Trimūrti (lit. having three forms) is a conception that posits a supreme deity manifesting itself in three particular shapes in order to perform the basic cosmological functions: as Brahmā he emits the world, as Viṣṇu he preserves it, and as Śiva he annihilates it. The grouping together of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva – albeit not always in this order – and the emphasis on their specific yet complementar…