Aspects of The Trinity: Hindu Trimurti (Part 8 of a series)

Here’s Part 8 as I wind down this series on The Trinity, a rabbit hole I decided to explore from a Zoom book club I’m part of that’s been reading the Theosophy book, The Masters and The Path.

In Hindu thought, Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma form the Trimurti, a threefold expression of the one ultimate reality (Brahman), but they are not a “Trinity” in the same sense as the Christian doctrine of three co‑equal persons in one God. The Trimurti instead symbolizes three cosmic functions—creation, preservation, and destruction/transforming—that work together in a single, cyclical process.

Who Brahma Is

Brahma is the creator aspect: he represents the power through which the universe and living beings come into manifestation.
In many traditions he is understood as one “form” or mode of Brahman, responsible for the initiating, imaginative, and knowledge‑oriented side of reality.

Who Vishnu Is

Vishnu is the preserver or sustainer: he maintains cosmic order (dharma), protects the world, and restores balance when it is disturbed.
His many avatars (such as Rama and Krishna) are seen as interventions of the preserving aspect of the divine within history and myth.

Who Shiva Is

Shiva is the destroyer/transformer: he dissolves forms, ego, and ignorance so that new creation can arise, emphasizing transformation rather than mere annihilation.
As the ascetic yogi and ecstatic dancer (Nataraja), Shiva embodies the power that ends a cycle and simultaneously opens the way for renewal.

Trimurti and the Christian Trinity

The Trimurti gathers Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva as three functions or forms of one ultimate reality (Brahman), expressing a dynamic cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction.
The Christian Trinity, by contrast, is three distinct, co‑equal persons (Father, Son, Spirit) sharing one essence, not three functional roles of one God acting in time, so any one‑to‑one mapping (e.g., “Brahma = Father, Vishnu = Son, Shiva = Spirit”) is a comparative analogy used in interfaith dialogue, not a native Hindu teaching.

Part 8 of a series on Aspects of The Trinity.

For the basis of this series, check out this post (where I will also list all the links to each part of the series in case you miss any):

Aspects of The Trinity (The basis of the series)

Integrating the Spirals

I’m encouraging those “over 60” to open to lifelong learning (observe and gently question their pre-conceived beliefs, aka ‘Programming’), become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, consistently move their bodies (too many are stuck in their heads and physically unhealthy), become strong, and resilient in spirit, soul, mind, body. And to question EVERYTHING!

Link to my YouTube channel where you can see the videos: https://youtube.com/@spiralsister

Yours in consciousness-expansion as we evolve and revolve during our mystical awakening. All while doing-my-egoless-best, to take you on a limitless, spiraling thought ride to better health, through doing more with ease, to help us sustain the JOY in our lives! (With lots of Gratitude throughout.)

Sheila “Spiral Sister” Murrey

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe.

About us

My husband is an award-winning illustrator, plus he’s a seasoned guitarist, bass player, and songwriter (with over 400 original songs). You can view some of his artwork and listen to many of his songs at: https://www.youtube.com/user/richardmurrey

Here’s a video of us performing on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/416711742?ref=fb-share