Trishul (Trident) of Lord Shiva

Trishool(Trident) of Lord Shiva

Tri meaning three and Shool meaning spear, the weapon held by Lord Shiva is of great significance. Though this weapon has been held by a lot of other deities, too, the one held by Lord Shiva is said to have many properties. It is believed that Shiva’s Trishool destroys the physical world which is an illusion, the mental world which is ego and then takes us to the third world which is spiritualism.

As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva had severed Ganesha’s head with the Trishool and then later replaced it with that of an elephant. The three blades of Trishool are believed to represent Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe, Lord Vishnu is the caretaker and Lord Mahadev is the destroyer of all evil.

Some people have spoken of the trident as a destructive weapon, but it is not so in the case of trident held by Lord Shiva. With the presence of the three main devatas, the Trishool is the destructor of the physical world which drags mankind away from the spiritual connection. It represents holiness and good deeds and is said to remove the troubles of past, present and future. The Trishul formed in the human body represents the 3 energy sources namely ida( इड़ा), pingla(पिंगला) and sushumna(सुषुम्ना). Sushumna, the 7th chakra, is in the centre and known as the main centre of energy. When the energy reaches this chakra, the external happenings do not have any negative effect on the human body. The two other parts ida and pingla are Shiv and Shakti on the basis of their properties.

So basically the Trishool is a symbol of auspiciousness and it helps in giving a positive outlook to the mind helping us to lead a blissful life without the fear of birth, life and death.

Trishula

The Trishula is a Sanskrit term that translates to “three spears” and refers to a trident spear that is the emblem of Lord Shiva. The Trishula is a symbol of the empire and the irresistible force of transcendental reality.

Each of the spear’s pong represents Shiva’s three aspects:

• Creator
• Destroyer
• Preserver

The pongs also represent his three powers:

• Desire
• Action
• Wisdom

Generally, the trident is a symbol of the balance created by the three facets of consciousness which are cognition, affection, and conation.