DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.635#0078
HINDU TRINITY 65
According to the esoteric doctrine of Hinduism,
first propounded in the Rig-Veda, the universe was
originally Soul only, nothing else whatsoever existed,
active or inactive. The origin of Creation, described
in the famous hymn of the Rig-Veda (X, 129), pro-
ceeded from this Supreme Spirit, the Eternal Essence,
or Brahman.
The first manifestation of this neuter Brahman—the
Unknowable—when passing into a conditioned state,
comparable to the passing of a human being from
a state of profound sleep to a state of dreaming and
then of waking, is known as Ishwara—the Self—the
Lord and Cause of all things. The glory of Ishwara
as Purusha, or Spirit, makes manifest Prakriti, the
Essence of Matter, inherent in Brahman, but until
now unmanifested. Ishwara, then, by means of his
divine power, called sakti, causes Prakriti to take
form. The forms of Prakriti thus evolved are the
Trimurti, or Three Aspects of Ishwara—Brahma, who
in the world of Matter performs the functions ol
Creator, and represents the condition of activity or
motion; Vishnu, who is the Preserver, representing
equilibrium and rhythm; and Shiva, who is the dis-
solving power. In Hindu painting and sculpture
this act in the great drama of creation is represented
by Ishwara, under the name of Narayana, floating on
the waters of chaos and sleeping on the serpent Sesha,
or Ananta, "the endless"—the symbol of eternity—
while Brahma, the Creator, springs from a lotus flower
which is growing from Ishwara's navel.
The Trimurti, as representing Spirit-essence, have
different qualities or conditions (gunas). Brahma
represents the quality of Being; Vishnu, Thought-
According to the esoteric doctrine of Hinduism,
first propounded in the Rig-Veda, the universe was
originally Soul only, nothing else whatsoever existed,
active or inactive. The origin of Creation, described
in the famous hymn of the Rig-Veda (X, 129), pro-
ceeded from this Supreme Spirit, the Eternal Essence,
or Brahman.
The first manifestation of this neuter Brahman—the
Unknowable—when passing into a conditioned state,
comparable to the passing of a human being from
a state of profound sleep to a state of dreaming and
then of waking, is known as Ishwara—the Self—the
Lord and Cause of all things. The glory of Ishwara
as Purusha, or Spirit, makes manifest Prakriti, the
Essence of Matter, inherent in Brahman, but until
now unmanifested. Ishwara, then, by means of his
divine power, called sakti, causes Prakriti to take
form. The forms of Prakriti thus evolved are the
Trimurti, or Three Aspects of Ishwara—Brahma, who
in the world of Matter performs the functions ol
Creator, and represents the condition of activity or
motion; Vishnu, who is the Preserver, representing
equilibrium and rhythm; and Shiva, who is the dis-
solving power. In Hindu painting and sculpture
this act in the great drama of creation is represented
by Ishwara, under the name of Narayana, floating on
the waters of chaos and sleeping on the serpent Sesha,
or Ananta, "the endless"—the symbol of eternity—
while Brahma, the Creator, springs from a lotus flower
which is growing from Ishwara's navel.
The Trimurti, as representing Spirit-essence, have
different qualities or conditions (gunas). Brahma
represents the quality of Being; Vishnu, Thought-