Vishvakarman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vishvakarma ( VishwaBrahamin ) (Sanskrit: िवश्वकर्मा viśvá-karman "all-accomplishing; all-creator") is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects.[1]
Said to be a son of Brahma, in later mythology identified with Tvastr, he is the divine craftsman of the whole universe, and the builder of all the gods' palaces. Vishwakarma is also the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons. He is said to have revealed the Sthapatyaveda or fourth Upa-veda, and presides over the sixty-four mechanical arts; in the Vedic mythology, however, the office of "Indian Vulcan" is assigned to Tvastr as a distinct deity, Vishva-karman being rather identified with Prajapati himself himself as the creator of all things and architect of the universe; in the hymns RV 10.81 and 10.82 he is represented as the universal Father and Generator, the one all-seeing God, who has on every side eyes, faces, arms, and feet; in the Brahmanas he is called a son of Bhuvana, and Vishva-karman Bhauvana is described as the author of the two hymns mentioned above.
In the Mahabharata and Harivamsa, he is a son of the Vasu Prabhasa and Yoga-siddha. The Mahabharata describes him as "The lord of the arts, executor of a thousand handicrafts, the carpenter of the gods, the most eminent of artisans, the fashioner of all ornaments ... and a great and immortal god..." He has four hands, wears a crown, loads of gold jewelry, and holds a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman's tools in his hands.
In the Puranas a son of Vastu, and the father of Barhishmatî and Samjna; according to other authorities he is the husband of Ghrtaci. The Ramayanma represents him as having built the city of Lanka for the Rakshasas, and as having generated the ape Nala, who made Rama's bridge from the continent to the island; the name Vishva-karman, meaning, doing all acts", appears to be sometimes applicable as an epithet to any great divinity.
According to the mythology of traditional artisan trades like Blacksmith, Carpenter, Copper Smith, Stone Sculptor and Gold Smith, Vishwakarman is the personification of Virad Viswa Brahman, the ultimate reality.
Viswabramapurana and Moolastambapurana are singing about a Vishwakarma who incarnated out of nothingness having five heads known as Sadyojatham, Tathpurusham, Akhoram, Eeshanam, Oordham and ten hands wielding trident, tools of creation, four vedas, now the vedopangas, such as Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandarvaveda, Stapatyaveda and fifth veda of Pranavam. Five prajapathies such as Manu, Maya, Toshtwa, Shilpy and Viswajna originated from his five heads. This concept of god of creation must have been crystalized during the formative period of toolmaking artisan society and may be closely associated with the advent of metal technology. Later vedic (present day Rig yaju sama adharva) period presented a mutilated form of brama with four heads and his epithet or the remaining head became another Vishwakarma the divine architect. This visual language reveals the social change, that is the supremacy of clerics and knights over the creative working class before imposing chathurvarnya. In south India there are traditional Vishwakarmas still donning sacred threads and following their vedic lineage.
Contents |
[edit] Vishwakarma Puja
The month of September brings with it an essence of the forthcoming festivities. The pleasant weather of early autumn, with clouds scattered across the sky looks more colourful with the numerous kites floating side by side on Vishwakarma Puja, the festival of the God of Architecture and engineering, Vishwakarma.
Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated with full enthusiasm on 17th of September every year. The celebration is mainly done in factories and industrial areas. Shop floors in various factories wear a festive look on this occasion. In beautifully decorated pandals the image of Vishwakarma and his faithful elephant are inaugurated and worshipped.
Vishwakarma is known as the divine engineer since the Puranic age. As a mark of reverence he is not only worshipped by the engineering community but also by all professionals. On this day all the workers in the workshops and offices worship their tools and instruments in front of Lord Vishwakarma, which are generally used in their profession.
This is the puja of Lord Vishwakarma, the main architect of the universe who had fabricated the universe as per the direction of Brahma, the lord of creation.
Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated by all industrial houses, artists, craftsman and weavers. The festival is observed on the Kanya Sankranti Day (September) which follows the Ganesh Puja.
[edit] Legends of Vishwakarma Puja
According to mythology it is Vishwakarma who created the entire universe as well as the heavens and the earth. Vishwakarma is also credited for creating the missiles used in the mythological era, including the Vajra the sacred weapon of Lord Indra, from the bones of sage Dadhichi. He is regarded as the supreme worker, the very essence of excellence and quality in craftsmanship. Vishwakarma is the divine architect of the whole universe. He has four hands, carrying a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman's tools.
[edit] Celebration
This festival of Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated with full enthusiasm. It is observed mostly in workshops, offices and factories in the industrial areas. Shop floors in various factories wear a festive look on this occasion. In beautifully decorated pandals the image of Vishwakarma and his faithful elephant are inaugurated and worshiped. The industrial towns in urban areas come alive with decorative pandals and loudspeakers. Most factories around the area declare the annual bonus on this day. The puja pandals are usually made within the factory premises. On this day family members of the employees come together to create a bright moment in an otherwise dull and mundane workshop. The entire factory workforce sits together for lunch.
The rituals are followed by the distribution of "prasad". The yearly feast is cooked and the workmen and the owners take their lunch together. People are also found to be flying multi-colour kites. The sky fills up with all shades and colours. Chadials, Mombattis, Chowrangees, Petkattas, Mayurpankhis, Baggas fly high to establish the skills of the fliers. The sky becomes a war zone with the discarded kites dropping every now and then with the cry of "Bho-Kattaaa" from the distant roofs or parks.
[edit] Vishwakarma's Architectural Wonders
Hindu mythology is full of Vishwakarma's many architectural wonders. Through the four 'yugas', he had built several towns and palaces for the gods. In "Satya Yuga", he built the Swarg Loke, or heaven, the abode of the gods and demigods where Lord Indra rules. Vishwakarma then built the 'Sone ki Lanka' in "Treta yuga", the city of Dwarka in "Dwapar yuga", and Hastinapur and Indraprastha in the "Kali yuga".
[edit] Dwarka
Among the many mythical towns Vishwakarma built is Dwarka, the capital of Lord Krishna. During the time of the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is said to have lived in Dwarka, and made it his "Karma Bhoomi" or center of operation. That is why this place in northern India has become a well known pilgrimage for the Hindus.
[edit] Sone Ki Lanka
According to Hindu mythology, 'Sone ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka was the place where the demon king Ravana dwelled in the "Treta yuga." As we read in the epic story Ramayana, this was also the place where Ravana kept Sita, Lord Ram's wife as a hostage. There is also a story behind the construction of the Golden Lanka. When Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Vishwakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside. Vishwakarma put up a palace made of gold! For the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Ravana to perform the "Grihapravesh" ritual. After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Ravana to ask anything in return as "Dakshina", Ravana, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself! Shiva was obliged to accede to Ravana's wish, and the Golden Lanka became Ravana's palace.
[edit] Indraprastha
Vishwakarma also built the town of Indraprastha for the Pandavas. The Mahabharata has it that King Dhritrashtra offered a piece of land called 'Khaandavprastha' to the Pandavas for living. Yudhishtir obeyed his uncle's order and went to live in Khaandavprastha with the Pandava brothers. Later, Lord Krishna invited Vishwakarma to build a capital for the Pandavas on this land, which he renamed 'Indraprastha'.
Legends tell us about the architectural marvel and beauty of Indraprastha. Floors of the palace were so well done that they had a reflection like that of water, and the pools and ponds inside the palace gave the illusion of a flat surface with no water in them. After the palace was built, the Pandavas invited the Kauravas, and Duryodhan and his brothers went to visit Indraprastha. Not knowing the wonders of the palace, Duryodhan was flummoxed by the floors and the pools, and fell into one of the ponds. The Pandava wife Draupadi, who witnessed this scene, had a good laugh! She retorted, hinting at Duryodhan's father (the blind king Dhritrashtra) "the son of a blind man is bound to be blind." This remark of Draupadi annoyed Duryodhan so much that later on it became a major cause for the great war of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.
[edit] Hastinapur
In the present "Kali Yuga", Vishwakarma is said to have built the town of Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravas and Pandavas, the warring families of the Mahabharata. After winning the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna installed Dharmaraj Yudhisthir as the ruler of Hastinapur.
[edit] Puri Jagannath Temple
The Jagannath Temple is a sacred Hindu temple in Puri, a seacoast town on the Bay of Bengal, in the state of Orissa. The temple is of great significance to followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, whose founder Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had a special attraction to the Jagannath deity and lived in Puri for many years. Viswakarma appeared in the form of artistes and prepared images of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra from a tree.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Cave Architecture. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
