Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c75.s1.5

v2.c75.s1.5

As hinted above, the idea of Trimūrti is not Paurāṇic alone. It is as ancient as the times of the Vedas themselves. The Vedic triad Agni, Sūrya and Vāyu or Rudra, really got developed into the Paurāṇic Trimūrti of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Brahmā represents Agni and the later texts both Purāṇas and the Vāstuśāstras (notably the Samarāṅ- gaṇa-Sūtradhāra) corroborate this truth by directing the image-maker to make the Pratimā ‘analārci-pratimāh’ akin to the flamed fire. Viṣṇu is a solar deity in the Veda—everybody agrees to it. He is accordingly reckoned as one of the Dvādaśādityas in the Mahābhārata. The praises and exploits of Viṣṇu in the hymns of the Ṛgveda are all for Viṣṇu as a solar deity and hence his affinity to Sūrya cannot be disputed. As regards Śiva, his prototype in the Vedas is Rudra—Rudras or Rudriyas in the Ṛgveda or more correctly in the Yajurveda, are in intimate association with the Marud-devas, the wind-gods, represented as working havoc, bringing storms, spreading calamities and diseases, etc. and therefore the development of Marud-Rudra into terrific-cum-beneficient Rudra—Śiva—is not difficult to understand.