Soma is exhausted by the many beings that feed upon his > substance. > > It is believed that during half the month, thirty six thousand divinities > feed on Soma and thus assure their immortality. This account neatly > combines the two aspects of Soma: *as the nectar from which, the gods > derive their strength and as the moon that waxes and wanes.* > > The legend of the banishment of Soma by Brahma to the outer atmosphere can > be interpreted as yet another myth explaining how intoxicants came to be > banned. > Q7 Who is Yama and what are the details of Yamaloka ? A7 YAMA is the god > of death and is the lord of the infernal regions visited by man after > cessation of life. He is the embodiment of the rule of law and imparts > justice according to deeds. The word ‘ Yama’ means the restrainer, it is > he who keeps the mankind in check. Yama’s mount is a fierce-looking black > buffalo, a form, which he also adopts for himself on occasions. He has got > a rope noose in one hand, by [yama - the god of death] which he is > supposed to catch hold of his victims and a mace in the YAMA - THE GOD OF > DEATH other, which represents the weapon of punishment. He decides what > are the actions of the living beings that bear or do not bear fruits, when > his messengers drag the dead before his throne. In Vedas, Yama is the > First Ancestor and has the full distinction of a god. He is shown as having > a fearful and grim appearance and he wears a glittering crown upon his head. > > Yama is the son of VIVASAT, the embodiment of social morality, while his > mother is SARANYU (clouds), who is the daughter of VISHWAKARMA, the cosmic > architect. > > Yama’ s twin sister is YAMI, who has the greatest affection for her > brother. Yami later appeared on this earth as the river YAMUNA. > > As being the judge of the dead, he is said to hold a court, in which he is > the presiding officer. He has another small god to assist him, who is > called CHITRAGUPTA. > > Chitragupta is supposed to keep an account of the actions of men. If the > actions of the deceased in his lifetime have been wicked, he is sent to > suffer in a particular part of hell, while a man with noble deeds is sent > to a part of heaven. > > Yama is regent of the south quarter and as such is called DAKSHINASAPATI. > His abode is named as YAMALYA on the south side of the earth and has an > interesting legend around it. > > This account is taken from the Mahabharata. The narration is that after > *Brahma > had created the three worlds, viz. EARTH, HEAVEN and PATAL (i.e., > subterranean region*), he recollected that a place for judgment and > punishment of the wicked was wanting. He therefore asked the architect > Vishwakarma to prepare a suitable place for this purpose. Vishwakarma > prepared a magnificent palace and opposite its south door he created four > pits to punish the wicked. > > *Three other doors were reserved for the entrance of the good so that > they might not see the place of punishment when they went to be judged.* > > Brahma named this palace SANJEEVANI. Brahma ordered the architect to > form a vast trench around and fill it with water, which came to be called > VAITAMEE. > > Brahma next ordered Agni (the fire god) to enter this river so that the > water might boil. *After the death each person is obliged to swim across > this Vaitamee river*, which gives harmless passage to good souls but the > evil ones have to suffer torments and pangs while crossing this river’s > boiling water. > > This legendary place of heaven created for Yama by Vishwakarma is 800 > miles in circumference. At this place there is no fear of enemies and > sorrow of mind and body is non-existent. The climate is mild and salubrious > and each one is rewarded in kind according to his deeds. He who has given > much in charity receives very many comforts of all kinds. > > Q8 What are the geneology of vedic gods? > > A8 VEDIC GODS assumed the most undoubted personality, of the real > qualities intended to be expressed by their names. *They have no fixed > hierarchy, or regular genealogy, no settled marriages and relationships*; > they remain to the last transparent reflections of those physical phenomena > and powers of which they are the earliest known appellations. > > They were mere abstractions, intangible and illusive personification of > powers of Nature. > > * It is only in the Puranas that they become invested with strong > personality, and it is their* order among the Puranic gods that the > conventional representation of them in the later mythology of the Hindus > was more appropriately described. > > Q9 What is the importance of rituals? > > A9 The rituals could include actions in which *we exercise our > self-discipline* (as a tribute to Disciplina), and also ceremonies in > which we symbolically *strengthen the self-discipline or destroy whatever > disrupts it.* > > Perhaps we would chant incantations, which are analogous to > "affirmations." Rituals can indeed produce* psychological changes if we > believe in their potency and we perform them with feeling. *Even as the > jackfruit is obtained only by peeling the outer skin by smearing oil on the > palms, gradual detachment is possible by continuously chanting God's names. > > Q10Why do we chant God’s names? > > *A10 Man should avoid greed and treat lust and lucre with contempt*. > These are some of the teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who was born > 150 years ago and lived for nearly five decades *If a person recites the > holy names of God even unconsciously, his sins will dissolve like salt in > water*. The recitation can be done at all times, by all and in all > places, with little or no expenses. The test of sincerity is that the body > will > be thrilled when the names are uttered and tears will stream down the eyes, > the voice getting choked with emotion > > Animals are also sacrificed in order to placate god and goddesses. > Rituals, as religious activities, are performed in order to maintain > religious and social purity. > > Q11 Do there are religious injunctions in getting wealth? > > A11 No. The religious injunctions permit earning wealth to meet the > day-to-day needs, but it should be acquired only through legitimate > methods. Man is also permitted to enjoy comforts but he should not be > avaricious. > > Q12 Do idol worship is an injunction of hinduisam? > > A12 NO God is treated either as having a form (sakar) and without a form > (nirakar). > > Q13 Why should we gain spiritual knowledge? > > A 13The earnest desire of ever human being is to be spared of problems in > the life. He will like to be ever immersed in happiness. The acquisition of > spiritual knowledge is necessary for attaining the eternal bliss. > > Q14 Why should we follow custom? > > A14 Man, from birth to death, is undergoing the process of socialization > and his behaviour is being controlled in numerous ways. > > *Diet, dress, manner of speech, marriage, education and a host of other > matters are controlled by customs*. > > Q15 Why should we have belieifs? > > *A15 The belief in the existence of an unseen power leads a man to right > action (Karma)* because he believes that his actions are being watched by > an unseen power. > > The belief in reincarnation keeps the man away from wrongful acts > because he believes that in order to have a good birth in next life, he > must do good acts in this life. The belief in Nemesis also regulates > man’s behaviour because he believes that he will be punished for his sins, > here and now. > > *The fourth belief in the existence of hell and heaven* influences a man > to virtuous acts and avoid sins in order to go to heaven or avoid going to > hell after death. > > Heaven is a place full of luxuries, fairies and romance. Hell is a place > of terror, miseries and torture. > > *The last belief in the immortality of the soul leads a man to avoid such > actions as will cause pain to* the souls of the deceased ancestors. > Beliefs are powerful influences on human actions. They are vital for human > relations. Beliefs may be true or false. They may be founded on factual > or faulty evidence, but the question of their validity does not necessarily > determine their effectiveness as social/ self controls. > > One cannot dare neglect a custom or a ceremony, because of the fear of a > social boycott. Ceremonies performed after death of a Hindu, howsoever > disliked, are still performed, so that public recognition (opinion) is not > degraded. > > Belief in Christ or Prophet Mohammed, as the case may be is the only way > to go to heaven. *According to both these religions, the unbelievers went > to hell* As these two religions did not believe in another birth after > the present one, the entire emphasis in their teachings was on going to > heaven after death. > > Q16 Do Christians and Muslims have sacrements? > > A16 Although sacraments exist in all religions as sunnat among Muslims > and baptism among Christians, but in Hindu society, they are related to > the age, occasion and ashramas of the individual. > > Q17 What are the positive points of re incarnation theory?What is lagging > with other religions? > > A17 Hinduism, on the other hand, postulates a series of births, and > proclaims *that the sorrows and sufferings of each life, like its joys, > are the result of our karmas (deeds) in our past lives * > > The Hindu theory of karma and cycle of births and deaths alone offered a > satisfactory explanation. > > Each person has "earned" the sorrows of his present life, as he has > "earned" its joys, by his karmas in a previous life, and can "earn" > happiness in his present and future lives, by the performance of good > karmas. According to historians, Islam forged ahead with the help of the > sword. The Muslim religious leaders obviously felt honestly that even > threat can be employed to rescue the unbeliever. > > Another significant feature of our religion is that it has no name, > because at one time no other religion existed. As it taught the practice > of eternal Dharma, it was referred to only as Sanaatana Dharma > > The logical consequence of the assertion that only those who believed in > Christ or in Prophet Mohammed, as the case may be, will go to heaven, is > that those who were born in the world before the advent of Christ or > Prophet did not attain salvation. > > *Moreover, these two religions did not give a rational explanation for > present sufferings or provide a remedy for them.* > > Q18 What is the famous Sathyameva Jayate-story told by Sri > Kripanandavariar which make every one remember of the story immediately? > > A18 Sri Kripanandavariar illustrated how honesty always pays rich > dividends, by telling the story of *a professional thief who vowed never > to speak a lie. * > > He managed to get entry into a palace and as he was about to break open > the treasury, met an unfamiliar Counterpart (the king himself in > disguise) and *by an arrangement they equally shared **two of the four > precious diamonds, leaving the remaining in tact.* > > The next day, the king asked his minister to inspect the stock but the > latter not aware of the previous night's episode, *appropriated the other > two gems for himself but reported that all the four were missing.* > > *The king exposed the Minister's lack of morality and replaced him by the > honest thief.* > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "iyer123" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/iyer123/1516244670.3791984.1637986251099%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/iyer123/1516244670.3791984.1637986251099%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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