Tridevi

Tridevi
Creation, preservation and destruction
File:Supreme form durga.jpg triple deity personified
Devanagari	त्रिदेवी
Sanskrit transliteration	tridevī
Affiliation	Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati; (Adi Parashakti)
Abode	Satyaloka, abode of Saraswati Vaikunth, abode of Lakshmi Kailash, abode of Parvati
Mantra	Om Trideviibhayah Namah
Mount	Swan, mount of Saraswati Owl or Eagle, mount of Lakshmi Lion or Bull, mount of Parvati
Consort	Trimurti, specifically Brahma, consort of Saraswati Vishnu, consort of Lakshmi Shiva, consort of Parvati

The Tridevi (Template:Lang-en; Sanskrit: त्रिदेवी, tridevī) is a concept in Hinduism joining a triad of eminent goddesses either as a feminine version of the Trimurti or as consorts of a masculine Trimurti, depending on the denomination. This triad is typically personified by the Hindu goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati. In Shaktism, these triune goddesses are the manifestations of Mula-Prakriti or Devi.

As the feminine Trimurti

Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati

Whereas in androcentric denominations of Hinduism the feminine Tridevi goddesses are relegated as consorts and auxiliary deities to the more eminent masculine Trimurti gods, in the Shaktidharma denomination the feminine Tridevi goddesses are given the eminent roles of Creatrix (Mahasarasvati), Preservatrix (Mahalaxmi), and Destructrix (Mahakali), with the masculine Trimurti gods being relegated as the auxiliary deities as agents of the feminine Tridevi.

As consorts of the Trimurti

Saraswati is the goddess of learning, arts, and cultural fulfilment, as well as the consort of Brahma, the creator. She is cosmic intelligence, cosmic consciousness, and cosmic knowledge.

Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, fertility, and material fulfilment, as well as the consort of Vishnu, the maintainer or preserver. However, Lakshmi does not signify mere material wealth, but also abstract prosperity, such as glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, and greatness.

Parvati, or in her demon-fighting aspect, Kali is the goddess of power, beauty, love, and spiritual fulfilment, as well as the consort of Shiva, the destroyer of evil or transformer.

Together they form Adishakti. To kill the demon Mahishasura the tridevis took the form of Durga.

Importance of Tridevi

Shakti or Vimarsh is the power that is latent in pure consciousness, required to reach pure consciousness and essential to create, sustain and destroy. Just as Energy can never be created nor be destroyed, but changes from one form to another; Devi took many incarnations to do different tasks. God is both male and female. But all different forms of energy or powers of God are with the Trimurti in the form of Mahasaraswati, Mahalakshmi, and Mahakali. That is to say, a non-dimensional God creates this world through Srishti-Shakti (Mahasaraswati or Sound or knowledge), preserves through Sthiti-Shakti (Mahalakshmi or Light or resources), and destroys through Samhara-Shakti (Mahakali or Heat or Strength). It is also seen that God cannot create, generate or destroy because God does not possess any attribute. So True Energy or Adi Shakti does everything on God's behalf.

The Tridevi outside India

Via Buddhism and syncretism with Japanese Shinto deities, the Tridevi entered Japanese mythology as the goddesses Benzaitennyo 弁財天女 (Sarasvati), Kisshoutennyo 吉祥天女 (Laxmi), and Daikokutennyo 大黒天女 (Mahakali).

See also

• Devi
• Fukujin (福神) deities
• Buddhist Tenbu (天部) deities
• Moirai
• Navratri
• Trimurti
• Trinity
• Triple deities
• Bindudham (a temple of Tridevi)
• Mahalaxmi Temple (Mumbai)

External links

Tridevi statues in the Mahalaxmi temple in Mumbai