Prajapati is the supreme creator in early Hinduism, associated with major gods and forces of the universe. He divided himself into man and woman to create the race of man, and later became a sacrificial character. Prajapati is also a class of deities, including Atri and Bhrigu, and a title for Brahma. In modern times, a cult has arisen that sees Prajapati as a manifestation of Jesus Christ.
In the early writings of Hinduism, Prajapati is seen as the supreme creator. He is said to have created the heavens and the earth and the creatures that live in the universe. Over time, he associated himself with various major gods, especially Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Prajapati was also associated with deities who personified the major forces of the universe, especially the sun and the weather. In early forms, he was often depicted as a lingam figure, seated in the lotus position, preparing to give birth to all creation.
An early creation myth places Prajapati as an almost reluctant participant in the role of creation. It is said that he was alone in the immensity and, to alleviate his loneliness, he divided himself into two distinct parts: the man and the woman. They then procreated and from them was born the race of man. The woman eventually tired of the man, however, and so she turned into a cow and ran away. The man turned into a bull and followed him, and again they procreated, creating the cows. She kept tiring of the man and so she transformed and fled, and the man would follow and they would procreate and populate the world. In this way all the various creatures of the world were created.
Prajapati is often cast in early tales as a sacrificial character. It is said of him in the Sarapatha Brahmana that “Prajapati is sacrifice, because he created it in his own self-expression.” It is closely related to the ancient belief in Hinduism that all creation was born on the back of sacrifice and that in creating the world, Prajapati gave up a part of himself.
In the modern world, a cult of Prajapati has arisen which seeks to combine elements of his early cult with elements of Christianity. Prajapati in this context is said to have been a manifestation of Jesus Christ. Followers of the cult believe that his role as a sacrificial lamb was the same as Christ’s.
The word Prajapati, meaning Lord of Creatures, was used in later Hinduism to refer to an entire class of deities. It is said that in the time before the universe was formed, the creator Brahma created ten distinct Prajapatis to aid him in creation. These can be seen in later cycles as distinct manifestations of Prajapati and are called Atri, Angirasa, Vasishta, Bhrigu, Narada, Marichi, Pulaha, Krathu, Pulastya and Prachethasa.
Each of these manifestations had distinct characteristics and appear as characters in the various sacred texts of Hinduism. Atri, for example, was a famous bard. He is best known for helping to propagate the sacred word Aum. Bhrigu, on the other hand, is known as a famous astrologer, and is credited with authoring the astrological text the Bhrigu Samhita from around 3000 BC.
Prajapati was also simply used later as a title for the creator god Brahma. Brahma like Prajapati Brahma embodies the creative spirit that gave birth to infinite universes, including the one we live in.
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