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Thus Brahma is the source, the seed, of all that
is. He is, as his very name indicates, boundless immensity, from
which space, time and causation originate, names and forms
spring up. Philosophically, he is the first stage of
manifestation of the notion of individual existence (Ahai1kara).
Theologically, he is the uncreated creator (Svayambhu), the
self-born first Person.
He has several designations which are as instructive as they are
interesting. From the cosmological point of view he is the
Golden Embryo (Hiranyagarbha), the ball of fire, from which the
universe develops. Since all created beings are his progency, he
is Prajapati,' the lord of progeny, as also Pitamaha, the
patriarch. He is Vidhi, the ordinator, and Lokesa, the master of
the worlds, as well as Dhatr, the sustainer. He is also
Visvakarma, the architect of the world.
Hindu mythological literature describes Brahma as having sprung
from the lotus orginating from the navel of Visnu. Hence he is
called Nabhija (navel-born), Kafija (water-born) and so on.
Curiously enough, the name Narayana ('one who dwells in the
causal waters' or 'the abode of man') has been applied to him
first and only later to Visnu.
Brahma, the creator, and Sarasvatl, his consort, are the subject
of several tales in our mythological literature. They can be
summaraised briefly thus:
.(1) Brahma was born out of the golden egg produced in the
boundless causal waters. His consort Vac or Sarasvati was
manifested out of him. From their union were born all the
creatures of the world.
(2) Brahma represents the Vedas and Sarasvati their spirit and
meaning. Hence, all knowledge, sacred and secular, has proceeded
from them.
(3) Once Brahma became the boar and raised the earth from
beneath the waters and created the world, the sages and
Prajapatis. (This story was later transferred to Visnu).
(4) The forms of tortoise and fish (later considered as Avataras
of Visnu) have been attributed to Brahma also.
(5) The great sages MarlcI, Atri, Ai1giras and others are his
'mind-born' children. Manu, the Adam of the Aryan race, is his
great-grandson.
(6) He is easily pleased by austerities and bestows boons on the
supplicants, be they gods, demons or men.
(7) He is the inventor of the theatrical art. Music, dance and
stagecraft were revealed by him.
(8) He was the chief priest who performed the mar?riage of Siva
with Parvati.
In spite of the fact that Brahma is God the Supreme in the
creative aspect and is an equally important member of the Hindu
Trinity, it is strange that there are no temples dedicated
exclusively to him, the one at Puskar being the solitary
exception. Notwithstanding the crude reasons given in some of
the Pural).as for this loss of Brahma's prestige, some scholars
opine*[* See The Cult of Brahma, by Tarapada Bhattacarya,
pp.88-89.] that the Brahma cult was predominant in the pre-Vedic
Hinduism and was super?seded or suppressed by the later Siva-
Visnu cults.
In fact, the evolution of the Sakti concept-each of the gods
Siva and Visnu having his Sakti or Power as his consort-and the
explanation that creation proceeds out of the combination of the
god and his Sakti, has made Brahma superfluous.
The icon of Brahma has four heads facing the four quarters; and
they represent the four Vedas, the four Yugas (epochs of time),
and the four Varnas (divisions of society based on nature,
nurture and vocation). Usually, the faces have beards and the
eyes are closed in meditation. There are four arms holding
different objects and in different poses. The arms represent the
four quarters. The objects usually shown are: Aksamala (rosary),
Kurca (a brush of Kusa grass), Sruk (ladle), Sruva (spoon),
Kamandalu (water pot) and Pustaka (book). The combination and
arrangement vary from image to image. The rosary represents
time, and the water pot, the causal waters, from which all
creation has sprung. So, Brahma controls time as well as the
principle of causation. The Kusa grass, the ladle and the spoon
being sacrificial implements, represent the system of sacrifices
which is the means to be adopted by the various creatures to
sustain one another. The book represents knowledge, sacred and
secular. He is the giver of all knowledge-arts, sciences and
wisdom.
The poses of the hand (Mudras) are Abhaya (assuring protection)
and Varada (granting boons).
The icon may be either in standing posture (standing on a lotus)
or in sitting posture (sitting on a Harhsa or swan). Harhsa, his
vehicle, stands for discrimination and wisdom.
Sometimes, Brahma is shown as riding in a chariot drawn by seven
swans, standing for the seven worlds.
In temples exclusively dedicated to Brahma, his aspect as
Visvakarma (the architect of the universe) is adopted. In this
form he is shown as having four heads, four arms holding the
rosary, the book, the Kusa grass and the water pot, and riding
on his swan.
Every temple, be it of Siva, or Visnu, must have a niche in the
northern wall for Brahma, and his image must receive worship
every day since he is an important Parivaradevata (attendant of
the Chief-deity).
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