Trishul or Trishula (Sanskrit: triśūla) is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism. In India and Thailand, the term also often refers to a short-handled weapon which may be mounted on a daṇḍa “staff”. Unlike the Okinawan sai, the trishula is often bladed. 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.
