GODS and GODDESSES
Brahma - Lord of Creation - One of the Trinities
 
Brahma - The Lord of creation with his consort Saraswathi - Goddess of wisdom
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).
Ashtalakshmi temple, Besant Nagar, Chennai
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