Hinduism (sanatana-Dharma) — one of the ancient directions of the Indian religious thought which united various religious traditions, schools of philosophy and created in І the millennium B.C. This religious trend, the third in the number of adherents, in the world (after Christianity and Islam) — it professes about one billion people. From the second half of the past century the Hinduism overstepped the Indian frontiers and extended on all continents. Though 80-90% of Hindus still live in India. The Hinduism is based on the doctrine professing transformation of souls which happens under laws of a karma. In this article we will tell you about what in this religion is understood as Brahma and what value it has for believers.
Who is it?
In archaic forms of the epos Brahma had three functions: creation, preservation, destruction. Brahma is not mentioned in the Veda (ancient religious writing) yet, and his prototype there is named by Pradzhapati.
Later he appears as one of three Supreme gods, near Shiva and Vishnu, entering the Triad (Trimurti). Is the creative strength, the creator and the primogenitor of all gods, all Universe.
This is the omniscient and wise head of gods. He provides them control over creation of the world. It preserves an order in Space and the morals established by the main social institutes in human society while Vishnu keeps the Universe, and her Shiva pulls down.
During the postvedic period the Hindus had Brahma on the first place, shading Shiva and Vishnu's role a little. A little later, in the I millennium B.C. — in the late epos and Upanishadakh (religious and philosophical texts) — thanks to the increased value of two other gods it takes a back seat.
It will be interesting to you to learn also about other deities in Hinduism - Kali, Garuda, Ganesh, Sri Krishna.
So, at vishnait Brahma appears on a lotus which stalk grows from Vishnu's navel, and Shiva, punishing for an incest, deprives of it one head. In a legend of Shiva's appearance is narrated that Brakhma and Vishnu started polemic, trying to prove each other which of them is stronger and more important.
When the dispute was at peak, the phallus rose from the World Ocean, and in it there was Shiva. As a result both debaters agreed that Shiva is main and powerful. In the late epos Brakhma already creates the world because Vishnu so ordered. Also there is a set of legends in which god creator in the past appears in negative light — becomes a cause of death of Agnistambkhi; every time when the wife Brakhmy Savitri was late, finds to itself other spouse.
The creator lives in clean lands Brakhmaloka (Satya-loka).
There is practically no cult of Brahma today. The modern Hinduism is divided only into two currents: Vaishnava and Shaivism. In India there is an insignificant number of temples which are completely devoted to Brahma. Sometimes its image meets in the sacred constructions devoted to other gods.
Whether you know? Cases when followers of Hinduism, refusing the wordly benefits and seeking to prove the belief to gods are known, make strange acts. So, the resident of New Delhi Makhant Amar of Bkharti in 1973 raised a hand up and since then is in such situation. He claims that he made it for the sake of Shiva. For more than 40 years the hand atrophied and lost the functions.
Origin of the creator
Hindus had a set of the legends telling about origin of the universe and god creator. In the most popular this process is described as follows. When the Universe was in a gloom, and there was neither sun, nor the moon, nor the earth, in darkness waters appeared. From them fire was born. Heat from fire led to formation of Gold egg.
It for a year drifted in waters, and then in it the germ from gold appeared. From an embryo Brahma appeared. By force of thought god creator divided Gold egg into two shares. Its top part turned into the sky, and lower — into the earth. Between them the layer from air lay.
After that the creator made the decision to create to himself descendants — other deities in which management of the world would trust. As a result it had seven sons who became deities, people, zverm, feathery, monsters, giants and wise men.
All of them lodged in three worlds: heavenly, terrestrial and underground.
The late version of origin of the creator says that he was born from a flower of a lotus which stalk grew from Vishnu's navel when the Universe arose. In the sacred text of Brakhma-purana is narrated that Brahma is created by God in order that that created the Universe. Life of the creator of the Universe equals to 311,040,000,000,000 terrestrial years. Upon termination of this term everything disappears.
Through a centenary break there is new Brahma who creates the new Universe. So proceeds infinitely.
Whether you know? In translation from Sanskrit the word Brahma is designated by priest. The name contains the root bkhrig that means to extend, to raise, increase.
As Brahma looks: iconography
Who such Brahma and as he looks in representations of Hindus, it is possible to see on icons and other images of god creator. Usually it is drawn with four bodies, four faces and eight hands. Faces watch it in various directions. In hands at it — four sacred writing, a staff (scepter) in the form of a spoon, the metal vessel (kamandala) filled with water from Ganges (the river which is sacred for Hindus), a lotus and onions. He sits on a swan (goose) who serves it for movement, or goes on the chariot with a team from seven swans.
It is also quite often possible to meet the image of Brahma with four faces and with four hands, sitting on a lotus. He in red attires, and he has red skin. The face is framed by a white beard, a symbol of the eternal nature of life. On the head — a gold crown.
Learn that the ashram, ekadash, the Bhagavad Gita, mantras, in particular a move mantra, a way of a bodhisattva mean and to what in Hinduism.
In his hands there are Veda (occasionally — a lotus), a scepter, beads (akshamala), a vessel with water. The vessel on images can be from metal, and can — from a coco shell half.
On sculptures at Brahma the big nimbus over the head is attached. In the form of a statue the creator most often stays in a standing position.
It is very seldom possible to meet god creator with two upper extremities in which there are a vessel and beads, and four faces with female lines. It is also occasionally possible to see an image with one head and two upper extremities.
Attributes and their value
Four upper extremities of Brahma mean parts of the world. Besides, the distant right extremity represents mind, a lobby right — an ego. The distant left extremity represents reason, a lobby left — self-confidence.
Four faces are the Veda: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yadzhurveda, Atkharvaveda.
The Veda in one of extremities of the creator act as knowledge symbol.
The flooded vessel acts as a symbol of air which generated primary components of creation.
Beads (akshamala) designate all material that was necessary for creation of the Universe and also eternity of time.
The scepter designates that Brahma rules over yadzhna.
Lotus — all this living things and lifeless objects in the Universe.
Swan — a symbol of justice and ability to distinguish kind from angry.
The crown is symbolization of the power of supremacy in the Universe.
Myths and legends
In Hinduism the various myths and legends connected with a name and activity of the divine creator are presented. We give the brightest of them below.
It will be interesting to you to learn not only about Hinduism, but also what Buddhists and about the description of religion Sikhism trust in.
About a damnation
There are several legends how Brahma was damned. The first of them, the most widespread and contained in Shiva-purana, tells that Vishnu with Brahma made the decision to find the beginning and the end of a shiva-lingam.
The first god, in shape of a wild boar, moved off in searches of the beginning to the underground world, and the second, in shape of a swan — on search of the end, into the sky. Vishnu did not find the beginning and, having come back, admired Shiva.
And Brahma, having departed far to clouds and having faced a favourite flower of Shiva, stated it a request to deceive Shiva and to become the perjurer, it seems, it found the end of a lingam. Shiva, having learned about a lie, very much was angry and damned the liar. In a damnation he mentioned that nobody in one of three worlds will begin to eulogize Brahma more.
One more legend says that on god creator the wise man Bkhriga sent a damnation. The wise man went to invite the most powerful of Trimurti for participation in a great sacrifice, however god was too keen on music which was executed by his wife and did not attach significance to Bkhriga's words.
Important! Any person who was not born in India can come to religion Hinduism. To address in this belief, there are several ways. Main of which — to find the mentor or the community ready to accept the person for training. It is also important to change the thoughts, actions and a way of life completely to be given to study.
Then the wise man was angry and said a damnation with words that now any being will not begin to call a name of god creator and to worship it.
About emergence of the Universe
One of legends says that the Universe created by the creator appeared as a result of division by force of his thought of the Gold egg drifting in world ocean waters on two segments.
From the first there was an earth (material, human sphere), from the second — the sky (divine world). The layer between them was from air.
After that there were five elements: water, earth, air, fire, air. Further the turn for emergence of a thought, god, stars, time, mountains, plains, the seas, the rivers, living beings, words, feelings and emotions came.
Subsequently from egg Brahma was. He was dismembered on men's and women's began. From the been born beings further there was all the rest that exists in the world.
About Mount Meru and the sky of Brahma
After god creator created the Universe, he felt strong fatigue. Therefore it was let to rest to the place under the name Brakhmaloka. In the center of the world the gold mountain with a name the Measure is located; The Sun, the Moon and other celestial bodies make rotations around its peak point.
At peak of the mountain the highest of heaven, on the account the seventh is located: sky of Brahma. Exactly here the creative deity finds rest and delight. When it has a rest, the shadow to it creates a sacred plant of a shalmala (mulberry).
Day of Brahma
Day of Brahma equals to all term of existence of the Universe, that is 311,040,000,000,000 human years. Length of night equals to the period throughout which it is in inaction, that is to 100 human years. At night the creator has a rest after creation process.
Day of the creator is divided into thousands of big centuries — makhayug. The Makhayuga makes 4,320,000 human years and is in turn divided into big eras, each of which carries the special name.
When the last era — a kaliyuga terminates, fire arising from the World Ocean burns the Universe. After night the creator sotvoryat it again and again.
Cult of Brahma and brahmanism
As we already mentioned, the cult of Brahma of considerable distribution did not get. The number of the cult places devoted to it are not a lot of. Constructions where the main statue — murt — is the image of the creative deity of a Hindu Trinity, in literal sense it is possible to count on fingers — them around ten.
Sources contain information only on one significant temple of god creator which is located in the Gunner, in Rajasthan and also about the largest temple Angor-Vat in the world in Cambodia. For comparison, Vishnu and Shiva's cult constructions in India — several tens of thousands.
In a cult construction in the Gunner the festival during which Brahma is famous is annually organized.
Devote to Brahma a part of a libation of an agnikhotra. At noon one flower is presented to it. There are assumptions that such poor distribution of a cult of Brahma is connected with distribution among Hindus of myths and legends in which this god appears in a negative image where it is damned by other deities, wise men and even own wife.
Important! In Hinduism, unlike Christianity and Islam, visit of cult constructions is not obligatory. Most of Hindus visit them only during big religious holidays. Ceremonies are allowed to be spent at home.
The late ancient Indian religion called brahmanism is connected with a name of Brahma. It developed in the I millennium B.C. Today is considered as an early form of Hinduism, its stage.
As the main deities in this belief Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu act. Idea that in the nature everything has soul and that living things are capable to reincarnate is its cornerstone.
Transformation or reincarnation is carried out as a karma, requital for virtue or sinfulness of the previous life. These ideas are stated in sacred books — Brahmen, Aranyakakh, Upanishadakh. Brahmanism became the forerunner of Jainism and Buddhism.
Thus, initially Brahma is great god of creation, the governor of the world, the father of gods and people, however late its value was leveled because of what it is honored modern Hindus a little.
To the forefront for them there were Vishnu and Shiva. The small quantity of the cult constructions devoted to Brahma, in particular, demonstrates to it. However studying this cult is extremely important for those who seek to get into the theory and practice of Hinduism deeply.