File:Tri Dhatu.JPG

Tri Dhatu
The Trishul is the primary weapon of Lord Shiva and was also used as a weapon of his ten-armed consort Maa Durga. This represents Brahma, Vishnu and Lord Shiva himself and are said to hold their divine energy. The three personified Divinities of creation, sustenance and dissolution known as Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. The three Divinities depicted as separate entities in mythical stories are one and the same with Shiva. He alone creates, sustains and dissolves the universe. This also represents the Tridevi – Saraswati, Lakshmi and Maa Durga.

Shiva’s Trishul represents the three fundamental aspects of life.  These are the three fundamental dimensions of life that are symbolized in many ways. They can also be called Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. These are the three basic Nadis – the left, the right and the central – in the Pranamaya kosha, or the energy body of the human system. Nadis are pathways or channels of prana in the system. There are 72,000 Nadis that spring from the three fundamental ones.

The Pingala and Ida represent the basic duality in the existence. It is this duality which we traditionally personify as Shiva and Shakti. You can simply call it masculine and feminine. When I say masculine and feminine, I am not talking in terms of sex – about being male or female – but in terms of certain qualities in nature. You could say the logical and the intuitive aspect of you.

Bringing a balance between the Ida and Pingala will make you effective in the world; this will allow you to handle life aspects well. Most people live and die in Ida and Pingala. Sushumna, the central space, remains dormant. But Sushumna is the most significant aspect of human physiology. Life really begins only when energies enter into Sushumna. You attain to a new kind of balance, an inner balance where whatever happens outside, there is a certain space within you that never gets disturbed and cannot be touched by outside situations.

The three-pronged trident known as the Trishul shown with Lord Shiva symbolizes His three fundamental powers, or Shakti, of Iccha, Kriya, and Jnana (will, action and knowledge). The trident also represents Lord Shiva’s power to destroy evil and ignorance.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">It is through progressive expansion of these Shaktis that the Unmanifest impinges into universal experience.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The three Aspects of the Divine are Parama Shiva, Parashakti and Parabindu. The three great universal acts are of creation, sustenance and dissolution. Shiva is the Master and Controller of all three universal acts.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;"> The three syllables of Omkara are A (akhara), U (Ukara) and M (Makara). The Omkara is the primal sound, the Word of God, which gave birth to entire universe. It is for this reason that Shiva is also called the Lord of Omkara.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The three causes of the universal manifestation: efficient, instrumental and material. All three causes originate and reside within Shiva, and there is no cause external to Him which brought about universal manifestation.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The three planes of reality that make up the manifest universe: the physical, the subtle, and the causal. The multitudes of heavenly and hellish realms that make up the universe are all contained within these three planes of reality. Shiva alone is the Lord and Master over all planes and all realms of existence.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The three qualities of Prakriti (primal nature): Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. All things in existence emerged by the admixture of these three primal qualities. Shiva is the supreme Purusha who is both Master over Prakriti and the three qualities, yet beyond them at the same time.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The three ordinary states of consciousness: waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Shiva is ever existent within the three states, yet exists in the fourth transcendental state upon which the three ordinary states are founded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.4in"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The triad impurities anava, karma and maya keep the individual being feeling that s/he is separate or separable from Shiva. Shiva is the Ruler over these three impurities, and alone by the descent of His grace can one work through these impurities to realize Him. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">The triadic essences are Pati, Pashu and Pasha which make up the tracheotomy of existence. The dichotomy of all existence is held together within Shiva and in Him all three are realized as inseparable from one another. <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">Whenever the Trishul has been used by Lord Shiva, it has always been for the restoration of peace and divinity in the Universe and the destruction of evil! ......Read now  Vedic Vaimānika...Sivkishen, Author