Trimurtin.

1836 J. F. Davis Chinese II. xiii. 107 Their own Tri~murti, or Triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva.

1877 M. Williams Hinduism vii. 87 These three gods are the first and highest manifestations of the Eternal Essence, and..constitute the well-known Tri-mūrti, or Triad of divine forms which characterises Hindūism.

1895 E. W. Hopkins Relig. India xvi. 447 The votaries of these subsects worshipped some, the rising sun, some the setting sun, while some again worshipped the noonday sun, and others, all three as a tri-mūrti.

1921 Encycl. Relig. & Ethics XII. 457/2 Serving as it does to reconcile rival monotheisms with one another and with the philosophic doctrine of the absolute, the theory of the Tri~mūrti presents no such close similarity to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity as to render derivation from Christian influences either necessary or probable.

1954 D. S. Sarma in K. W. Morgan Relig. of Hindus 34 The three most important functions of that Spirit, the creation, preservation, and destruction of the world, were associated with the great gods Brahmā, Vishnu, and Siva. Thus arose the doctrine of the Hindu Trinity, the Trimūrti.

1980 M. Gilbert Death of Favourite Girl ii. 23 Brahma, the creator, with Vishnu, the preserver and Siva, the destroyer..form the Trimurti—that is, the great Hindu Triad.

1877 M. Williams Hinduism vii. 87 There is a well-known Tri-mūrti sculptured out of the rock in the caves of Elephanta, at Bombay.

1920 E. B. Havell Handbk. Indian Art iii. i. 203 The Bodhisattva holds in his right hand Vishnu's blue lotus, and his tiara bears the three jewelled sun-discs like the Vishnu in the Trimūrti sculpture of Elephanta.

1953 B. Rowland Art & Archit. India xvii. 188 The treatment of the subjects, ranging from the Trimurti..to a panel like the Betrothal of Siva and Pārvatī..reveal the extraordinary ability and scope of the Dravidian sculptor.

1981 G. Priestland Priestland's Progress viii. 123 A statue with three faces, like the sublime Hindu trimurti in the cave temples of Elephanta.