DO you know why Brahma, the creator of universe, is depicted with four heads in Indian mythology? Do you also know that he had five heads originally?
It is said that Brahma, when creating the universe, made a beautiful woman whom he named Satrupa. Little did he realise that he himself would fall victim to her charms and his own creation. He was struck by Satrupa’s beauty and his eyes would follow wherever she would go.
Satrupa initially ignored it all, but soon began to feel so uncomfortable that she began to hide herself from his view. When she moved to Brahma’s left, he would turn to look there and if she turned right, he would turn his head to that side. This way he had to move his head right and left which made him rather tired. In order to enable himself to look at her from left, right, behind, front, Brahma gave himself a second, third and fourth head.
Life became all the more difficult for Satrupa. Disturbed at his prying eyes, she left for the sky. To look up above him, Brahma created a fifth head for himself. Satrupa approached Lord Shiva for help. Lord Shiva, the destroyer, had been aware of Brahma’s intentions and angrily said, “How can Brahma behave in this manner? Since Brahma has created Satrupa, she is like his daughter. It is his duty to protect her from all evil eyes, rather than to stare at her himself.”
Considering Brahma’s action immoral, Lord Shiva, in a fit of rage, struck off Brahma’s fifth head, much to Brahma’s shock. Since then Brahma has been left with four heads only.
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