TRIMURTI AIKYA – THE FEMININE VERSION

Trimūrti Aikya, the Feminine Version

It is well known that Veda Vyāsa has taught the Trimūrti aikya, the non-difference between the triad of gods Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Ṁaeśwara in the purāṇas and the Mahābhārata. Many of these quotations can be seen cited in two blogs: Turiyashiva of the Kaivalyopanishad and Double standards of some vaishnavas.

1. https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2015/02/12/turiya-shiva-of-the-kaivalyopanishat/
2. https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/double-standards-of-some-vaishnavas/

One can observe that the idea that the consorts of these gods too are manifestations of the same principle. In the skandapurāṇa Veda Vyāsa teaches this in a dialogue between vasiṣṭha and brahmā:

आत्मशक्त्या ससर्जाथ कन्यात्रयमनिन्दितम्

कन्यान्तु रुद्रो जग्राह कृष्णां सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरीम्

Shiva’s Māyāshakti gave birth to three damsels of whom Rudra took for himself the black one.

सा च विष्णुश्चैकभागो भगिनी सा ततो हरेः

She is one part of Vishnu, his sister.

हरिस्तु लोहितां वव्रे कन्यां लक्ष्मीसमाह्वयाम्

सा चाहम्प्येकभागो भगिनी सा ततो मम

अहमप्यजं शुक्लां कन्यां वीणाविनोदिनीम्

सा च रुद्रश्चैकभागो भगिनी शंकरस्य सा

मत्तो जज्ञे जगत्सर्वं पाल्यते हरिणा त्विदम्

काले संहारको रुद्रो पश्चादैक्यं घ्रुवं हि नः ।

Here are a few verses from the varāhapurāṇa that Sri Appayya Dīkṣita has cited in his ‘ratna traya parīkṣā’ that show that all the shaktis are umā’s various forms and are under the bhogya of Shiva:

नवकोट्यस्तु चामुण्डा भेदभिन्ना व्यवस्थिता ।
या रौद्री तामसी शक्तिः सा चामुण्डा प्रकीर्त्तिता ।। ९५.६८ ।।

The Tāmasī shakti is called cāmuṇḍā.

अष्टादश तथा कोट्यो वैष्णव्या भेद उच्यते ।
या सा च राजसी शक्तिः पालनी चैव वैष्णवी ।

Rājasī shakti is called vaiṣṇavi
या ब्रह्मशक्तिः सत्त्वस्था अनन्तास्ताः प्रकीर्त्तिता ।। ९५.६९ ।।

Brahmashakti is sattva.

एतासां सर्वभेदेषु पृथगेकैकशो धरे ।
सर्वासां भगवान् रुद्रः सर्वगश्च पतिर्भवेत् ।। ९५.७० ।।

Rudra is the pati of all the three shaktis

यावन्त्यस्या महाशक्त्यास्तावद् रूपाणि शंकरः ।
कृतवांस्ताश्च भजते पतिरूपेण सर्वदा ।। ९५.७१ ।।

Thus, Vedavyāsa has taught that not only the trimurtis are masculine, but they have a feminine expression too. Since the foundation is trimurti aikya, the talk of one being superior to the other is mere eulogy and not any real.