TRIMURTI

(Sanskrit: Three Forms), in Hinduism, a triad of the three great gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. Scholars consider the Trimurti doctrine as an attempt to reconcile different monotheistic approaches with one another and with the philosophic doctrine of ultimate reality (Brahman). Although sometimes called the Hindu Trinity, Trimurti has little similarity to the Christian Trinity. The doctrine was given classical expression in Kalidasa's poem Kumarasambhava (c. 4th5th century).