Sri Vishwakarma

Manifestation

‘Vishvakarma’ means ‘the Maker of everything’. Therefore, it is one of the names of the Creator Supreme Being (Brahman) who is also the Lord of all Beings (Prajāpati) in the Vedas, the revealed scriptures of Hindus. Vishvakarma is also the original architect who measured, weighed and numbered everything for the Devas (the Divine Beings), Humans and for the evil Asuras. In modern Hinduism, Vishvakarma is worshipped by craftsmen, architects, engineers and technicians. In particular, the railway employees in India regard him as their patron Deity.

Parallel to the four Vedas, the revealed scriptures of the Hindus, we also have the five Upavedas (‘Sub-Vedas’) dealing with more mundane subjects like health and medicine (Ayurveda), arts (Gāndharva Veda), military sciences (Dhanurveda), Economics and Finance (Arthashastra) and Civil Engineering (Shilpa-Sthāpatya). Vishvakarma is said to be the founder of the last in the Hindu tradition. Hindu scriptures also enumerate 64 skills or arts (‘Kalā’) and Vishvakarma is considered as the presiding Deity of all of these. He is also credited with inventing the plough for cultivating crops.

Physical Attributes

• In North India, he is worshipped as an elderly, bearded fatherly figure surrounded by his four sons Manu (the first human), Tvashta (the Divine architect), Mayā (the architect of the evil Asuras) and others. His mount is a white goose.

• In Bengal and other parts of eastern India, he is shown as a young man who rides an elephant.

• He is frequently depicted with measuring rods or cords and with other tools and implements in his hands to indicate his work as a craftsman, architect or an engineer. Other things often shown as being held in his four hands are a water pot and a book.

Qualities

• Very scientific and methodical, as an architect or a sculptor should be.

• He stresses hands-on work, due to which his images often show him bearing the tools in his own hands.

Ways of Worship

He is chiefly worshipped on the Vishvakarma Jayanti through performance of a Puja. This festival always falls on the 16th or 17th of September every year. All over North and East India and in Nepal, a Puja is organized to him in manufacturing factories, railway offices, construction sites and so on along with a Ganesha Puja. Several temples to Him also exist in India where devotees offer worship to him on a regular basis.

Another festival where he is worshipped is the Rishi Panchami. It commemorates the anniversary of the day when the Rishis that He created (Sanaka, Sanātana, Ahabhuna, Prathna and Suparna) came together to offer worship to their illustrious father. The descendants of these Rishis, the Vishvakarma community in South India, perform a Puja of their ancestor Bhagavān Vishvakarma on this day.

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• Some Hindu traditions equate him to Prajāpati or Brahmā, who represent the Creator aspect of Brahman (Supreme Being).

• He is also said to be the son of Prabhāsa (one of the eight Vasus) and Yogasiddhi.

• He is the father of sons Manu, Mayā and Tvashtā and daughters Saranyu and Chhāyā.

Regions most worshiped

He is worshiped all over Nepal and India as a minor Deity. The Vishvakarma community worship him as their ancestor and He is the patron Deity of architects, engineers, craftsmen, railway employees and so on. 

Well-Known Stories

• These occur in scriptures like the Vedas and Purāṇas.

• Creation of Sudarshana Chakra and Shaktyāyudha: The world was unable to bear the heat and glare of the sun in ancient times. Vishvakarma helped the creation by taking the 1/8 of the material of the sun to fashion a weapon named ‘Sudarshana Chakra’, which was then given to Bhagavān Vishnu. According to other versions, this portion was also used to create the weapon Shaktyāyudha for Skanda, the son of Shiva.

• Creator of Cities and Images: In the Hindu scriptures, time is divided into four ages. Vishvakarma is said to have created the Heaven for the Devas in the first Satyuga age, the capital of King Ravana in Lanka in the Tretāyuga, the capital Dwaraka for Krishna in one night in the Dvāpara Yuga, and the 3 images worshipped at the Jagannatha Mandir in Puri in the fourth Kaliyuga. He also constructed the flying chariot ‘Pushpaka Vimāna’ that features in the Ramayana.

Fascinating Facts

• The Vishvakarma Puja is one of the few Hindu festivals that follows a solar calendar (the other being Makar Sankranti and Vaisakhi). Therefore, it always falls on September 16th or 17th.

• In South India, the traditional architects of temples constitute a ‘Vishvakarma community’ and claim that they are descendants of none other than Bhagavān Vishvakarma. A scripture named the ‘Vishvakarma Purāṇa’ gives a description of how this community derived from the Deity.

• A scripture named ‘Vishvakarmīya Rathalakshanam’ said to be authored by him still exists. It describes the proportions and materials for constructing chariots. 

Other Popular Names

• Prajāpati: The Lord of all creatures

• Hari: Remover of sorrows and sins of his worshipers

Popular/Well-known Prayers

In the famous Nārāyaṇa Sūkta of the Krishna Yajurveda, The Lord takes on the form of the Universal Being (Puruṣha) to fashion the universe from His own body. In the first verse of the hymn, Vishvakarma and Tvashta are said to be other names of the Purusha.

Adbhyasambhūtah prithivyaii rasaach | vishvakarmaṇassamavartatādhi | 

tasya tvaṣhtā vidadhradrūpameti | tatpurushasya vishvamaajaanamagre || 

“The Universe arose with the work of Vishvakarma who used water, earth, fire and other elements for its construction. He excelled Aditya, Indra and other Deities in greatness. The sun, called Tvaṣhtā, arises in the morning embodying His brilliance. In the beginning of creation, the earth, which was enveloped in darkness, received its divine brilliance from the sun, which shone with the glory of the Supreme Being called Vishvakarma.”