Brahma is “the Creator” within the Trimurti, the trinity of Hindu supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.
Brahma is associated with creation, knowledge, and the Vedas. Brahma is the Vedic god Prajapati.
The iconography of Brahma:
Brahma is commonly depicted as a red-complexioned man with four heads and hands. His four heads represent the four Vedas and are pointed to the four cardinal directions. He is seated on a lotus and his vahana (mount) is a hamsa (swan). The word Hamsa is convertible into the mystic formula “SA-HAM” i.e. I AM HE, that is Brahma.
His hands hold no weapons, but rather symbols of knowledge and creation. On one hand, he holds the sacred texts of Vedas, in the other hand, he holds a mala, symbolizing the time to create the universe, in the other hand, he holds a shruka, — a ladle symbolizing the means to feed the sacrificial fire, and in the even another hand, a kamandalu – a utensil with water symbolizing the means from where all creation emits.
Brahma’s wife is the goddess Sarasvati. She is the embodiment of his power, the instrument of creation and the energy that drives his actions. According to the scriptures, Brahma and Sarasvati created their children from their minds and thus, they are referred to as Manasaputras.
Legends:
Early texts like the Brahmanda Purana describe that there was nothing but an eternal ocean. From this, a golden egg called Hiranyagarbha emerged. The egg broke open and Brahma, who had created himself within it, came into existence (gaining the name Svayambhu). Then, he created the universe, the earth, and other things. He also created people to populate and live on his creation.
Vishnu-focused Puranas describe that Brahma was born from a lotus emerging from the navel of the god Vishnu and Shiva was born from a fire emerging from the forehead of the god Vishnu.
In contrast, the Shiva-focused Puranas describe Brahma and Vishnu as being born from Shiva’s right and left sides of his waist
Temples of Brahma are very rare. Brahma Temple of Pushkar in Rajasthan is the most popular.
