Brahma (deity)

Symbol(s): Lotus; swan

Culture: Hinduism

Children: 11 Prajapatis; 4 Kumaras; Narada

According to Hindu cosmology, Brahma is the creator of the universe and all beings. He is one of the Hindu trinity along with Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. Hinduism believes that he has been entrusted with the task of creating the universe at the end of each cycle of destruction. He gave birth to manasputras (sons born out of his mind) to help him in the task of creating the universe. He is also the one who writes the destinies of humans at the time of their birth.

He is depicted as a four headed figure riding a swan. His four heads face the four compass points and his four mouths chant the four Vedas. He performs his function of creation with the help of the Vedic mantras. He is also known as Svayambhu ("self-born") and is considered to be the lord of speech. His consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning and education.

His abode is the mythical land known as Satyaloka or Brahmaloka, which is located on top of Mount Meru. However, he enjoys an inferior position to Vishnu and Shiva and there are hardly any temples dedicated to him. The one at Pushkar in Rajasthan, India and Erawan temple in Thailand are two of them.

In Mythology

The Puranas contain several stories that impart moral teachings. One such story is that of Shiva and Brahma. It shows how Shiva taught Brahma a lesson when the latter became arrogant. The story says that initially Brahma had five heads: four facing the four cardinal directions and the fifth one facing upwards. Once there was a debate between Brahma and Vishnu as to who was superior amongst the gods, with each claiming himself to be the greatest amongst all. A few gods took the side of Brahma while others pledged their support for Vishnu. For a long time the debate continued with no conclusion in sight. Suddenly a huge pillar of fire appeared and a voice from within the pillar informed Brahma and Vishnu that whoever could find the beginning and end of the pillar would be considered to be the superior deity. Vishnu took the form of a boar and set out to find the bottom of the pillar. Brahma mounted his swan and flew off to find the beginning of the fire pillar. After a long time when Vishnu could not find the end of the pillar he accepted his defeat and asked for forgiveness. However, Brahma in his arrogance refused to accept his defeat and lied saying he had indeed found the beginning of the pillar. Angered by his arrogance Shiva appeared before Brahma in the form of Kal Bhairav (a manifestation of Shiva) and tore off Brahma’s fifth head. Embarrassed, Brahma asked for forgiveness from Shiva and vowed to never lie again. Shiva cursed Brahma for lying, saying the latter would never be worshipped by humans and would have no temples dedicated to him.

Puranas state that Brahma is the creator of time and therefore the age of the universe is directly correlated to Brahma’s age. As per Hindu time cycles, 4.32 billion human years is equivalent to one day of Brahma. Hindu cosmology believes that the universe will be destroyed when Brahma completes one hundred years.

Origins and Cults

There are numerous stories with regard to the birth or origin of Brahma. It is said that once the Supreme Being Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma), also known as Para Brahman, wished to create the universe. He first created the eternal waters and then placed his seed in it. A golden egg developed from the dropped seed and Brahma emerged from the egg to create the universe and all the beings. Hence Brahma is also called Hiranyagarbha, meaning "one born from a golden egg." The Shatapatha Brahmana (a Vedic text belonging to the eighth–sixth centuries BCE) states that Brahma was born out of the union of Para Brahman and the female energy called Maya that pervades the entire universe. Some of the scriptures are also of the opinion that Brahma is self-born within a lotus that emerges from the navel of Vishnu. Brahma is said to emerge out of the lotus at the end of each cycle or age after Shiva destroys the universe, to begin the process of creation anew.

Hindu religious rituals contain several prayers and invocations dedicated to Brahma but there are very few temples dedicated to him. However, Agama shastras (rules of temple construction) require that every temple tower, located above the sanctum sanctorum, carry an image of the Trimurtis (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). The most famous temple built in honor of Brahma is located in the city of Pushkar, Rajasthan. This temple is renowned for the Kartik Poornima festival held in honor of the chief deity Brahma. The festival falls either in the month of October or November. During the full moon night of the Hindu month of Kartik, devotees throng to the temple to take bath in the holy Pushkar Lake situated adjacent to the temple.

Besides Pushkar, some of the other Brahma temples found in India are located at Tirunavaya (Kerala), Srikalahasti (Andhra Pradesh), Bangalore (Karnataka), Asotra (Rajasthan), and Khokan (Himachal Pradesh). The Erawan shrine in Bangkok, Thailand is a famous Brahma temple located outside India. Exclusive shrines to Brahma can also be found at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and Prambanan temple complex at Java (Indonesia).

Bibliography

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