Shiva ( / v /; Sanskrit: iva, meaning "auspicious one" ) is a primary Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among

the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine.[2] In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God.[3] Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit aiva).[4] Shaivism, along with Vai ava traditions that focus on Vishnu and kta traditions that focus on the goddess Shakti, is one of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.[3] Lord Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, He is represented as a handsome[5] young man[6] immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Apasmara, the demon of ignorance in His manifestation of Nataraja, the Lord of the dance. It is said that He looks like an eternal youth because of his authority over death, rebirth and immortality. He is also the father of Ganesha and Murugan.
Brahma (Sanskrit: ; IAST:Brahm ) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of M nu, and from M nu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the Mah bh rata, he is often referred to as the progenitor or great grandsire of all human beings. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Ved nta philosophy known as Brahman, which is genderless. Brahm 's consort is G yatri. Saraswati is his wife who sits beside him to gain knowledge and is referred as the goddess of learning. Brahm is often identified with Prajapati, a Vedic deity.

Vishnu (Sanskrit Vi u) is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God.[1] The Vishnu Sahasranama[2] declares Vishnu as Paramatma (supreme soul) and Parameshwara (supreme God). It describes Vishnu as the All-Pervading essence of all beings, the master of and beyondthe past, present and future, one who supports, sustains and governs the Universe and originates and develops all elements within. Vishnu governs the aspect of preservation and sustenance of the universe, so he is called 'Preserver of the universe'. In the Puranas, Vishnu is described as having the divine colour of water filled clouds, fourarmed, holding a lotus, mace, conch (shankha) and chakra (wheel). Vishnu is also described in the Bhagavad Gita as having a 'Universal Form' (Vishvarupa) which is beyond the ordinary limits of human perception or imagination.[3] The Puranabharti also describes each of these Dasavatara of Vishnu. Among these ten principal Avatara described, nine have occurred in the past and one will take place in the future, at the end of Kali Yuga. In the commentary of creator Brahma in Vishnu Sahasranamam, he refers to Vishnu as "Sahasrakoti Yuga Dharine", which means that these incarnations take place in all Yugas in cosmic scales, the avatars and their stories show that god is indeed unimaginable, unthinkable and unbelievable. The Bhagavad Gita mentions their purpose as being to rejuvenate Dharma[4] and vanquish negative forces, the forces of evil that threaten Dharma, as also to display His divine nature in front of the conditioned/fallen souls. In almost all Hindu

denominations, Vishnu is either worshipped directly or in the form of his ten avatara, most famous of whom are Rama and Krishna.[5] The Trimurti (English: three forms; Sanskrit: trim rti) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva the destroyer or transformer."[6][7] These three deities have been called "the Hindu triad"[8] or the "Great Trinity".[9] Of the three members of the Trimurti, the Bhagavata Purana, which espouses the Vaishnavite viewpoint, explains that the greatest benefit can be had from Vishnu.[10] In Hindu mythology, Vena was a great king. However, he became evil and corrupt. The world became so gloomy and dark that the earth-goddess Bhumidevi decided that she would not provide crops to humans anymore. She took form as a cow and went into hiding. Meanwhile, a group of Rishis killed Vena out of anger. They then rubbed the thigh of his corpse, and took out all the evil from his body. Afterwards they rubbed Vena's arm, and the good Prithu emerged. This being was Vishnu incarnate, and as soon as he was born, Vishnu's Sharanga bow fell from heaven into his hands. However, Bhumidevi still refused to give crops to people. As soon as Prithu, son of Vena, threatened to kill her, she gave in, but in return Prithu would be her eternal guardian. This is why Bhumidevi is also known as Prithvi. In the Rigveda (10.123), Vena is a personification of a celestial being, perhaps the rainbow. The name of the hymn is also Vena, as is the name of the author of RV 9.85.