Using her knowledge he instituted and maintained dharma, sacred laws that ensure stability and growth in society.īrahma also needed the help of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, who gave him the wherewithal to ensure cosmic order. He too needed Saraswati's support to sustain the cosmos.
The violence subdued Brahma's passion.īrahma created the universe with the help of Saraswati. He lunged towards Brahma and with his sharp claws, wretched off Brahma's fifth head. Shiva opened his eyes, sensed Saraswati's discomfort and in a fit of rage turned into Bhairava, lord of terror. It disturbed the serenity of the cosmos and roused Shiva, the supreme ascetic from his meditation. He gave himself a fifth head to enhance his gaze.īrahma's action motivated by desire confined consciousness and excited the ego. Undaunted by the curse, Brahma continued to cast his lustful looks upon Saraswati. So it came to pass that there are only two temples of Brahma in India one at Pushkar, Rajistan and the other in Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu. May there be hardly any temple or festival in your name." She personified material reality, alluring yet fleeting.Īngered by his display of unbridled passion Saraswati cursed Brahma, "You have filled the world with longing that is the seed of unhappiness. The goddess with multiple forms came to be known as Shatarupa. No matter how hard Brahma tried he could not catch Saraswati in any of her forms. Every time Saraswati turned into a bird or a beast he followed her as the corresponding male equivalent. Saraswati then changed into a mare Brahma gave chase as a horse.
Saraswati moved away from Brahma, first taking the form of a cow. He gave himself four heads facing every direction so that he could always be able to feast his eyes on Saraswati's beauty. She turned away saying, "All I offer must be used to elevate the spirit, not indulge the senses."īrahma could not control his amorous thoughts and his infatuation for the lovely goddess grew. Brahma began to look upon her with eyes of desire. Saraswati was the first being to come into Brahma's world. Seasons changed, seeds germinated, plants bloomed and withered, animals migrated and reproduced as randomness gave way to the rhythm of life.īrahma thus became the creator of the world with Saraswati as his wisdom. The sun rose and set, the moon waxed and waned, the tide flowed and ebbed. Gods became lords of the celestial spheres demons ruled the nether regions, humans walked on earth. Things began to take shape and the cosmos acquired a structure: the sky dotted with stars rose to form the heavens the sea sank into the abyss below, the earth stood in between. The sound of mantras filled the universe with vital energy, or prana. In his joy he named Saraswati, Vagdevi, goddess of speech and sound. He began looking upon chaos with eyes of wisdom and thus saw the beautiful potential that lay therein.īrahma discovered the melody of mantras in the cacophony of chaos. Under her tutelage Brahma acquired the ability to sense, think, comprehend and communicate. "Knowledge helps man find possibilities where once he saw problems." Said the goddess. Heralded by a peacock, sacred books in one hand and a veena in the other dressed in white Devi emerged from Brahma's mouth riding a swan as the goddess Saraswati.
"How do I bring order to this disorder?" wondered Brahma, the creator. Everything existed in a formless, fluid state.
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