BRAHMA

in the late Vedic period of India, one of the major gods of Hinduism; with the rise of sectarian worship, he was gradually eclipsed by Vishnu and Siva. Brahma (a masculine form not to be confused with Brahman, the neuter noun, which denotes the supreme power, or ultimate reality, of the universe) is associated with the Vedic creator god Prajapati, whose identity he came to assume. Brahma is said to have been born from a golden egg and in turn to have created the Earth and all things on it. Later sectarian myths describe him as having come forth from a lotus that issued from Vishnu's navel. In classical times an attempt to synthesize the diverging sectarian traditions is evident in the doctrine of Trimurti, which considers Vishnu, Siva, and Brahma as three forms of the supreme, unmanifested deity. By the 7th century, when the Smartas initiated their worship of five deities, omitting Brahma, he had lost all claims as a supreme deity. Today there is no cult or sect that exclusively worships Brahma, and few temples are dedicated to him. The only prominent one is at Pushkar, near Ajmer (Rajasthan state). Nevertheless, all temples dedicated to Siva or to Vishnu must contain an image of Brahma. Brahma is usually depicted in art as having four faces, symbolic of the four Vedas (earliest sacred scriptures of India), the four yugas (ages), and the four varnas (social classes). He is usually shown with four arms, holding sacrificial instruments, prayer beads, and a book, and either seated or standing on a lotus throne or on his mount, the hamsa (swan). His consorts, Savitri and Sarasvati, frequently accompany him. In painting he is depicted with a yellow complexion, wearing white garments and garlands.