విశ్వకర్మ - Vishvakarman
విశ్వాన్ని సృష్టించింది విశ్వకర్మ. శ్లో నభూమి నజలం చైవ నతేజో నచ వాయవః నచబ్రహ్మ నచవిష్ణు నచనక్షత్ర తారకః సర్వశూన్య నిరాంబం స్వయంభూ విశ్వకర్మణః
తా భూమి – జలము – అగ్ని – వాయువు – ఆకాశము, బ్రహ్మ – విష్ణు – మహేశ్వర – ఇంద్ర –సూర్య – నక్షత్రంబులు లేని వేళ విశ్వకర్మ స్వయంభు రూపమైయుండెను.భూమి నీరు అగ్ని గాలి బ్రహ్మ విష్ణు రుద్రుడు నక్షత్రా లేమియు లేనపుడు విశ్వకర్మ భగవానుడు తనంత తాను సంకల్ప ప్రభావంచేత నవతరించాడు. ఆ స్వయంభూ విశ్వకర్మ పరమేశ్వరునకే విశ్వాత్ముడు, విశ్వేశ్వరుజు, సహస్ర శిర్షుడు! సగుణ బ్రహ్మం, అంగుష్ట మాతృడు, జగద్రక్షకుడు బ్రహ్మ విష్ణు మహేశ్వరుడు మొదలైన అనంతనామనులు – అనంతరూపములు కలిగినై. “ప్రజాపతి విశ్వకర్మ మనః “అని కృష్ణ యజుర్వేదమున విశ్వకర్మయే ప్రజాపతియైన బ్రహ్మయనియు చెప్పబడినది. ఆయనకు సద్యోజాత, వామదేవ, అఘోర, తత్పురుష, ఈశానము లనెడి నైదు ముఖలు. శ్లో పూర్వావనా త్సానగః దక్షణా త్సనాతనః అపరా దహభూవః ఉద్వీచ్యాం ఉర్ధవాత్సుపర్ణః తా తూర్పు ముఖమునందు సానగ ఋషి, దక్షిణ ముఖము నందు సనాతన ఋషి, పశ్చిమ ముఖము నందు అహభూన ఋషి, ఉత్తర ముఖము నందు బ్రత్న ఋషి, ఊర్ధ్వముఖము నందు సుపర్ణ ఋషులుద్బవించిరి.విశ్వకర్మ పరాత్పరుని యొక్క తూర్పు ముఖమైన సద్యోజాతము నందు సానగబ్రహ్మర్షి మకుబ్రహ్మయు, దక్షిణముఖమైన వసుదేవము నందు సనాతన మహర్షి యను మయబ్రహ్మయు, పశ్చిమముఖమైన అఘేరియునందు అహభూవ మహర్షి యను త్వష్టబ్రహ్మయు, ఉత్తరముఖమైన తత్పురుషము నందు ప్రత్న మహర్షి యను శిల్పి బ్రహ్మయు, ఊర్ధ్వముఖమైన ఈశానము నందు సువర్ణ మహర్షియను విశ్వజ్ఞబ్రహ్మయు ప్రభవించినట్లు చెప్పబడినై. ఋక్ వేదం లోని పదవ మండలం 81,82 సూక్తాలు విశ్వకర్మ యొక్క సృష్టి నిర్మాణ క్రమాన్నివివరిస్తాయి. అందరికీ సుపరిచితమైన పురుష సూక్తం కూడా విశ్వకర్మను విరాట్ పురుషునిగా వర్ణించింది. విశ్వకర్మకు పర్యాయ పదంగా త్వష్ట ను గుర్తిస్తారు.
విశ్వకర్మ సమారంభాం విశ్వరూపార్య మధ్యమాం
వీరబ్రహ్మేంద్ర పర్యంతాం వందే గురుపరంపరాం
విశ్వకర్మ హిందూ పురాణాల ప్రకారం ఎన్నో పట్టణాలను నాలుగు యుగాలలో నిర్మించాడు. సత్యయుగంలో దేవతల నివాసం కోసం స్వర్గలోకం నిర్మించాడు. త్రేతాయుగంలో సువర్ణ లంకను శివుని కోసం నిర్మించాడు. ద్వాపర యుగంలో ద్వారక నగరాన్ని మరియు కలియుగంలో హస్తినాపురం మరియు ఇంద్రప్రస్థం నిర్మించాడు.
Vishwakarma - Lord of Architecture
Viśwákarma (Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा "all-accomplishing, maker of all," "all doer"; Tamil: (விசுவகர்மன்) Visuvakaruman; Thai: Witsawakam ;Telugu: విశ్వకర్మ ; Kannada: ವಿಶ್ವಕರ್ಮ ) is the personified Omnipotence and the abstract form of the creator God according to the Rigveda. He is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects.[1] He is believed to be the "Principal Architect of the Universe ", and the root concept of the later Upanishadic Brahman / Purusha.
Vishwakarma is visualized as Ultimate reality (later developed as Brahman) in the Rig Veda,[2] from whose navel all visible things Hiranyagarbha emanate. The same imagery is seen in Yajurveda purusha sukta, in which the divine smith Tvastar emerging from Vishwakarma.[3] In the later puranic period this concept paved the way to the imagery of Padmanabha and Sadasiva.
In the Vedic period the term first appeared as an epithet of Indra, Surya, and Agni. In that time the later developed creator concept of Brahma might have been intertwined with the concept of Vastospati and Bṛhaspati, or Brahmanaspathi[4] In the last phase of vedic period and during the growth of monotheism, this realistic God concept becoming more abstract and one can see Vishwakarma [the invisible creative power] emerged as the supreme god[5] who was perceived as a hotar, the unborn [Aja] creator and name giver of all other gods who have lot of faces, eyes and feet on every side; and who helps Tvashtar,[the visible creative power of viswakarma] in producing all the Heavenly, Earthly and other Celestial realms and preserves them through the exercise of his arms and wings. He sacrificed himself to himself for the evolution of this visible world, thus he is Purusha or Narayana[6] His attributes like Vachaspathy[7] connect him with Brahaspathi (the Guru of Gods). Again, Yajurveda pictured him as the Prajapati[8] and in the Atharva veda he is [9] mentioned as Pashupati. Shwethashwatharopanishad described him as Rudrasiva, the one who is dwelling in all living forms.[10]
Later in the post vedic and brahmanic period, the term Vishwakarma is appeared both as the Rsi and the Silpi. In yajurveda the term is seen as one of names of pancha risis. Though the term is an epithet of suryanarayana, one of the seven rays of Surya is also known as Viswakarma. Bhuvana Vishwakarma (Atharva/Angirasa Gothra) is a vedic Rsi who was the author of Rg 10-81,82 suktha, (Prabasa Vishwakarma) was probably a silpi and the son of Prabhas, the eighth hermit of the legendary Astam vasu and Yogasiddha, sister of Brihaspati. He is said to have revealed the Sthapatya Veda / Vastu Shastra or fourth Upa-veda, and presides over the sixty-four mechanical arts.
Vishvakarma [ God ] created five prajapathies — from his five faces such as Sadyojāta,Vāmadeva, Aghora,Tatpuruṣha,Īsāna.[11] They are Manu, Maya, Twosta, Silpy, Viswajna and their respective Rishis are
Sanaga Brahma Rishi
Sanaathana Brahma Rishi
Abhuvanasa Brahma Rishi
Prathnasa Brahma Rishi
Suparnasa Brahma Rishi
In later puranas he is sometimes identified with vedic Tvastar.[12] Silpi Vishwakarma is the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons and divine attributes. Vishwakarma/Tvostar is also credited with 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.[13]
ince Vishwakarma is the divine engineer of the world. As a mark of reverence, he is not only worshiped by the engineering and architectural community but also by all professionals. It is customary for craftsmen to worship their tools in his name.
Silpy Vishwakarma is attributed a putative birthday by the Hindu religion. The more philosophical minded argue that it is impossible for the original Creator of everything to be born on a particular day. In rig veda he is described as Swayambhu[14] So it is a contradiction in terms since that presupposes another creator for Vishwakarma. The Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated in all parts of India, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Dehradun and Manipur.
Even among those who believe that there is a birthday there is no agreement as to when it actually occurs. Visvakarma birthday is celebrated on two days under different names:
Rishi Panchami Dinam. "Rishi Panchami Dinam" literally means ‘the day of the solidarity of five rishis.’ Those who celebrate this day believe that Vishwakarma 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 Vishwakarma community also celebrate this as an auspicious day in commemoration of their patron god at present.[15]
Visvakarma Jayanthi. Vishwakarma Jayanthi is celebrated by all industrial houses, artists, craftsmen, and weavers. The festival is observed on the Kanya Sankranti Day (September 17) which follows the Ganesh Puja. It was on this particular day that the forefathers of the present Visvakarma people invented the plough and gave it to humanity. The plough represents both the artisan trade as well as agriculture and therefore becomes the representative symbol of the ancient Indian civilisation. It changed the course of human history altogether. This was a change from ‘local mob culture to universal human culture’ and Vishwakarmas of India pioneered it. Coincidentally, this also becomes the birthday of Rsi/Silpi Visvakarma. So Indians in the past celebrated this day of many illustrious conjunctions as an occasion to honor Vishwakarma and his descendants.
Hindu scriptures describe many of Vishwakarma's architectural accomplishments.
Through the four yugas (aeons of Hindu mythology), he had built several towns and palaces for the gods. Among them were, in chronological order, Svarga (Heaven) in the Satya Yuga, Lanka in the Treta Yuga, and Dwarka (Krishna's capital) in the Dwapara Yuga.
According to Ramayana, 'Sone ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka was ruled by Ravana during the Treta yuga. This is also the city where Ravana held Sita hostage. It is said that when Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Viswakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside in. Vishwakarma built a palace made of gold. For the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Pulastya rishi (The Grandfather of Kubera and also Ravana) to perform the "Grihapravesh" ritual. After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Pulastya rishi to ask anything in return as "Dakshina", Pulastya, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself. Shiva was obliged to accede to Pulastya's wish, and the Golden Lanka became his grandson Kubera's palace. Ravana who was born and brought up in South India banished his half-brother, Kubera. The city of gold is said to have fallen into Ravanas hands when he overthrew his half brother Kuber.
Viswakarma is also supposed to have built Dwarka overnight.[16] During the time of the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is said to have lived in Dwarka, and made it his "Karma Bhumi" (center of operation). This land now located in today's Gujarat has become a well known pilgrimage for the Hindus.
The Divine Draftsman:
Vishwakarma is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects. Son of Brahma, he is the divine draftsman of the whole universe, and the official builder of all the gods' palaces. Vishwakarma is also the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons.
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.