Brahma (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा, romanized: Brahmā) is referred to as “The Creator” within the Trimurti, the triple deity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva
He is also referred to as Svayambhu (lit
‘self-born’) and is associated with creation, knowledge and Vedas
Brahma is prominently mentioned in creation legends, though there are many varying versions
In some Puranas, he created himself in a golden egg known as Hiranyagarbha
Brahma is frequently identified with the Vedic god Prajapati
During the post-Vedic period, Brahma was a prominent deity and his sect existed; however, by the 7th century, he was frequently attacked and lost his significance
He was also overshadowed by other major deities like Vishnu, Shiva and Devi
Along with other such Hindu deities, Brahma is sometimes viewed as a form (saguna) of the otherwise formless (nirguna) brahman, the ultimate metaphysical reality in Vedantic Hinduism
According to Vaishnava accounts of creation, Brahma was born in a lotus, emerging from the navel of Vishnu
The Shaivism sects believe that he is born from Shiva or his aspects, while the goddess centric Shaktism states that Devi created the universe, including Brahma
Brahma is commonly depicted as a red or golden complexioned bearded man, with four heads and hands
His four heads represent the four Vedas and are pointed to the four cardinal directions
He is seated on a lotus and his vahana (mount) is a hamsa (swan, goose or crane)
Goddess Saraswati is generally mentioned as Brahma’s wife and she represents his creative energy (shakti) as well as the knowledge which he possesses
According to the scriptures, Brahma created his children from his mind and thus, they were referred to as Manasputra
In present-age Hinduism, Brahma does not enjoy popular worship and has lesser importance than the other members of the Trimurti
Brahma is revered in ancient texts, yet rarely worshiped as a primary deity in India
Very few temples dedicated to him exist in India, the most famous being the Brahma Temple, Pushkar in Rajasthan
Brahma temples are found outside of India, such as at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok