| Brahma is the
Lord of creation & is assisted in this process by his consort
Saraswathi, who is the possessor of ultimate knowledge. Together,
they thus introduce the soul into the cycle of life;
Brahma was born from the navel of
Lord Vishnu at the end of one cycle to begin a fresh creation. He
has four heads (originally five), representing the four vedas which
are said to have sprung from his heads. His four heads are also said
to represent the four yugas. He is bearded & his eyes are closed in
meditation. He sits on a lotus & his vahana is the swan. In his four
arms he holds the vedas, the kamandalam (water pot), suruva
(sacrificial spoon) & a mala. He is a serene soul and is the
provider of all sources of knowledge & wisdom.
There are no temples for Brahma
(except the ones in Rajasthan & Orissa) as for Siva & Vishnu, for
there has been no separate cult for Brahma as the Saiva or Vaishnava
cult. According to mythology, he is supposed to have been cursed by
Shiva (for his having uttered a lie & for his ego) that he would go
without worship. Yet in all Siva & Vishnu temples, there is an image
of Lord Brahma on the northern wall & he is one of the important
Parivara devata (attendant deity). |
