Shiva the Trident holder

Introduction

In Hindu legends and stories Shiva[1], holds a trident[2] in his hand, and uses this sacred weapon to fight off of evil villains.

The symbol of the trident first appears on clay seals in Mesopotamia[3] and the ancient Harappan[4] civilization of the Indus Valley[5] (ca. 2500BCE), where it possibly arose as an early symbol of Rudra[6] or Shiva.

( The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols, Robert Beer; p.130 - ISBN 1590301005)

Shiva originated as an epithet of Rudra.

The trident is also said to represent three gunas mentioned in Indian vedic philosophy namely;

Sattva[7] is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, constructive, creative, building, positive attitude, luminous, serenity, being-ness, peaceful, virtuous.

Rajas[8] is the quality of passion, activity, neither good nor bad and sometimes either, self-centeredness, egoistic, individualizing, driven, moving, dynamic.

Tamas[9] is the quality of imbalance, disorder, chaos, anxiety, impure, destructive, delusion, negative, dull or inactive, apathy, inertia or lethargy, violent, vicious, ignorant

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Etymology

The word "trident" comes from the French word trident, which in turn comes from the Latin word tridens or tridentis: tri "three" and dentes "teeth". Sanskrit trishula is compound of tri त्रि "three"+ ṣūla शूल "thorn".

The Greek equivalent is τρίαινα (tríaina), from Proto-Greek trianja (threefold)
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10 Interesting Facts about Lord Shiva

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Sutras

The Shiva Sutras[10] (IAST: Śivasūtrāṇi) or Māheśvara Sūtrāṇi are fourteen verses that organize the phonemes of Sanskrit as referred to in the Aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇini, the foundational text of Sanskrit grammar.

Within the tradition they are known as the Akṣarasamāmnāya, "recitation of phonemes," but they are popularly known as the Shiva Sutras because they are said to have been revealed to Pāṇini by Shiva. They were either composed by Pāṇini to accompany his Aṣṭādhyāyī or predate him. The latter is less plausible, but the practice of encoding complex rules in short, mnemonic verses is typical of the sutra style.

1. a i u ṇ
2. ṛ ḷ k
3. e o ṅ
4. ai au c
5. ha ya va ra ṭ
6. la ṇ
7. ña ma ṅa ṇa na m
8. jha bha ñ
9. gha ḍha dha ṣ
10. ja ba ga ḍa da ś
11. kha pha cha ṭha tha ca ṭa ta v
12. ka pa y
13. śa ṣa sa r
14. ha l

२. ऋ ऌ क्।
३. ए ओ ङ्।
४. ऐ औ च्।
५. ह य व र ट्।
६. ल ण्।
७. ञ म ङ ण न म्।
८. झ भ ञ्।
९. घ ढ ध ष्।
१०. ज ब ग ड द श्।
११. ख फ छ ठ थ च ट त व्।
१२. क प य्।
१३. श ष स र्।
१४. ह ल्।

Source

[1]Shiva
[2]Trident
[3]Mesopotamia
[4]Harappa
[5]Indus Valley
[6]Rudra
[7]Sattva
[8]Rajas
[9]Tamas
[10]Sutras

When I first saw the trident in India it reminded me of the same pitchfork the devil character in the United States carries. It is also held by Poseidon.

a reply to: nOraKat

a reply to: tikbalang

I can't remember if Shiva and Kali Yuga War together at the end of times?

a reply to: nOraKat

Funny thing about the image people have of "the Devil" is that it is usually a co-opted image from a pre-Christian faith. IF a deity was not one they (the early Church Fathers) did not wish to saint ... they made them a Devil. Similalry many gods and goddesses became "saints". For example, Brigid a Goddess of many things in Ireland, became a saint of many things.

People read to much into these shared images, with out looking deeper at the history.

a reply to: Noinden

isnt this an opinion?

a reply to: Noinden

Brigid signifies the end of a cycle,It has been suggested that Brigid is a continuation of the Indo-European dawn goddess just like Kali, black madonna, virgin mary, the list goes on, and Brigid, well, her name changes also to the culture which it is in..

a reply to: tikbalang

Which part?

Brigid? Its documented (1) As are many of the other "saints".

Images of the Devil being synchronous with certain pagan deities? Also quite well documented. (2)

(1) Berger, Pamela (1985). The Goddess Obscured: Transformation of the Grain Protectress from Goddess to Saint. Boston: Beacon Press.

(2) Satan: A Biography. Cambridge University Press, 2006

a reply to: Noinden

Berger, Pamela (1985). Professor Berger is a filmmaker who has written, produced, and/or directed three feature films.

Its always these stepping stones when following in blind faith in a storytellers words..

Wikipedia - Morning Star
Lucifer - Wikipedia

Which devil are you referring to?

Again it is well known that the Goddess Brigid and the Saint Bridid are synchronous with one another. As for Professor Berger she is a Published author in a number of subjects.

My second citation discusses the point about Pagan gods being relabeled as Devils.

Read both books before dismissing them

a reply to: tikbalang

It is a mistake to refer to Indo-European deties as (for example) "dawn goddesses" or such things. IF one looks at Brigid she is a complex deity of many skills.

As for the rest. You are expousing a soft polytheistic view rather than a hard polytheistic view. I this consider Brigid to be distinct from any other similar deity. This is the view my ancestors had.

a reply to: Noinden

Another sources for you

Brown, Peter. The Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity

originally posted by: Noinden
a reply to: tikbalang

It is a mistake to refer to Indo-European deties as (for example) "dawn goddesses" or such things. IF one looks at Brigid she is a complex deity of many skills.

As for the rest. You are expousing a soft polytheistic view rather than a hard polytheistic view. I this consider Brigid to be distinct from any other similar deity. This is the view my ancestors had.

How do you consider them mistakes? Thousands of papers would go against it and call it an uneducated opinion from believing a subjective narrative.. I thought you were smarter than believing in fairytales ?

a reply to: tikbalang

What part of I am a Pagan do you not get? I am a hard polytheist. Many scientists are spiritual. Caan not be implying holding a spiritual view makes me less of a scientists? Because my science and my faith do not intersect in any way.

But to answer your question.

Brigid is distinctly different from Kali (to use your example).

If you look at comparative Celtic Mythology you will find that even pan-Celtic Deities are only similar not the same.

Look at Lug, Llew, and Lugus. They are each very different from one another.

Westerners recently have tended to be soft polytheistic with their views of pagan deities. That misses out the cultural importance of each diety. I've told you before you miss a great deal of a culture with the way YOU look at things.

So while a paper has been published by an academic, they are speaking from a purely analytical stand point. Not a spiritual one.

I'm not even going to touch your fairytale comment. You need to step out of your glasshouse before throwing that stone

a reply to: Noinden

You always made the mistake for considering me a faithful Christian with a monotheistic worldview, I cook books in literature to look behind the lies, subjective tales and illusions made by woman and men, pleasing their desperate hopes about finding a meaning and a purpose beyond what is truly real.. The truth is;" everything is simple " I believe in a single culture instead of several opinions of what is right and wrong.

An excellent link proto indian religions, covers all the links..You live in a single narrative yet try to explain to anyone else it's real.

a reply to: tikbalang

You've defended the Christian and other Abrhamic POV repeatedly. Thus one must assume that is something you sympathize with.

There is no single culture, any student of history would see that. So I vehemently disagree with "every thing is simple" .

Also it is Proto indo-european not proto indian! I've cited PIE links at you before, have you perhaps forgotten? I'm in the same Druid Organization with a known expertin the area

You talk about "single cultures" and "its all simple" then you accuse me of living in a single narrative? Pretty words. Wrong words. I happen to know a great deal about the spirituality of the Pre-Christian Indo-European peoples. Its part of my spiritual path. While I specialize in the Gaels (and this I know a LOT about Brigid) I know a great deal about all of them.

So go on, try this train of attack. Its not going to end well for you.

a reply to: Noinden

I consider the Institution of the Christian values along with its teachings the proper way of building a functioning modern society.

Any religion removes the meaning and purpose, doesn't matter if it's Polytheistic or monotheistic. Your faith gives you a purpose and a meaning

Proto means;" earliest form" ,not before, which I believe you are trying to imply since you are found of the word -pre.

You specialize in stories within the "Neo-Druid narrative"

a reply to: Noinden

And about Brigid, it's the shining one, the stories are complex along with a human imagination.. The world you see outside, it's simple..

a reply to: tikbalang

Thus you are biased. That is not intended as an insult, you are simply declaring your bias.

You really need to stop trying to define words I know well at me.

You said proto INDIAN, you meant Proto-Indo-Eruopean. There is a difference.

I use the word "pre" to define something as "pre-Christian" before Christianity. Pre-Christian Gaels are culturally different than the Christian Gaels. Culturally they've removed aspects of their culture which was integral to their culture.

a reply to: tikbalang

The stories people tell of their Gods, tells you about those people. You seem to be missing this.