Friday, September 20, 2013

Family Values from Hindu Trinity

The holy trinity of Hinduism - God the Creator (Brahma), God the Sustainer (Vishnu), and God the Destroyer (Shiva). This trinity is an all-male Supreme Force that creates, sustains, and destroys everything in the universe. Male chauvinistic? Think again! 

Here's how this Trinity functions. 

All three married up - their wives are more well-to-do than they are!
  • Brahma - Married Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom 
  • Vishnu - Married Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth (eight different forms of wealth) and Prosperity
  • Shiva - Married Parvati, the manifestation of Aadi Shakti, the Supreme Power, and feeder of the Universe (Annapurna)

The reason for these marriages is said to be as follows.
  • Creation is pretty meaningless without knowledge and wisdom. Brahma's creation is given meaning by Saraswati
  • Sustenance is impossible without wealth. Lakshmi enables Vishnu to sustain the universe
  • Destroying is impossible without power and energy. Parvati provides Shiva the power (as Shakti) and energy (as Annapurna)

Bottom-line? The “all-male” Trinity cannot function without its female counterparts balancing their act.

And here is how they act as a couple.
  • Brahma is completely oblivious to everything around him, including his wife Saraswati. Saraswati is always right next to her husband, making sure she provides necessary knowledge and wisdom to her husband's creation (lest her oblivious-to-his-surroundings husband goofing up). 
  • Vishnu lives a lavish king-size life on his wife's wealth, and uses it to do his job as the sustainer. His wife Lakshmi, lives in his heart (keeping it strong), and sits at his feet massaging his tired feet, knowing fully well that he is nothing without her. At times, when she gets upset with him, she walks away leaving him in total disarray (resulting in things like - Srinivasa incarnation, Padmavati Kalyanam, and subsequent Venkataswara incarnation).
  • Shiva is the humble, innocent, and naive of the pack. He wraps a deer skin around his waist, roams around like a homeless guy in the streets and in graveyards, goes to his wife's (Annapurna) house to beg for food and energy, and then goes away again doing his job, living a very humble life. Sometimes, he goes away for years into meditation. Parvati, the most loyal of all, never leaves him, always waits for his return, and when he doesn't, she goes and brings him back. When her naïve husband gets into trouble because of his naivety, she becomes Kaali to protect her husband. Shiva, who loves his wife completely, gives half of his body (the left half where the heart resides) to her, and is always ready to destroy the entire universe in one stroke - if something untoward was to happen to her. 

Bottom-line... Contrary to "popular" image and belief, Hinduism is not patriarchal... but more of egalitarian, and a balancing-act kind of way of life – if you truly understand the Hindu Way of Life and Dharma. 

There is a lot one can learn from Hinduism about family values and husband-wife relationships, if one can read, understand, think, and learn. Wish we learn our lessons sooner than later.