Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman ( sa, विश्वकर्मा, Viśvakarmā, all maker) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the
devas in contemporary
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as
Tvastar
Tvashtr ( sa, त्वष्टृ, Tvaṣṭṛ) is a Vedic artisan god or fashioner. He is also mentioned in later literature of Hinduism like the ''Harivamsa''. Sometimes, Tvashtr is identified with another deity named Vishvakarma. In Hindu ...
and the word "Vishvakarma" was originally used as an epithet for any powerful deity. However, in many later traditions, Vishvakarma became the name of the craftsman god.
Vishvakarma crafted all of the chariots of the
devas and weapons including the ''
Vajra
The Vajra () is a legendary and ritual weapon, symbolising the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).
The vajra is a type of club with a ribbed spherical head. The ribs may meet in a ball-shap ...
'' of the god
Indra. Vishvakarma was related to the sun god
Surya through his daughter
Samjna. According to the legend, when Samjna left her house due to Surya's energy, Vishvakarma reduced the energy and created various other weapons using it. Vishvakarma also built various cities like
Lanka,
Dvaraka, and
Indraprastha.
According to the epic ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
'', the ''
vanara'' (forest-man or monkey)
Nala was the son of Vishvakarma, created to aid the avatar
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
.
Literature and legends
Vedas
The term Visvakarman was originally used as an epithet for any supreme god and as an attribute of
Indra and the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
. The name Visvakarman occurs five times in the tenth book of the Rigveda. The two hymns of the Rigveda identify Visvakarman as all-seeing, and having eyes, faces, arms and feet on every side and also has wings.
Brahma, the god of creation, who is four-faced and four-armed resembles him in these aspects. He is represented as being the source of all prosperity, swift in his thoughts and titled a seer, priest, and lord of speech.
According to some parts of the ''
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one ...
'', Vishvakarma was the personification of ultimate reality, the abstract creative power inherent in deities, living and non-living being in this universe. He is considered to be the fifth monotheistic God concept: He is both The Architect and The Divine Engineer of The Universe from before the advent of time.
The later parts of the Rigveda reveals efforts to find a satisfactory answer to the mysteries regarding the origin of the universe, the creation hymns present in these parts of the Rigveda mention individual creator gods as opposed to the collection of gods and their chiefs (
Indra,
Varuna,
Agni, etc.) creating the world.
In the
historical Vedic religion
The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...
, the role of Vishvakarma as the builder of gods is attributed to
Tvastar
Tvashtr ( sa, त्वष्टृ, Tvaṣṭṛ) is a Vedic artisan god or fashioner. He is also mentioned in later literature of Hinduism like the ''Harivamsa''. Sometimes, Tvashtr is identified with another deity named Vishvakarma. In Hindu ...
. Vedic Vishvakarman is identified with
Prajapati rather than
''Tvaṣṭṛ''.
In later mythology, Vishvakarman is sometimes identified with ''Tvaṣṭṛ'' and is a craftsman deity.
[ Monier-Williams (1899) p. 994.]
Iconography
Vishvakarma's iconography varies drastically from one region to another, though all picture him with creation tools. In the most popular depiction, he is depicted as an aged and wise man, with four arms. He has white beard and is accompanied by his vahana, ''
hamsa
The ''hamsa'' ( ar, خمسة, khamsa) is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East and commonly used in jewellery and wall hangings.Bernasek et al., 2008p. 12Sonbol, 2005pp. 355–359 Depicting the open right h ...
'' (goose or swan), which scholars believe that these suggest his association with the creator god
Brahma. Usually, he is seated on a throne and his sons standing near him. This form of Vishvakarma is mainly found in the Western and North Western parts of India.
Contradictory to the above account, the idols of Vishvakarma in the eastern parts of India depict him as a young muscular man. He has black moustache and is not accompanied by his sons. An elephant is his vahana, suggesting his association with
Indra or
Brihaspati
Brihaspati ( sa, बृहस्पति, ), also known as Guru, is a Hindu deity. In the ancient Vedic scriptures of Hinduism, Brihaspati is a deity associated with fire, and the word also refers to a rishi (sage) who counsels the devas (god ...
.
Family
He is often stated to be the son of
Brahma, but it differs in many other texts. In the
Nirukta
''Nirukta'' ( sa, निरुक्त, , "explained, interpreted") is one of the six ancient Vedangas, or ancillary science connected with the Vedas – the scriptures of Hinduism.James Lochtefeld (2002), "Nirukta" in The Illustrated Encyclope ...
and
Brahmanas he is stated to be the son of Bhuvana. In the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
and
Harivansha, he is the son of Vasu Prabhāsa and Yoga-siddhā. In the
Puranas, he is the son of Vāstu. Vishvakarma is the father of three daughters named Barhishmati,
Samjna and Chitrangada. In other texts Vishvakarma is presented as the husband of Gritachi.
When identified with Tvastar, Vishvakarma is also described to be the father of a son named
Vishvarupa
Vishvarupa (, IAST: ) is an iconographical form and theophany of a Hindu deity, most commonly associated with Vishnu in contemporary Hinduism. Though there are multiple Vishvarupa theophanies, the most celebrated is in the ''Bhagavad Gita' ...
.
Vishvakarma Puja
Among those who celebrate Vishwakarma's birthday, it is celebrated on two days under different names:
* ''Vishvakarma Puja''. "Vishvakarma Puja" always celebrated in India on the 17/18 September of every Year.
* ''Rishi Panchami Dinam''. "Rishi Panchami Dinam" literally means ‘the day of the solidarity of five rishis.’ Those who celebrate this day believe that Vishvakarma did not have a birthday like the mortals but only a commemoration day in which his five children (supposedly five ''rishis'') came together to declare their solidarity and pray to their illustrious father. This day follows the rules of the
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a ...
and changes with every year. The five groups among the
Vishvakarma community also celebrate this as an auspicious day in commemoration of their patron god at present.
[Achary, Subramanian Matathinkal (1995).]
See also
*
Vishvakarma Day
*
Suthar
*Rajgir karigar
*
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a ...
*
Barhai
*
Vishvakarma (caste)
*
Tarkhan
Tarkhan ( otk, 𐱃𐰺𐰴𐰣, Tarqan, mn, or ; fa, ترخان; ; ar , طرخان; alternative spellings ''Tarkan'', ''Tarkhaan'', ''Tarqan'', ''Tarchan'', ''Turxan'', ''Tarcan'', ''Turgan, Tárkány, Tarján'') is an ancient Central Asia ...
*
Lohar
Lohar is a social group in India, Nepal and Pakistan. They are associated with iron smelting work. They form part of a loose grouping of traditionally artisanal castes known as Panchals.
Lohars worship Lord Vishwakarma and other Hindu gods and ...
*
Daksha
*
Kami (caste)
Kami is an Indo-Aryan Nepali speaking group that primarily worked as metalists. Later Nepal abolished its grading system. The tribal designation of Khas is given in only a few contexts.
the Government of Nepal legally abolished the caste-syste ...
*
Shilpa Shastras
*
Great Architect of the Universe
*
Tvastar
Tvashtr ( sa, त्वष्टृ, Tvaṣṭṛ) is a Vedic artisan god or fashioner. He is also mentioned in later literature of Hinduism like the ''Harivamsa''. Sometimes, Tvashtr is identified with another deity named Vishvakarma. In Hindu ...
*
Vishwakarmas
*''
The Poem of Angkor Wat''
Bibliography
* Achary, Subramanian Matathinkal (1995): ''Visvakarmajar Rigvedathil'', Sawraj Printing and Publishing Company, Aluva.
* Coomaraswamy, Ananda K.
Ananda Coomaraswamy (1979): ''Medieval Sinhalese Art'', Pantheon Books Inc., New York.
*
Monier-Williams (1899)
* Pattanaik, Devdutt
Devdutt Pattanaik
Devdutt Pattanaik is a mythologist from Mumbai, India. He is also a speaker, illustrator and author, on Hindu sacred lore, legends, folklore, fables and parables. His work focuses largely on the areas of religion, mythology, and management. He ha ...
(2009): ''7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art''. Westland, India. .
* Padhi, Bibhu & Padhi, Minakshi
Bibhu Padhi
Bibhu Padhi, born Bibhu Prasad Padhi, on 16 January 1951, is an Indian poet. He writes in English and Odia, and is also a translator and literary critic.
Early life
Padhi was born on 16 January 1951 in Cuttack, Odisha. He studied at Ravensha ...
(1998): ''Indian Philosophy and Religion: A Reader's Guide'' (3rd ed.). D.K. Printworld. .
* Borad, Siddharth & Om, Dr. Jayshree (2020): ''The Ancient Science of Vastu''. BlueRose. .
References
Further reading
* Dr G Gnanananda, "Vishvakarma Darshana-Vishawakarma Volume-1 (2008), "Sanskriti Sahithya Pratisthana, Bangalore Publications"
* Dr G Gnanananda, "Vishvakarma Darshana-Hiranyagarbha Volume-2 (2009), "Sanskriti Sahithya Pratisthana, Bangalore Publications"
* Dr G Gnanananda, "Vishvakarma Darshana-Rhubugalu Volume-3 (2010), "Sanskriti Sahithya Pratisthana, Bangalore Publications"
*
External links
Vishvakarma Samaj
Crafts gods
Creator gods
Hindu gods
Buddhist gods
Rigvedic deities
Smithing gods
Characters in the Mahabharata
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