Brahma (IAST: Brahmā) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as /brəhmɑː/) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. He is not to be confused with the Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu philosophy known as Brahman. His consort is Saraswati, the goddess of learning. Brahmā is often identified with Prajapati, a Vedic deity. Image File history File links Example. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas (writing systems) used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (728x1304, 211 KB) Skildring Brahma carving from Halebid in Karnataka. ... Halebidu (Kannada ಹಳೆಬೀಡು) is located in Hassan District, Karnataka, India. ... It has been suggested that Deva (tribe) be merged into this article or section. ... In Hinduism, Brahmapura is the mythical and holy city of Brahma, one of the three primary deities. ... For the Vedic river, see Saraswati River. ... Species 6-7 living, see text. ... IAST, or International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is the academic standard for writing the Sanskrit language with the Latin alphabet and very similar to National Library at Calcutta romanization standard being used with many Indic scripts. ... Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari (early 19th century) DevanāgarÄ« (देवनागरी — in English pronounced ) (ISCII – IS13194:1991) [1] is an abugida alphabet used to write several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Nepali from Nepal. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... It has been suggested that Deva (tribe) be merged into this article or section. ... From left, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) is a concept that holds that God has three aspects, which are only different forms of the same one God. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... Shiva (also spelled Siva; Sanskrit ) is considered to be the supreme God in Shaivism, a denomination of Hinduism and one of the five primary forms of the Divine in Smarta tradition or Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism. ... Brahman (Devanagari: ब्रह्म) is the concept of the Godhead found in Hinduism. ... For the Vedic river, see Saraswati River. ... In Hinduism, Prajapati is Lord of Creatures, thought to be depicted on ancient Harappan seals, sitting in yogic posture, with an erection and what appear to be bison horns. ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Creation

According to the Puranas, Brahma is self-born (without mother) in the lotus flower which grew from the navel of Vishnu at the beginning of the universe. This explains his name Nabhija (born from the navel). Another legend says that Brahmā was born in water. In this he deposited 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, Brahmā is also called Kanja (born in water). Brahmā is said also to be the son of the Supreme Being, Brahman and the female energy known as Prakrti or Maya. The Puranas are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... According to an account of the Hindu mythology, Hiranyagarbha, meaning the golden womb, is the source of the creation of the universe. ... Prakrti or Prakriti (from Sanskrit language) is, according to samkhya philosophy, the basic matter of which the universe consists. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Maya (illusion). ...

Attributes

At the beginning of the process of creation, Brahmā created eleven Prajapatis (used in another sense), who are believed to be the fathers of the human race. The Manusmriti enumerates them as Marichi, Atri, Angirasa, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasishtha, Prachetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, and Narada. 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.

Within Vedic and Puranic scripture Brahmā 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. This article is about the Vedic plant and ritual. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... In Hinduism, Brihaspati is the god of magic and prayer. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli: धमा) (Natural Law) refers to the underlying order in Nature and human behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... In Hinduism, Atri (Sanskrit: अत्रि) is a legendary bard and scholar, and a son of Brahma. ...

Lack of Brahma worship in India

India today has but three temples dedicated to Brahmdev alone as opposed to the thousands of temples dedicated to the other deities in the Trinity namely Shiva and Vishnu. The more famous one being at Pushkar in Rajasthan state.

There are various stories in Hindu mythology that talks of the curse that has prevented Brahma from being worshipped on Earth.

At the beginning of time in Cosmos, Vishnu and Brahmā approached a huge Shiva linga and set out to find it's beginning and end. Vishnu was appointed the end, and Brahma the beginning. Each took their journey, Vishnu took the form of a boar and began digging downwards into the earth while Brahma took on the shape fo a swan began flying upwards. But neither could find their appointed destination. Vishnu, satisfied, came up to Shiva and bowed down to him as a swarupa of Brahman. Brahmā did not give up so easily. As he was going up, he saw a kaitha flower, dear to Shiva. His ego forced him to ask the flower to bear false witness of Brahmā's finding Shiva's beginning. When Brahmā told his tale, Shiva, the all-knowing, was angered by the former's ego. Shiva thus cursed him that no being in the three worlds will worship him. // an egg broke and out came the planets thanks to gods pet hen The Rig Veda describes the origin of the universe as: Then was not non-existence nor existence: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ... Brahman (Devanagari: ब्रह्म) is the concept of the Godhead found in Hinduism. ... The ketaki or kaitha flower mentioned in the Brahmas story as Shivas favorite flower is Pandanus odoratissimus - Umbrella tree, Screw pine or Screw tree. ...

According to another legend, Brahmā is not being worshipped due to a curse by the great sage Brahmarishi Bhrigu. Once a great fire-sacrifice (yajna) was being organised on Earth with Bhrigu being the high priest. It was decided that the greatest among all Gods would be made the presiding deity. Bhrigu then set off to find the greatest among the Trinity. When he went to Brahmā, he was so immersed in the music played by Saraswati that he could hardly hear Bhrigu's calls. The enraged Bhrigu then cursed Brahmā that no person on Earth would ever invoke him or worship him again. Brahmarishi is the highest of the Rishis. ... Bhrigu, a sage in indian mythology, was said to have stepped on Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu to test who of the three gods was the greatest. ... In Hinduism, Yajña यज्ञ (Sanskrit yajñá worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice) is a Vedic ritual of sacrifice performed to please the Devas, or sometimes to the Supreme Spirit Brahman. ... For the Vedic river, see Saraswati River. ...

According to Brahma Purana and Hindu cosmology, Brahmā is the creator but not necessarily regarded as God in Hinduism. He is mostly regarded as a creation of God / Brahman. The lifespan of Brahmā is 100 Brahmā years or 311 trillion human years. At the end of his lifespan, there is a gap of 100 Brahmā years after which another Brahmā or creator begins anew and the process is repeated forever. For this reason, Brahmā might be considered only as a creator who is the executor of the order from the Supreme being - The Brahman. Brahma Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, is a Hindu religious text. ... Brahman (Devanagari: ब्रह्म) is the concept of the Godhead found in Hinduism. ...

Appearance

A handcoloured engraving of Brahma

Brahmā is traditionally depicted with four heads and 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 near eternal nature of his existence. He is shown as having four arms, with none holding a weapon, unlike most other Hindu Gods. One of his hands is shown holding a scepter in the form of a spoon, which is associated with the pouring of holy ghee or oil into a sacrificial pyre - indicating the fact that Brahmā is the lord of sacrifices. Another of his hands holds a water-pot (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water). The significance of the water is that it is the initial, all-encompassing ether in which the first element of creation evolved. Brahmā also holds a string of rosary beads that he uses to keep track of the Universe's time. He also is shown holding the Vedas, and sometimes, a lotus flower. Image File history File links Brahma_1820. ... Image File history File links Brahma_1820. ... Veda redirects here. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...

Another story in connection with Brahma's four heads is that when Brahmā was creating the universe, he made a female deity known as Shatarupā (one with a hundred beautiful forms). Brahmā became immediately infatuated. Shatarupā moved in various directions to avoid the gaze of Brahmā. But wherever she went, Brahmā developed a head. Thus, Brahmā developed five heads, one on each side and one above the others. In order to control Brahmā, Shiva cut off the top head. Also, Shiva felt that Shatarupā was Brahmā's daughter/son, being created by him. Therefore, Shiva determined, it was wrong for Brahmā to become obsessed with her. He directed that there be no proper worship in India for the "unholy" Brahmā. Thus, only Vishnu and Shiva continue to be worshipped, while Brahmā is almost totally ignored. Ever since the incident, Brahmā has been reciting the four Vedas in his attempt at repentance. In Hindu mythology, when Brahma was creating the universe, he made a female deity known as Shatarupa (one with a hundred beautiful forms). ...

The Bhagavata Purana includes a story wherein the Brahma of our universe is called by Krishna to meet with the Brahmas of other worlds, some of which have many more than four heads, counting into the many thousands in some instances for Brahma's in control of universes much larger than our own. The Bhagavata Purana (sometimes rendered as Bhagavatha Purana), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam, written c. ... Krishna with Radha, 18th C Rajasthani painting Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, in IAST ) is a deity worshipped across many traditions of Hinduism. ...

Vehicle

See also Vimana.

Brahma's vehicle is a divine Swan. This divine bird is bestowed with a virtue called Neera-Ksheera Viveka or the ability to separate milk and water from a mixture of the two. The significance of this is that justice should be dispensed to all creatures, however entwined it might be in a situation. Also, this virtue indicates that one should learn to separate the good from the evil and then accept that which is valuable and discard that which is worthless or evil. This page deals with the flying chariots of Hindu mythology. ... Species 6-7 living, see text. ...

Temples

Although Brahmā is prayed to in almost all Hindu religious rites, there are very few temples dedicated to him in India, the more prominent of which is at Pushkar, close to Ajmer. Once a year, on the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika (October - November), a religious festival is held in Brahmā's honour. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy lake adjacent to the temple. Pushkar is a town in the state of Rajasthan in India. ... Ajmer   , or Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Indias Rajasthan state. ...

There are also temples in Goa, (in the small, remote village of Carambolim in the Sattari taluka in the northeast region of the state); in the temple town of Kumbakonam, (Thanjavur District) in Tamil Nadu; and in Thirunavaya in Kerela. Regular pujas are held for Brahma and during Navrathris, this temple comes to life with colourful festivities. There is also a shrine for Brahma within the Bramhapureeshwarar temple in Thirupattur, near Trichy and a famous murti of Brahmā at Mangalwedha, 52 km from Solapur district in Maharashtra , the largest of which is in Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Kerala (IPA: ; Malayalam: കേരളം — Keralam) is a state on the southwestern tropical Malabar Coast of India. ... A puja as performed in Ujjain during the Monsoon on the banks of the overflowing river Shipra. ... This December 2006 does not cite its references or sources. ... Bronze Chola murti depicting Shivas most famous dancing posture, the Nataraja, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. ... Solapur (Marathi:सोलापूर, Kannada: ಶೋಲಾಪುರ) is a city and a municipal corporation in south eastern Maharashtra, India near the Karnataka border and is the administrative headquarters of Solapur District. ... Maharashtra   (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र , English: , IPA: ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Aerial view of Angkor Wat The main entrance to the temple proper, seen from the eastern end of the Naga causeway Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. ...

See also

• God of Creation
• Brahmastra
• Demiurge
• Erawan Shrine
• Narada Muni
• Kali Santarana Upanishad
• Hindu deities

The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Brahmastra is an arrow created by Brahma. ... The Demiurge, The Craftsman or Creator, in some belief systems, is the deity responsible for the creation of the physical universe. ... View of the shrine from the skytrain The four-faced Brahma (Phra Phrom) statue Flowers and incense around the shrine Thai dance performed for Brahma The statue after restoration The Erawan Shrine (Thai: , read San Phra Phrom) is a Hindu/Buddhist shrine in Bangkok, Thailand that houses a statue of... Narada (Sanskrit: नारद, nārada) is the Hindu divine sage, who is an enduring chanter of the names Hari and Narayana which other names for Vishnu, considered to be the supreme God by Vaishnavites and many other Hindus. ... The Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad is a Vaishnava Vedantic text associated with the Black Yajurveda. ... Within Smarta Hinduism, a variety of forms of God are seen as aspects of the one impersonal divine ground, (Brahma) or Aum. ...

External links

• The Only Temple of Lord Brahma in The World (pushkarsafari.com)
• Contemplation of Brahma - The creative power of the Infinite (crystalrivers.com)
• The Brahma-Samhita - Prayers of Lord Brahma at the start of creation (Brahmasamhita.com)
• Brahma's Prayers for Creative Energy from the Bhagavata Purana (vedabase.net)
• Weekly podcast on Vedic Chanting and Vedic Mythology (puja.net)
• Son of Brahma - Vishwakarma (vishwakarma.org)
• Why Lord Brahma is not worshiped (surinusgaonkarsays.sulekha.com)