40. Pañcabrahma incarnation

In the Purāṇic literature, it is stated that in different kalpas, Śiva represents himself in different manifestations. His Pañcabrahma incarnation is depicted in the Purāṇas. In the nineteenth kalpa of śvetalohita, Śiva incarnated as Sadyojāta. The Sadyojāta is the lord of the sense of smell, of the earth.^[1] In the twentieth kalpa, i.e. rakta kalpa^[2] when Brahmā worshipped Śiva to get a son, a child clad in red dress and garland and with red eyes and red coloured ornaments appeared before him. That very child was the incarnation of Śiva named Vāmadeva.^[3] Vāmadeva is mentioned as the lord of the organ of taste.^[4] He takes place in ahaṃkāra and performs different activities.^[5]

In the twenty-first kalpa (pītavāsa kalpa), Brahmā meditated on Śiva desiring a son. A boy in yellow garment, resplendent and with long arms appeared before Brahmā. Then Brahmā found him to be the incarnation of Śiva named Tatpuruṣa.^[6] He is arrayed with a yellow garland and he wears a turban of yellow colour.^[7] Tatpuruṣa is the lord of the touch organ, hand, sense of touch and wind.^[8]

In the next kalpa, Brahmā found before him a black coloured powerful boy who was magnificent with his own gleam, clad in black dress, black turban, black sacred thread and black agaru was pasted over his body. This boy is known as Aghora, an incarnation of Śiva.^[9] Aghora is said to be the lord of the sense of taste, colour and the fire.^[10] In another reference, Aghora is located in the eyes of all living beings.^[11]

Another form of Śiva is Īśāna. The best manifestation of Śiva is Īśāna.^[12] He is the presiding lord of hearing, speech and sky.^[13] He is located in the sense organ of ear in all the living beings.^[14]

Śiva is identical with the Pañcabrahma. The first form of him is Īśāna, second is Tatpuruṣa, third is Aghora, Vāmadeva is fourth and Sadyojāta is fifth. Īśāna is present in all living beings in the form of the sense organ of ear, Tatpuruṣa in the form of the sense organ of nose, Aghora is stationed in the eyes, Vāmadeva is in the tongue and Sadyojāta resides in the form of the sense organ of smell.^[15]

In the Vāyu Purāṇa, the physical appearance of the Pañcabrahma incarnation of Śiva is depicted very clearly. Here, it is said that Sadyojāta is white in colour. He wears a white coloured turban, garments and white garlands. His bones, flesh, hair, skin and even blood are white in colour. Vāmadeva manifestation is red in colour. The colour of Aghora form of Śiva is black. Īśāna represents all colours. But the colour of Tatpuruṣa incarnation has not been mentioned in these Purāṇas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ghrāṇasya caivopasthasya gandhasya ca bhuvastathā | sadyojātāhvayaṃ rūpamīśvaraṃ śāṅkaraṃ viduḥ || Ibid., 3.1.48

[2]:

tato viṃśatimaḥ kalpo rakto nāma prakīrtitaḥ | Ibid.,3.1.12

[3]:

(a) dhyāyataḥ putrakāmasya prādurbhūto vidheḥ sutaḥ | raktamālyāmbaradharo raktākṣo raktabhūṣaṇaḥ || sa taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahātmānaṃ kumāraṃ dhyānamāśritaḥ | vāmadevaṃ śivaṃ jñātvā praṇanāma kṛtāñjaliḥ || Ibid., 3.1.13-14 (b) dhyāyataḥ putrakāmasya brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | prādurbhūto mahātejāḥ kumāro raktabhūṣaṇaḥ || raktamālyāmbaradharo raktanetraḥ pratāpavān | sa taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahātmānaṃ kumāraṃ raktavāsasam || Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.12.2-3

[4]:

raśanāyāśca pāyośca rasasyāpāṃ tathaiva ca | īśvaraṃ vāmadevākhyaṃ svarūpaṃ śāṅkaraṃ smṛtam || Śiva-purāṇa, 3.1.47

[5]:

vāmadeva...ahaṃkṛteradhiṣṭhāno bahukāryakaraḥ sadā || Ibid., 3.1.43

[6]:

ekaviṃśatitamaḥ kalpaḥ pītavāsā iti smṛtaḥ... dhyāyataḥ putrakāmasya vidherjātaḥ kumārakaḥ | pītavastrādikaprauḍho mahātejā mahābhujaḥ || taṃ dṛṣṭvā dhyānasaṃyuktaṃ jñātvā tatpuruṣaṃ śivam | Ibid., 3.1.17-19

[7]:

pītagandhānuliptāṅgaḥ pītamālyāmbaro yuvā | hemayajñopavītaśca pītoṣṇīṣo mahābhujaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.13.3

[8]:

(a) tvakpāṇisparśavāyūnāmīśvaraṃ rūpamaiśvaram | puruṣākhyaṃ vicārajñā matimantaḥ pracakṣate || S.P., 3.1.45 (b) sthitastatpuruṣo devaḥ śarīreṣu śarīriṇām | tvagindriyātmakatvena tatvavidbhirudāhṛtaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.14.12

[9]:

(a) tato’pasyanmahātejāḥ prādurbhūtaṃ kumārakam | kṛṣṇavarṇaṃ mahāvīryaṃ dīpyamānaṃ svatejasā || dhṛtakṛṣṇāmvaroṣṇīṣaṃ kṛṣṇayajñopavītinam | kṛṣṇena maulinā yuktaṃ kṛṣṇasthānānulepanaṃ...mahātmānamaghoraṃ ghoravikramaṃ vavande devadeveśamadbhutaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam || Śiva-purāṇa, 3.1.24-26 (b) kṛṣṇāmbaradharoṣṇīṣaṃ kṣṇayajñopavītinam | kṛṣṇena maulinā yuktaṃ kṛṣṇasraganulepanam || Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.14.5

[10]:

vapuṣaśca rasasyāpi rūpasyāgnestathaiva ca | aghorākhyamadhiṣṭhānaṃ rūpamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ || Śiva-purāṇa, 3.1.46

[11]:

aghoropi mahādevaścakṣurātmatayā budhaiḥ | kīrtitaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ śarīreṣu vyavasthitaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.14.13

[12]:

īśānaḥ śivarūpaśca garīyānprathamaḥ smṛtaḥ | Śiva-purāṇa, 3.1.40

[13]:

īśānāhvasvarūpo hi śaṅkarasyeśvaraḥ sadā | śrotrasya vacasaścāpi vibhorvyomnastathaiva ca || Ibid., 3.1.44

[14]:

īśānaḥ paramo devaḥ parameṣṭhī sanātanaḥ | śrotrendriyātmakatvena sarvabhūteṣvavasthitaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.14.11

[15]:

Ibid., 2.14.6-15