Shanmuka Temple, Bangaluru
Head Count: 3 for Trisiras, 4 for Brahma, 5 for Siva, 6 for Skanda, 10 for Ravana, 1000 for God;
Purushasuktam is one of the most popular Vedic hymns.
It is in the Tenth Mandala of the oldest scripture in the world Rig Veda.
It is recited in almost all the temple and domestic rituals.
Orthodox Hindus who have studied Vedas recite it every day.
The first few verses describe the omnipresence and omnipotence of the God
“ The Purusha (Supreme Being) who has thousands of heads, thousands of eyes and thousands of feet enveloped the earth on all sides and stood beyond it in ten directions of space. All this is Purusha only. All that has been and all that will be. And he is the Lord of Immortality which grows by food”.
In short he is all pervading. He was there and he will be there. He is the giver of immortality. God is projected in cosmic form.
Four Faces of Brahma
Brahma is the creator of the universe, the father of gods and men and he is the lord of wisdom from whose heads the four Vedas said to have sprung.
Brahma is worshipped as the first member of the Hindu trinity.
He is depicted with four Faces/Heads and four arms, holding a sceptre, Akshamala/rosary, Vedas and a bow. Four faces represent Four Vedas Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana
Brahma originally had five heads and lost one head according to the mythology.
He is called Prajapathi/Pitamaha.
He created a beautiful daughter Satarupa and fell in love with her.
When she walked around him he looked at her and one face grew for each direction.
When she went to the sky a fifth head emerged to look at her. Brahma’s fifth head was burnt off by the fire of Siva’s third eye because he had spoken disrespectfully.
Five Faces of Lord Shiva
Shiva had many forms and formless Linga as well.
His five faces are described in Vedas and Agamas.
They are Satyojata, Vamadeva, Agora, Tatpurusha and Isana.
Five faces/heads represent five elements and five senses. Five faced Shiva is called Panchanana Shiva and a hymn is also there.
Four faces look at four different directions and the fifth looks at the sky. Each is attributed with different colour and action.
Shiva in Elephanta caves.
The gigantic Trimurti statue at Elephanta caves near Mumbai is actually five faced (Panchanana ) Shiva, but two faces are not carved because of its close position to rocky walls of the caves.
