>>35870144In the Beginning there was Nothing. All existence lay submerged in the un-manifested waters of the Great Deluge, the Mahapralaya.
Vishnu, the Cosmic Consciousness, was reclining on the Serpent Ananta( one without beginning or end), who was floating on these waters. Lost in deep sleep, Vishnu dreamt of this Creation and as he did so a lotus sprouted forth from his navel. The stem grew longer and longer till the lotus blossomed. And sitting in the lotus was Brahma.
Brahma opened his eyes and was bemused to find himself there alone, in the middle of Nothing. He tried to find out where the lotus was stemming from but it appeared to have no starting point. Just then he heard a voice asking him to create a universe.
Brahma was confused. He thought about many different forms and shapes he could create for he had been given a blank canvas and a tremendous responsibility. Finally after much thinking Brahma settled on the symmetric form.
He created the four Kumara Rishis, Sanaka, Sanatan, Sanata and Sanat, from his mind and asked thme to help him with the massive task of Creation. But as children often do, the sons of Brahma had a mind of their own. They wanted to do their own thing. So instead of getting stuck with the job of creation, they gave up the world and went looking for salvation.
This angered Brahma and he frowned. From this spot between his brows a fifth son was born, wailing as babies do when they are born. Brahma named him Rudra, (Rud, meaning ‘a wail’).
