"that is half Shiva and half Parvati; or alternatively, Brahma was born from Rudra, or Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma creating each other cyclically in different aeons (kalpa). Thus in most Puranic texts, Brahma's creative activity depends on the presence and power of a higher god. In the ""Bhagavata Purana"", Brahma is portrayed several times as the one who rises from the ""Ocean of Causes"". Brahma, states this Purana, emerges at the moment when time and universe is born, inside a lotus rooted in the navel of ""Hari"" (deity Vishnu, whose praise is the primary focus in the Purana). The scriptures"
"his hand. Another name for Lord Brahma is Kanja or the one born out of the water. So, schools of thought say that Brahma was born from the navel of Lord Vishnu while others say that he was born from a huge white lotus that we call the Brahma Kamal. The Life Giving Lotus: The story of the birth of Ganesha is a popular one. On Parvati's request Brahma created Brahma Kamal, with whose help Shiva placed the head of an elephant on to the body of Ganesha. When Shiva attached the head of an elephant on Ganesha' s body,"
"She assumes a manifestation of majestic might only to restore the process of Creation from the terrible Asuras or evil incarnates. It is initially said that when Lord Vishnu was in 'Yognidra', Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, appears from Vishnu's navel (nabhi), while two demons named Madhu and Kaitav originate from Vishnu's ears. When these two demons attempt to kill Brahma, the latter then prays to Goddess Mahamaya with great devotion and ultimately Vishnu wakes up from his yognidra. Then, he slays Madhu and Kaitav with his chakra. The waking up of Lord Vishnu was possible only because"
"Brahma Brahma (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा, IAST: Brahmā) is a creator god in Hinduism. He has four faces. Brahma is also known as ""Svayambhu"" (self-born) or creative aspect of Vishnu, ""Vāgīśa"" (Lord of Speech), and the creator of the four Vedas, one from each of his mouths. Brahma is consort of Saraswati and he is father of Four Kumaras, Narada, and Daksha. Brahma is sometimes identified with the Vedic god Prajapati, he is also known as Vedanatha (god of Vedas), Gyaneshwar (god of Knowledge), Chaturmukha (having Four Faces) Svayambhu (self born), Brahmanarayana (half Brahma and half Vishnu), etc, as well as linked"
"and in some cases philosophy. They are embedded within each of the four Vedas, and form a part of the Hindu ""śruti"" literature. Brahma Brahma (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा, IAST: Brahmā) is a creator god in Hinduism. He has four faces. Brahma is also known as ""Svayambhu"" (self-born) or creative aspect of Vishnu, ""Vāgīśa"" (Lord of Speech), and the creator of the four Vedas, one from each of his mouths. Brahma is consort of Saraswati and he is father of Four Kumaras, Narada, and Daksha. Brahma is sometimes identified with the Vedic god Prajapati, he is also known as Vedanatha (god of"
"origin, the Akshara Brahma. Here the soul's consciousness is separated from its physical chaff. It is the Akshara Brahma, which controls the creation and dissolution of the universe through its all-pervading vibratory sound. The Brahma appears in the beginning of creation and gives motion to the dormant fundamental particles of nature or Prakriti to combine and form different shapes. This ""fourth stage"" on the conscious journey makes soul's consciousness free and it is then bathed in the brilliant light of the Akshara Brahma, which did not manifest because of the Soul's association with the physical appendages. This Akshara Brahma is"
"emerged the egg, which split to create atmosphere and land. Between atmosphere and land emerged the divine person (""Purusha"") with one thousand heads, one thousand eyes, one thousand arms, and one thousand feet, who created death. The Brahman then created seven sons filled with truth, called Prajapatis. Out of the divine Purusha's mouth emerged the Brahmins, from the arms emerged the Kshatriyas, from the thighs emerged the Vaishyas and from the feet emerged the Shudras. From his mind emerged the moon, from the eyes came the sun, from his heart came the life-force (""prana""). Chapter 2 asserts that from the"
"Creation, the creator-god Brahma emerges from a lotus, that rises the god Vishnu's navel as Vishnu sleeps in his ""yoganidra"". While Brahma starts creating the universe, two demons Madhu and Kaitabha rise from the dirt in Vishnu's ear. The demons disturb Brahma's process of creation, thereby compelling Vishnu to awake. Vishnu battles the battle, but cannot defeat them. He asks the god Shiva the reason for this. Shiva informs Vishnu that he cannot succeed as he had forgotten to invoke Ganesha – the god of beginning and obstacle removal – before the fight. Therefore, Vishnu performs penance at Siddhatek, invoking"
"previous birth and the god Vishnu would free him. Suthaba, as a frog, continued his penance under water in the Mendaka Theertham in the temple and Vishnu appeared to him as Sundararajan. As per another legend, the Hindu god of creation Brahma believed that he was the most handsome individual in the world as he created all the human beings. Vishnu learned this and cursed Brahma to be born as an earthly being. Brahma worshiped Vishnu for deliverance from the curse. Vishnu appeared as a handsome young man in front of him. Awed by the Vishnu's personality, Brahma inquired about"
"preserves nor destroys anything. He is envisioned in some Hindu texts to have emerged from the metaphysical Brahman along with Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer), all other gods, goddesses, matter and other beings. In theistic schools of Hinduism where deity Brahma is described as part of its cosmology, he is a mortal like all gods and goddesses, and dissolves into the abstract immortal Brahman when the universe ends, then a new cosmic cycle (kalpa) restarts. The deity Brahma is mentioned in the Vedas and the Upanishads but is uncommon, while the abstract Brahman concept is predominant in these texts, particularly the"
"""Adhyatma Ramayana"" (chapter 9 of ""Aranya kanda"", dated between late 14th to early 15th century) from ""Brahmanda Purana"" and Tulsidas's 16th century work ""Ramacharitamanas"". The ""Ramayana"" narrates: Kabandha was born as a gandharva (celestial musician) named Vishvavasu. He was the son of the gandharva Sri Vishvavasu or Sri and was also known as Danu (दनु). Vishvavasu performed penance and got the boon of immortality from the creator-god Brahma. He became arrogant due to his boon and attacked Indra, the god-king of heaven. Indra used his celestial weapon the Vajra (thunderbolt) and drove Vishvavasu's head and thighs into his body. Vishvavasu"
"asked Lord Vishnu for alms. In return, Lord Vishnu showed Lord Shiva his index finger, which enraged the latter. Lord Shiva took out his trishul, or trident, and cut Lord Vishnu’s fingers. The Preserver’s fingers began to bleed profusely, and the blood accumulated in Brahma’s skull and soon overflowed from it. The flow became a stream and finally a river – the Shipra. The Puranas, or ancient Hindu texts, also suggest that the Shipra originated from the heart of Varaha, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as a boar. Also on the banks of the Shipra is Sage Sandipani’s ashram or hermitage where"
"body is represented as the earth (Prithvi), water (Apa), fire (Agni), air (Vayu), ether (Akasha), mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi), sense of self (ahamkara), Subconscious mind or memory (""chitta""), unmanifestated (Avyakta), indestructible (akshara), and Death (mrityu), all of these elements act within themselves, and within the body without one's awareness. Brahman is then equated with the god Narayana (Vishnu) who resides in the soul and cleans everything and washes away all misdeeds. The Upanishad states that one who shuns the ego of “I and Mine” by meditating on Brahman, will be aware of his state of ""Pratyagatma"" (Brahman in an individual),"
"his begging bowl as his food. Vishnu then directed Bhikshatana to visit the sacred city of Varanasi, where his sin would be expiated. The encounter with Vishnu's gatekeeper is also retold with some variation in the Vamana Purana and the Matsya Purana. All Puranas agree that upon reaching Varanasi, Brahma's skull falls off Bhikshatana's palm at a place now called ""Kapala-mochana"" (""liberating from the skull"") and Vishaksena's corpse disappears. The sin, personified by Brahmahatya, vanishes into hell. Vishaksena is resurrected and the sanctified Bhairava-Shiva, having bathed in the sacred pond in Varanasi, casts off the appearance of Bhikshatana and returns"
"during the creation, the demons Madhu-Kaitabha stole the Vedas from Brahma, and Vishnu then took the Hayagriva form to recover them. The two bodies of Madhu and Kaitabha disintegrated into twelve pieces (two heads, two torsos, four arms and four legs). These are considered to represent the twelve seismic plates of the Earth. Yet another legend has it that during the creation, Vishnu compiled the Vedas in the Hayagrīva form. Some consider Hayagriva to be one of the Dashavataras of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He along with Śrī Krishna, Shrī Rama and Shri Narasimha is considered to be an"
"by Ardhanarishvara, that is half Shiva and half Parvati; or alternatively, Brahma was born from Rudra, or Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma creating each other cyclically in different aeons (kalpa). In some Vaishnava Puranas, Vishnu takes the form of Rudra or commands Rudra to destroy the world, thereafter the entire universe dissolves and along with time, everything is reabsorbed back into Vishnu. The universe is then recreated from Vishnu all over again, starting a new ""Kalpa"". For this the ""Bhagavata Purana"" employs the metaphor of Vishnu as a spider and the universe as his web. Other texts offer alternate cosmogenic theories,"
"Brahmā (Buddhism) Brahma is a part of the Buddhist cosmology, and lords over the heavenly realm of rebirth called the ""Brahmaloka"" – the most sought after realm for afterlife and reincarnation in Buddhist traditions. Brahma is generally represented in Buddhist culture as a god with four faces and four arms, and variants of him are found in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist cultures. The origins of Brahma in Buddhism and other Indian religions are uncertain, in part because several related words such as one for metaphysical Ultimate Reality (Brahman), and priest (Brahmin) are found in the Vedic literature. According to"
"of Tamil Nadu. As per the account in Brahmanda Purana, Brahma, the Hindu god of creation and Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, had originally five heads. Parvati, the wife of Shiva, once got confused and worshipped Brahma, instead of her husband. Shiva got enraged and cut off one of Brahma's heads; the head stuck to Shiva's hand due to Brahma's curse. To get rid off the sin, Shiva worshipped the god Vishnu at Thirukarambanur as Bhikshatana, where a part of his sin was relieved. Shiva freed himself from the sin after visiting Vishnu at Thirukandiyur and taking a holy"
"forehead, he burns Brahma himself. Ardhanarishvara Shiva then enjoys his own half – the Great Goddess – by ""the path of yoga"" and creates Brahma and Vishnu from her body. In the repetitive cycle of aeons, Ardhanarishvara is ordained to reappear at the beginning of every creation as in the past. The Matsya Purana describes how Brahma, pleased with a penance performed by Parvati, rewards her by blessing her with a golden complexion. This renders her more attractive to Shiva, to whom she later merges as one half of his body. Tamil temple lore narrates that once the gods and"
"the forms in the universe, but not the primordial universe itself. In contrast, the Shiva-focussed Puranas describe Brahma and Vishnu to have been created by Ardhanarishvara, that is half Shiva and half Parvati; or alternatively, Brahma was born from Rudra, or Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma creating each other cyclically in different aeons (kalpa). Thus in most Puranic texts, Brahma's creative activity depends on the presence and power of a higher god. In other versions of creation, the creator deity is the one who is equivalent to the Brahman, the metaphysical reality in Hinduism. In Vaishnavism, Vishnu creates Brahma and orders"
"for Lord Vishnu to descend to Earth. This hurt Lord Brahma very much. Lord Brahma cursed this Yaksha that whenever the time comes to eliminate all the evil forces on Earth, then Lord Vishnu will first kill him. Later, the Yaksha takes birth as Barbarika and Lord Krishna seeks his head in charity as a result of this curse. Before decapitating himself, Barbarika told Krishna of his great desire to view the forthcoming battle and requested him to facilitate the same. Krishna agreed and placed the head on top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. From the hill, the head"
"is explained further and identified with the deities Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Purusha. The text describes the difference between ""jiva"" (the living being) and ""Brahman"" (the infinite Self). Five selves are related to five ""Pancha-Brahma"" deities Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshvara and Sadashiva. They are said to reside in ""the heart, throat, palate, forehead and the tip of the nose"" in the body. For example, Brahman is said to be positioned 12 aṅgula (a finger's breadth) from the extreme end of the nose. It is the location whose control can bring back the breath, and link it to the mind to"
"the cosmic mind and deities presiding over the cosmic senses; the cosmic senses, intellect and vital breaths; and the five gross elements and five subtle elements. Together this forms the gross and subtle cosmic body of a brahmand, which has Virat Purush as its soul. With the special empowering and re-entering of Purushottam, from Virat originates Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (each metaphysically ishwar), and then from Brahma, originate the various daityas, devas, humans, animals, vegetation, and all other mobile and immobile life-forms. The primary goal of devotees is ""mukti"", to escape the bondage of maya and the cycle of birth"
"The Upanishadic scholars, according to Francis X Clooney and other scholars, assert their insights as a combination of intuitive empiricism, experimentalism, and inspired creative perception. Brahmā (Buddhism) Brahma is a part of the Buddhist cosmology, and lords over the heavenly realm of rebirth called the ""Brahmaloka"" – the most sought after realm for afterlife and reincarnation in Buddhist traditions. Brahma is generally represented in Buddhist culture as a god with four faces and four arms, and variants of him are found in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist cultures. The origins of Brahma in Buddhism and other Indian religions are uncertain,"
"of its own and talks in the first person explaining its different aspects. The first verse equates the god Narayana (an epithet of Vishnu) with Brahman, Purusha and Om, who frees a yogi from samsara, cycle of birth-death-rebirth. The mantra ""Om namo Narayanaya"" (Obeisance to Narayana) will attain Vaikunta, the abode of Vishnu. Vishnu's attributes the conch, chakra and mace are mentioned and interpreted to denote Akasha (ether), Manas (Mind) and Buddhi (intelligence). Brahman resides on the heart-lotus. Narayana, the ""Brahmanya"" (Lord of the city of Brahman), has effulgence and glows with light. He is called Vishnu, son of Devaki"
"Vishnu. In the Vaikuntha Vishnu (four headed Vishnu) images, the boar is shown as the left head. Varaha's shakti (energy or consort) is the Matrika (mother goddess) Varahi, who is depicted with a boar head like the god. Varaha was originally described as a form of Brahma, but later on evolved into the avatar of Vishnu. The earliest versions of the Varaha legend are found in the ""Taittiriya Aranyaka"" and the ""Shatapatha Brahmana"". They narrate that the universe was primordial waters. The earth was the size of a hand and was trapped in it. The god Prajapati (Brahma) in the"
"Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam The Shri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam is a Hindu temple situated on the Simhachalam hill, which is 500 metres above the sea level in the north of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is dedicated to one of the Hindu trinity deities Vishnu, who is worshipped there as Varaha Narasimha. As per the temple's legend (which is divided into 32 chapters), Vishnu manifested in this peculiar form, with a boar head, human torso and a lion's tail, after saving his devotee Prahlada from a murder attempt by the latter's father Hiranyakashipu. Except on Akshaya Tritiya, the"
"form of a pigeon and by Indra assuming the form of a hawk; Shibi offered his own flesh to the hawk in exchange of pigeon's life. The pigeon which had sought Shibi's shelter was thus saved by the king's sacrifice. ""Agniparikshā"" or 'the Fire test' has Agni as the witness. In the Ramayana, Sita voluntarily goes through this ordeal to prove her virtue. Agni is the eldest son of Brahma. In the Visnu Purana, Agni, called ""Abhimāni"" is said to have sprung from the mouth of the Virat purusha, the Cosmic Man. In another version, Agni emerged from the ritual"
"said that the matter could be tested if the two could search for Lord Shiva's Head and feet. Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar(Sanskrit:""Varaha"", Tamil:""Varaham(pandri) "") and delved deep into the earth, Lord Brahma that of a swan(Sanskrit:""Hansa"", Tamil:""Annam"") and flew towards the skies. Lord Vishnu failed in his search and returned. But Lord Brahma, chancing upon a piece of ""Thazhambu"", a flower, learnt from it that it had been floating down for thirty thousand years from Lord Shiva's head. He seized upon this and claimed to Lord Shiva that he had seen the other's top. Lord Siva"
"Shiva Purana, when an argument erupts between Brahma and Vishnu over who is superior, Shiva appears as an infinite fiery pillar (Linga) in front of the pair. They decide whoever finds the end of the pillar is superior. Brahma lies about finding the head of the infinite pillar and declares himself as superior. In the Varaha Purana, in which Shiva is born from Brahma's brow, Brahma calls his son a Kapali and angers him. In all versions, an infuriated Shiva or Bhairava cuts off Brahma's head as a punishment. However, all Puranas (Kurma, Varaha, Shiva, Skanda, and Vamana) agree that"
"the texts from Vedas. Brahma started to recite the text with the holy word called Pranav Mantra, ""Om"". At that time Muruga stopped Brahma and asked him to explain the meaning of the Pranava Mantra. Brahma did not expect such a question from the child and could not reply. Muruga knocked Brahma on his forehead with his clenched fists and punished him with imprisonment. Muruga took up the role of the creator. The Devas (celestial deities) were surprised by the absence of Brahma and they requested Vishnu to negotiate with Muruga to release Brahma. Vishnu could not help and as"
"said that Vishnu comes from battle as a conqueror in the magnificent mystic form of the great and terrible Hayagriva; “""The great Hayagriva having been praised in this way by the different saints and ascetics, assumes a great white horses head. The verda’s [mantras] made up his shape, his body built of all the great gods; in the middle of his head was Shiva, in his heart was Brahmā [god of heaven]; the rays of sun (Marichi) were his mane, the sun and moon his eyes; the Vasus and Sadhyas were his legs, in all his bones were the gods."
"Narasimha Narasimha (Sanskrit: नरसिंह IAST: Narasiṃha, lit. ""man-lion"") is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, one who incarnates in the form of part lion and part man to destroy evil and end religious persecution and calamity on Earth, thereby restoring Dharma. Narasimha iconography shows him with a human torso and lower body, with a lion face and claws, typically with a demon Hiranyakashipu in his lap whom he is in the process of killing. The demon is powerful brother of evil Hiranyaksha who had been previously killed by Vishnu, who hated Vishnu for killing his brother. Hiranyakashipu gains special"