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).
Brahma Pictures and Images
![[Click to enlarge image]](tn_brahma_1.jpg) | ![[Click to enlarge image]](tn_brahma_2.jpg) | ![[Click to enlarge image]](tn_brahma_3.jpg) | ![[Click to enlarge image]](tn_brahma_4.jpg) |
brahma_1 100 X 132 4 KB | brahma_2 100
X 117 2 KB | brahma_3 100 X 210 4
KB | brahma_4 100 X 135 4 KB |
![[Click to enlarge image]](tn_brahma_5.jpg) |
brahma_5 109 X 133 4 KB |
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