Trishula is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism… The trishula has a number of interpretations in Hindu belief. The three points of the weapon have various meanings and significance. They are commonly said to represent various trinities: creation, preservation, and destruction; past, present, and future; body, mind and atman; Dharma (law and order), bliss/mutual enjoyment and emanation/created bodies; compassion, joy and love; spiritual, psychic and relative; happiness, comfort and boredom; pride, repute and egotism; clarity, knowledge and wisdom; heaven, mind and earth; soul, fire and earth; soul, passion and embodied-soul; logic, passion and faith; prayer, manifestation and sublime; practice, understanding and wisdom; death, ascension and resurrection; creation, order and destruction… Within yoga, the Trishula also represents the three subtle arteries of the body that reach from the spinal cord to the crown of the head.
Possibly the earliest Trishula symbol was discovered within the Indus Valley civilization that thrived along the Indus River in northern India, Tibet, and Pakistan from 3000 to 1300 BC. In the ancient city of Harappa, the Trishula symbol was found in architectural remains and pottery, and it appears that it had become a spiritual emblem already then.
How does the Trishula relate to Ukraine? Strangely enough, the very etymology of the word is understandable to a Ukrainian ear. Per Wikipedia, “the name “trishula” ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word त्रिशूल (triśūla), from त्रि (trí), meaning “three”, and शूल (śū́la), meaning “a sharp iron pin or stake”, referring in this case to the weapon’s three prongs”. Ukrainian Шило (shylo) is a tool for making holes in hard materials. There are other links to think about:
Kushan Empire’s Fireworshiping Kings with Tridents >
“Royal Scythia, Greece, Kyiv Rus” book mentions some Trident symbols in the area of present-day Ukraine dating to the first centuries of current era.
“Cradle of Civilizations” book has a deeper look at the links between the area of present-day Ukraine and the Indus Valley Civilization.
