Birth of Vishṇu and Brahmā

This is the account of the Rudra Saṃhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa, in the Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa. Before creation, only Sadāśiva existed. He made Parāśakti and the city of Kāśī, and then Vishṇu. Brahmā was born in a lotus from the navel of Nārāyaṇa. Brahmā and Vishṇu quarrelled over who was greater and began to fight, and a blazing liṅga appeared between them.

Before creation

Before creation, only Parabrahman existed. He had no name, no form, no quality and no limit. There was no universe, no time and no space. There was only one self-shining Consciousness, and this is Sadāśiva.

Sadāśiva made up his mind and made Parāśakti, also called Ambikā, from within himself. She was not apart from him. She was his own śakti (power) shown forth. She had eight arms and lotus eyes, and she bore all weapons and signs. She was full of endless compassion. From this moment, creation became possible.

Sadāśiva then made a divine city as his home. This is Kāśī, also called Ānandavana and Avimukta-kshetra. It stands beyond pralaya (the dissolution of the worlds) and is never dissolved, even when all worlds end. It was set up as the eternal Śivaloka on earth. No being who dies there is kept from liberation.

The Śiva Purāṇa gives this in Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 6.

Sadāśiva creates Vishṇu

Sadāśiva talked with Parāśakti. He decided that another being was needed to carry out creation, upkeep and dissolution. He poured amṛta (nectar) from his left side, and from that amṛta Vishṇu arose. He is described like this:

• He had beauty that nothing matched, an ornament of the three worlds.
• He was peaceful, and sattva was his main quality.
• He was as calm and deep as the ocean, and no one was more patient.
• His body shone like indranīla (a sapphire).
• His eyes were like lotuses, and he wore two golden silk cloths.
• His strong arms could not be defeated.

Vishṇu bowed at once to Parameśvara and said: “Give me a name and tell me my work.” Bhagavān Śiva smiled and said: “You are all-pervading (vyāpaka), so you will be known as Vishṇu. You will have many other names, by which those who love you will know you. Now do tapas. It is the best means to gain anything.” As Bhagavān Śiva left, he breathed the Veda into Vishṇu.

The Śiva Purāṇa gives this in Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 6.

Vishṇu’s tapas and the waters

Vishṇu did very hard tapas for 12,000 divine years, but he did not get the direct darśana (sight) of Bhagavān Śiva. A divine voice told him to go on with his tapas. He did so. After long thought on Parabrahman, he rose from his meditation full of wonder at the greatness of Bhagavān Śiva.

At that moment, by the power of Śiva-māyā, countless streams of water came out of the pores of Vishṇu’s body. The waters spread and filled all space and became the first ocean.

Vishṇu was tired from his tapas. He lay down and slept in this wide ocean that he had made. He sleeps on the water (nāra), and so he came to be called Nārāyaṇa.

While Vishṇu slept, the 24 tattvas (principles of creation) arose from him and stayed hidden in him. The Purāṇa lists them as mahat, ahaṃkāra of three kinds, the five tanmātras, the five gross elements (sthūla-bhūtas), the five jñānendriyas, the five karmendriyas and manas.

The Śiva Purāṇa gives this in Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 6.

The birth of Brahmā

By the will of Śaṃbhu, a great lotus rose from the navel of Nārāyaṇa. It had countless stalks. It shone like a koṭi (ten million) of suns, and its height and width could not be measured. All the prākṛta tattvas were within it.

Bhagavān Śiva then made Brahmā from his own right side. He caused Brahmā to be born in that lotus as Hiraṇyagarbha, the Golden-Wombed One. Brahmā had four faces and a red body, and he wore the tripuṇḍra mark on his forehead.

Brahmā was deceived by the māyā of Bhagavān Śiva. He did not know who had made him. He thought the lotus was his source, and he was full of questions: Who am I? Whose son am I? Who made this lotus?

Brahmā went down the lotus stalk for 100 years to find its root, but he could not. A voice from the sky said: “Do tapas.” Brahmā did tapas for 12 years. Then Vishṇu appeared before him. He had four arms and held the śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma. He wore pītāmbara (yellow silk), he shone like a dark cloud, and his face was like a thousand Manmathas. Brahmā was struck with wonder at the beauty of Vishṇu.

The dispute

Then the dispute began. Brahmā was full of rajo-guṇa. He said to Vishṇu: “Why do you call me vatsa (son)? I am the maker! I am self-born! I am the all-pervading one! I am Pitāmaha! The Vedas call me svayaṃbhū and parameshṭhī!”

Vishṇu answered: “You were born from the lotus of my navel, O four-faced one. I am the master of creation, upkeep and dissolution. I am the Parabrahman without qualities. I made all the 24 tattvas. No one is equal to me.”

Brahmā was deceived by the māyā of Bhagavān Śiva. He would not accept this, and he attacked Vishṇu. A fierce fight broke out between them on the first ocean.

The Śiva Purāṇa gives this in Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 7.

The blazing liṅga

While Brahmā and Vishṇu fought, a blazing liṅga appeared between them. It went on without end in every direction. It was filled with thousands of flames, like countless fires of pralaya joined together. It had no top, no bottom and no middle. It did not grow smaller or larger. The senses could not reach it and the mind could not grasp it. It was the base of all creation.

Brahmā and Vishṇu were both amazed. Vishṇu said: “What is this? Let us stop fighting and look into it.” He proposed: “I will take the white Varāha form and go down to find its base. You take the Haṃsa form and go up to find its top.”

Vishṇu became Śveta-Varāha, a white boar ten yojanas wide and a hundred yojanas long. He had shining white tusks and fierce hooves, and he was bright like the sun at pralaya. He went down with the speed of lightning. Brahmā became the white Haṃsa, with broad wings, swift as the mind and the wind, and bright as fire. He went up.

The kalpa in which Vishṇu took the white Varāha form came to be called the Śveta-Varāha Kalpa.

Vishṇu went down for 1,000 years and could not reach the base. Brahmā went up for 1,000 years and could not reach the top. The Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā gives a longer account of this event, in which Brahmā falsely claims to have reached the top and brings a false witness.

Both returned to the place where they had started. Both were humbled. They bowed again and again to the liṅga from every side: from behind, from the side and from the front. They stood amazed and said: “What is this?”

The Śiva Purāṇa gives this in Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 7.

Worship and the sound of Oṃ

Brahmā and Vishṇu stood before the blazing liṅga. They had put their quarrel aside. They bowed again and again and offered pūjā for 100 years, in humility. Bhagavān Śiva then appeared from the liṅga as the sound “Oṃ Oṃ”, a great and clear sound that filled all space.

Sources

• Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 6
• Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Sṛshṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 7
• Śiva Purāṇa, Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā (the longer Liṅgodbhava account)