['< sod > the trimurti is a concept in hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of [ [ brahma ] ] the creator, vishnu the maintainer or preserver and shiva the destroyer or transformer. < ref > for quotation defining the trimurti see matchett, freda. " the { { iast | puranas } } ", in : flood ( 2003 ), p. 139. < / ref > < ref > for the trimurti system having brahma as the creator, vishnu as the maintainer or preserver, and shiva as the transformer or destroyer see : zimmer ( 1972 ) p. 124. < / ref > these three deities have been called " the hindu triad " < ref > for definition of trimurti as " the unified form " of brahma, { { iast | visnu } } and siva and use of the phrase " the hindu triad " see : apte, p. 485. < / ref > or the " great trinity ". < ref > for the term " great trinity " in relation to the trimurti see : jansen, p. 83. < / ref > however, the ancient and medieval texts of hinduism feature many triads of gods and goddesses, some of which do not include shiva. < ref > the trimurti idea of hinduism, states [ [ jan gonda ] ], " seems to have developed from ancient cosmological and ritualistic speculations about the triple character of an individual god, in the first place of\'\' agni\'\', whose births are three or threefold, and who is threefold light, has three bodies and three stations ". see : jan gonda ( 1969 ), [ http : / / www. jstor. org / stable / 40457085 the hindu trinity ], anthropos, bd 63 / 64, h 1 / 2, pages 218 - 219 < / ref > other trinities, beyond the more common " brahma, vishnu, shiva ", mentioned in ancient and medieval hindu texts include : " indra, vishnu, brahmanaspati ", " agni, indra, surya ", " agni, vayu, aditya ", " sri mahalakshmi, mahasarasvati, and mahakali ", and others. see : [ a ] david white ( 2006 ), kiss of the yogini, university of chicago press, isbn 978 - 0226894843, pages 4, 29 < br > [ b ] jan gonda ( 1969 ), [ http : / / www. jstor. org / stable / 40457085 the hindu trinity ], anthropos, bd 63 / 64, h 1 / 2, pages 212 - 226 < / ref > < eod > < sod > the trimurti is a concept in hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of [ [ brahma ] ] the creator, vishnu the maintainer or preserver and shiva the destroyer or transformer. < ref > for quotation defining the trimurti see matchett, freda. " the { { iast | puranas } } ", in : flood ( 2003 ), p. 139. < / ref > < ref > for the trimurti system having brahma as the creator, vishnu as the maintainer or preserver, and shiva as the transformer or destroyer see : zimmer ( 1972 ) p. 124. < / ref > these three deities have been called " the hindu triad " < ref > for definition of trimurti as " the unified form " of brahma, { { iast | visnu } } and siva and use of the phrase " the hindu triad " see : apte, p. 485. < / ref > or the " great trinity ". < ref > for the term " great trinity " in relation to the trimurti see : jansen, p. 83. < / ref > however, the ancient and medieval texts of hinduism feature many triads of gods and goddesses, some of which do not include shiva. < ref > the trimurti idea of hinduism, states [ [ jan gonda ] ], " seems to have developed from ancient cosmological and ritualistic speculations about the triple character of an individual god, in the first place of\'\' agni\'\', whose births are three or threefold, and who is threefold light, has three bodies and three stations ". see : jan gonda ( 1969 ), [ http : / / www. jstor. org / stable / 40457085 the hindu trinity ], anthropos, bd 63 / 64, h 1 / 2, pages 218 - 219 ; other trinities, beyond the more common " brahma, vishnu, shiva ", mentioned in ancient and medieval hindu texts include : " indra, vishnu, brahmanaspati ", " agni, indra, surya ", " agni, vayu, aditya ", " mahalakshmi, mahasarasvati, and mahakali ", and others. see : [ a ] david white ( 2006 ), kiss of the yogini, university of chicago press, isbn 978 - 0226894843, pages 4, 29 < br > [ b ] jan gonda ( 1969 ), [ http : / / www. jstor. org / stable / 40457085 the hindu trinity ], anthropos, bd 63 / 64, h 1 / 2, pages 212 - 226 < / ref > < eod >']