Trishula

This article is about the trident. For other uses, seeTrishul.

Thetrishula(Sanskrit:त्रिशूल,romanized:triśūla) is atrident,a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols inHinduism.It is most commonly associated with the deityShivaand widely employed in his iconography.

Statue of Shiva holding atrishula.

Etymology

The nametrishulaultimately derives from theSanskritwordत्रिशूल(triśūla), fromत्रि(trí), meaning "three", andशूल(śū́la), meaning "a sharp iron pin or stake", referring in this case to the weapon's threeprongs.

Symbolism

Thetrishulahas a number of interpretations in Hindu belief. The three points of the weapon have various meanings and significance have many stories behind them. They are commonly said to represent various trinities: creation, preservation, and destruction; past, present, and future; body, mind and atman; dharma (law and order), bliss/mutual enjoyment and emanation/createdbodies;compassion, joy and love; spiritual, psychic and relative; happiness, comfort and boredom; pride, repute and egotism; clarity, knowledge and wisdom; heaven, mind and earth; soul, fire and earth; soul, passion and embodied-soul; logic, passion and faith; prayer, manifestation and sublime;insight,serenityand bodhisattvahood or arhatship (anti-conceit); practice, understanding and wisdom; death, ascension and resurrection; creation, order and destruction; the threegunas:sattva,rajas,andtamas.

Literature

According to theShiva Purana,Shiva issvayambhu,self-created, born of his volitions. He is described to bear atrishulafrom the very beginning of creation.

According to theSkanda Purana,Shiva employed thetrishulato beheadGanesha,who refused to allow him passage and visit the bathingParvati.

According to theVishnu Purana,the sun godSuryamarriedSanjna,the daughter of the divine architectVishvakarma.Unable to bear his brilliance, Sanjna brought this issue to her father, who arranged for his energy to be reduced to one-eighth of its previous intensity. The blazing energy descended towards the ground, used by Vishvakarma to create the trishula for Shiva, theSudarshana ChakraforVishnu,a palanquin forKubera,thelanceforKartikeya,and all the other weapons of the gods.

According to theDevi Bhagavata Purana,the goddessDurgaholds atrishulaamong other weapons and attributes in her hands and amongst her accouterment, having received celestial weapons from both Shiva and Vishnu.

Other uses

In Nepal and Thailand, the term also often refers to a short-handled weapon which may be mounted on adaṇḍa"staff".Unlike theOkinawan sai,thetrishulais often bladed. In Indonesian,trisulausually refers specifically to a long-handled trident, while the diminutive version is more commonly known as acabangortekpi.

A similar word,” trushul”, is theRomaniword for 'cross' specifically referring to the cross Jesus was crucified on.Trisulais also the name of a militaryoperationby theABRIto crack down onPKIremnants in southernBlitar.

Gallery

• 
  Shiva'strishulawithdamaru.
• 
  Trishulabrought as offerings to Guna Devi, nearDharamsala,Himachal Pradesh.
• 
  A seven-prongedtrishulaon top ofWat Arun,also known as the "trident of Shiva" <ref>Wat Arun The trident of Shiv extends from the top of each tower.
• 
  Cham carved sandstone sculpture of Shiva carrying atrishulainSoutheast Asia
• 
  Emblem of theChakri dynasty,the royal house ofThailandfounded in 1782. The emblem of the dynasty consists of thetrishulaintertwined with theSudarshana Chakra,another weapon, to create a Chakri.
• 
  Sendan Kendatsuba (or Candana Gandharva) is depicted using histrishulato kill evil animals and demons in the set of five paintingsExtermination of Evil.

See also

• Kaumodaki
• Pitchfork
• Sai (weapon)
• Tekpi
• Thyrsus
• Trident
• Tryzub
• Columns of Gediminas

External links

• Media related toTrishulaat Wikimedia Commons