Triśula

By Swami Harshananda

Triśula literally means ‘trident’.

Triśula

Triśula is also called triśikhā^[1] and triśīrṣaka^[2] it is the trident^[3] normally shown in the hand of Śiva and some aspects of the Devī.^[4]

Viśvakarma, the divine architect, is said to have fashioned it out of a portion of the tejas of the Sun (solar disc). The Sudarśanacakra^[5] of Viṣṇu, the Śakti (spear) of Subrahmaṇya and the Puṣpakavimāna^[6] of Kubera were also prepared by him from the same solar disc.^[7]

References[edit]

↑ Triśikhā means triple flame.
↑ Triśīrṣaka means three-headed.
↑ Trident is a weapon.
↑ Devī is the Divine Mother.
↑ Sudarśanacakra means discus.
↑ Puṣpakavimāna means divine flying machine.
↑ Visnupurāṇa 3.2.10, 11

The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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[1] Triśikhā means triple flame.

[2] Triśīrṣaka means three-headed.

[3] Trident is a weapon.

[4] Devī is the Divine Mother.

[5] Sudarśanacakra means discus.

[6] Puṣpakavimāna means divine flying machine.

[7] Visnupurāṇa 3.2.10, 11

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