Tridevi

The Tridevi (English: three goddesses; Sanskrit: त्रिदेवी tridevi) is a concept in Hinduism conjoining the three consorts of the Trimurti (Great Trinity), that are personified by the forms of Hindu Goddesses: Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. They are the manifestations of the Durga or Shakti, i.e. (Divine Mother).

• Saraswati the goddess of learning and arts, cultural fulfillment (consort of Brahmā the creator). She is the cosmic intelligence, cosmic consciousness, cosmic knowledge.
• Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and fertility, material fulfillment (consort of Vishnu the maintainer or preserver). However, she does not mean mere material wealth like gold, cattle, etc. All kinds of prosperity, glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, or greatness come under Lakshmi.
• Parvati/ Mahakali (or in her demon-fighting aspect Durga) the goddess of power and love, spiritual fulfillment (consort of Śhiva the destroyer or transformer). She also depicts transformative power of Divinity, the power that dissolves multiplicity in unity.

In the Navratri ("nine nights") festival, "the Goddess is worshipped in three forms. During the first three nights, Durga is revered, then Lakshmi on the fourth, fifth and sixth nights, and finally Sarasvati until the ninth night."^[1]

Shiva and Shakti

Typically, Shakti is associated with Shiva. Mother Shakti is the energy aspect of the Lord. Without Shakti, Shiva has no expression; and, without Shiva, Shakti has no existence. Shakti is identical with Shiva. Lord Shiva is only the Silent Witness. He is motionless, absolutely changeless. He enjoys the cosmic play and Shakti does everything.

Siva is omnipotent, impersonal, inactive. He is pure consciousness. Sakti is dynamic. The power, or active aspect, of the immanent God is Shakti. Shakti is the embodiment of power.

There is no difference between Shiva and Shakti. Sakti is co-existent with Shiva. Just as you cannot separate heat from fire, so also you cannot separate Sakti from Shiva, the Generator of Sakti. Note that Shiva is not creator of Shakti but he only generates. Shiva is transcendent divinity and Shakti is the one who made him that. Siva and Sakti are one. Siva is always with Sakti. They are inseparable. Worship of Durga or Parvati or Kali is worship of Lord Siva. Worship of God Shiva is Worship of Goddess Shakti.

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. Energy can never be created and nor be destroyed, but changes from one form to another; likewise, Adi Parashakti 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 Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali. That is to say, 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 also true 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. Parabrahman Adi Parashakti herself creates three bubbles that are source and energy to be generated. From, 1st Bubble which is expansion of same seed complete, arose Pratham Purush and Pratham Prakriti i.e. Narayana and Narayani (Not lakshmi). Narayani is also known as Gowri Devi This time she was not evolved in sakaar swaroop. When Shiva worshipped Adi shakti, then Gowri Devi arose from the left half of Shiva in sakaar swaroop. Since both (Narayna and Gowri) arose from same seed so they are considered to be cosmic brothers and sisters. Second Bubble is transformer and complete knowledge i.e. Shiva and Saraswati. Shiva is evolved from the seed as "Pradhan Purush" and Goddess Saraswati was evolved in nirakaar swaroop and given birth to four Vedas. Her Sakaar swaroop took birth on the day of Vasant Panchami, when Brahma required complete knowledge. Last Bubble was evolved from Narayana comprises Manifested form and Adi Shakti created Shri devi by herself i.e. Brahma and Lakshmi. Brahma was appeared as Father to create the universe and laxmi was appeared to provide him resources.

Eternal Siblings

• Narayana (Pratham Purush or Unmanifested form of Brahman) and Gowri Devi/Durga (Shakti Swaroop of Adi shakti)
• Shiva (Pradhan Purush or Transcendent form of Brahman) and Saraswati (Gyan Swaroop of Adishakti)
• Brahma (Param Pitamah or Manifested form of Brahman) and Laxmi (Shri swaroop of Adi shakti)

but Vishnu sustains universe, thus requires complete resources to sustain. Likewise Brahma needs Complete Knowledge to create and Shankar also requires a complete source of power to lead change in beings from life to death, so requires Parvati/Gowri/Durga.^[2]

See also

• Devi
• Navratri
• Trimurti
• Trinity
• Triple deities
• Bindudham (a temple of Tridevi)

Notes

v t e Hindu deities and texts Gods Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Ganesha Rama Krishna Murugan Hanuman Indra Surya more Goddesses Tridevi Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati Adi Parashakti Sati Durga Shakti Kali Sita Radha Mahavidya Navadurga Matrikas more Texts Vedas Rig Sama Yajur Atharva Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita more Hinduism Hindu mythology