| Brahma | |
|---|---|
Brahma carving at a temple in Halebidu |
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| The Creator | |
| Devanagari | ब्रह्मा |
| Sanskrit Transliteration | Brahma |
| Tamil script | பிரம்மன் |
| Tamil Transliteration | Piramman |
| Affiliation | Deva (Trimurti) |
| Abode | Satyaloka (Brahmaloka), not to be confused with Brahmaloka-sanatana – abode of Brahman (Vishnu) |
| Consort | Saraswati |
| Mount | Hamsa (Swan or goose) |
Brahma (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा; IAST:Brahma) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the Mahābhārata, he is often referred to as the progenitor or great grandsire of all human beings. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedānta philosophy known as Brahman, which is genderless. Brahma's wife is Saraswati. He has two other wives Savitri and Gayatri. All his three wives are Vedic Goddesses and are revered as Vedamata meaning Mother of the Vedas. Brahma is often identified with Prajapati, a Vedic deity.
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In Sanskrit grammar, the noun stem brahman forms two distinct nouns; one is a neuter noun bráhman, whose nominative singular form is brahma ब्रह्म; this noun has a generalized and abstract meaning.
Contrasted to the neuter noun is the masculine noun brahmán, whose nominative singular form is Brahma ब्रह्मा. This noun is used to refer to a person, and as the proper name of a deity Brahma it is the subject matter of the present article.
Variations of the god's name include the following.
At the beginning of the process of creation, Brahma created ten Prajapatis (used in another sense), who are believed to be the fathers of the human race. The Manusmriti enumerates them as Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratuj, Vashishta, Pracetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, and Nārada.[1] He is also said to have created the seven great sages or the Saptarishi to help him create the universe. However since all these sons of his were born out of his mind rather than body, they are called Manas Putras or mind-sons or spirits.
Within Vedic and Purānic scripture Brahma is described as only occasionally interfering in the affairs of the other devas (gods), and even more rarely in mortal affairs. He did force Soma to give Tara back to her husband, Brihaspati. He is considered the father of Dharma and Atri.
According to the Puranas, Brahma is self-born in the lotus flower. Another legend says that Brahma was born in water. A seed that later became the golden egg. From this 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.
The image depiction displaying the connection by lotus between Brahma and Vishnu can also be taken as a symbolism for the primordial fetus and primordial placenta. The placenta is generated upon conception, but only the fetus continues into the world afterward. Likewise, Brahma is involved in creation, but Vishnu continues thereafter.
Today, India has very few temples dedicated to Brahma. Among the few that exist today, the most famous is the temple in Pushkar in Rajasthan. Others include two in Thirunavaya, Thiruvallam in Kerala and one in the temple town of Kumbakonam, (Thanjavur District) in Tamil Nadu. Pujas are held for Brahma at the temple in Thirunavaya and during Navaratri. One more temple is at khedbrahma in Gujarat.
He is clad in red clothes. 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 (especially in North India), indicating the nearly eternal nature of his existence. Unlike most other Hindu gods, Brahma holds no weapons. One of his hands holds a scepter. Another of his hands holds a bow. Brahma also holds a string of prayer beads called the 'akshamālā' (literally "garland of eyes"), which He uses to keep track of the Universe's time. He is also shown holding the Vedas.
There are many other stories in the Purānas about the gradual decrease in Lord Brahma's importance. Followers of Hinduism believe that Humans cannot afford to lose the blessings of Brahma and Saraswati, without whom the populace would lack creativity, knowledge to solve mankind's woes.
The Four Hands – Brahma's four arms represent the four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north. The back right hand represents mind, the back left hand represents intellect, the front right hand is ego, and the front left hand is self-confidence.
The Prayer beads – Symbolize the substances used in the process of creation.
The Book – The book symbolizes knowledge.
The Gold – Gold symbolizes activity; the golden face of Brahma indicates that He is actively involved in the process of creating the Universe.
The Swan – The swan is the symbol of grace and discernment. Brahma uses the swan as his vāhana, or his carrier or vehicle.
The Crown – Lord Brahma's crown indicates His supreme authority.
The Lotus – The lotus symbolizes nature and the living essence of all things and beings in the Universe.
The Beard – Brahma's black or white beard denotes wisdom and the eternal process of creation.
The Four Faces – The four Vedas (Rik, Sāma, Yajuh and Atharva). The Vedas Symbolises his four faces, heads and arms
Brahma's vehicle or vahana is the hamsa.
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Though almost all Hindu religious rites involve prayer to Brahma, very few temples are dedicated to His worship. Among the most prominent is the Brahma temple at Pushkar. Once a year, on Kartik Poornima, the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (October – November), a religious festival is held in Brahma's honour. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy Pushkar Lake adjacent to the temple.
Temples to Brahma also exist in Thirunavaya in Kerala, in the temple town of Kumbakonam in the Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu in Kodumudi, Tamil Nadu in Asotra village in Balotra taluka of Rajasthan's Barmer district, known as Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha.In the coastal state of Goa,a shrine belonging to 5th century AD, in the small, remote village of Carambolim in the Sattari Taluka in the northeast region of the state is found. Regular pujas are held for Lord Brahma at the temple in Thirunavaya, and during Navrathris this temple comes to life with colourful festivities. There is also a shrine for Brahma within the Brahmapureeswarar Temple in Thirupatur, near Trichy, and a famous murti of Brahma exists at Mangalwedha, 52 km from the Solapur district of Maharashtra. Statues of Brahma may be found in Khedbrahma, Gujarat, and in Sopara near Mumbai. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the temple town of Sri Kalahasti near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The largest and most famous shrine to Lord Brahma may be found in Cambodia's Angkor Wat.
In Java, Indonesia, the 9th century Prambanan Trimurti temple mainly is dedicated to Shiva, however Brahma and Vishnu also venerated in separate large shrines inside the temple compound, a single large shrine dedicated to Brahma on southern side of Shiva temple. There is a statue of Brahma at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. The golden dome of the Government House of Thailand also contains a statue of Phra Phrom (Thai representation of Brahma).
Satyaloka is by 120,000,000 yojanas above Tapoloka. Thus the distance from the Sun to Satyaloka is 233,800,000 yojanas, or 1,870,400,000 miles. The Vaikuṇṭha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka. "In the Padma Puranam it has been definitely stated that on the four sides of the spiritual sky there is four different transcendental abodes occupied by Vasudeva, Samkarshan, Pradyumna and Aniruddha respectively. So also in the material sky also they are similarly placed on all the four sides. The Vaikuṇṭha sphere which is covered with spiritual water is inhabited by Vasudeva and this Vaikuntha is known as Devavatipur. Above the Satyaloka there is Vishnuloka where Sankarshan resides. In the middle of the Ocean of Milk there is an island called Swetadwipa which is resided in by Aniruddha lying on the bed of Ananta."(Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter 5 [Handwritten])[1]
"Lord Brahma's day, consisting of his 12 hours, lasts 4 billion 320 million years, and his night is of the same duration."(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.8.2–5) [2]
Brahma has his own sampradaya. Brahma appeared on a lotus flower which sprouted from the navel of Garbhodakashayi Vishnu. After meditation Brahma created 14 planetary systems and many living beings came there in 8400000 kinds of material bodies according to their past desires. Brahma received Vedas from Om, and this Brahma-sampradaya is transmitting knowledge from Om Himself to Earth. As our Brahma is devotee of Om just like other Brahmas in other material universes, we have this Brahma sampradaya.
This section, and the foregoing, provide interesting insight into the way devotees of one of the Trimurti, in this case Om, relegate another of the three to devotee status. Here, Om is established as "supreme God," using a Vaisnavite-oriented scripture as evidence.
Brahma's prayers are recorded in Brahma-samhita. From this scripture we know that Brahma is devotee of Om the empty space everlasting peace and abode, and what is home for both material, non-material and spiritual universes. According to Brahma's authority we can know that Om is the Supreme God. Brahma says: Om is the Supreme God. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes. Brahma lets us know that all Brahma is one of many Brahmas who is one of many material universes which appear from Om's breathing out. Brahma samhita is important scripture of Brahma-sampradaya which lets us know about material and spiritual from Brahma, who is first lving being in this material world. Brahma created material planets in this material world on order of Om, and we can know that still Brahma is not topmost personality in this universe, as even he worships Om. Brahma lives for his 1000,000,000 years of Brahma, however even after Brahma has to leave his material body, Om remains always in Om's eternal spiritual body also after dissolution of material universe. Even when all material universes become unmanifested and Om breathes in Om remains untouched by material nature. Brahma lets us know that supreme abode in spiritual world is Om the empty space which is God filled by all matter, and that abode is always manifested by matter, antimatter, remnants of bigbang. So Brahma worships only the Om or Aum: I worship Om, the primeval God. So Brahma says that Om Govinda is source of countless eternal spiritual universes and temporary (which means they are either manifested or unmanifested) material/antimatter universes.
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