63. The Trinity

The  Three  Divinities

त्रिदेव 

Question / प्रश्न 63

What is the Role of the devatA?

वेदों-पुराण वर्णित देवताओं का क्या महत्व है? 

--

भाग्य, प्रारब्ध, और दैव

With reference to Veda, purANa, and the smRti the roles of the different devatA / Divinities differs accordingly. The Veda is the way of worship of the 33 forms / कोटि of the divinities, therefore their objective is fulfilled through yajna / यज्ञ only. As all these Divinities govern the mundane or the worldly existence, may be properly approached by meticulously following these rituals. This doesn't need an idol as such.

The same 33 Vedika Divinities could also be approached through worshipping of their so many and as many forms and names according to the faith श्रद्धा  of the individual मनुष्य.

Accordingly as pointed out in the Gita - Chapter 17, stanza 2 and 3, this faith in all human beings is of the three kinds :

त्रिविधा भवति श्रद्धा देहिनां सा स्वभावजा।।

सात्त्विकी राजसी चैव तामसी चेति तां शृणु।।२।।

सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत।।

श्रद्धामयं अयं पुरुषः यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।।३।।

(श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता अध्याय १७)

The three kinds of faith / fate could be in the following three forms :

सात्त्विक the pure unmixed mind, 

राजसी / राजसिक with the orientation and the tendencies of the mind influenced by conflicts like the desire and the fear.

तामसी the kind of a mechanical mind-set that doesn't discriminate between good or bad, auspicious or inauspicious.

All creatures - the sentient beings are born with the mind that is controlled by the conflict as is pointed out in the Gita, Chapter 3, stanza 27 

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत।।

सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप।।२७।।

(श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, अध्याय ३)

Accordingly everyone born with any of these above three kinds of the natural tendencies prompted by them behaves following the inborn faith / श्रद्धा .

Again, through this inborn natural faith everyone is spontaneously attracted to certain kinds of activities in the life.

The three factors that decide one's life are directed respectively by the three Divinities (देवता / दैव) - ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, रुद्र -- BrahmA, ViShNu, Rudra.

These three are the divinities / divine powers that control the life of each and every individual and the collective mind of a group of individuals too.

BrahmA having created the entire world of the sentient beings and the insentient things is the Fate / faith / भाग्य / one's lot as already chalked out and destined to happen in the projected future, while viShNu is this very now that maintains the balance of existence as a whole. The third Divinity, namely Rudra sums up all activity and takes the existence either of the individual, the collective life and the totality of the world (Universe) to the state of inactivity where all activity, even the "Time" comes to hault. Then again wakes up to another emerging and new Reality and a new Universe manifests up This whole cycle repeats endlessly till the individual ultimately discovers the Self,  the underlying Principle: the Immutable Unique Reality, that is ever so untouched by the phenomenal manifest existence.

Veda is the constitution of this process purANa is the way of connecting at the worldly level with the divinities, while smRti is the Cosmic Memory.

This is again according to the faith of the individual mind.

This is verily and strictly the discipline - The way of the True Dharma, and there is no other alternative way to attain happiness in life and in the after-life as well.

There are other divinities like the:

अग्नि, सूर्य, इन्द्र, वरुण, पृथ्वी, यम, मातरिश्वा, नासत्यौ,  they are but the various names and kinds of the same Ultimate Reality - the Brahman / ब्रह्मन्  /  ईश्वर and are to be propitiated by all these various Vedika rituals.

The paurANika / पौराणिक divinities are those who are worshipped according to their various names and form to attain prosperity, wealth, health, happiness and other worldly successes like reputation, power and fame etc.

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