This article is about the Hindu god. For the Indian caste, see Vishwakarma (caste).
Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman (Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा, romanized: Viśvakarmā, lit. 'all maker') is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar 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.[2]
Vishvakarma crafted all of the chariots of the devas and weapons including the Vajra of the god Indra.[3] 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.[2] According to the epic Ramayana, the vanara (forest-man or monkey) Nala was the son of Vishvakarma, created to aid the avatar Rama.
The term Visvakarman was originally used as an epithet for any supreme god[4] and as an attribute of Indra and the Sun. 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.[5]
Cambodian idol of Vishvakarma
According to some parts of the Rigveda, Vishvakarma was the personification of ultimate reality, the abstract creative power inherent in deities, living and non-living being in this universe.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
In the historical Vedic religion, the role of Vishvakarma as the builder of gods is attributed to Tvastar.[9] Vedic Vishvakarman is identified with Prajapati rather than Tvaṣṭṛ.[10][11] In later mythology, Vishvakarman is sometimes identified with Tvaṣṭṛ and is a craftsman deity.[12]
Iconography
Two different depictions of Vishvakarma
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 (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.[13]
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.[13]
Family
Parentage of Vishvakarma differs in many other texts. In the Nirukta and Brahmanas he is stated to be the son of Bhuvana. In the Mahabharata and Harivansha, he is the son of Vasu Prabhāsa and Yoga-siddhā. In the Puranas, he is the son of Vāstu or sometimes, Brahma. Vishvakarma is the father of three daughters named Barhishmati, Samjna and Chitrangada, as well as five sons.[14] In Vamana Purana, Vishvakarma is presented as the husband of the celestial nymph Ghritachi.[10] When identified with Tvastar, Vishvakarma is also described to be the father of a son named Vishvarupa.[15]
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.[16]
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 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.[17]
^Sprochi, Amanda K. (2011). Melton, J. Gordon (ed.). Religious Celebrations: L-Z. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 908. ISBN978-1-59884-205-0.
^Dhavamony, Mariasusai (1982). Classical Hinduism. Gregorian Biblical BookShop. p. 48. ISBN978-8-87652-482-0.
^Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (4 July 2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. ISBN9781135963972.
^ abMonier-Williams, Monier (1899). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages. Oxford University Press. p. 994.
^Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1897). Vedic Mythology. Oxford University Press. p. 118.
^ abJacobsen, Knut A.; Myrvold, Kristina (15 January 2019). Religion and Technology in India: Spaces, Practices and Authorities. Routledge. ISBN978-1-351-20477-4.
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"
Raina, M. K. (1999). "The Divine Creativity: The Mythical Paradigm and Lord Visvakarma". In Stein, M. I. (ed.). (PDF). Florida: Winslow Press. pp. 75–82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2007.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vishvakarman.
Vishvakarma Samaj
January 11, 2023
vishvakarma, this, article, about, hindu, indian, caste, vishwakarma, caste, sanskrit, वकर, romanized, viśvakarmā, maker, craftsman, deity, divine, architect, devas, contemporary, hinduism, early, texts, craftsman, deity, known, tvastar, word, originally, used. This article is about the Hindu god For the Indian caste see Vishwakarma caste Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman Sanskrit व श वकर म romanized Visvakarma lit all maker is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism In the early texts the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar 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 2 VishvakarmaArchitect of the devas 1 Depiction of VishvakarmaAffiliationDevaAbodeSvargaMantraOm Vishwakarmane NamahWeaponScale Kamandalu book hammer and chiselMountGooseElephantPersonal informationConsortGhritachi or Gayatri or three wives Rati Prapti and Nandi ChildrenSanjna Vishvarupa Barhismati Chitrangada NalaVishvakarma crafted all of the chariots of the devas and weapons including the Vajra of the god Indra 3 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 2 According to the epic Ramayana the vanara forest man or monkey Nala was the son of Vishvakarma created to aid the avatar Rama Contents 1 Literature and legends 1 1 Vedas 2 Iconography 3 Family 4 Vishvakarma Puja 5 See also 6 Bibliography 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksLiterature and legends EditVedas Edit See also Tvastar The term Visvakarman was originally used as an epithet for any supreme god 4 and as an attribute of Indra and the Sun 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 5 Cambodian idol of Vishvakarma According to some parts of the Rigveda Vishvakarma was the personification of ultimate reality the abstract creative power inherent in deities living and non living being in this universe 6 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 7 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 8 In the historical Vedic religion the role of Vishvakarma as the builder of gods is attributed to Tvastar 9 Vedic Vishvakarman is identified with Prajapati rather than Tvaṣṭṛ 10 11 In later mythology Vishvakarman is sometimes identified with Tvaṣṭṛ and is a craftsman deity 12 Iconography Edit Two different depictions of Vishvakarma 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 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 13 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 13 Family EditParentage of Vishvakarma differs in many other texts In the Nirukta and Brahmanas he is stated to be the son of Bhuvana In the Mahabharata and Harivansha he is the son of Vasu Prabhasa and Yoga siddha In the Puranas he is the son of Vastu or sometimes Brahma Vishvakarma is the father of three daughters named Barhishmati Samjna and Chitrangada as well as five sons 14 In Vamana Purana Vishvakarma is presented as the husband of the celestial nymph Ghritachi 10 When identified with Tvastar Vishvakarma is also described to be the father of a son named Vishvarupa 15 Vishvakarma Puja Edit Vishvakarma Temple in Jinja Uganda Vishvakarma Temple at Machilipatnam Andhra Pradesh Vishvakarma Temple Lohgarh Zirakpur Near Chandigarh 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 16 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 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 17 See also EditVishvakarma Day Suthar Rajgir karigar Acharya Barhai Vishvakarma caste Tarkhan Lohar Daksha Kami caste Shilpa Shastras Great Architect of the Universe Tvastar Vishwakarmas The Poem of Angkor WatBibliography EditAchary 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 1 Pattanaik Devdutt Devdutt Pattanaik 2009 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art Westland India ISBN 978 81 89975 67 8 Padhi Bibhu amp Padhi Minakshi Bibhu Padhi 1998 Indian Philosophy and Religion A Reader s Guide 3rd ed D K Printworld ISBN 978 8 12460 116 7 Borad Siddharth amp Om Dr Jayshree 2020 The Ancient Science of Vastu BlueRose ISBN 978 93 90030 07 1 References Edit Vishvakarma Vishwakarma Vishwakarma Vishwakarman Vishwakarman Vishwa karman 26 definitions 19 December 2011 a b Coulter Charles Russell Turner Patricia 4 July 2013 Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities Routledge ISBN 978 1 135 96397 2 Coomaraswamy 1979 p 79 Vishvakarman Hindu mythology Encyclopedia Britannica Macdonell Arthur Anthony 1898 Vedic Mythology Motilal Banarsidass p 41 ISBN 978 8 12081 113 3 Vishvakarman Oxford Reference a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Sprochi Amanda K 2011 Melton J Gordon ed Religious Celebrations L Z Santa Barbara CA ABC CLIO p 908 ISBN 978 1 59884 205 0 Dhavamony Mariasusai 1982 Classical Hinduism Gregorian Biblical BookShop p 48 ISBN 978 8 87652 482 0 Coulter Charles Russell Turner Patricia 4 July 2013 Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities ISBN 9781135963972 a b Monier Williams Monier 1899 A Sanskrit English Dictionary Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo European Languages Oxford University Press p 994 Macdonell Arthur Anthony 1897 Vedic Mythology Oxford University Press p 118 Monier Williams 1899 p 994 a b Jacobsen Knut A Myrvold Kristina 15 January 2019 Religion and Technology in India Spaces Practices and Authorities Routledge ISBN 978 1 351 20477 4 The Sacred Scriptures of India Anmol Publications 2009 ISBN 978 81 261 3630 8 Debroy Bibek Debroy Dipavali 2002 The Holy Puranas B R Publishing Corporation ISBN 978 81 7646 299 0 Vishwakarma Puja in Hindu Calendar Achary Subramanian Matathinkal 1995 Further reading EditDr 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 Raina M K 1999 The Divine Creativity The Mythical Paradigm and Lord Visvakarma In Stein M I ed Creativity s Global Correspondents 1999 PDF Florida Winslow Press pp 75 82 Archived from the original PDF on 26 February 2007 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vishvakarman Vishvakarma Samaj Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vishvakarma amp oldid 1132311326, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
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