Design Resource
Iconography in Hinduism
Decoding the Pictorial Script
by
Brahma
Brahma: the creator
Brahma, the first of the three great Hindu gods, is the maker and father of all gods and men. He is the source, the seed, of all that is. He is the boundless immensity, from which space, time and causation originate. He is the Golden Embryo (Hiranyagarbha), the ball of fire, from which the universe develops (Harshananda, 1982). In the Mahabharata, and Puranas, Brahma is said to have sprung from the lotus originating from the navel of Vishnu. The Vishnu Purana mentions the word Brahma as derived from the root vriha (to increase), because it is infinite (spirit), and because it is cause by which the Vedas (and all things) are developed (ibid).
Brahma appears in the Hindu pantheon in the role of a creator. Accordingly he is equipped with all the know-how required for him to perform the task. His consort is Saraswati the goddess of knowledge.
Interesting facts about Brahma
Every temple, (dedicate to Shiva or Vishnu), must have a niche in the northern wall for Brahma, and his image must receive worship every day since he is an important deity (Harshananda, 1982).
In temples exclusively dedicated to Brahma, his aspect as Viśvakarma (the architect of the universe) is adopted. In this form he is shown as having four heads, four arms holding the rosary, the book, the Kuśa grass and the water pot, and riding on his swan. (25)
As part of the Hindu Trinity; Brahma creates the world, Vishnu sustains it and Shiva destroys it.
