the great unknown formed a seed; from this
grew an egg from which emerged brahma.
he was called narayana, "he who dwells in
the waters," for when he was conceived
nothing else existed.
brahma is depicted as having four faces, as
being dressed in white and riding on a swan
or peacock, or seated on a lotus. his consort,
sarasvati, emerged from his side. he saw that
she was beautiful and gazed at her wonderingly.
sarasvati was modest as well as beautiful. she
stepped to one side to avoid his gaze. immediately
a second face appeared on that side of brahma's
head, so that he could continue to look on
her. she stepped away again, another face
grew. and again, producing a fourth face.
sarasvati rose up and yet another, the fifth
face, appeared on top of brahma's head.
this last face was later destroyed by the fierce
heat of the third eye of the god siva.
brahma, though given outward shape,
name, attributes and stories, can best
be regarded as the personification of an
attitude. thus his devotees worship him
in many forms, from pure abstraction
down to primitive animism.
