BRAHMA - THE HANS-VAHANA

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:

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.

Every Kalpa has 1000 cycles of four Yuga.

BRAHMA IMAGE GALLERY
BRAHMA - THE ASHTA-KARNA (THE EIGHT-EARED)	BRAHMA- THE KANJA-JA (THE LOTUSz BORN)	BRAHMA-THE CHATURANANA (THE FOUR FACED)