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The Brahmastra is the weapon of Brahma. Like other astras (celestial weapons), it is invoked with a special mantra, and then you can use it to destroy anything that is created by Brahma. The Brahmastra does refer to a special arrow, but an ordinary arrow can also be given the same power using the mantra, and as discussed below, some people have even used the ...
answered Aug 31 '14 at 3:53
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I am re-posting the improved answer.
Nobody has given any parameter to explain why Saraswati was a daughter of Brahma. Daughter is produced only by X-chromosome of father and X-chromosome of mother. That means X-X combination of father and mother respectively.
In the case of Brahma and Saraswati this rule is not applied at all. So she is not bilogical ...
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"I am of course familiar with the standard mythological justification."
The story you mention isn't actually the standard justification for why Brahma isn't worshiped. But since you were wondering, the justification you give is from the Vidyeshwara Samhita of the Shiva Purana. In this account, Brahma and Vishnu argue about who is superior until this argument ...
answered Jun 21 '14 at 2:37
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Basically by asking "How were Trimurthis born?" This question is asking "Who is the originator of whom?" Or "Who is the Ishwara?" Several answers are given here, but most of them are only from their perspective. Here I present all perspectives of all Trimurty.
Brahma:
Yajurveda Shatapatha Brahmana 6.1.3.1
Verily, ...
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Vishnu has no beginning or end. As Vishnu's incarnation Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, "Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the gods and sages. He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of all the worlds – he only, undeluded among men, is ...
answered Jun 20 '14 at 18:12
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Yes, the current Brahma attains Moksha at the end of his life. As I discuss in this answer, the Srimad Bhagavatam describes what happens to the inhabitants of Brahmaloka, including Brahma himself, at the end of the Mahakalpa:
Worshipers of the Hiraṇyagarbha expansion of the Personality of Godhead remain within this material world until the end of two ...
answered Oct 21 '15 at 3:46
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Yes, there are a few.
Temples of historical significance
The very famous Prambanan temple at Java, Indonesia. This very old temple (and UNESCO world heritage site) from 9th century is dedicated to the trimurti. There are three temples, one for each Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, there. Also, there are separate temples for their vahanas as well.
The main ...
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There is one temple of Trimurties i.e. Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, in Uthamarkoil, a village in the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is called Uthamar Kovil
The temple is one of the few historical temples in India where the Hindu trimurti, Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma are housed in the same ...
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Yes, there are as many Brahmas and Rudras as there are universes:
ananta brahmāṇḍera yata brahmā-rudra-gaṇa
cira-loka-pāla-śabde tāhāra gaṇana [CC - 2.21.58]
Meaning
Actually it is very difficult to ascertain the number of universes. Every universe has its separate Lord Brahmā and Lord Rudra, who are known as permanent governors. Therefore ...
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Your understanding is more or less proper. Brahman is One infinite whole as the Upanishads say. Same Brahman which is Nirguana appears as Various names and forms through its own power of Maya.
I have tried to explain the same but using terminologies of Upanishad in few write-ups in this link- https://nithinsridhar.wordpress.com/tag/saguna-brahman/
The ...
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Brahman is that supreme entity from which everything originates, in which everything stays and into which upon desolation everything merges:
janmadasya yatah [BrSu -1.1.2]
- From whihc origin etc. take place.
yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante yena jātāni jīvanti yatprayantyabhisaṃviśanti tadvijijñāsasva tadbrahmeti [Tait. Up. - 3.1]
Meaning
...
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Yes, Brahma has taken incarnations. Here are two of them:
Chandra: As I discuss in this answer, there was once a Brahmana named Kaushika who received a curse from the sage Mandavya that he would die at sunrise. As a result Kaushika's wife, who had magical powers, stopped the sun from rising. So the world was engulfed in darkness, and the gods turned ...
answered Mar 13 '15 at 4:26
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No. Shiva and Brahma also incarnated on earth. It is indeed Shiva who takes Yogavatar at end of every Dwapara Yuga and beginning of Kali Yuga.
Most famous Avatar of Brahma is Chandra or Moon God which is explained in this answer. As explained in same answer, Sri Vaishnavas believe Vikhanasa as avatar of Brahma as described in Pancharatra Agamas.
Shiva's ...
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As mentioned in this answer, different Puranas were revealed during onset of different Kalpas.
Chapter 53 of Matsya Purana mentions Kalpas of all Puranas except Brahma and Markandeya Puranas.
Padma Purana - Padma Kalpa (hence the name)
Vishnu Purana - Varaha Kalpa (current Kalpa)
Vayu Purana (includes ...
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According to Padma Purana, Brahma saw the jhantu Vajranabha
(Vajranash in another version) trying to kill his children and
harassing people. He immediately slew the demon with his weapon, the
lotus-flower. In this process, the lotus petals fell on the ground at
three places, creating three lakes: the Pushkar Lake or Jyeshta
Pushkar (greatest or ...
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Chapter III On seeing the Devî of Devi Bhagavatam says, there are multiple Brahmas, multiple Vishnus and multiple Rudras.
After killing Dânavas Madhu Kaitabha, three deities got into a beautiful Vimana sent by Devi Bhagavathi. They saw multiple Satyaloka, multiple Vishnuloka and multiple Kailasa.
Brahma said this to his son Narada,
Then the car, where ...
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The story of how Brahma got four heads is told in this excerpt from the Matsya Purana. When Brahma created Saraswati, he immediately fell in love with her, and she evaded him by going in different directions, but he sprouted a head in each of the four directions until finally she went above him and he grew a fifth head pointed towards Devaloka:
Lord ...
answered Mar 19 '15 at 2:28
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1 kalpa is equal to 1000 Chaturyugas..1 Day of Brahma Loka is 1 Kalpa
1 Chaturyuga = 12000 deva years
■ 1 kalpa = 12000000 deva years
■ 12 hour of Brahmaloka= 12000000deva years
■ 1 hour of Brahmaloka=1000000 deva years
■ 1 second of Brahmaloka=277.7778deva years
■1 second of Brahmaloka=277.778×360 Human years
■1 second of Brahmaloka=100000 Human years
...
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Hinduism doesn't have a creation story, it has a lots of creation stories. Creation stories are central to puranas, local myths and beliefs. So there are a lot of variations to the stories even between purana to purana. But regarding the concept of first man and woman, yes it's also there in Hinduism. They are known as Manu and Shatarupa.
However, the ...
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First of all we are not enough capable of translating each and everything correctly, but if you go through all the Puranas you will find one thing in common, the Param Brahma in creation divided itself into two parts, Purusha and Prakriti, the Purusha itself is the Tridev, the Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
The Prakriti is the universe, everything as the part ...
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Mahabharata, Santi Parva, Section CCLXXX says:
Know that this entire universe is under the control of one divine Being. The Veda that is in the soul.......regards the unity of various creatures. When a living creature realizes this unity in consequence of true knowledge, he is then said to attain to Brahman.
Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Section CCLXX says:
...
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Lord Brahma had not asked Maharshi Vyasa to write Mahabharata. Maharshi Vyasa by his penance analysed all Vedas and also composed Mahabharta. But he had a doubt that by what means he can present that holy history to mankind. Seeing Vyasa in dilemma, Lord Brahma came there and suggested that Lord Ganesha can help him in writing the Epic. So Maharshi Vyasa, ...
answered Sep 24 '17 at 6:56
Triyugi Narayan Mani
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In a place called Sucheendram near Kanyakumari of India, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Maheshwara are in a single form called 'Sthanumalayan' and worshipped in that form.
From Wiki:
The main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma in a single form called Sthanumalyam. This 17th-century temple is famous for its architectural ...
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To know news of Kashi, Lord Shiva sent Yoginis, Surya Deva (Sun God) to Kashi. But they didn't return to Kailasha to deliver news. (It doesn't mean Lord Shiva didn't know news of Kashi, it is just his play. He always stays at Kashi as Vishwesa). Lord Shiva sent Brahma this time to know news of Kashi.
Lord Brahma went to Kashi on Swan and disguised as ...
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Lord Matsya, fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu, clarifies this in Matsya Purana.
Chapter 4 The Story of Saraswati in Matysa Purana says,
Manu asked, "O Omniscient lord, it is surprising to stare at the
daughter again and again which is a painful situation, but by
indulging in such a manner, how could the lotus born Brahmä not earn
any blemish? ...
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Everyone here has given the answers based on mythology.
Mythological stories were a tool to mainly teach people to either avoid certain behaviour and / or to aspire and strive to improve one's self by adopting desirable traits. To the intelligent, it should thus be self-evident that they are not meant for literal interpretation.
Brahman: The GOD (a very ...
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Chapter six and seven of RUDRASAMHITA Section of Shiva Purana describes how Trimurti were born.
Brahma said this to his son Narada.
At the time of great dissolution when all mobile and immobile of the world are dissolved everything gets enveloped in darkness without the
sun, planets and stars.
There is no moon. The day and the night are not ...
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Chapter 21 (pg 82-86) of the Sristi Khanda of Padma Purana recounts how Brahma killed a demon named Vajranabha and found Puskara.
Once Brahma wanted to perform a sacrifice. He went to earth to select a place for it. He arrived at a forest where the trees request him to stay and bless the place.
15.He meditated on the highest god who created this world. ...
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Brahman is the both material and intellectual cause of creation in Vedanta:
सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म तज्जलानिति शान्त उपासीत अथ खलु क्रतुमयः पुरुषो यथाक्रतुरस्मिल्लोके पुरुषो भवति तथेतः प्रेत्य भवति स क्रतुं कुर्वीतः । [Chandogya Upanishad: 3.14.1]
III-xiv-1: Verily, all this universe is Brahman. From Him do all things originate, into Him do they ...
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