Prajapati - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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Prajapati, a steel engraving from the 1850s

Prajapati
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Hinduism, Prajapati (Sanskrit: (IAST: praj-
pati)) "lord of creatures" is a group Hindu deity
presiding over procreation, and protector of life. Vedic
commentators also identify him with the creator referred
to in the
[1]
Nasadiya Sukta.
Contents
1 Prajapati in Vedas
2 Origin of Prajapatis
3 Possible equivalent
4 See also
5 References
Prajapati in Vedas
According to later beliefs in the post-Vedic Era, the Prajapaties were elected democratically. Lord Vishnu
was first elected democratically/unanimously as Prajapati (in the North of Aryavarta or Bharta) by all the
Rishis and subjects of that era and sat on the throne of Prajapati. Thereafter, Lord Brhma was elected as
Prajapati (in the west of Aryavrat or Bharta), after which Lord Shankar (in the South of Aryavrat or Bharta)
or Rudras were elected as Prajapaties. The throne of Prajapati succeeded further and there were about 26
Prajapaties, as mentioned in the Vedas.
Prajapati is a Vedic deity presiding over procreation, and the protector of life. He appears as a creator deity
or supreme god vishvakarman above the other Vedic deities in RV 10 and in Brahmana literature. Vedic
commentators also identify him with the creator referred to in the Nasadiya Sukta.
In later times, he is identified with Vishnu, Shiva, with the personifications of Time, Fire, the Sun, etc. He is
also identified with various mythical progenitors, especially (Manu Smrti 1.34) the ten lords of created
beings first created by Brahm, the Prajapatis Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasishtha,
Prachetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, Nrada.
The Mahabharata mentions, in the words of celestial sage Narada, 14 Prajapatis (lit:caretakers of the Praja)
Hiranyagarbha is the source of the creation of the Universe or the manifested cosmos in Indian philosophy, it
finds mention in one hymn of the Rigveda (RV 10.121), known as the 'Hiranyagarbha sukta' and presents an
important glimpse of the emerging monism, or even monotheism, in the later Vedic period, along with the
Nasadiya sukta suggesting a single creator deity predating all other gods (verse 8: y devv dhi dev ka
st, Griffith: "He is the God of gods, and none beside him."), in the hymn identified as Prajapati.
The Upanishads calls it the Soul of the Universe or Brahman, and elaborates that Hiranyagarbha floated
around in emptiness and the darkness of the non-existence for about a year, and then broke into two halves
which formed the Swarga and the Prithvi. In classical Puranic Hinduism, Hiranyagarbha is a name of
Brahma, so called because he was born from a golden egg (Manusmrti 1.9), while the Mahabharata calls it
the Manifest.
rmad Bhgavatam 8.8.16 cites Vishvakarman as the leader of the prajpatis, the sons of Lord Brahm who
Prajapati - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajapati
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generate progeny.
[2]
The eleven lords of created beings first created by Brahm, which are the Prajapatis:
Vishvakarman
[3]
1.
Marichi 2.
Atri 3.
Angiras 4.
Pulastya, 5.
Pulaha, 6.
Kratu, 7.
Vasishtha 8.
Prachetas or Daksha 9.
Bhrigu 10.
Nrada 11.
The Mahabharata mentions, in the words of celestial sage Narada, 14 Prajapatis (lit:caretakers of the Praja)
excluding Vishvakarman namely:
Daksha, 1.
Prachetas, 2.
Pulaha, 3.
Marichi, 4.
Kasyapa, 5.
Bhrigu, 6.
Atri, 7.
Vasistha, 8.
Gautama, 9.
Angiras, 10.
Pulastya, 11.
Kratu, 12.
Prahlada and 13.
Kardama 14.
They are the caretakers of the fourteen worlds - seven lokas and seven talas.
[4]
Origin of Prajapatis
The Prajapti community come brahmana warriors are seen as the descendants of Prajapati
[citation needed]
;
Lord Brahm, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Maharaj Manu are considered Prajapaties. Prajapati also means
protector & preserver (King).
The Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1883-1896), Book 2: Sabha Parva: Lokapala
Sabhakhayana Parva, section:XI. p. 25 And Daksha, Prachetas, Pulaha, Marichi, the master Kasyapa,
Bhrigu, Atri, and Vasistha and Gautama, and also Angiras, and Pulastya, Kraut, Prahlada, and Kardama,
these Prajapatis, and Angirasa of the Atharvan Veda, the Valikhilyas, the Marichipas; Intelligence, Space,
Knowledge, Air, Heat, Water, Earth, Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Scent; Nature, and the Modes (of Nature),
and the elemental and prime causes of the world,--all stay in that mansion beside the lord Brahma. And
Agastya of great energy, and Markandeya, of great ascetic power, and Jamadagni and Bharadwaja, and
Samvarta, and Chyavana, and exalted Durvasa, and the virtuous Rishyasringa, the illustrious 'Sanatkumara'
of great ascetic merit and the preceptor in all matters affecting Yoga...
Possible equivalent
A possible connection between Prajapati (and related figures in Indian tradition) and the Prtogonos (Greek:
) of the Greek Orphic tradition has been made by several scholars.
[5][6]
It has been argued that the name of /PRA-J[N]-pati/ ('progeny-potentate') is etymologically equivalent to
that of the oracular god at Kolophn (according to Makrobios
[7]
), namely /prtogonos/.
According to Damascius, Prtogonos (also known as Phans) had four heads, those of "a Serpent (Drakn)...
and a bull; a man, and a god,"
[8]
while in the Brahma Pura Brahm - identified with Prajapati in
several texts - is likewise reckoned as 4-headed [one head each having produced deva-s (gods), i-s (sages),
pit-s (ancestors), and nara-s (humans)].
[9]
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See also
Nasadiya sukta
Hiranyagarbha sukta
Hinduism and monotheism
List of Hindu deities
Creation myth
Vc
Thirty-three gods
Aditya
Rudras
Vasu
Ashvins
Indra
References
^ "Vishvakarma Architect of the Gods | Mamandram Magazine" (http://www.mamandram.org/magazine
/2008/10/vishvakarma-architect-of-the-gods/). Mamandram.org. 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
1.
^ http://vedabase.net/v/visvakarma "vivakarm prajpati Vivakarm, one of the prajpatis, the sons of
Lord Brahm who generate progeny.; SB 8.8.16" http://vedabase.net/sb/8/8/16/, httpvedabase.net/v/visvakarma,
Extracted on 09:49, 22 December 2010 (UTC)
2.
^ Yajur veda 18-43 Prajapathirviswakarma mano gandharvasthasya .... 3.
^ Narada said.. (http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02011.htm) 4.
^ Martin West, Early Greek Philosophy and the Orient. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1971: 28-34 5.
^ Kate Alsobrook, "The Beginning of Time: Vedic and Orphic Theogonies and Poetics". M.A. thesis, Florida
State University, 2007.
6.
^ Robert Graves : The Greek Myths. 1955. vol. 1, p. 31, sec. 2.2 7.
^ [1] (http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Phanes.html) 8.
^ Julius Lipner : The Hindus. Routledge, 1994. p. 45 9.
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prajapati&oldid=601728034"
Categories: Indo-European deities Hindu gods Prajapatis Nature gods Creator gods
Nature gods in Hinduism
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