| Vishwakarma | |
|---|---|
| Creator of All other God, Craftsmen and architects | |
| Devanagari | विश्वकर्मा |
| Sanskrit Transliteration | viśvakarmā |
| Affiliation | Parabrahman |
| Abode | Cosmos existing within him |
| Mantra | AUM |
| Weapon | No need of weapon |
| Consort | Vageeswari/ Aditi |
| Mount | No need of a mount |
Viśvákarma (Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा viśvá-karman "all-accomplishing; all-creator", Tamil: Vicuvakaruman, Thai: Witsanuphrom) is the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects.[1] He is believed by Hindus to be the "Principal Universal Architect", the architect who fabricated and designed the divine architecture of the Universe, the Lord of Creation.
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Vishwakarma is visualized as the Ultimate reality in Rig veda,[2] from whose navel all visible things emanate. The same imagery is seen in Yajurveda purusha sukta, where the divine smith Tvastar originates from Vishwakarma.[3] This concept developed later in the puranic period as Padmanabha. As he is invoked as AJA the unborn [4], he is the primordial personification of the upanishadic abstract concept Parabrahman.
In Vedic period the term first appeared as an epithet of Indra, Surya, and Agni. In that time Brahma might have been hidden in the concept of Vasthospathy or Brahmanaspathi.[5] In the last phase of vedic period and during the growth of monotheism, the top position of God was gradually assigned to Vishwakarma[6] who was perceived as a hotar, a universal father, the creator and an all seeing god who has faces, eyes and feet on every side; and who produced all the Heavenly, Earthly and other Celestial realms and preserves them through the exercise of his arms and wings. He is the name giver of all later gods. He sacrificed himself to himself for the evolution of this visible world, thus he is Purusha.[7] His attributes like Vachaspathy[8] connect him with Brahaspati (the Guru of Gods). Again, Yajurveda pictured him as Prajapati[9] (the Lord of Creation), and in the Atharva veda he is[10] Pasupathy. Shwethashwatharopanishad described him as the one who is dwelling in all living forms.[11] Later in the post vedic period, the term appeared as a Rsi as well as a Silpi. The Rsi Bhuvana Vishwakarma (Atharva/Angirasa Gothra) was the author of Rg 10-81,82 suktha, whereas Silpi Vishwakarma (Prabasa Vishwakarma) was probably the son of Prabhas, the eighth hermit of the legendary Astam vasu and Yogasiddha, sister of Brihaspati. He is said to have revealed the Sthapatyaveda or fourth Upa-veda, and presides over the sixty-four mechanical arts.
Vishvakarma created five Brahmas/prajapathies - from his five faces.[12] They were Manu, Maya, Twosta, Silpy, Viswajna and their respective Rishis were
In later puranas he is sometimes identified with vedic Tvastr.[13] Silpy Vishwakarma is the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons and divine attributes. Vishwakarma is also credited with creating the missiles used in the mythological era, including the Vajra, the sacred weapon of Lord Indra, from the bones of sage Dadhichi. He is regarded as the supreme worker, the very essence of excellence and quality in craftsmanship.[14]
In Mahabharata and Harivamsa, he is a son of the Vasu Prabhasa and Yoga-siddha. The Mahabharata describes him as "The Lord of the Arts, Executor of a thousand Handicrafts, the Carpenter of the Gods, the most eminent of Artisans, the Fashioner of all ornaments ... and a great and immortal God..." He has four hands, wears a crown and a large amount of gold jewelry and holds a water-pot, a book, a noose, and craftsman's tools in his hands.
In some other Puranas he is the the father of Barhishmatî and Samjna. The Ramayana represents him as having built the island-city of Lanka for the Rakshasas, and as having generated the ape Nala, who made Rama's bridge from the continent to the island; Actually the name Vishva-karman, meaning, doing all acts", appears to be sometimes applicable as an epithet to any great divinity.
Vishwakarma is known as the divine engineer of the world. As a mark of reverence he is not only worshipped by the engineering and architectural community but also by all professionals. It is customary for craftsmen to worship their tools in his name.
Like other gods, Vishwakarma is attributed a putative birthday by the Hindu religion. The more philosophical minded argue that it is impossible for the original Creator of everything to be born on a particular day. It is a contradiction in terms since that presupposes another creator for Vishwakarma. The Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated in all parts of India, especially in West Bengal Rajasthan Uttarakhand (Dehardun).
Even among those who believe that there is a birthday there is no agreement as to when it actually occurs. Visvakarma birthday is celebrated on two days under different names:
Hindu scriptures describe many of Vishwakarma's architectural accomplishments.
Through the four yugas (aeons of Hindu mythology), he had built several towns and palaces for the gods. Among them were, in chronological order, Svarga (Heaven) in the Satya Yuga, Lanka in the Treta Yuga, and Dwarka (Krishna's capital) in the Dwapara Yuga.
According to Ramayana, 'Sone ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka was the place where the demon king Ravana dwelled in the "Treta yuga." As we read in the epic story Ramayana, this was also the place where Ravana kept Sita, Lord Ram's wife as a hostage. There is also a story behind the construction of Golden Lanka. When Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Viswakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside. Vishwakarma put up a palace made of gold. For the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Ravana to perform the "Grihapravesh" ritual. After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Ravana to ask anything in return as "Dakshina", Ravana, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself. Shiva was obliged to accede to Ravana's wish, and the Golden Lanka became Ravana's palace. Again, the traditional sources point to Mayasura as the architect and his daughter Mandodri married Ravana (Mayan was the son of viswakarama).
Viswakarma is also supposed to have built Dwarka, the capital of Lord Krishna. During the time of the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is said to have lived in Dwarka, and made it his "Karma Bhoomi" or center of operation. That is why this place in western India (today's Gujarat) has become a well known pilgrimage for the Hindus.
1. Althan, Surat(Gujarat).
2. Chaniya(Punjab).
3. Vishwakarma Mandir, Vishwakarma Colony, Bhandari Bagh-1, Dehradun (Uttarakhand).
4. Jalandhar(Punjab).
5. Banga Road( PhagwaraPunjab.
6. Barmer (Rajasthan.)
7. Viswakarma Temple, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
8. Mansarovar(Jaipur).
9. Reengus(Sikar).
10. Viswakarma Group of Temples at Brahmamgari Matham in Kadapa District.
11. Viswakarma Mandir, Nabha Distt: Patiala.Punjab.
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