Lord Brahma,
Hindu God of Creation
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Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the
Trimurti, the others two Hindu Gods in
the Trimurti are
Vishnu and
Shiva. Brahmas consort is
Saraswati, the goddess of learning.
According
to the Puranas, Brahma is a self-born from a
lotus flower which grew from the
navel of
Vishnu
at the beginning of the universe. Thus comes one of his names
Nabhija
(born from the navel). Another legend says that Brahma was born in
water. In this he deposited a seed that later became the golden egg.
From the golden egg, Brahma, the creator was born, as
Hiranyagarbha. The remaining materials of this golden egg
expanded into the Brahm-anda or Universe. Being born in water,
Brahma is also called Kanja (born in water). Brahma is said
also to be the son of the Supreme Being, Brahman and the
female energy known as Prakrti or Maya.
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The Great Hindu Trinity; The Trimurti-Shiva,
Brahma & Vishnu |
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The Birth of Brahma from the Naval of Vishnu |
Brahma is
traditionally depicted with four heads, four faces and four arms.
With each head he continually recites one of the four Vedas. He is
often depicted with a white beard, indicating the near eternal
nature of his existence. 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 scepter in the form of a spoon, which is associated
with the pouring of holy ghee or oil into a sacrificial pyre -
indicating the fact that Brahma is the lord of sacrifices. Another
of his hands holds a water-pot (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. He also is shown holding the
Vedas, and sometimes, a lotus flower. |
| Another story in
connection with Brahma's four heads is that when Brahma was creating
the universe, he made a female deity known as Shatarupā (one with a
hundred beautiful forms). Brahma became immediately infatuated.
Shatarupā moved in various directions to avoid the gaze of Brahma.
But wherever she went, Brahma developed a head. Thus, Brahma
developed five heads, one on each side and one above the others. In
order to control Brahma,
Shiva cut off the top head. Also,
Shiva felt that Shatarupā was
Brahma's daughter/son, being created by him. Therefore,
Shiva determined, it was wrong for
Brahma to become obsessed with her. He directed that there be no
proper worship in India for the "unholy" Brahma. Thus, only
Vishnu and
Shiva continue to be worshipped,
while Brahma is almost totally ignored. Ever since the incident,
Brahma has been reciting the four Vedas in his attempt at
repentance. |
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The Bhagavata Purana
includes a story wherein the Brahma of our universe is called by
Krishna
to meet with the Brahmas of other worlds, some of which have many
more than four heads, counting into the many thousands in some
instances for Brahma's in control of universes much larger than our
own.
arate milk and water from a mixture of the two. The significance of
this is that justice should be dispensed to all creatures, however
entwined it might be in a situation. Also
Brahma's vehicle is a divine
Swan. This divine bird is bestowed
with a virtue called Neera-Ksheera Viveka or the ability to sep,
this virtue indicates that one should learn to separate the good
from the evil and then accept that which is valuable and discard
that which is worthless or evil.
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