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Lord
Brahma symbolizes the aspect of the Supreme Reality that brings forth the
creation. For this very reason, Hindus call Lord Brahma the Creator of the
universe. He is the first member of the Hindu Trinity that also includes Lord
Vishnu and Lord Shiva. His divine consort is Saraswati, the Goddess of learning
and knowledge. Goddess Saraswati provides Lord Brahma with knowledge that is
necessary for the process of creation. Brahma
is usually conceived of by Hindus as a bearded, four-faced, four-armed deity.
In popular images, He carries a rosary in the upper right hand, a book in
the upper left hand, a kamandalu (water pot) in the lower left hand, and bestows
grace with His lower right hand. The four faces represent the sacred knowledge
of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva), and this is the most
prominent feature of any image of Brahma. The four faces, therefore, symbolize
that Brahma is the source of all knowledge necessary for the creation of the
universe. The four arms represent the four directions and thus represent the
omnipresence and omnipotence of Lord Brahma.
The
four hands represent the four aspects of human personality: mind (back right
hand), intellect (back left hand), ego (front right hand), and the empirical
self or conditioned consciousness (front left hand). The rosary symbolizes the
time cycle through which the world moves from creation to sustenance, from
sustenance to dissolution, and from dissolution to new creation. The rosary also
symbolizes the materials used in the process of creation. Its position in the
back right hand suggests the intelligent use of these materials in the process
of creation. A book
in the back hand (symbolizing the intellect) illustrates that right knowledge is
important for any kind of creative work. A water pot (kamandalu) in the front
left hand symbolizes the cosmic energy by which Brahma brings the universe into
existence. The hand symbolizing ego (the front right hand) is shown in the pose
of bestowing grace. This conveys the idea that the Lord bestows grace and
protects all sincere devotees. The
color gold symbolizes activity and thus the golden face of Brahma indicates that
the Lord is active when involved in the process of creation. The white beard
denotes wisdom and the long beard conveys the idea that creation is an eternal
process. The crown on the head of the Lord implies that the Lord has supreme
power and authority over the process of creation. The
lotus symbolizes the Supreme Reality, the essence of all things and beings in
the universe. Brahma sitting or standing on a lotus indicates that He represents
the creative power of the Supreme Reality. The color white symbolizes purity.
Thus Brahma wearing clothes that are off-white, represents the dual nature of
creation, that is purity and impurity, happiness and unhappiness, vice and
virtue, knowledge and ignorance, and so on.
In
Hindu mythology, a swan is said to possess a unique discriminating faculty,
which enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. The
swan is therefore used to symbolize the power of discrimination. Brahma uses the
swan as a vehicle. This is intended to convey the idea that although creation is
pluralistic in nature, there is only one Supreme Reality that the entire
universe emanates from. This knowledge can be acquired by an individual by
training his mind and Intellect to acquire the power of right discrimination.
As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the standpoint of an individual, Brahma symbolizes one's own mind and intellect. Since an individual is naturally gifted with the mind and intellect, he or she may be said to have already realized Brahma. For this reason the worship of Brahma is not very popular among all Hindus. He is, however, worshipped by seekers of knowledge, such as students, teachers, scholars and scientists. |
Copyright LPS USA Organized 1989
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The
Brahma Form