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BRAHMA - THE HANS-VAHANA
(BRAHMA IN HIS RIDE - THE SWAN) |
Brahma's vehicle is the swan or goose, the
symbol of knowledge. He is therefore said to be riding on the swan (HANS-VAHANA).
He is the source of all knowledge and his consort, Saraswati, is the goddess
of knowledge. Brahma was the father of DAKSHA, who is said to have sprung from
his thumb and Brahma personally was present at the sacrificial ceremony of that
King, which was badly disturbed by Rudra. The four KUMARAS, the chief of whom
was called SANAT KUMAR, were also the sons of Brahma, who were born later. He
is also the creator of the beautiful AHALYA, whom he gave as wife to sage GAUTAMA.
She is the same Ahalya, who was cursed by her husband to become a rock piece,
because Indra, the King of heavenly spirits, seduced her. She was brought to
her natural human form when Lord Rama touched the rock by his feet. After this
she was reconciled to her husband.
Today though Brahma's name is invoked in many religious services, his image is
worshipped nowhere except at Pushkara, near Ajmer. Brahma seems to have been
thrown into shade probably because in Hindu mind he has ceased to function actively
after creating the world, though he will exert himself again while creating a
new universe when this present one will meet its end. In fact Vishnu and Shiva,
who appeal much more to popular imagination, have now arrogated his dynamic powers
of creation. Understandably, the legends about this god are not so numerous and
so rich as those centered round the other two of the triad.
One very plausible reason of Brahma's rather unpopularity among the devotees
is his being rather callous in granting boons to the demons unguardedly. It is
more than a coincidence that all the deadly demons, right from Hiranyakashipu
to Ravana received their boons from Brahma, which made them singularly notorious
in damaging the noble virtues of the world. Then it became necessary for Lord
Vishnu to appear in his various incarnations to kill these demons. That is why
the cult of Brahma's worship declined. The Hindu, later on, began to deem Brahma
the sole god of worship for the demons. Hence in the entire India, there are
uncountable temples to worship Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva while their third companion
in the Triumvirate, Lord Brahma has only one temple, which
is at the Pushkar Lake in Ajmer.
Brahma's day:
Brahma lives hundred years, but they are years of Brahma, not human
years. One KALPA coincides with one Day of Brahma's life, and when the night
will come, this Universe will be reabsorbed (PRALAYA) in his divine sleep. One
KALPA (Day or Night of Brahma) corresponds to 4,320,000,000 earthly years. Earthly
time is divided in YUGA or Ages, which are:
| KRITA (OR SATYA)-YUGA |
4,800 years |
| TRETA-YUGA |
3,600 years |
| DWAPARA-YUGA |
2,400 years |
| KALI-YUGA |
1,200 years |
| TOTAL |
12,000 years |
Each Yuga's length, decrease progressively in relation to moral and physical
decadence in each age. Throughout the SATYA Yuga virtue prevails and evil is
unknown; in the TRETA Yuga virtue falls by a fourth; in the DWAPARA Yuga virtue
has diminished by half; in the KALI Yuga, the current age, only a fourth of virtue
remains. The fours Yuga make one MAHAYUGA. 360 must multiply the Mahayuga's 12,000
years, the days of the human year.
| 12,000 years
(ONE MAHAYUGA) |
X |
360 (HUMAN
DAYS) |
= |
4,320,000 years (HUMAN
YEARS) |
Every Kalpa has 1000 cycles of four Yuga.
| 4,320,000
years (HUMAN YEARS) |
X |
1000 (CYCLES) |
= |
4,320,000,000 years (ONE
KALPA) |
| BRAHMA IMAGE GALLERY |
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 |
BRAHMA - THE ASHTA-KARNA
(THE EIGHT-EARED) |
BRAHMA - THE KANJA-JA
(THE LOTUS BORN) |
BRAHMA - THE CHATURANANA
(THE FOUR FACED) |
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