Brahma Bust with Four Faces 30"

This Brahma bust is a beautiful representation of lord Brahma.  Each face is beautifully carved.  It would be best to place the sculpture in a position where each face can be viewed as all faces are carved equally well.  Each face has a slight smile on his lips with long earlobes.  There is a flame finial on top of the sculpture that looks like the flame arising from a Buddha sculpture.  He also has the Buddha's shell shaped curly hair.  This makes sense because in Bali, where the sculpture is made Brahma and Buddha are often connected.  The color is a natural stone color making it a perfect addition to any garden.

This Brahma sculpture is handcrafted by the stone artisans in Bali.  The sculpture pictured is the only sculpture like it sold by Lotus Sculpture.  When you order this piece you will receive this exact sculpture.  It is truly one of a kind as there is only one made exactly like this!

About Lava Stone:  The lava stone used for our sculptures was quarried in the volcanic mountains of Indonesia.  The lava stone is a solid stone that is perfect for any type of location and weather conditions, hot or cold, wet or dry. The stone is versatile in that it can be colored in a wide spectrum of colors.  It can also be polished or unpolished giving giving it a clean or rough feel.  In humid conditions if it is left untouched it takes on a very mysterious, antique, worn look like you would see in the temple ruins of south east Asia. 

Brahma is a part of the holy trinity of Hinduism along with Vishnu the Preserver, Shiva the destroyer and Brahma the Creator.   Brahma has four heads and four arms.  With each head he continually recites one of the four Vedas.  He is shown as having four arms, with none holding a weapon, unlike most other Hindu Gods. One of his hands is shown holding a Sattai, or a horse whip.  Another of his hands holds a water-pot or a kamandalu (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water).  The significance of the water is that it is the initial, all-encompassing ether in which the first element of creation evolved. Brahma also holds a string of malas that he uses to keep track of the Universe's time.  Statues of Brahma are almost as rare as temples to the god of Creation.  There are only 2 temples dedicated to Brahma in India.  This stems from his mistreatment of his consort Saraswati.

The story of Brahma and Saraswati:  In the beginning there was chaos.  Everything existed in a formless, fluid state.  How do I bring order to this disorder?  wondered Brahma, the creator.  With Knowledge, said Devi.  Heralded by a peacock, sacred books in one hand and a veena in the other dressed in white Devi emerged from Brahma's mouth riding a swan as the goddess Saraswati.  Knowledge helps man find possibilities where once he saw problems.  Said the goddess.  Under her tutelage Brahma acquired the ability to sense, think, comprehend and communicate.  He began looking upon chaos with eyes of wisdom and thus saw the beautiful potential that lay therein.  Brahma discovered the melody of mantras in the cacophony of chaos.

In his joy he named Saraswati, Vagdevi, goddess of speech and sound.  The sound of mantras filled the universe with vital energy, or prana.  Things began to take shape and the cosmos acquired a structure: the sky dotted with stars rose to form the heavens; the sea sank into the abyss below, the earth stood in between.  Gods became lords of the celestial spheres; demons ruled the nether regions, humans walked on earth.  The sun rose and set, the moon waxed and waned, the tide flowed and ebbed.  Seasons changed, seeds germinated, plants bloomed and withered, animals migrated and reproduced as randomness gave way to the rhythm of life. Brahma thus became the creator of the world with Saraswati as his wisdom.

Saraswati was the first being to come into Brahma's world.  Brahma began to look upon her with eyes of desire.  She turned away saying, All I offer must be used to elevate the spirit, not indulge the senses.  Brahma could not control his amorous thoughts and his infatuation for the lovely goddess grew.  He continued to stare at Saraswati.  He gave himself four heads facing every direction so that he could always be able to feast his eyes on Saraswati's beauty.  Saraswati moved away from Brahma, first taking the form of a cow.  Brahma then followed her as a bull.  Saraswati then changed into a mare; Brahma gave chase as a horse.  Every time Saraswati turned into a bird or a beast he followed her as the corresponding male equivalent.  No matter how hard Brahma tried he could not catch Saraswati in any of her forms. The goddess with multiple forms came to be known as Shatarupa.  She personified material reality, alluring yet fleeting.

Angered by his display of unbridled passion Saraswati cursed Brahma, "You have filled the world with longing that is the seed of unhappiness. You have fettered the soul in the flesh. You are not worthy of reverence. May there be hardly any temple or festival in your name."  So it came to pass that there are only two temples of Brahma in India; one at Pushkar, Rajistan and the other in Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu.  Undaunted by the curse, Brahma continued to cast his lustful looks upon Saraswati.  He gave himself a fifth head to enhance his gaze.

Brahma's action motivated by desire confined consciousness and excited the ego.  It disturbed the serenity of the cosmos and roused Shiva, the supreme ascetic from his meditation.  Shiva opened his eyes, sensed Saraswati's discomfort and in a fit of rage turned into Bhairava, lord of terror.  His eyes were red, his growl menacing.  He lunged towards Brahma and with his sharp claws, wretched off Brahma's fifth head.  The violence subdued Brahma's passion.  Brahma's cut head seared through Bhairava's flesh and clung to his hand sapping him of all his strength and driving him mad.  The lord of terror ranted and raved losing control of his senses.  Saraswati, pleased with Bhairava's timely action, rushed to his rescue.  With her gentle touch she nursed him like a child, restoring his sanity.  Brahma, sobered by his encounter with the Lord of terror sought an escape from the maze of his own desire.  Saraswati revealed to him the doctrine for his own liberation.  Brahma sought to conduct a yagna, fire sacrifice, to cleanse himself and start anew.  In order to conduct a yagna ritual the assistance of a wife is needed.  Brahma chose Saraswati to be his wife and thus they were reconciled. 

Lava stone statues from Bali do not need much maintenance.  The best way to maintain the statue is to simply dust the piece periodically to keep any dirt from accumulating.  They can be used for both indoor and outdoor use. 

Soap and warm water is the best way to maintain the statue.  You can use a small brush to get into the small crevices of the statue like the hands and hair. 

Lava stone's durability makes it perfect for cold winters and hot summers of any climate.  The stone can stand up to the harshest conditions of heat and bitter cold.  We suggest you bathe the sculpture at least once a year so that dirt does not collect on the sculpture.  This will maintain the sculpture for your grandchildren and then their grandchildren!

If you have any questions concerning your lava stone statue please email us at info@lotussculpture.com or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.

Below are listed testimonials from our customers who have ordered a statue from Lotus Sculpture in stone.  All of the pieces are large, hand made statues carved from one piece of stone taking many months.  The ability of our sculptors to breathe life into stone is a testament to their skill and artistry! 

5 foot Buddha garden Buddha statue

"I just thought I send a quick email to thank you for my beautiful Buddha!! We love it! It's such a beautiful peace of art. The sculptors have done an amazing job. They are so gifted!!" Narin in Melbourne Australia

"Yes, the Ganesh arrived in perfect condition and has been installed. Here are some pictures to prove it. We are so delighted to have him!" Leslie in Wayland, Massachusetts

8 foot Dancing Ganesh statue

7 foot Japanese Buddha Statue

"We've had hundreds of thousands of dollars of landscaping done to our property, but this Buddha truly makes our backyard!" Gail in Greenwich, Connecticut

"Here he is in his new home! We absolutely love him! Thanks again!" Corinne in Ardsley, New York

3 foot tall lava stone Buddha

18 inch fat and happy Buddha

"I finally delivered the smiling Buddha to my 82 year old mother. She has been extremely pleased with his smile, rain (lots of it in Seattle) or shine." Chris in Seattle, Washington

USA Shipping

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate packing. Shipping is calculated from Oceanside, California after the purchase. This piece is too heavy to ship via UPS ground and will be shipped using R&L Freight Carriers. Approximately 3 working days are needed to pack the sculpture in its own custom wood crate. If you place your order online shipping will show in the order as $0. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA to determine the shipping price. Shipping will then be added to the total after the order is placed. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote.

International Shipping

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This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate packing. Shipping is calculated from Oceanside, California after the purchase. This piece is too heavy to ship via UPS ground and will be shipped using an international freight service. Typically we use TNT Special Services as they give the most competitive rates. Approximately 3 working days are needed to pack the sculpture in its own custom wood crate. If you place your order online shipping will show in the order as $0. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, CA to determine the shipping price. The shipping quote will be emailed to you and no charge will be made without your approval. Shipping will then be added to the total after the order is placed. Please call 760-994-4455 or email us info@lotussculpture.com for a shipping quote.