The Supreme Triad

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Creator, Preserver, Destroyer

In Hinduism the triad is not worshipped as such. Of its three members, Brahma, who was initially worshipped on the same level as the other two, evolved in the course of centuries into a somewhat unilateral and lesser god.

He stands for all practical purposes on a somewhat lower level than the two other members of the triad, and his worshippers have become steadily fewer in number.

The triad nowadays is no longer necessarily completed with Brahma, but with the the Great Goddess who, slowly but steadily, seems to push him aside. The three main gods worshipped today in India are Vishnu, Shiva and the Great Goddess who goes by many different names.

Brahma, on the left, rose out of the Egg of the Universe. In popular tradition and imagery, he is represented as coming forth from a lotus flower, growing out of the navel of Vishnu, depicted in the center. Brahma exclusively personifies creation and he is never said to destroy what he has created. He has, therefore, a one sided character.

Brahma from Haccappyagudi Temple 500AD

Brahma is the creator god and his main function is just that.

So that the images can communicate superhuman powers they are often given multiple arms and heads.

Brahma has 4 heads which are said said to represent the four Yugas or cyles of time in Hinduism.

At the end of these cycles of time the Universe is ripe for destruction and must be created again. The God Shiva will then destroy the universe so that it can be created again.

He is shown as carrying a lotus flower, a scepter, a row of beads The goose is the vechicle or the mount or vhana of Brahma.