Prajapati (Sanskrit:प्रजापति,lit. 'Lord of the people',IAST:Prajāpati) is aVedic deity ofHinduism. He is later identified withBrahma, the creator god.[1][2][3]
Prajapati is a form of the creator-god Brahma, but the name is also the name of many different gods, in many Hindu scriptures, ranging from the creator god Brahma to being the same as one of the following deities:Vishvakarma,Agni,Indra,Daksha, and many others,[1] because of the diverseHindu cosmology.[2] In classical and medieval era literature, Prajapati is the metaphysical concept calledBrahman as Prajapati-Brahman, and Brahman is the primordial matter that made Prajapati.[4][5]
Prajapati (Sanskrit:प्रजापति) is a compound of "praja" (creation, procreative powers) and "pati" (lord, master).[6] The term means "lord of creatures",[1][2] or "lord of all born beings".[7] In the later Vedic texts, Prajapati is a distinct Vedic deity, but whose significance diminishes.[2] Later, the term is synonymous with other gods, particularly Brahma.[1][3] Still later, the term evolves to mean any divine, semi-divine or human sages who create something new.[1][2][8]
The origins of Prajapati are unclear. He appears late in the Vedic layer of texts, and the hymns that mention him provide different cosmological theories in different chapters.[3] He is missing from theSamhita layer of Vedic literature, conceived in theBrahmana layer, statesJan Gonda.[9] Prajapati is younger thanSavitr, and the word was originally an epithet for the sun.[10] His profile gradually rises in the Vedas, peaking within theBrahmanas.[9] Scholars such as Renou, Keith and Bhattacharji posit Prajapati originated as an abstract or semi-abstract deity in the later Vedic milieu as speculations evolved from the archaic to more learned speculations.[10]
A similarity between Prajapati (and related figures inHindu mythology) andPhanes, also named as Protogonus (Ancient Greek:Πρωτογόνος, literally "first-born") of theGreco-Roman mythology has been proposed:[11][12]
Phanes is theClassical mythology equivalent of the Hindu god Brahma's Prajapati form in several ways: he is the first god born from a cosmic egg, he is the creator of the universe, and in the figure ofPhanes— worshippers participate in his birth, death, rebirth, redeath.
— Kate Alsobrook,The Beginning of Time: Hindu Greco-Roman Theogonies and Poetics[12]
According to Robert Graves, the name of /PRA-JĀ[N]-pati/ ('progeny-potentate') is etymologically equivalent to that of the oracular god Phanes atColophon (according to Macrobius[13]), namely /prōtogonos/.[14] The cosmic egg concept linked to Prajapati and Phanes is common in many parts of the world, states David Leeming, which appears in later Greco-Roman worship in Greece and Rome.[15]
Prajapati is described in many ways in Hindu texts, both in the Vedas and in the post-Vedic texts. These range fromBrahma to being same as one of the following:Agni,Indra,Vishvakarma,Daksha and many others.[1][16]
His role varies within the Vedic texts such as being one who created heaven and earth, all of waters and beings, the creator of the universe, the creator of gods and goddesses, the creator ofdevas anddevis andasuras andasuris and the cosmic egg and thePurusha.[2][7] His role peaked in theBrahmanas layer ofVedic texts, then declined to name a group of creators in the creation process.[2] In some Brahmana texts, his role is paired since he co-creates with the powers of the creator goddessVac.[17]
In theRigveda, Prajapati appears as a name forSavitr,Chandra,Agni andIndra, who are all praised as equal, same and gods of creatures.[18] Elsewhere, in hymn 10.121 of theRigveda, is describedHiranyagarbha (golden embryo) that was born from the waters containing everything, which produced Prajapati. It then createdmanas (mind),kama (desire),tapas (heat) and Prajapati created the universe. And this Prajapati is a creator god who created the universe, one of manyHindu cosmology theories, and there is no supreme god or supreme goddess in theRigveda.[19][20][21] One of the striking features about the Hindu Prajapati myths, states Jan Gonda, is the idea that the work of creation is a gradual process, completed in stages of trial and improvement.[22]
In theShatapatha Brahmana, embedded inside theYajurveda, Prajapati was self-created from Brahman (Ultimate Reality) and Prajapati co-creates the world with Vac.[23] It also includes the "golden cosmic egg" mythology, wherein Prajapati is stated to be born from a golden egg in primeval sea after the egg was incubated for a year. His sounds became the sky, the earth and the seasons. When he inhaled, he created the devas and devis, and light. When he exhaled, he created the asuras and asuris, and darkness. Then, together with the Vac, he and she created all beings and universe.[24] In Chapter 10 of theShatapatha Brahmana, as well as chapter 13 ofPancavimsa Brahmana, is presented another myth where in Prajapati is a creator god, becomes creating with Vac, the creator goddess, all living creatures generated, thenMrtyu seizes these beings within his and her womb, but because these beings are created by Prajapati and Vac, they desire to live like him and her and Prajapati and Vac kill Mrtyu and creates the universe with releasing all living creatures in his and her womb.[25][26]
TheAitareya Brahmana tells a different myth, wherein Prajapati, having created the gods and goddesses, turns into a stag and approaches his daughter with Vac,Ushas who was in the form of a doe, to produce other animals. The gods and goddesses are horrified by this incest, and joined forces and created the angry destructiveRudra to kill Prajapati for doing incest with Ushas and before Prajapati mates with Ushas, Rudra drives Prajapati away. Then Rudra kills Prajapati and Ushas runs away and Prajapati is resurrected.[24] TheSankhyayana Brahmana tells another myth, wherein Prajapati createdAgni,Surya,Chandra,Vayu,Ushas and all deities. Agni, Surya, Chandra, Vayu, Ushas and all deities released their energies and created the universe.[24]
In section 2.266 ofJaiminiya Brahmana, Prajapati is presented as a spiritual teacher. His studentVaruna lives with him for 100 years, studying the art and duties of being the "father-like king of gods and goddesses" and is a king of the gods and goddesses.[27][28]
Prajapati appears in early Upanishads, among the most influential texts in Hinduism.[29] He is described in the Upanishads in diverse ways. For example, in different Upanishads, he is presented as the personification of creative power after Brahman,[30] the same as the wandering eternal soul,[31] as symbolism for unmanifest obscure first born,[32] as manifest procreative sexual powers,[33] the knower particularly ofAtman (soul, self),[34] and a spiritual teacher that is within each person.[35][36] TheChandogya Upanishad, as an illustration, presents him as follows:[37]
The self (atman) that is free from evils,free from old age and death,free from sorrow, free from hunger and thirst;the self whose desires and intentions are real –that is the self that you should try to discover,that is the self that you should seek to perceive.When someone discovers that self and perceives it,he obtains all the worlds, and all his desires are fulfilled,so said Prajapati.
— Chandogya Upanishad 8.7.1, Translator:Patrick Olivelle[37]
In Chandogya Upanishad 1.2.1, Prajapati appears as the creator of all devas and devis and asuras and asuris: "The gods and goddesses and the demons and demonesses are both children of Prajapati, yet they fought among themselves." (Sanskrit:देवासुरा ह वै यत्र संयेतिरे उभये प्राजापत्यास्तद्ध,romanized: devāsurā ha vai yatra saṃyetire ubhaye prājāpatyāstaddha).[38]
In theMahabharata,Brahma is declared to be a Prajapati who creates many males and females, and imbues them with desire and anger, the former to drive them into reproducing themselves and the latter to be being like gods and goddesses.[24] Other chapters of the epics and Puranas declareVishnu andShiva to be Prajapatis.[18]
TheBhagavad Gita uses the epithet Prajapati to describeKrishna, the eight incarnation of Vishnu in theDashavatara ofVishnu along with many other epithets.[39]
TheGrhyasutras include Prajapati as among the deities invoked during wedding ceremonies and prayed to for blessings of prosperous progeny, and harmony between husband and wife.[40]
Prajapati is the God of Universe, Fire, Sun, Creation, etc. He is also identified with various mythical progenitors, especially (Manusmriti 1.34) the ten gods of created beings which are first created byBrahma:Marichi,Atri,Angiras,Pulastya,Pulaha,Kratu,Vasishtha,Daksha,Bhrigu,Narada.[41]
In thePuranas, there are groups of Prajapatis calledPrajapatayah who wererishis (sages) from whom all of the world is created, followed by a Prajapatis list that widely varies in number and name between different texts.[1][2] According to George Williams, the inconsistent, varying and evolving Prajapati concept in Hindu mythology reflects the diverseHindu cosmology.[2]
TheMahabharata and the genre of Puranas call various gods and sages as Prajapati. Some illustrations, states Roshen Dalal, includeAgni,Bharata, Shashabindu,Shukra, Havirdhaman,Indra,Kapila, Kshupa,Prithu,Chandra, Svishtakrita,Tvashtra,Vishvakarma, Virana.[1]
In the medieval era texts of Hinduism, Prajapatis refers to legendary agents of creation, gods and sages who are working in creation, who appear in every cycle of creation-maintenance-destruction. Their numbers vary between seven, ten, sixteen or twenty-one at times.[1]
Prajapati is also a title in Hindu cosmology. According to the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Brahma initially created twenty-one Prajapatis to facilitate the process of creation.[42]
Their creative role varies.Pulaha, for example, is the son ofBrahma andSarasvati and he is a great rishi. As one of the Prajapatis, he creates animals and plants.[43]
in Balinese Hinduism , Hindu temples inBali,Indonesia that are dedicated to Brahma as Prajapati are called asPura Prajapati, also called asPura Mrajapati, are common. They are mostly associated with funeral rituals and theNgaben (cremation) ceremony for the dead where Brahma as Prajapati is invoked to preside over the funeral ceremonies happening there.[44][45]
In Thailand , this deity is familiar fromThe Dhajagga Sutta mantras influences of theBuddhism in Thailand.[46][47][48][49][50][51], He is a symbol of thailand Department of Empowerment of persons andMinistry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand and Phra Prachabodi lnstitute.[52][53] , with Disabilitiesthe department that people working in this department must pay homage to before starting their first job in this department.
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