Trinity (Christians) = Trimurti (Hindus)?

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One could do a great deal worse than quote another answer:

There are several heresies that one needs to be careful of when discussing a topic such as this. For example, Modalism which declares that God is not three distinct persons, but that He merely reveals himself in three different forms. Or, Arianism which declares that Christ and the Holy Spirit are creations of the Father and not one in nature with Him. Or Partialism which declares that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct persons of the Godhead, but are different parts of God each composing a third of the divine.

Each of the different views of the Trimuti within Hinduism falls into one or more of those camps. My analysis (based on Wikipedia) may not be complete, but I posit this:—

  • Sauram: modalism
  • Vishaivism: Arianism
  • Shavism and Smartism: partialism

So: no, apart from both the Trinity and Trimurti being "three", there are no similarities. Specifically, the Trimurti denies that the three gods are wholly three and wholly one.

Upvote:-1

They are analogous though spoken in different languages and different theologies/philosophies. But there are also many differences, so it is best not to confuse them.

Trimurti, in classical Indian civilisation, is a tripartite way, of looking at the dynamism of the divine reality. In fact, this is close to Hegels conception of the original dynamic divine reality. And I wouldn't be surprised if this is where he got it from. He never acknowledged any of his sources, leaving us to suppose it was all his original work ...

Whereas the trinity, is a hypostasis of God, the Holy Spirit and Christ; but a single divine ousia, that is essence. It is three in one which is how it is understood to be a monotheism, despite its trinitarianism. Personally, I think this is from Christianity's Greek heritage, which notably is also a classical civilisation.

(I should say that personally, I'm a muslim).

Upvote:0

No, they are entirely different. Whatever the new definitions being given by Wikipedians to Trimurti and Brahman, the original Vedas and Puranas has countless stories of bloody wars between the various gods/goddesses, and even wars between the devotees being supported by the different gods/goddesses.

Upvote:8

Trimurti and Trinity similarity: The number "Three"

Trimurti and Trinity differences:

  1. Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit while Trimurti is Creator, Preserver and Destroyer.

  2. Trinity is "Three persons in one God". Trimurti is "Three distinct gods"

    1 John 5:7 (NKJV) For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

  3. In the Trinity all three persons are participants in the creation while in Trimurti only Brahma is responsible for the creation.

    Genesis 1:2-3 (NKJV) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

  4. All the three persons in the Trinity always work together and are in agreement. In Trimurti Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer all have different functions.

    John 5:30 (NKJV) I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

  5. Christianity is strictly a monotheistic religion but Hinduism is generally known as polytheistic.

    Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one

Just as God is a Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit), Satan also imitates God and creates the Unholy Trinity (Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet) at the end times (Revelation 12-13). An apologist Justin Martyr (100–165 AD) wrote that Satan always imitates God and His prophesies.

When they [wicked demons] heard it predicted through the prophets that Christ was to come, and that impious men would be punished by fire, they put forward a number of so-called sons of Zeus, thinking that they could thus make men suppose that what was said about Christ was a mere tale of wonders like the stories told by the poets. [ . . . ] But, as I will make clear, though they heard the words of the prophets they did not understand them accurately, but made mistakes in imitating what was told about our Christ. (First Apology 54)

The Trimurti also could be one of the ways Satan imitates God in order to make himself like God. Satan always wanted to become like God and that was the reason why Satan was cast out of Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14).

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