Representations of Brahma
Any representation of Lord Brahma found in a Hindu temple is depicted usually with four heads, four profiles, and four arms. His four heads represent the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), the four yugas (krita, treta, dwapara, kali), the four varnas, or castes (brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra). Thus he is often called Caturanana/Caturmukha or ‘four-faced’ and Astakarna, or ‘eight-eared’.
His four faces also symbolize the functioning of the inner personality (antahkarana) which consists of thoughts. They are the mind (manas), the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkara) and conditioned-consciousness (chitta). They represent the four ways in which thoughts function. They are the manifestations of the Unmanifeset Consciousness.
Often presented in gold or red, Brahma’s four heads and arms represent different aspects of Hindu life as well, and his other responsibilities beyond the creation of the universe. Each of his faces point in one of the cardinal directions. The depiction of Brahma as an ancient god symbolizes creation without beginning.
He is usually shown with a white beard on each of his faces, illustrating the long duration of his existence since the beginning of time. None of his four arms carries a weapon, which distinguishes him from most other Hindu gods. One hand is shown holding a brahma-tandem, an oval disk with a beaded rim, thought to have been used as a sacrificial ladle to mark men’s foreheads with their destiny. Others say the ladle is associated with the pouring of sacred ghee on a sacrificial pyre, which indicates Brahma's status as the lord of sacrifices.
In another hand he holds a pot of water, the kamandala, alternately depicted as a coconut shell containing water. Water is the initial all-encompassing ether, in which the first seeds of creation were sown, and is therefore of great importance. Brahma also holds a mala, which he uses to keep track of time. Some say the beads represent all the ingredients in the creation of the universe. Brahma carries a book of prayers or the Vedas and sometimes a lotus. He is usually depicted as standing or sitting on a lotus, which symbolizes the earth, and shows that he is ever-rooted in infinite Reality. His color is usually red, which represents fire or the sun and his creative power.
Brahma's vahana is the swan. This divine bird is given a virtue called Neera-Ksheera Viveka, or the ability to separate mixtures of milk and water into their constituent parts. In the Hindu tradition, this action represents the idea that justice should be administered to all creatures, no matter how complex the situation. Further, this ability to separate water and milk indicates that one must learn to similarly differentiate good from evil, accepting what is valuable and discarding what is worthless.
Curses that Explain Brahma’s Falling Out of Favor—and his Four Heads
It is undoubtable that Brahma no longer holds the position of importance that is claimed in the ancient texts of Hinduism. By the 7th century, Brahma had lost his initial significance. As well as the rise of other sects, there are several tales in Hindu mythology which point to why Brahma was set aside.
One legend involving Saraswati, his main consort, provides an explanation for the virtual lack of worship given to Brahma. This story tells of a great fire sacrifice, or yajna, that was about to take place on Earth with the sage Brahmarishi Bhrigu serving as high priest. It was decided that the greatest of all gods would be made the ruling deity, and Bhrigu set out to find the greatest among the Trinity. When he reached Brahma, the god was so immersed in the music Saraswati was playing that he could barely hear Bhrigu's calls. The enraged Bhrigu swiftly cursed Brahma, saying that no person on Earth would offer him invocations or worship again.
Another story starts with a competition within the Trimurti, in which Brahma and Vishnu were determined to prove that each was superior to the other. Shiva attempted to end this feud by transforming himself into a pillar of fire. In order to prove their superiority, Vishnu and Brahma raced to each end of the pillar, but Brahma realized it was impossible and decided instead to lie to Shiva and claim he had achieved the feat. Appalled by his cheating, Shiva placed a curse on Brahma and ordered his fifth head to be cut off. This curse resigned Brahma to a fate of lesser worship.
A third story is the one we spoke of last week, in which Brahma grew his four heads and then the fifth to get a permanent view of his consort/daughter, here called Shatarupa, with whom he had become besotted. Shiva, enraged upon learning about this, instructed that Brahma’s fifth head be struck off.
These stories have contributed to why Brahma is not as popular as his Trimurti counterparts despite the strong reverence for him in ancient texts. They also give reason for Brahma’s instantly recognizable appearance. He is worshiped and invoked now particularly by scientists and kings for generating more creative ideas to serve the world of men and matter. The rulers invoke the Lord in order to surrender their ego and produce plans to serve the nation. The research scholars invoke creative inspiration and flashes of new thoughts to reveal the secrets of nature.
More scriptures written by men?
Brahma was also considered the maker of women and death. In the mythological stories told in the Mahabharata, Brahma conceived women as the origin of evil among men:
“A licentious or wanton woman is a burning fire… she is the sharp edge of the knife; she is poison, a serpent, and death, all in one.”
The gods feared that men would become so powerful that they might challenge their reign, so they asked Brahma for a way to prevent that. His response was to create meaningless women who,“lusting for sensual pleasures, began to stir men up. Then the lord of gods created anger as the assistant of desire, and all creatures, falling into the power of desire and anger, began to attach themselves to women”. – Mahabharata in Hindu Myths, 36.
In another story, Brahma's first wife is also Death, the evil force that brings balance to the universe and ensures that there is no over-crowding. The figure of Death is picturesquely described in the Mahabharata as “a dark woman, dressed in red garments, with red eyes and red palms and soles, adorned with divine earrings and ornaments” and she is charged with the task of “destroying all creatures, imbeciles, and scholars” without exception – Mahabharata in Hindu Myths, 40.
Death sobbed and begged the god Brahma to release her from this horrible task, but Brahma remained unmoved and sent her to do her duty. At first, Death continued her protests by performing various extraordinary acts of asceticism such as standing in the water in complete silence for 8.000 years and standing on top of the Himalayan mountains for 8.000 million years. But Brahma was not swayed.
So Death, still sobbing, did her duty, bringing endless night to all things when their time came. Her tears fell to earth and became diseases. Thus, through the work of Death, the distinction between mortals and gods was preserved forever.
Union between Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu
The Sublime Spirit or Universal Truth, called Brahman, is formed in three personifications each with a corresponding cosmic function: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the transformer/destroyer). Because Hinduism is a collection of different traditions and beliefs, scholars believe that Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva was an attempt to reconcile the doctrine of Brahman with different approaches to the Divine.
Of the three incarnations of Brahman, Shiva has a special place in traditional yogic practices as he is considered the main yogi or adiyodi. Shiva also symbolizes the balance of awareness and bliss, and the calming effects of yoga practices in general. Oneness with Brahman, personified as the Trimurti, is the ultimate goal in yoga philosophy and practice. Today, however, Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva as Trimurti is rarely worshiped.
Instead, Hindus typically worship one of the three as the highest deity and regard the others as incarnations of their highest god. As a model, Vaishnavism holds that Vishnu is the superior god, while Shaivism believes that Shiva is superior. Brahma by comparison has relatively few devotees as a superior deity. In ancient texts, the three gods symbolize earth, water and fire:
• Brahma: represents the earth. He is the originating and creative power of all life. One story claims that he is the son of Brahman, while another says that he created himself from water and seed.
• Vishnu: represents water, which symbolizes its role as a sustainer of life. He is the protective side of Brahman, known for upholding goodness and creation, and identifies with his incarnations: Krishna and Rama.
• Shiva: represents fire and is identified as the destructive power of the trimurti. However, he is also seen as a positive force that cleanses and destroys evil, paving the way for a new creation and a new beginning.
Brahma vihara as meditation
Brahma vihara is a term that refers to the four Buddhist virtues and meditative application. Its origin is generated from the Pali words, brahma, which denotes "god" or "divine"; and vihara, which means "dwelling." The brahma vihara are also known as the four appamanna, or "immeasurable," and as the four sublime states.
The Buddhist yogi practices these sublime states of brahma vihara through a meditation technique called brahma vihara-bhavana with the goal of achieving jhana (concentration or the full meditative state) and ultimately the state of enlightenment known as nirvana. The brahma viharas include:
• Upekkha – equanimity that is rooted in insight. It is detachment, serenity, and a balanced and calm mind in which everyone is treated fairly.
• Metta – loving kindness that actively shows goodwill towards everyone.
• Karuna – compassion in which the Buddhist identifies the suffering of others as his own.
• Mudita – empathetic joy in which the Buddhist rejoices at the happiness and joy of others, even though he or she has not participated in creating that happiness.
These same four concepts can be found in yoga and in Hindu philosophy. Patanjali discussed these as states of mind in the Yoga Sutra.
The practice of Brahma mudra
Brahma mudra is a hand gesture used in both yoga asana, meditation, and the constant application of pranayama that is valued for both its symbolic and healing characteristics. Brahma is the name of the Hindu creator god and in Sanskrit it translates as "divine", "sacred" or "supreme spirit", while Mudra means "gesture" or “seal".
This is usually practiced in a comfortable sitting position, such as vajrasana or padmasana. Both hands form fists with fingers wrapped around thumbs, palms facing skyward, and both hands pressed together at the knuckles. The hands rest gently against the pubic bone.
Sometimes called "the gesture of all-pervasive awareness," Brahma mudra helps promote full breathing during pranayama. Because this mudra, and mudras in general, are believed to affect the flow of life force energy (prana) throughout the body, it calms the mind and energizes the body. Brahma mudra is also believed to have these benefits:
• Increase concentration. • Release negative energy. • Eliminate toxins. • It helps the yogi reach a higher meditative state
|