Tridevi

File:Sarasvati Laksmi Parvati.jpg (left), Lakshmi (middle) and Parvati (right)]]

The Tridevi{{efn|{{Langx|sa|त्रिदेवी|lit=three goddesses}}, {{IAST3| Tridevī}}}} are a trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, joining a triad of eminent goddesses either as a feminine version of the Trimurti, or as consorts of a masculine Trimurti, depending on the denomination. This triad is typically personified by the Hindu goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati.{{Cite book |last=Prasad |first=R. U. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UTYlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT65 |title=River and Goddess Worship in India: Changing Perceptions and Manifestations of Sarasvati |date=2017-08-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-80654-1 |pages=65 |language=en}} In Shaktism, these triune goddesses are the manifestations of Mula-Prakriti or Mahadevi.{{Cite book |last=Monaghan |first=Patricia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uabOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA199 |title=Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines [2 volumes]: [2 volumes] |date=2009-12-18 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-34990-4 |pages=199 |language=en}}

Feminine Trimurti

File:MahaKali MahaLakshmi MahaSaraswati.jpg (left), Mahalakshmi (middle) and Mahasaraswati (right)]]

In the traditional androcentric (masculine-centered) denominations of Hinduism, the feminine Tridevi goddesses are relegated as consorts and auxiliary deities to the masculine Trimurti gods. In Shaktism, the feminine Tridevi goddesses are given the eminent roles of creator (Mahasaraswati), preserver (Mahalakshmi), and destroyer (Mahakali),{{Cite book |last=de-Gaia |first=Susan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxjOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA336 |title=Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions [2 volumes]: Faith and Culture across History [2 volumes] |date=2018-11-16 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-4408-4850-6 |pages=336 |language=en}} with the masculine Trimurti gods being relegated as the auxiliary deities as agents of the feminine Tridevi.

Consorts of the Trimurti

Saraswati is the goddess of learning, arts, and music, as well as the consort of Brahma, the creator.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BfV5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT9 |title=The Book of Avatars and Divinities |date=2018-11-21 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5305-362-8 |pages=9 |language=en}}

Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune, wealth, fertility, auspiciousness, light, and material and spiritual fulfillment, as well as the consort of Vishnu, the maintainer or preserver.{{Cite book |last=Kishore |first=B. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t3WzDipk9xwC&pg=PA87 |title=Hinduism |date=2001 |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. |isbn=978-81-7182-073-3 |pages=87 |language=en}} However, Lakshmi does not signify mere material wealth, but also abstract prosperity, such as glory, magnificence, joy, exaltation, and greatness, and spiritual fulfillment, which translates to moksha.

Parvati is the goddess of power, war, beauty, and love. She is the consort of Shiva, the destroyer of evil, or transformer.{{Cite book |last=Garg |first=Gaṅgā Rām |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&pg=PA5 |title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World |date=1992 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7022-374-0 |pages=5 |language=en}}

Importance

Mahasarasvati is described to be the slayer of Shumba in the Devi Bhagavata Purana, suggesting that she has little to do with Saraswati.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QaVHAQAAMAAJ |title=The Sri Mad Devi Bhagavatam |date=1921 |publisher=Sudhindra Nath Vasu at the Panini Office |pages=1006 |language=en}}

Mahalakshmi is the prosperity aspect of Devi. She has two forms, Vishnu-priya Lakshmi and Rajyalakshmi. The former is the embodiment of chastity and virtuousness. The latter goes about courting kings. Rajyalakshmi is stated to be fickle and impulsive. She enters all those places where virtue and charity may be found, and as soon as these two vanish from any place, Rajyalakshmi will also vanish from that place.{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=George M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&pg=PA198 |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |date=2008-03-27 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 |pages=198 |language=en}}

Mahakali represents darkness, pure tamas personified. Mahakali is one of the three primary forms of Devi. She is stated to be a powerful cosmic aspect (vyaṣṭi) of Devi, and represents the guna (universal energy) named tamas, and is the personification of the universal power of transformation, the transcendent power of time.{{Cite book |last1=Harper |first1=Katherine Anne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NtKrbKIOL5wC&pg=PA80 |title=The Roots of Tantra |last2=Brown |first2=Robert L. |date=2012-02-01 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-8890-4 |pages=80 |language=en}}