Brahma is one of the principal deities of the Hindu religion and he is considered the creator of the universe. Together with Vishnu and Shiva they form the “Trimurti” or divine trinity of Hinduism’s supreme deities.
Lord Brahma is typically depicted as a white bearded man with four faces, representing the four Vedas, and four arms. In his hands he is holding a ladle (sacrificial tool), the Vedas, mala beads (a rosary), and a water-pot. He is often shown seated on a lotus flower, which symbolizes purity and detachment, or riding the Hamsa, his swan mount.
Although Lord Brahma is an important figure in Hindu mythology, his worship has declined over time, and there are only a few temples dedicated to him in India. There are several reasons for this:
Featured image: RajeshUnuppally, Brahma Wooden Carvings at the Vazhappally Temple, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Table of Contents
- Lord Brahma’s Controversial Mythology
- Brahma’s Entire Life is Just One Breath of Vishnu
- Reasons Why Brahma is Not Worshipped by Hindus
- Brahma’s Illusory Universe: A Deeper Look
Lord Brahma’s Controversial Mythology
There are certain controversies surrounding Lord Brahma’s mythology that may have contributed to his decline in worship. Although the stories about Brahma in the various Puranas are diverse and inconsistent, the following well known legends from Hindu texts provide some valuable insight:
The Story of Brahma and the Shiva Lingam
According to Hindu mythology, there is a story where Shiva cursed Brahma. The story goes that once, Brahma and Vishnu had an argument about who was the superior deity among them. All of a sudden, they heard a voice and a massive lightning pillar appeared before them. The voice challenged them to find the end of the pillar, and whoever could succeed in finding it would be deemed the greatest.
Lord Vishnu headed towards the bottom while Brahma ascended to the top. Upon returning, Vishnu conceded his defeat, having been unable to locate the end. Conversely, Brahma as he headed towards the top, he saw a Ketaki flower falling from above and asked it where it had come from. The flower replied that it had been placed at the top by a devotee. Brahma decided to use this as evidence to declare that he had found the top. He also persuaded the flower to give false testimony of his victory.
However, the voice belonged to Lord Shiva, and the lightning pillar was, in fact, a Shiva Lingam. Lord Shiva, who was present as a witness, saw Brahma’s deception and got furious with his lies. In his anger, he cursed Brahma that he would never be worshipped again. Lord Shiva also cursed the Ketaki flower never to be used in worship or ceremonial offering.
The Story of Brahma and Sage Bhrigu
According to Hindu mythology, Bhrigu was one of the seven great sages or “Saptarishis” who were created by Lord Brahma. Brighu was known for his immense knowledge and wisdom, and he was highly respected by all the gods and sages.
One day, Bhrighu decided to perform a special yajna (sacrificial ritual) to determine which of the Hindu trinity of gods – Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva – was the most powerful. As part of the ritual, he visited each of the gods to test them.
When he first visited Lord Brahma, he was ignored and not given the respect he deserved. This made Bhrigu angry, and he cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped by humans again. Brahma felt ashamed and since then he had been reciting the Vedas in repentance.
The Story of Brahma and Shatarupa
Originally, Lord Brahma had five heads. According to the myth, after creating the universe and all the living beings, Lord Brahma created a female deity known as Shatarupa, to be his daughter and consort.
Shatarupa, was so beautiful that Brahma fell in love with her. Whenever Shatarupa tried to move away from him, Brahma would turn his heads so that he could always see her wherever she went. In a desperate attempt to evade his gaze, Shatarupa jumped high in the sky over Brahma. However, Brahma sprouted a head above the other four to continue staring at her. Following, Shatarupa tried to hide in the form of a cow, but Brahma found it out and turned into a bull and started chasing her.
These actions of Lord Brahma angered Lord Shiva, who intervened. He admonished Lord Brahma for his unholy and unacceptable behavior, and, consumed with anger, cut off Brahma’s fifth head as a punishment.
Shatarupa, also known as the “one with a hundred forms” or the “all-beautiful”, was a deity. She married Manu, the first man and their descendants are referred to as “manushya”, which is the Sanskrit word for mankind.
Variations to the legend
According to another variation of the legend, Brahma was infatuated with the beauty of his wife Saraswati and could not resist his desire for her. In an attempt to evade Brahma’s advances, Saraswati took various forms – a cow, a mare, and a river – but Brahma persisted.
Eventually, Lord Shiva intervened and created a goddess named Shatarupa, who was so captivating that Brahma grew a fifth head to behold her beauty from every angle. Shiva then severed one of Brahma’s heads as a punishment for his inappropriate desires.
It is important to note that different sects and traditions within Hinduism have different interpretations of these stories, and some may not see the curse as reason enough for the decline in Brahma’s worship.
Brahma’s Entire Life is Just One Breath of Vishnu
Unlike Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, who are considered eternal, Lord Brahma is said to have a limited lifespan of 100 divine years or 311.04 trillion human years. In Hindu mythology and cosmogony, it is believed that one day of Brahma’s life is equivalent to 4.32 billion human years. Each such day is called a “kalpa” and is the period of time for one cycle of creation and destruction of the universe.
The cycle of creation and destruction is believed to repeat for a total of 100 Brahma years or 311.04 trillion human years. This period is called “maha kalpa”. At the end of the 100 Brahma years, Lord Brahma is believed to merge into Brahman who is the Ultimate Reality.
It is believed that during this entire period of the “maha kalpa”, Lord Vishnu, who is the preserver of the universe, takes one breath. When Vishnu inhales, the universe goes in a state of dissolution, known as “Pralaya”. Similarly, when he exhales, Brahma is born anew and starts the process of creation once again.
Reasons Why Brahma is Not Worshipped by Hindus
Brahma’s Limited Role
Unlike other major deities like Shiva and Vishnu, Brahma has a limited role in Hindu mythology. He is said to have created the universe, but after that, his role is not emphasized as much. Brahma is not involved in picturesque stories like the other gods and has a more abstract representation. This might have made his worship less popular than that of other deities who have a more significant and ongoing role in Hindu mythology. Consequently, these deities managed to have a more popular following or seen as more relevant to people’s lives.
Brahma’s Complex Mythology
Brahma’s mythology is complex and often contradictory. For example, there are different versions of his creation story, and he is sometimes depicted as being less powerful than other deities. This might have made it difficult for people to understand and connect with his mythology, leading to a decline in his worship.
Brahma’s Lack of Temples
Unlike other major deities, there are very few temples of Lord Brahma. In fact, there is only one major temple dedicated to Brahma in India, located in Pushkar, Rajasthan. This lack of temples might have contributed to the decline in his worship.
Conclusion
Overall, the decline in Brahma’s worship is likely due to a combination of factors, including his limited role in mythology, his replacement by other deities, the lack of many temples, and complex and contradictory mythology.
Brahma’s Illusory Universe: A Deeper Look
According to one of the most widely accepted stories in the Puranas, Brahma was born from a lotus flower that grew from the navel of Lord Vishnu. In essence, this represents the birth of a soul into the physical world, the world of illusion or “Maya”. Only souls that have not yet attained enlightenment are born into the illusory world of Maya and remain attracted to its superficial allure. From the above stories, it becomes evident that Lord Brahma is trapped in the illusion of Maya. Nowhere is this more evident than in the story of Shatarupa.
Brahma is known as the creator of the universe, but this is not the primordial, eternal universe. This is a subjective universe, the universe of our perception. Our understanding of reality is incomplete and influenced by our biases, resulting in ignorance that traps us in the illusory world of Maya. This world of Maya is created by the Brahma within us and Shatarupa represents this world, which has countless forms that attract and entice individuals.
Brahma’s attraction to his own daughter represents our deluded ego, attached to our self-created world of illusions. Consequently, Shiva’s destruction of Brahma’s fifth head signifies the destruction of the illusory world of Maya created by our own Brahma.
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