Meeting Vishwakarma - The Cosmic Architect of Hinduism
Who is the creator of the universe?
If you answered Brahmadev, you probably don’t know about this other dude named Vishwakarma & here’s the tea.
So we all know that Brahmadev sprouts from Vishnu’s naval, willing the Vedas & our universe into existence. There are infinite Brahmas commanding infinite worlds in this multiverse.
But while he is the Pitahmah, the principal Real Estate Developer & Architect who conceives the master vision and then creates the biological & spiritual entities to populate it, you also need someone to execute the plan, right?
Here, we have Vishwakarma, who is the specialist inside Brahma’s creation - the Chief Engineer, Master Contractor & Interior Designer. He calculates the physics, lays the bricks, forges the weapons, builds the celestial cities, creates the infrastructure & architecture.
In the Rigveda’s 10th Mandala, he is actually ranked at the highest scale as the primordial creator - being seen as a the personification of creation, his name meaning “Maker of All.”
But in later Vedic sections & in the Puranas, Brahma takes over the supreme creator’s role as Vishwakarma becomes the specialised Devashilpi, the divine architect of the Gods, taking on the role of an early Vedic God, Tvastr.
While some texts consider him Brahma’s creation, others say his parents with Prabhasa, one of the 8 Vasu deities & Yogasiddha, sage Brihaspati’s sister.
Vishwakarma is responsible for building Lanka at Indra’s command, along with the Pushpaka Viman airplane, which went to Kubera & then to Ravana by force.
He has built the heavenly halls of Yama’s, Varuna’s & Indra’s court. He built Dvarka, Puri, and gets credit for the Vajra, too, although that’s Tvastr’s build.
Today, we have specific communities in South India of artisans of skilled trades like goldsmiths, blacksmiths, etc. who identify together as Vishvakarma.
His main puja falls on or around 17th September, with devotees cleaning & celebrating their equipments, tools, machines & vehicles to him. It’s also apparently a bank holiday in Assam, Bihar, Jhakhand, Odisha, Tripura & West Bengal.
His temples exist in Jodhpur, Ellora, Guwahati & other places.
When we honour the creator, let’s not forget & let’s thank the executor who built the most beautiful corners of this universe.