Brahmā is the divine Hindu deva of Creation and one of the magnificent Trimurti. He is the father of Mānu, from whence all human beings are descended. Saraswati is Brahmā's primary wife, Savitri is his second and Gayatri his third. All his wives are Vedic Goddesses and are revered as Vedamata meaning 'Mother of the Vedas'.
At the beginning of the process of creation, Brahmā created eleven Prajapatis, who serve as fathers of the human race. The Manusmriti lists them as Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratuj, Vashishta, Pracetas/Daksha, Bhrigu, and Nārada. Brahmā also created the seven great sages (Saptarishi) to help him create the infinite Universe. As all his sons were born out of mind, they are called Manas Putras (mind-spirits).
Brahmā
In the Puranas, Brahmā is self-born within the lotus flower and is also born in water (Kanja), a seed that became the golden egg, from whence Brahmā the Creator emerged as Hiranyagarbha. The golden egg expanded into the Brahmanda (Universe). Brahmā is also the son of the Supreme Being, Brahmān, and the female energy known as Prakrti (Maya).
Brahmā is clad in red clothes and is traditionally depicted with four heads, four faces and four arms.
Brahmā continually recites one of the four Vedas with each of his four heads. He is often depicted with a white beard, indicating the eternal nature of his existence. In his hands, Brahmā holds a sceptre and a bow.
- The Four Hands - Brahmā's four arms represent the four cardinal directions: North, East, South, and West. The back-right hand represents mind, the back-left hand represents intellect, the front-right hand is ego, and the front-left hand is self-confidence.
- The Prayer beads - Symbolize the substances used in the process of creation called “akshamālā” (garland of eyes).
- The Book – Is the eternal symbol of Knowledge.
- The Gold - Symbolizes activity; the golden face of Brahmā indicates that He is actively involved in the process of creating the Universe.
- The Swan - The swan is the symbol of grace and discernment. Brahmā uses the swan as his vāhana (carrier/vehicle).
- The Crown - Lord Brahmā's crown indicates His supreme authority.
- The Lotus - The lotus symbolizes Nature and the living essence of all things and beings in the Universe.
- The Beard - Brahmā's black/white beard denotes wisdom and the eternal process of Creation.
- The Four Faces – Symbolize the four Vedas (Rik, Sāma, Yajuh and Atharva).
Vishnu
Vishnu is the form of Paramatma (supreme Soul) and Parameshwara (supreme God), the all-encompassing essence of Beings in the multiverse, the master of eternal Time, past, future and present. He is the One who supports, sustains and governs the Universe, developing and nurturing all elements within and without. Vishnu is known as the 'Preserver of the Universe'.
In the Puranas, Vishnu is cloaked with the divine colour of water filled clouds, has four arms, and holds a lotus, mace, conch (shankha) and chakra (wheel). Vishnu is blessed with having 'Universal Form' representing vision beyond the limits of perception and imagination.
Vishnu comes from the root viś, meaning “presence everywhere” and also holds within his divine form the action “to enter”. Thus, Vishnu is not limited by space, time nor substance, as his infinite sparkle shines as a glowing auric rainbow, penetrating all the layers of the realms of the Beholder.
The following six qualities of Vishnu are of utmost importance:
- Jñāna (Omniscience) - the power to know about all beings simultaneously.
- Aishvarya (Sovereignty) - derived from the word Ishvara, unchallenged rule over all.
- Shakti (Energy) - the power to make the impossible possible.
- Bala (Strength) - the capacity to support everything by will, without fatigue.
- Vīrya (Vigor) - indicates the power to retain immateriality as the supreme Being as well as being the material cause of mutable creations.
- Tejas (Splendour) - expresses self-sufficiency and spiritual effulgence.
- Matsya - the fish that kills Damanaka to save the Vedas and mankind.
- Kurma - the turtle that helps the Devas and Asuras churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality.
- Varaha - the boar that rescues the Earth and kills Hiranyaksha.
- Narasimha - the One (half-Lion half-Human) who defeats the demon Hiranyakashipu (Nara - man, simha - lion).
- Vamana - the dwarf that grows into a giant to save the world from King Bali.
- Parashurama - the Sage, Rama with the axe, who appeared in the Treta Yuga.
- Rama - Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya who kills the Demon Lord Raavana.
- Balarama - is the avatar of aadi sesha, the serpent on which supreme Lord Vishnu sleeps.
- Krishna - (dark coloured and all attractive within the existence of Bliss), who appears in the Dwapara Yuga along with his brother Balarama.
- Kalki - (eternity, timeless, 'The Destroyer of Foulness' and time), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the present time period.
Lord Śhiva is represented as a handsome young man immersed in deep meditation and dancing the Tandava upon Apasmara, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the Lord of the dance, goodness, humility, and all essence of divinity. Śhiva lives the embodiment of an eternal youth because of his authority over death, rebirth and immortality. He is the father of Ganesha and Murugan.
The Sanskrit word Śhiva means “auspicious, kind and gracious” and originates from the Sanskrit śaiva (relating to the god Śhiva). He has been identified with a host of Vedic deities, including Agni, Indra, Prajāpati and Vāyu.
Śhiva wears a deer in the left-upper hand, and faces South. He has a Trident in the right-lower arm, with a crescent moon on his head. He is said to be fair like camphor and akin to an ice-clad mountain. He possesses fire and Damaru/Malu which is used for protection and channelling. He wears five serpents as ornaments and wears a garland of skulls. With his feet he presses on the demon Muyalaka, a dwarf holding a cobra.
Third eye: Śhiva is depicted with a third eye, with which he burned Desire (Kāma) to ashes, called 'Tryambakam'. In Sanskrit, the word ambaka denotes “an eye”, and in the Mahabharata, Śhiva is depicted as three-eyed, so his name can be translated as “having three eyes”. In Vedic Sanskrit, the word ambā/ambikā means 'mother', and this early meaning of the word is the basis for the translation “three mothers”. The three mother-goddesses are collectively called the Ambikās.
Crescent moon: Śhiva wears on his head the crescent moon. The origin of this flow is due to the identification of the moon with Soma, and there is a hymn in the Rig Veda where Soma and Rudra are jointly implored. The waxing and waning passage of the moon symbolizes the time cycle through which creation evolves from the beginning to the end. Since Lord Śhiva is the eternal Reality, He is beyond time.
Ashes: Śhiva smears his body with ashes (bhasma) symbolizing the return to the Earth and Nature of all form and substance.
Matted hair: Śhiva's distinctive hair style is noted in the Jatin epithets, 'the one with matted hair', and Kapardin, 'endowed with matted hair' and also 'wearing his hair wound in a braid in a shell-like (kaparda) fashion'. A kaparda is a cowrie shell, symbolizing the eternal flow of Life.
Blue throat: Relates to the fifth Chakra, Vishuddha, representing the Gateway through consciousness in the forms of ether, sound, vibration, communication and the ever-flowing beauty of Creativity.
Sacred Ganges: The Ganges river flows from the matted hair of Śhiva. The flow of the Ganges also represents the nectar of immortality.
Tiger skin: He is often shown seated upon a tiger skin. The Tiger is the Universal Archetype of Fear, thus Lord Śhiva has mastered all aspects of Fear.
Serpents: Śhiva is often shown flowing with snake medicine, denoting wisdom and eternity.
Deer: Śhiva holding deer on one hand indicates that He has removed the Chanchalata (tossing) of the mind. Deer jumps from one place to another swiftly. The mind also jumps from one object to another.
Trident: Śhiva's particular weapon is the Trident. His Trisul that is held in His right hand represents the three Gunas - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. This is the emblem of sovereignty. He rules the world through these three Gunas. The Damaru in His left hand represents the Sabda Brahman. It represents OM from which all languages are formed. It is He who formed the Sanskrit language out of the Damaru sound.
Drum: A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru. This is one of the attributes of Śhiva in his famous dancing representation known as Nataraja. A specific mudra called damaru-hasta is used to hold the drum, where the beat of Nature echoes His divine rhythm.
Nandī: Is the name of the bull that serves as Śhiva's mount. The bull has always been known for strength and stability, ploughing forward with determination and objective.
Gana: The Ganas are attendants of Śhiva and live in Kailash. They are referred to as the bhutaganas (ghostly hosts) on account of their nature. Generally benign, except when their lord is transgressed against, they are often invoked to intercede with the Lord on behalf of the Beholder of Life. Ganesha was chosen as their leader by Śhiva, hence Ganesha's title gana-īśa - gana-pati, “Lord of the ganas”.
Mount Kailāsa: Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is Śhiva’s traditional abode. In Hindu mythology, Mount Kailāsa is conceived as resembling a Linga, representing the centre of the Universe.
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