The Hindu
trinity is of Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva. They are respectively the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe.
Each God in the trinity has his consort. To Brahma is Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. For
Vishnu is Lakshmi, the Goddess of love,
beauty and delight. For Shiva is Kali (Parvati) , the Goddess of power,
destruction and transformation. These are the three main forms of the Goddess, as Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva are the three main forms of the God.(thankfully shared from:http://www.hindunet.org/god/trinity/)
The "Trimūrti" is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer." These three gods have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara."
(thankfully shared from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimurti)
Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe: Vishnu is the All-Pervading One. His name is derived from “vis’ in Sanskrit which means both ‘to spread’ and ‘to be present everywhere’.
Vishnu exist as the total energy of universe: Even when there was Nothing, there was Vishnu, present as a nameless, formless, dormant energy. In this un-manifested (nirguna) state, even Vishnu was not aware of his own being. He just was. Just because he was not perceived, does not mean he did not exist.
Universe as the dream of Vishnu: In this Nothingness, when the first ripple of awareness stirred , spontaneously and of its own will, the formless energy became Vishnu, the Supreme Being, Parabrahman.
As Parabrahma, Vishnu lies in a dream like state on the serpent Adisesha Ananta who is Time, without beginning or end. Ananta floats for all eternity on the waters of the Ksheer Sagar (the ocean of Cosmic Consciousness).
When Brahma begins the process of Creation, it is Vishnu who expands into everything and becomes part of everything. Now he is Brahman, the Cosmic Consciousness.
As if he is seeing a dream, Vishnu watches Brahma create the Universe. By the act of watching his dream, Vishnu sustains the Universe. When Vishnu wakes from his dream one cycle of Creation ends.
From the Nirguna Brahman (formless energy) Vishnu thus becomes Saguna Brahman, a God with forms and attributes. Vishnu is now the Supreme Lord, Parameshwar.
At times, when world descends into total chaos, Lord Vishnu comes to its rescue in the form of an Avatar, or incarnation.
The ten incarnations of Vishnu in the physical world are:
Matsya (fish), Kurma (turtle), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama (warrior-priest), Rama ( man who was like God), Krishna (God who was born as man), Buddha (the enlightened one), Kalki (horseman, who has not yet appeared)(thankfully referred/shared from:http://www.allabouthinduism.info/2013/03/08/vishnu-the-protector/)
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| The Trimurti (trinity) of Hinduism at Elephanta Island in Mumbai. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. |
The "Trimūrti" is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer." These three gods have been called "the Hindu triad" or the "Great Trinity", often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara."
(thankfully shared from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimurti)
Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe: Vishnu is the All-Pervading One. His name is derived from “vis’ in Sanskrit which means both ‘to spread’ and ‘to be present everywhere’.
Vishnu exist as the total energy of universe: Even when there was Nothing, there was Vishnu, present as a nameless, formless, dormant energy. In this un-manifested (nirguna) state, even Vishnu was not aware of his own being. He just was. Just because he was not perceived, does not mean he did not exist.
Universe as the dream of Vishnu: In this Nothingness, when the first ripple of awareness stirred , spontaneously and of its own will, the formless energy became Vishnu, the Supreme Being, Parabrahman.
As Parabrahma, Vishnu lies in a dream like state on the serpent Adisesha Ananta who is Time, without beginning or end. Ananta floats for all eternity on the waters of the Ksheer Sagar (the ocean of Cosmic Consciousness).
 |
| Vishnu's dream world pic credit: http://mesosyn.com/hindu-5.html |
As if he is seeing a dream, Vishnu watches Brahma create the Universe. By the act of watching his dream, Vishnu sustains the Universe. When Vishnu wakes from his dream one cycle of Creation ends.
From the Nirguna Brahman (formless energy) Vishnu thus becomes Saguna Brahman, a God with forms and attributes. Vishnu is now the Supreme Lord, Parameshwar.
At times, when world descends into total chaos, Lord Vishnu comes to its rescue in the form of an Avatar, or incarnation.
The ten incarnations of Vishnu in the physical world are:
Matsya (fish), Kurma (turtle), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama (warrior-priest), Rama ( man who was like God), Krishna (God who was born as man), Buddha (the enlightened one), Kalki (horseman, who has not yet appeared)(thankfully referred/shared from:http://www.allabouthinduism.info/2013/03/08/vishnu-the-protector/)
