What a Trishul from Rishikesh taught me about coaching!

During a recent visit to Rishikesh, I bought a small brass Trishul. A simple one, the kind you find in the markets near the ghats tucked among incense sticks, Rudraksha beads and rows of tiny idols.

After returning when I showed it to a friend Akhil Chaturvedi , who is a master coach, it sparked an insightful conversation about what the Trishul represents both in spiritual philosophy and in the context of coaching.

The Trishul, Lord Shiva’s trident, is a powerful symbol in Indian philosophy. It represents creation, preservation, and destruction reminding us that true growth lies in balance. It represents body, mind and spirit working in harmony. It represents the past, present and future - the three states of time.

My friend went on to explain that in coaching parlance, the Trishul teaches us to cut through:
Bondage - old patterns and fears, inner force that keeps the person limited
Ego - false identity and attachments
Ignorance - the lack of clarity about one’s values and purpose
When these fall away, our inner fog is cleared and we move forward with greater awareness and authenticity.

Somewhere in that conversation we moved onto “The Trishul awakens Viveka”.
This process of cutting through illusions is what awakens Viveka, our inner power of discernment. It helps us see things as they are, so we can make choices with awareness instead of reaction.

While I was absorbing all this, a metaphor came to my mind of a swan, known in Indian philosophy for its capability to separate water from milk. In the same way, Viveka helps us separate what nourishes our growth from what distracts us, what is essential from what is noise. A good coaching conversation does exactly that. It helps both coach and coachee recognize patterns, release old baggage and only keep what is truly nourishing.

That small brass Trishul now sits on my desk. A reminder that real transformation begins within. And that’s what we at TRIKA believe. Even our logo is inspired by the Trishul, reflecting the same philosophy. When the TRIKA(the triad) of awareness, clarity and action come together, a cycle of ongoing growth starts creating lasting change.