Wood Brahma Seated Holding Kamandalu Pot 24"

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. 

Wood statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved. All the wood used by Lotus Sculpure's artists is dried out for months. Moisture causes cracks in the sculpture as the wood contracts and expands in different temperatures. Our wood has little to no moisture in it assuring that the sculpture is not going to crack in its journey into different climates. Here are some simple tips to keep your statue in good condition:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a natural wood cleaner and a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture

We prefer Old English to polish and buff our statues. The use of a wood polish like Old English will keep the wood looking fresh and keep the colors looking vibrant. For natural wood and painted wooden statues we recommend Old English for lighter woods. For darker wood statues we recommend Old English for darker woods. Lotus Sculpture cleans and polishes each wooden statue prior to shipping them to the customer.

We recommend keeping wooden statues in an indoor environment. Wood statues can go outside however, they will wear more quickly and develop an antique appearance. If you would like to put a wood statue from Lotus Sculpture outside and keep the same appearance of the sculpture we would recommend first coating the statue with a couple of layers of sealant or polyurethane. We would then recommend placing the statue in a partially covered area. The more exposure to the elements the more the statue will wear over time. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or [email protected].

USA Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend.
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.  Besides the shipping price, the results will also display the date the statue will arrive at your home. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.

International Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. ​International shipping charges will be calculated automatically upon checkout. ​
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.​ Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.