The Mythology Book

200

See also: The birth of Ganesha 201 ■ The game of dice 202–03 ■ The Ramayana

204–09 ■ The fish-eyed goddess finds a husband 211

I

n Hindu mythology, there is

no single creation myth or

creator. Narayana, however,

was the supreme being. When he

first awoke from his cosmic sleep,

he forged the creator god, Brahma,

from his own body. Brahma, using

the power of his mind, made the

universe and produced four sons.

These sons did not know how to

have children, so Brahma then

created 10 men, the Prajapatis,

who did know how. They asked

Brahma for a wife.

Daughter and consort

Brahma divided himself into two,

and from the left half emerged a

beautiful woman. Brahma’s desire

for this daughter was so powerful

that he sprouted three extra heads

(one on each side and one behind)

so that he could always look at her.

Discomfited by his lustful stares,

his daughter rose up to the sky, so

Brahma grew a fifth head, which

looked heavenward.

The daughter fled, adopting

various female animal forms as she

ran—goose, mare, cow, doe—but

all of her disguises were in vain.

Her father turned into the male

counterpart of each animal she

became and forced himself on her,

creating all of the animal species

across the earth.

The daughter became known

as Shatarupa (“one with a thousand

forms”). She was also revered as

Saraswati, Brahma’s consort and

goddess of wisdom, who ruled over

artistic and intellectual exploits and

created the Sanskrit language. ■

BRAHMA OPENED HIS

EYES AND REALIZED

HE WAS ALONE

BRAHMA CREATES THE COSMOS

IN BRIEF

THEME

Creation

SOURCE

Brahmanda Purana,

Anonymous, 450–950 ce.

SETTING

The beginning of cosmic time.

KEY FIGURES

Narayana The supreme

being.

Brahma The creator in

the Hindu Trinity (Trimurti):

Brahma (the creator), Vishnu

(the preserver), and Shiva

(the destroyer).

The Prajapatis 10 men

created by Brahma to begin

populating the earth.

Saraswati Brahma’s daughter

and consort; goddess of

knowledge and the arts.

Brahma transformed into

a deer, pursuing his own

daughter metamorphosed into

a doe, for the purpose of

committing incest with her.

Brahmanda Purana

US_200-201_Brahma_Ganesh.indd 200 06/12/17 3:01 pm