The trinities and their consorts.

Every name has a significance.

It can be applicable to a specific person / deity

only when that significance is to be highlighted.

If we have to mention the consort of the trinities,

then it goes like this.

Brahma – Saraswathi

Brahma stands for Brih – growth – big-ness

The 'essence' of that is 'saara' (in Sanskrit)

and hence his consort is Saraswathy.

Brahma is in lotus.

Then his consort also must be associated with it.

Saara means fluid, pond, lake.

Sarasija is that which is in saara

Sarasija is the lotus.

That is how his consort is 'Sarasija' and 'Saraswathy'.

Brahma also stands for knowledge (brahma vidya)

'Saara' also means quintessence, real meaning, substance or main point.

So his wife is Saraswathy.

Since he stands for the body of knowledge,

his wife stands for the essence of knowledge

and ways of attaining that knowledge (through vaak)

That is why she is 'naa-magaL'

From Choodamani nigandu we get the other names of Saraswathy

(but this name Saraswathy is not found in this group)

Naa magal

Kalai magal

Panuvalaatti (who is about panuval – books )

Gayathri

Gyana roopi

Ulagamatha

Braahmi

vEllai meiyaaL (white skinned)

veN salasamuttraaL (one who is on white lotus)

Bharathi (Bharathanennum yaaga purohitanudaiya thuthikku-k- kaaraNamaai iruppavaL

Or sung by a yajna- purohit called Bharatha)

Isai madanthai

Ayan manaivi

vaakaaL (who is in vaak)

VaaNi (sollap-padubavaL)

Perhaps VaaNi is a single word –name of Saraswathy

that is said to depict her significance directly as the consort of Ayan (Brahma)

Same with other trinities too.

The pairing happens like this.

Shiva and Paarvathy.

Shiva married Paarvathy.

(Parvadhanudaiya magaL.)

Therefore Malai magaL – is the consort of Shiva.

Malai magal is synonym for Vumai

(means ' " peNNe! Vu! vEndaam" endru thavatthinindru thadukkap-pattaval' –

means one who was desisted from her tapas by calling 'Vu, No')

All the synonyms of malai magal or Vumai are connected with the marriage of the two.

But KaaLi and Kottravai- though manifestation of Paarvathy

are not mentioned as consorts of Shiva,

in terms of the significance they stand for.

Though KaaLi is "Shivai"

(wife of Shiva )

Vumai also is Shivai meaning 'nanmai seibhavaL.'

Shivan is 'Vumai oru Bhaagan' – therefore Vumai is his apt consort.

Shiva -Parvathy as Arthanaareshwara in Elephanta caves

Kottravai is a virgin "Kanni"- Kumari etc.

She as a manifestation of Paarvathy is known from

her being the younger sister of Thirumaal.

'Maalinukku iLaiya nangai' is the nigandu synonym for Kottravai

Kottravai is Durgai ('Durganai kondravaatraal durgai aayinaaL' – Kaasi khandam)

She is 'Paalai-k-kizhatthi' (the lord of Paalai nilam)

But she is not of the significance that Malai magal has!

She stands for victory in wars.

Just prior to the Bhagavad Gita,

Krishna asked Arjuna to do Durga sthuthi for victory in war.

He did and Durga appeared and blessed him with victory.

The KaaLi significance also is different from Durga

as how Durga significance is different from Malai magal.

To understand this, jyothisha helps us better.

For any element or essence of that element,

there are 3 variations.

A positive, a negative and a middle one.

In another way it is said as

Superior, medium and inferior

(uttama, madhyama and adhama)

These are signified by devatas or forces

that are responsible for them / or control them.

These are known as

Devatha,

athi devata and

pratyadhi devata respectively.

For instance for the element of Agni as signified by the sun,

The devatha is Shiva

Athi devatha is Agni

Prathyadhi devatha is Rudra.

When sun is positively empowered in a horoscope,

the deity controlling that aspect is Shiva.

The person is asked to worship Shiva.

When the sun's position is adverse,

the controller then is Rudra.

The person is asked to propitiate Rudra

since he will minimize the adverse effects.

Agni is the basal quality of the Sun.

This is how the variants of a single deity is interpreted or understood.

Similarly for Paarvathy.

She is devata (denoting positive power) for Moon.

Her variant Gowri is Pratyathi devata

controlling the negative side of moon's significance.

When understood in this way,

we will know how the specific significance is to be noted

when interpreting a specific deity or name.

In this way,

Malai magal or Paarvathy or Uma

is the consort for Shiva!

Not Kottravai.

Similarly for Vishnu, it is Lakshmi or Thirumagal.

Vishnu is he who is spread everywhere.

The resources embedded in him are the wealth as signified by Thirumagal

Also known as 'Thiru' in this nigandu

The pairs are

Ayan- VaaNi (kalai magal)

(H)Ari – Thiru (alai magal)

Sivan- Vumai (malai magal)