Large Saffron Hand Carved Lava Stone Four Faced Lord Brahma Sculpture 38"

Brahma is a part of the holy trinity of Hinduism along with Vishnu the Preserver, Shiva the destroyer and Brahma the Creator.   Brahma has four heads and four arms.  With each head he continually recites one of the four Vedas.  He is shown as having four arms, with none holding a weapon, unlike most other Hindu Gods. One of his hands is shown holding a Sattai, or a horse whip.  Another of his hands holds a water-pot or a kamandalu (sometimes depicted as a coconut shell containing water).  The significance of the water is that it is the initial, all-encompassing ether in which the first element of creation evolved. Brahma also holds a string of malas that he uses to keep track of the Universe's time.  Statues of Brahma are almost as rare as temples to the god of Creation.  There are only 2 temples dedicated to Brahma in India.  This stems from his mistreatment of his consort Saraswati.

The story of Brahma and Saraswati:  In the beginning there was chaos.  Everything existed in a formless, fluid state.  How do I bring order to this disorder?  wondered Brahma, the creator.  With Knowledge, said Devi.  Heralded by a peacock, sacred books in one hand and a veena in the other dressed in white Devi emerged from Brahma's mouth riding a swan as the goddess Saraswati.  Knowledge helps man find possibilities where once he saw problems.  Said the goddess.  Under her tutelage Brahma acquired the ability to sense, think, comprehend and communicate.  He began looking upon chaos with eyes of wisdom and thus saw the beautiful potential that lay therein.  Brahma discovered the melody of mantras in the cacophony of chaos.

In his joy he named Saraswati, Vagdevi, goddess of speech and sound.  The sound of mantras filled the universe with vital energy, or prana.  Things began to take shape and the cosmos acquired a structure: the sky dotted with stars rose to form the heavens; the sea sank into the abyss below, the earth stood in between.  Gods became lords of the celestial spheres; demons ruled the nether regions, humans walked on earth.  The sun rose and set, the moon waxed and waned, the tide flowed and ebbed.  Seasons changed, seeds germinated, plants bloomed and withered, animals migrated and reproduced as randomness gave way to the rhythm of life. Brahma thus became the creator of the world with Saraswati as his wisdom.

Saraswati was the first being to come into Brahma's world.  Brahma began to look upon her with eyes of desire.  She turned away saying, All I offer must be used to elevate the spirit, not indulge the senses.  Brahma could not control his amorous thoughts and his infatuation for the lovely goddess grew.  He continued to stare at Saraswati.  He gave himself four heads facing every direction so that he could always be able to feast his eyes on Saraswati's beauty.  Saraswati moved away from Brahma, first taking the form of a cow.  Brahma then followed her as a bull.  Saraswati then changed into a mare; Brahma gave chase as a horse.  Every time Saraswati turned into a bird or a beast he followed her as the corresponding male equivalent.  No matter how hard Brahma tried he could not catch Saraswati in any of her forms. The goddess with multiple forms came to be known as Shatarupa.  She personified material reality, alluring yet fleeting.

Angered by his display of unbridled passion Saraswati cursed Brahma, "You have filled the world with longing that is the seed of unhappiness. You have fettered the soul in the flesh. You are not worthy of reverence. May there be hardly any temple or festival in your name."  So it came to pass that there are only two temples of Brahma in India; one at Pushkar, Rajistan and the other in Kumbhakonam, Tamil Nadu.  Undaunted by the curse, Brahma continued to cast his lustful looks upon Saraswati.  He gave himself a fifth head to enhance his gaze.

Brahma's action motivated by desire confined consciousness and excited the ego.  It disturbed the serenity of the cosmos and roused Shiva, the supreme ascetic from his meditation.  Shiva opened his eyes, sensed Saraswati's discomfort and in a fit of rage turned into Bhairava, lord of terror.  His eyes were red, his growl menacing.  He lunged towards Brahma and with his sharp claws, wretched off Brahma's fifth head.  The violence subdued Brahma's passion.  Brahma's cut head seared through Bhairava's flesh and clung to his hand sapping him of all his strength and driving him mad.  The lord of terror ranted and raved losing control of his senses.  Saraswati, pleased with Bhairava's timely action, rushed to his rescue.  With her gentle touch she nursed him like a child, restoring his sanity.  Brahma, sobered by his encounter with the Lord of terror sought an escape from the maze of his own desire.  Saraswati revealed to him the doctrine for his own liberation.  Brahma sought to conduct a yagna, fire sacrifice, to cleanse himself and start anew.  In order to conduct a yagna ritual the assistance of a wife is needed.  Brahma chose Saraswati to be his wife and thus they were reconciled. 

Lava stone statues from Bali do not need much maintenance. The best way to maintain the statue is to simply dust the piece periodically to keep any dirt from accumulating. They can be used for both indoor and outdoor use.

Soap and warm water is the best way to maintain the statue. You can use a small brush to get into the small crevices of the statue like the hands and hair.

Lava stone's durability makes it perfect for cold winters and hot summers of any climate. The stone can stand up to the harshest conditions of heat and bitter cold. We suggest you bathe the sculpture at least once a year so that dirt does not collect on the sculpture. This will maintain the sculpture for your grandchildren and then their grandchildren!

If you have any questions concerning your lava stone statue please email us at [email protected] or call us at 1(760) 994-4455.

USA Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California gallery and ready for immediate packing & shipping. Packing takes anywhere from 1-4 business days. Shipping takes anywhere from 1-6 business days. The shipping price is automatically calculated from Oceanside, California to the destination in the online checkout. Or you can get a shipping quote by clicking the Calculate Shipping link beneath the Add to Cart button. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance to the destination from our Oceanside, California showroom.
The delivery charges include insurance, a residential lift gate delivery to your home or business. The freight company will call you to schedule a delivery day and time frame to make the delivery. Someone must be present to receive the statue. Depending on where you are located we will use either R&L Carriers, UPS Freight, Estes, DHX or Roadrunner Transport.
The freight company will use a lift gate to bring the sculpture to the ground and then use a pallet jack to move it anywhere on the same level. They will move it anywhere in your driveway or in your garage. They will not take it to your backyard or in the elevator to your apartment or up or down any steps. They will not be unpacking the statue and taking the crate away. Think of them as you would UPS or Fedex. They only deliver the statue. If you require a little extra service, (within reason) a tip to a delivery man usually works wonders!
For placing the statue our customers have either placed the statue themselves with help of a friend and a tool like a hand truck or a dolly. Or by contacting their landscaper who is used to moving large and heavy objects like rocks and trees into place. For much larger and heavier sculptures sometimes the customer needs a piece of heavy equipment for placing the statue like a crane or forklift. If you have any questions contact me directly at [email protected] or (760) 994-4455

Click here to view pictures of our freight packing

International Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California showroom and ready for immediate packing & shipping. This piece is too heavy to ship via UPS  and will be shipped using an international freight service. Packing takes anywhere from 1-4 days depending on the statue. We can ship the statue using either sea or air freight to either the your home or the closest port.
If you place your order online shipping will show in the order as $0. Shipping will be calculated based on the weight of the sculpture and the distance from Oceanside, California to determine the shipping price. The shipping quote will be emailed to you and no charge will be made without your approval.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Or you can email [email protected] or call us 760-994-4455 to receive a shipping quote. Please include the item number of the statue you are interested in purchasing as well as your country and postal code.​ 
Here you can view how our freight statues are professionally crated.