Most people are familiar with the holy trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. The creator, the preserver, and the destroyer. Which of these roles is the most important? Without creation, there would be no need for preservation or destruction. But what is the use of many creations if there’s nobody to preserve them? And what happens when there are too many creations, too many life forms jostling for space? Destruction becomes a necessity.
Indeed, creation, preservation and destruction are important parts of the same cycle and it is impossible to say which one is more important than the other.
However, the gods, very much like their human creations, are not without a sense of competition!
Occasionally, they get together and have a good fight about which of them is more powerful. And it so happened that one day Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver, were engaged in a debate as to who was the most powerful in the holy trinity.
Brahma was adamant that as the creator, he ought to be given the most respect. After all, look at the wonderful work he had done! The pretty flowers, the deep seas, the resplendent birds and animals… what would the world be if he had not imagined it?
Vishnu scoffed at the idea of Brahma being more powerful than he, who was bestowed with the powers of preserving the world. Brahma was infamous for granting boons indiscreetly, bolstering the powers of wicked asuras and demon kings. It then became Vishnu’s job to take an avatar and minimise the damage done! If not for him, Vishnu said, Brahma’s creations would turn to mere specks of dust.
As the argument gathered heat, the four vedas, unable to take this squabbling, decided to speak up. They declared that according to them, Shiva, who was beyond such petty quarrelling, was truly the greatest.
At the mention of his name, Shiva came by and was half amused and half enraged to hear of the fight.
“Let me settle this,” he said, turning himself into a mighty pillar of light that was so tall that nobody could see the ends of it. ‘The one who reaches either end first is the greatest.’
At once, Brahma turned into a swan and took off, determined to reach Shiva’s head. Vishnu turned himself into a boar to dig his way to Shiva’s feet. The two gods travelled for ages but neither could see the end in sight.
The pillar of light seemed to go on forever. Vishnu understood the significance of this. There was no beginning or end to Shiva’s powers. Humbled by his realisation, Vishnu decided to give up the fight and return to Shiva to ask for his forgiveness.
However, Brahma was not going to give up so easily. On his way upwards, he saw a small flower floating down from the sky. It landed on Brahma’s palm and he asked the flower where it was coming from. “I come from the Lord’s hair,” replied the flower.
Hearing this, Brahma took the flower to Shiva and said, “I won! Look at this flower, I took it from your hair.”
Shiva knew at once that Brahma was lying. When his face became furious, Brahma knew that he was in big trouble. He confessed that he’d been lying to pacify Shiva before he opened his third eye and reduced to him ashes.
Shiva forgave him but then decreed that Brahma, who had proved himself to be a liar, was unworthy of worship! And that is why there are so few temples dedicated to Brahma, the one who created us all!