Trifunctional Elements in the Mythology of the Hindu Trimūrti

Author(s): G. M. Bailey
Source: Numen, Vol. 26, Fasc. 2 (Dec., 1979), pp. 152-163
Published by: BRILL
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3269716 .
Accessed: 15/05/2014 06:14

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

BRILL is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Numen.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Numen,Vol. XXVI, Fasc. 2

TRIFUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS IN THE MYTHOLOGY OF

THE HINDU TRIMURTI*

G. M. BAILEY

It is no exaggerationto suggest that the bulk of the mythology

found in the Hindu epics and Purinas is about Visnu, Giva, Sakti,
Brahmi and the group of gods closely associated with them. The
divinitiesof the earlieststrataof Vedic literature-Indra,the so-called
group of thirty-three gods and the various groups of demons-play a
role in many of these myths,but they do not dominate,as they did
in Vedic mythology. This is not to say thatthe main themesof Vedic
mythologyor the images occurringin it are necessarilyabsent from
mythswhich occur in post-Vedicliterature.Indeed, the richnessand
varietyof epic and Puranic mythology is in part a resultof the trans-
formationof Vedic images and themesunder the influenceof socio-
religiousvalues not currentduringthe early Vedic period (till about
800ooBC), or, if current,not representedin the extantliterature.Of
these values, the most importanthave been those associatedwith the
riseof asceticismas a creativeand abidingforcewithinIndian religions
and bhakti.
The trimfirtiof Brahm~, Visnu and Siva firstappear in Indian
literaturein the Maitri Upanisad where theyare correlatedwith the
three gunas. 1 They are not yet depicted as creator,preserverand
destroyerof the tripleworld (triloka) as theyare so frequentlyin the
Puranas. Significantly, theyare only mentionedin this capacityonce
in the Mbh., and there,in a passage regardedby the editorsof the
2 In theMbh. Brahma and Visnu
criticaleditionto be an interpolation.

* The followingabbreviations thisarticle.BhP. -

have been used throughout
Bhdgavata Purana; H. - ; Mbh. - Mahdbhdrata; MkP. - Markan-
Hariva.nma
deya S~p.- Siva Purana; VamP. - VamanaPurana.
1 Maitra UpaniSad,5, 2. These gods do not constitute
Purn.na; the only,or indeed,the
earliesttriad in Indian literature.Lists of othersare givenby J. Gonda,"The
Hindu Trinity,"Anthropos,63 (I968), pp. 215-19.
2 Mbh. 3, App. I, No. 27,lines35-36.Referring
to Vienuthispassagesays:
srtate brahmami~rtistu rakyatepauru.s tanuh raudribhhvenasamayettisro
'vasthahprajapateh.

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Elements
Trifunctional 153

are frequentlydepictedas creatorand preserverrespectively,some-

times as both. Siva, too, is implicitlypresentas destroyerin several
myths,but he is not so strikinglypresentedin thisroleas theothertwo
are in their specific roles.3 Thus, their frequentappearance as a
collectivein the cosmogonicsectionsof the Puranas would seem to be
a logical developmentfromtheirroles in the Mbh.
The Purinic portrayalof the trimirtiis not just in termsof their
cosmogonicroles. They are included as expressionsof Aum, along
withothertriadssuch as thethreefires,and threeVedas and thethree
worlds,or, the threegods are correlatedwith the Vedas; Brahma is
the Rg., Visnu the Yajus and Siva the Sama. 4 Like othertriads in
Indian literature,the trimarticould be used as an expressionof any
othertriador importantconcept.5
At the level of narrativeIndian mythology consistslargelyof inter-
actionsbetweendivinefiguresand themessuch as the conflictbetween
the gods and demons,Agni's withdrawalof his flame,the incestof the
creatorwithhis daughterand manyothers.Beneath this groupingof
interactions whichmake up thenarrativeslie value systemsand ideolo-
gies which are expressed throughand shape the narratives.6 These
value systemsand ideologies occur explicitlyand implicitlyin the
epics and Puranas and provide an overarchingframeworkwithin
which the exploitsof the gods, expeciallythe trimarti,can be placed.
The most importantvalue systemsrelevantto the mythologyof the
trimartiare thosedesignatedbythetermspravrttiand nivrttiand theset
of values associatedwith bhakti.7 Also of importanceis the tripartite

3 Examplesof thisare theeventsinvolvedin the destruction of Daksa's sacri-

fice,thedisastrousdice gamebetweenYudhisthira and Duryodhanawhichleads to
so muchcarnage,and the episodeof Aivatthiman'snightraid againstthe Pian-
<lava's camp. Each of these has been studiedfromthe perspectiveof Siva's
destructiveroleby A. Hiltebeitel,The Ritual of Battle: Krishnain theMahabha-
rata, (Ithaca and London, I976), chs 4 and 12.
4 Mkp. 42, io; lo2, 19.
5 See Agni 92, 41-5; MkP. 88, 12-18.
6 I do not Puran.a,
intendto concernmyselfhere withthe distinction
between"value
system"and "ideology."I have used the term"value system"in a sense akin to
the meaningof "ideology"as an abstractsystemof ideas embodying a distinct
visionof theworld.
7 The exact natureof theset of values associatedwithbhakti,or, indeed,even
whethersuch a set of values even exists,remainsunclear.However,thereis a
wholeseriesof mythsin thePurinas (KP. I, 9, 5-87; SP. I, 6-8; 3, 8ff.; Matsya
Purna, 183, 8Iff.; VdmP, 2, 31, 4-1o4) where the members of the trim~artiact

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
154 G. M. Bailey

ideology,shown by Dumizil to be so prominentan influencein most

branches of Indo-European mythology.My aim in this paper is
restrictedto determiningwhetherthe last of these, the tripartite
ideology,has influencedthe mythologyof the gods of the trimairti.
Do each of the threegods representone of the functionswhichgo to
makeup thetri-functionalideology?Subsequentstudieswill be devoted
to the influenceof the other sets of values on the mythologyof
thesegods. 8

In the firstvolumeof Mythe et Jpople Dumizil has demonstrated

convincingly thatthe tri-functional ideologyhas shaped the personali-
ties of the main participantsin the greatbattledescribedin theMbh. 9
There his attentionwas focussed on the Pandavas and Kauravas
inasmuchas theyare portions(aika) of gods and demonsrebornon
earth. For the purpose of this paper I shall regard the stories and
legendsrecountingthebattleand theeventsleadingup to it as the first
rankof the mythology of the Mbh. The mythsof the gods and other
divine figures,occurringprimarilyin the didacticsectionsof the epic
and duplicatedin the Puranas, are regardedas the second rankof this
mythology. 10 Dumizil's analysis has been applied mostlyto the first
out rolesparadigmatic of the bhaktaand the god to whichhe is devoted.Terms
suchas moha,maya,prasada,daivamcaksus,paramambhavamand iaranmrecur
constantly in thesemythsand to a markedextentstructure the activitiesof the
godswho appearin them.Theycouldbe said to comprisethebasis of a vocabulary
of bhakti.
8 Importantworkon the influenceof pravrttiand nivrttion the mythology of
the trimarti has been doneby M. Biardeauin the courseof her continuing study
of Hindu mythology. See her, "Etudes de mythologiehindoue: Cosmogonies
pur~iniques,"pts I, 2 and 3, Bulletinde l'tcole franCaised'Extrime-Orient, LIV,
LV, LVII (1968,69, 71).
9 G. Dumizil, Mytheet Bpople (4 vols, Paris, I968-), vol. I, pp. 33-257.For
the classic expositionof the tripartite ideologysee his L'ideologietripartiedes
Indo-europiens(Brussells,1958).
10 Though this may seen an arbitrarydistinction, a similardivisionhas been
suggestedby Hiltebeitel.For him epic is a categorysui generisand it shouldbe
regardedas legendratherthanas myth.He sees the distinction betweenlegend
and mythin termsof the contentsof the two genres.Mythconsistsof stories
which take place in the fullestexpanses of time and space. They deal with
cosmogonyand cosmologyand have gods as theirprincipalcharacters.Legends
consistof storieswhichtake place at a specifictimeand on a specificterrain.
They deal withthe origin,nature,and destinyof man and theirmostprominent
charactersare heroes (see Hiltebeitel,op. cit.,p. 32). This distinction
conforms
well to thecontentsof theMbh. The storiesof thePin<lavas fitthecategoryof

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Elements
Trifunctional 155

rank mythology. He has only turnedto second rank mythology when

of firstrankmythology.
it facilitatesa betterunderstanding He has not
made an extensivestudyof second rankmythology nor has he pursued
his researchesintothePuranas,themainsourcesof thismythology.
About the possible influence of the tripartiteideology on the
mythology of thegods of the trimartiDumizil has said littleand what
he has said is generallyevasive in termsof categorizingeach of the
gods into a specificfunctionallevel. In the contextof the legendsof
Sidupala and Jarisarhdha,he has dealt with two of the gods of the
trimarti,Visnu and Giva. Commentingabout the oppositionbetween
these two gods in Hinduism,he touchesupon theirconvergencewith
the threefunctions:

It is onlyHinduismwhichwill developtheiroppositionin so far as theyare

destroyer and saviourin theperiodiccrisesof the world.In any case, at no
time are theydefinedby a relatednessto two different levels of the tri-
functional thevedicVienuis aboveall an associateof Indraon the
structures:
secondleveland Rudra'smultiform activityis notable to be expressedwithin
the framework As healer,as an expertin herbs,he operates
of thisstructure.
on the thirdlevel,as well as on the secondlevel whenhe is an archeror
in his pluralityof yet nothingseemsto orientatehim towardsthe
sovereign level.11 Rudr.h,

Even on the basis of theirappearancesin the Vedas he is scepticalof

theirconformity to any one of the functions,implyingas in the above
thattheyrange across all threefunctions:
statement,

If the vedic Visnu belongspreferentiallyto the secondfunctionbecausehe

yieldshis resourcesto Indra withsuch servicesas his steps,he goes beyond
it in that he serves Manu as well, the sacrificerand the gods in general.
Rudra,in the hymnsand later,evades still more completely everyattempt
at fixationin thestructure
of thethreefunctions. 12

On this note Dumbzil leaves the problem.He does not extend his
researchesinto the Purinas where these two gods and Brahm~ are
grouped into a formalsynthesiscertainlynot present (but perhaps
implied) in pre-Purinicliterature.It is in thesetextswiththeirwealth

legendswhereasthose of the gods are betterplaced in the categoryof myth.

Hiltebeitelmakesno use of categoriessuchas firstand secondrankmythologies,
buthe does,however, betweenthenatureof thestoriesandlegends
see a distinction
aboutthe and Kauravas and themythsaboutthegods.
11 G. Dumizil,
Pi.<avasMytheet rpople, vol. 2, p. 82 (mytranslation).
12 Ibid.,p. 87 (mytranslation).

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
156 G. M. Bailey

of mythological material that one would expect to find convergences

between the members of the trimirti and trifunctional categorization
if they exist at all.
Already, in 1897, de Gubernatis, attempting to account for Indra's
eclipse in popularity in the Gangetic basic by Brahma, Visnu and ~iva,
had said of these gods:

Brahmicontentshimselfwithhis spiritualforce;ViSnuwithhis heroicforce

and Siva withhis fecundatory
powerand his wealth.Moreover,each of the
threecorrespondsto a class and a social caste: the sage represented
by
Brahms,the strongman represented by ViSnu, the rich man represented
by Siva. 13

Not only has he pre-empted the application of the trifunctionalanalysis

to Hindu mythology, he has also recognized it in the trimati itself.
But it his claim valid? Do the texts bear him out, especially since no
evidence was provided by him in support of the statement?

Some texts do support the claim of de Gubernatis. In a passage of

the Kathlsaritsagara there is a description of the gods of the trimrarti
as they go to witness a battle:

And Sankara [Siva], the Lord of everything, came there,accompaniedby

Pirvati and followedby the gods, the inferiordeities (ganas), the spirits
and the mothers.And the illustriousBrahmi came,along with Sivitri and
the rest, the personifiedVedas, the appendices,the sadstras
and the great
sages.And Hari [Vi nu], a warriorarmedwitha discus,whosechariotis the
king of the birds,came, togetherwithhis wives led by Lakymi(fortune),
Kirti (fame) and Jayi(victory).14

The accompanists of each of the three gods reflect the personality and
general sphere of activity of that god. Moreover, there is a striking
correspondence between each group of accompanists and one of the
three functions. Brahm~ and his accompanists are strongly representa-
tive of the first function-priesthood, religion and the sovereign aspect
of kingship. 15 The Vedas and the lastras are the source of religious
knowledge, and Slvitri, Brahma's wife, is the name given to the verse
13 "Brahmanet SavitrI,ou L'Originede la Priare,"Actes du
A. de Gubernatis,
Onzidme Congrks International d'Orientalistes (Paris, 1897), p. 14 (my trans-
lation).
14 Kathdsaritsadgara,
8, 47,46-48.
see Dumezil,L'ideologietripartie...,
of each of the functions
15 For definitions
p. 19.

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Elements
Trifunctional 157

(RV. 3, 62, Io) taughtto all male membersof the threetwice-born

varnas immediatelyafter the upandyana. It is the symbol of the
knowledgetheywill learn. Finally, the great sages, symbolicof reli-
gious learning and wisdom, would seem to explicitlycharacterize
the firstfunction.
Visnu's accompanistsindicatethathe representsthe second function
-the dynamicaspect of kingshipand martialforce. His discus and
chariotare signs of his martialcharacterjust as his threeconsortsare
personificationsof characteristicswhich kings were believed to pos-
sess. 16 Siva conformsleast of the three gods to any one function,
but thereare indicationsthatif he conformsto any of them,it is to
the third function.17 Little can be said about the ganas, bhitas and
devatas, for they are just designationsof general classes of divine
beings. Perhaps the firsttwo representSiva in his ferociousaspect.
It is the mothers,however,which relate Siva to the third function,
because it is likely that they representfertility,one of the most
importantthirdfunctioncharacteristics.
Anotherpassage wherethethreegods are categorizedtri-functionally
occurs in one versionof the mythwhere Prthuis consecratedking.s18
The giftsgiven to him by the threegods at his consecrationare tri-
functional.Brahm~ gave him an armourof Vedic incantations(brah-
mamayamvarma) and his wifegave hima necklace.Visnu gave himthe
sudarana discus and Laksmi, an unimpeded Rudra gave him a
,ri.
sword engravedwithten moon like marks (daiacandramasim) and his
consort,Ambikt,a swordwithone hundredmoonlike marks.Each of
the presentsgivenby the gods is a weapon,whichis quite appropriate

16 On thesethreecharacteristics of kingssee J. Gonda,AncientIndianKingship

From theReligiousPoint of View (Leiden,1969),pp. 45ff.; Hiltebeitel,op. cit.,
ch. 4.
17 Since the characteristics
of thethirdfunction do not forma coherentwhole
like thoseof the firstand secondfunctions I give hereDumizil's definitionof it.
'It is less easy to circumscribein a few wordsthe essenceof the thirdfunction
whichcoversnumerousareas,amongwhichsomeobviouslinksappear,but whose
unitydoes notcomprisea distinct human,animal
centralpoint.Certainlyfecundity,
and vegetable,but in timenourishment and wealth,well-beingand peace--along
withthepleasuresand advantagesof peace-and oftensensualpleasure,beautyand
also, the important notionof the 'great number,'applicablenot only to wealth
(abundance),but also to menwho comprisethe social body(mass) [are themain
characteristics of the thirdfunction].See Dumizil, L'idiologie tripartie...,
p. 19
(my translation).
18 BhP. 4, 15,
16-17.

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
158 G. M. Bailey

since the recipientis a king and warrior.Brahma's gift corresponds

to spiritualforce,Visnu's to physicalforceand Siva's, again the most
problematic,to fertility,the moon being a ubiquitous symbol of
fertility.19
Yet anothercase of the tri-functionality appears in a version of
theliigodbhavamyth.20 In thisversionof themythBrahmA,described
as the best knowerof the Vedas (brahmavidvanvarah),is portrayed
going up to Visnu who was lyingon his snake couch surroundedby
servantsand his great power (paraya) personifiedas a female.They
begin to fightamongstthemselvesover which one is superiorto the
other.EventuallySiva appears in the formof a fieryliigam, whereby
he proves his superiorityover the othertwo gods because neitherof
themis able to finda beginningor an end to the liigam. The liigam
would appear to representfertility,
Visnu's parabhiatirepresentsking-
ship and Brahm5i'sknowledge of the Vedas representspriesthoodand
religion.
Besides these few passages thereis anotherreason for suggesting
that the gods of the trimairtiwere categorizedin termsof the tri-
functionalideology.Their respectivevahanas conformwell to the tri-
functionalideology.Brahma'sswan (han.sa) is well knownas a symbol
of wisdom.21 Visnu's mount,Garuda, king of the birds,is frequently
portrayedas verywarlike,destroyingmonsters,snakes and the like.22
Siva's mount,Nandin the bull,is of coursea universalsymbolof male
fertility.
Having citedseveralpassages wherethetrimartias a groupconform
to the three functionsit mightnow be asked if such conformityis
merelyfortitous?This query is especiallypertinentif it is borne in
mind that in otherplaces where the threegods are groupedtogether,

19 Many instancesof the moon's connections with fertility

are givenby M.
Eliade, Patternsin ComparativeReligion (London and New York, 1958), PP.
161-67.In India itself,Soma, the moon,is well knownas the Lord of plants.
About the moon Hopkins,Epic Mythology,(Reprint,Delhi, 1975; Strassburg,
1915), p. 90o, says, "The Moon is lord of lotuses, kumudanttha,and his crescent,
the boat (ud1upa),is the typeof femaleloveliness,as the full moon ... is the
imageof a beauty."Lovelinessand beautyare thirdfunction characteristics.
20 SP. I,
I, 6, I-2, and for the rest of the myth,I, I, 6-8. The version of this
mythoccurringat KP. I, 25, 67-IIo, can also be interpretedtri-functionally.
21 J. Vogel, The Goosein IndianArt and Literature(Leiden,1962). In SP I, 2,
7, 54 and I, 2, 15, II, the goose is connectedwith knowledge and wisdom.
22 For detailssee E. W. Hopkins,op. cit.,p. 27.

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Elements
Trifunctional I159

thereis no hintof a convergencewiththe threefunctions.In addition,

even if the convergencesare not a productof chance, do the main
featuresof the mythologyof each god point to that god being indi-
viduallyrepresentative of one of the threefunctionsmuchmore than
the othertwo? Would it have originallybeen logical to have grouped
theminto a triad just on the basis of theirconnectionswiththe three
functions?I shall attemptto show that all these questions can be
answered positively,but with the one proviso that the tripartite
ideology has not been the only factor instrumentalin shaping the
mythology of thesegods.
In some respectsBrahma's personalityis the least ambiguousof the
threegods. He reflectsthe characteristics of the firstfunction.This
is because he is fundamentally concernedwith sacred knowledgeand
its dissemination,withreligion,withthe priesthoodand withthe static
aspect of the sovereignpower-creation and preservationof dharma.
At the time of creation he creates and disseminatesthe Vedas to
humans.23 His competencein knowledgeof themis conveyedin some
of his epithetssuch as vedavakta,"reciterof the Vedas" and brah-
mavidvanvarah,"best knowerof the Vedas." 24 Equally importantas
this is the view that his four heads may each representone of the
Vedas and the fact that he was believedto be the Vedas themselves
as epithetsof him such as caturvedaand vedamayaindicate.25 As with
the Vedas, he creates dharma as an integralstage in the process of
creation,and, duringthe course of the kalpa takes action against any
being,man, god or demon,who in any way threatensits prevalence
as the norm of conduct in the three worlds. One of his epithets,
dharmamaya,is strikingevidence that his essence was held to be
dharma. 26
There is also ample evidencein the texts of his close relationship
with the bramana,whose obligatorydutiesare most assimilableto the
first function.Brahmi is occasionally depicted in the texts as a
brahmanaand is said to be affectionatetowards brahmanas (brah-
manavatsala).27 In the words of Biardeau, he is
23 H. I, 35 ;?P. 5, 29, 21; Manu Smrti, I, 23; Mbh. 12, 160, 21.
24 I, I, 6, 2, 2, IO, 30; 2, 3, 31, 20; Mbh. 5, lo8, io.
P.
25 Mbh. 3, 194, 12; 12, 175, 25. Cf. KP. I, 2, 26.
26 Mbh. 12, 175, 34. Cf. SP. 2, 3, 43, 51.
27 Ramayana (Cr. ed.), 7, 5, 14; Mahavastu,Trans. J. Jones(3 vols,London,
1949-56), vol. 3, p. 218; SP. 2, 4, 15, 30. In Gandhara art and the Pali Canon

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
160 G. M. Bailey

the mythicalpersonification
of brahmaas a powerproperto the brShmanas
(and distinctfromthekhatraof thekhatriyas)
and theultimatefoundation
of
28
the orthodoxsociety.

It is not going too far to say that the masculine Brahma personifies
the entire range of meanings implied by the word neuter brahma, all
of which have spiritual connotations in accordance with the basic
characteristics of the first function.
Second function status can be attributed to Visnu because his roles
in mythology epitomize the dynamic aspects of kingship such as
upholding power and dharmic order through physical force. In the
Rg Veda Visnu helps Indra fight Vrtra, but the situation is trans-
formed in the epics as Gonda has noted:

In the epic periodthe relationsbetweenthese two gods undergoa radical

change... becomesthe typicalfighterforthe gods. He entersIndra's
vajra or giveshimhis tefas(energy)and strength
Vi.nu (balam).29
His strength and courage are often stressed in the texts. Adjectives
used of him such as dresthahpraharatam, "best of the strikers,"
satyaparakrama, "truly bold," and balavatamrnvarah, "best of the
strong," are typical of this stress. 30 His warriorhood is apparent in the
figures of some of his avataras. The occasion when as Narasirihha he
kills the demon Hiranyakaipu is especially noticeable for its brutality:
Then he [HiranyakiAipu] was seizedby thatkingof beastswhosearmswere
as solid as mountains.Having placedhimon his kneeshe torehis chestwith
blade-likenails, piercingthat Dinava's mortalparts. After his blood had
beenmixedon his lotusheartby thosenails whichwereweaponshe departed
fromlife in an instant.But thoughhe was dead and had becomestill as
a pieceof wood he [Narashirhha]pulverizedeverylimbof his body.31

Passages like this bring out Visnu's martial characteristics.

Brahmaand Indra are pairedfunctionally as brahmanaand k~atriyarespectively.

For detailssee E. Lamotte,Histoiredu Bouddhisme Indien: Des Originesd
?aka (Louvain, 1958), p. 764. Even the implements L'_re
whichhe holdsin sculptures
are thoseof the brshmana.As W. Kirfel,SymbolikDes Hinduismusund Des
Jainismus(Stuttgart,1959), says, "Seine attributesind also Gegenstainde, die
nichtsUrtiimliches an sich haben,sondernDinge, die in jeder Weise dem Beruf
und der WiirdeeinesBrahmanenentsprechen."
28 Biardeau,"etudes de mythologie hindoue,"pt. 2, p. 77 (my translation).
29 J. Gonda,Aspectsof Early Vienuism(secondedition,Delhi, 1969; Utrecht,
1954), PP. 34-5.
30 See respectivelyMbh. 3, 260, 15; H. 38, 79; 47, 26; 61, 29; Mbh. 3, App. I,
No. 15, line 14; Mbh. 14, 43, 8; H. 31, 19.
31 Sip. 2, 5, 43, 38-9. Cf. 2, 5, 42, 44-46; H. 36, 65-67; BhP. 7, 8, 24-31.

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Elements
Trifunctional 161

The texts also give the impressionthat he is a representative of

the ksatriyavarna, the social class which correspondsto the second
function.His warlikeexploitsmotivatedby a desireto revivedharma
in the threeworldsare, indeed,but a reflectionof the earthlyksatriya
(and king) who is expectedto forciblyuphold adherenceto dharma
in his kingdom.At least two of his avatiras, Krsna and Rama, are
ksatriyas,and another,Paraiu Rima, thougha brahmana,acts like a
ksatriya.Finally, his intimaterelationshipwith kingship,in India a
position restrictedto the warrior class, is furtherindicationof his
closenessto the imageof the ksatriya.Numeroustextsstatethatkings
are bornon earthendowedwitha portionof Visnu 32
(visn.orawiena).
Visnu's characteris far too complex and multivalentjust to be
reducedto the second function.Many of his exploitsand aspectsof his
personalityconformto firstand thirdfunctioncharacteristics. 33 Still,
the particularaspects of his mythology whichhave just been outlined
above are centralto any understandingof this god. Hence it is not
unreasonableto assertthatthemain thrustof his mythology establishes
himas a second functiongod.
Similarly,Siva's mythologyat firstview is too extensivein terms
of subject matterto be restrictedto any one function.For example,
when depictedin his importantrole as destroyerof Tripura he would
seem to be enactinga second functionduty.In spite of this some of
the most centralfeaturesof his mythology are stronglysuggestiveof
those of a thirdfunctiondiety.This is so for threereasons. Firstly,
the importancein the textsascribedto his liiigam-clearlya symbolof
male procreation.
Secondly,because of his sexual relationswithhis own wife,Parvati,
described so vividly in the Puranas. Moreover he has a reputation
accordingto thesesame textsof beinga seducerof othermen'swives.34
Of courseit could be objectedhere thatif Siva is associatedwithmale
fertilitybecause he is a great lover and seducer,he is just as much
opposed to it in his guise of ascetic. Ascetics in India traditionally
were supposed to remainchaste. Paradoxicallythough,tapas, "ascetic

32 KP. I, 21, 24 and 35; Mbh. 12, 59, 127; Gonda, Aspects..., p. 165.
33 For some examples see ibid., chs 3 (Vienu and fertility)
and chs 9-1o
(The Sacrifice).
* On this see W. D. O'Flaherty,Asceticismand Eroticismin theMythology
of ?iva (London,1973), chs6 and 7.
II

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
162 G. M. Bailey

heat,"producedas a resultof severeausteritiesis a powerfulgenerative

and procreativeforcein its own right.35 Its use as a bringerof rain
is broughtout in themythof Rsyasrnga,an ascetic,whose appearance
in a particularkingdomafter being seduced by a woman,the union
of thetwo symbolizingfertility, promptedIndra to cause rainto fall.36
Many examples could be cited of ascetics having accumulatedlarge
quantitesof tapas and then provingsexually attractiveto women.37
The pointof all thisis that"the yoginbecomesas strongand beautiful
as a god, and women desire him,but he must perseverein chastity;
on accountof the retentionof sementherewill be generatedan agree-
able smellin the body of the yogin."s38Because Siva has traditionally
been thoughtof as the ascetic par-excellenceit does not mean thathis
god is weakened.If anythingit is strengthened.
statusas a fertility
There is a thirdreason for seeingin Siva a god who representsthe
thirdfunction.One of his mostcommonepithetsis pa.upati, "Lord of
beasts." This epithethas connotationsof the vaisya, whose principal
duties were cattle raising,agricultureand trade. One of Giva's pre-
decessors, Rudra, is frequentlyinvoked in the Rg Veda and other
Vedic texts for the protectionof animals,but this typeof invocation
is commonto most Vedic gods. More than anythingit is the factthat
Rudra-Siva is the only god of whom the epithetpadupatiis used and
this alone sets him off fromother gods in relationto protectionof
animals.In the Puranas the titlepaiupati was interpreted philosophic-
ally and became the basis of the paiupata doctrine.But the name still
retainsthe implicationof Rudra-Siva as a god who protectsherds of
cattleand otheranimals.

In conclusion,thereis amplejustificationforseeinga correspondence

betweenthe gods of the trimiirtiand the threefunctions.Even so, it
might be thought that the only thing achieved by this study is a
cataloguingof passages relevantto the individualgods, passages which
make themappear to correspondto the three functions,and omitting

35 Praj pati is oftenportrayed in the Brghmanascreatingthe worldthrough

tapas.For references see ibid.,p. 41.
36 Ibid., pp. 42-51.
37 See J. Gonda,"Asceticsand Courtesans",
AdyarLibraryBulletin,25 (1961),
pp. 78-I02.
38 M. Eliade, Yoga: Immortalityand Freedom (New York, 1958), p. I29, as
citedin O'Flaherty,op. cit.,p. 55.

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Elements
Trifunctional 163

those whicheithershow no such correspondences or show correspon-

dences to anotherfunctionsupposedlyatypicalof the god. It is true
that the mythologyof each god of the trimiirtiis so extensiveand
multivalentthat each god is portrayedperforminga varietyof roles
and passages could be found which range theirmythologyacross all
of the functions.Dumizil has suggestedthis.All I have triedto stress
is that the centralfeaturesof the mythologyof each god, and their
personalityas expressed in the myths,categorizesthat god into one
functionratherthananother.
Althoughthe tripartiteideologyhas had a discernibleinfluenceon
themythology of thesegods it is certainlynottheonlyinfluenceor the
mostimportant one. It is vitalforany understanding of theirmythology
to realise that it is multivalent.By this I mean that several different
value systemsand ideologiesare presentin the myths.Since one of
the functionsof the mythology of the epics and purSinasis to express
these value systemsand ideologies, it is essential to be aware of
them if the meaningof the mythsis to be understood.In the case
of the trimfirti,the tripartite ideologyhas leftits imprinton the gods,
but it has been only one of several influenceson their mythology.
The othersshall be studiedin subsequentarticles.

Bundoora,Vic. 3083 (Australia), G. M. BAILEY

La Trobe University

This content downloaded from 86.166.108.253 on Thu, 15 May 2014 06:14:28 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions