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Brahmaa, Vishnu and Rudra have an origin and dissolution in every kalpa

The Parasara Dharma Samhita

The Parasara Smriti, a dharmashastra work, is an ancient one. It says that the Trimurtis have
origination and disappearance in each creation cycle. This is in perfect agreement with the
Atharvashikha Upanishad which says: brahmaviShNurudrendrAste samprasUyante..[Brahma,
Vishnu, Rudra and Indra are born..]

Sayanacharya (Madhavacharya) has commented on this text elaborately and the same is
available in multiple volumes.

Images from the Parashara Maadhaviya (or Madhava-Vidyaranya’s or Sayana’s commentary for the
Parasara Smriti) verse I.20:

p.128 pdf:

The editor in the footnote above notes that the word क्षयोत्यत्त्या in the verse above has an
alternative reading: क्षयोत्तत्तौ.
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p.130 pdf: Sayana cites the Skanda purana for the resolving, laya, kShaya, of the
Trimurtis:

It follows from logic that यज्जयं तदनित्यम ् ‘whatever comes into being, goes out of
being.’ The forms of the Trimurtis resolve in their cause. Sayana next cites the
Kurma Purana for the laya of the pancha bhutas after the laya of the Trimurtis:

The commentary on Sayana says:

The above is in perfect agreement with Vedanta. It says: The Trimurti-s are
upadhis with Rajas, Sattva and Tamas gunas. They resolve in their respective
gunas. When Bhagavan (Brahman) intends to create, he takes upon the rajo guna
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and creates as Brahmaa. In the same manner, for sustenance and dissolving the
created world, Brahman takes, literally enters, sattva and tamo gunas respectively.
During Pralaya Brahman remains as Nirguna svarupa, giving up all the guans.
When this happens, the upadhis such as Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra, dissolve.
Such is the way Pauranikas say this. Only Vedantins, i.e., Advaitins, can accept the
above method. Theologians (sectarians) will face an uphill task in digesting the
above Puranic statements and the above concepts.

p.140 and 141 pdf:

Sayana goes on to show that Brahmaa’s body is due to great punya and that he
was born, with the support of vedic and smriti/purana passages:

And on the analogy of Brahmaa’s birth, the birth/beginning of the bodies of Vishnu
and Rudra is also admitted, on the basis of the Maitrayana Upanishad:
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The above Maitrayani Upanishad says that One Brahman takes up three bodies
owing to the association of the three gunas, Brahmaa-rajas, Vishnu-sattva and
Rudra-tamas. This Upanishad gives no room to the erroneous thinking that ‘Vishnu
is naturally saattvik while the other two are of those gunas.’ The Upanishad
contradicts this idea and asserts that ‘even Vishnu’s sattva is only due to
Brahman’s assuming that guna and not otherwise.’ In other words, without Brahman
assuming these gunas there are no Trimurtis. This is what is stated in the
beginning itself while discussing pralaya where the Trimurtis disappear.

p.142 pdf: Further evidence from the Nrsimha Uttara Tapini Upanishad and
Skanda Purana are provided by Sayana for the concept of the Trimurtis being only
three forms of One Brahman:
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From the above study we conclude:

1. The Trimurti-s are only manifestations of one Brahman.

2. The Trimurti-s manifest in each kalpa to carry out the cosmic functions.
3. The Trimurti-s are representation of the Sattva, Rajas and Tamas upadhis of
Brahman.
4. There is absolutely no hierarchy across the Trimurti-s; they all have the
same status of being the representatives/manifestations of Brahman.
5. Since the Trimurti-s manifest at the beginning of each kalpa, their
dissolution/withdrawal too at the end of each kalpa is taught in the
scriptures. This is what exactly stated in the Parashara Smriti 1.20 for which
the detailed commentary we have studied in the foregoing.
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6. The thinking that Vishnu is by default Sattva is not admitted in the

scriptures. Vishnu or Rudra as JagatkaaraNam is beyond the three guNas,
even sattva. Only the sthiti samarpaka, sustenance-managing, Vishnu is
endowed with sattva as he is only a manifestation of Brahman which
assumes sattva purely for that purpose.
7. So too Rudra is not tamoguna specific. Rudra as samharakaaraka is only
Brahman assuming that guna for that purpose.
8. There are many Upanishads, Mahabharata and Puranas that teach Rudra to
be the progenitor of the Trimurti-s.
9. So with the case of Brahmaa, the four-faced divinity.
10. The above idea has been clearly conveyed by the Vishnu Puranam:

सष्ृ टिष्थित्यन्तकरण ं ब्रह्मविटणुशििाष्त्मकाम ् ।

स संज्ां यानत भगिािेक एि जिादद िः ॥ १,२.६६ ॥
थरटिा सज
ृ नत चात्मािं विटणुः पाल्यं च पानत च ।
उपसंह्रियते चान्ते संहताद च थियं प्रभःु ॥ १,२.६७ ॥

[One Supreme, called Janardana, takes upon the names Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva with relation to creation, sustenance and destruction.] Here, the Turiya
Vishnu is denoted by the name ‘Janardana’.

and several other sources, some of which Sayanacharya has cited.

Shankaracharya in the Vishnu Sahasra Nama Bhashyam for ‘bhUtakrt..’ too
has said the same. So also Sridhara Swamin in the Srimadbhagavatam said
this by the usage: brahma-rUpeNa, vishnu-rUpeNa and rudra-rUpeNa.
11. Vedantins have no issue in accepting the above scheme as it is based on
the shruti and yukti. Theologians/sectarians refute the Shruti and other
pramanas by imposing their own misguided thinking on the scriptures.
12. The pramana-s cited by Sayana to the Parasara smriti verse show us
conclusively that there is absolutely no scope whatsoever in the
shruti/smriti/puranas for the vaishnavite idea //the references to the birth of
the Trimurti-s should be understood as (1) real, karma-driven, birth of
Brahmaa and Rudra and (2) as only avatara manifestation of Vishnu.
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13. Vedantins have never proposed or supported such ideas which are
unscriptural. The use of terms such as utpatti-kshaya applied commonly for
all the Trimurti-s without any distinction confirms this.
14. A study of the Sayana Bhashya for the Parasara Dharma Samhita has a
bonus gift: There are many Vedanta concepts discussed here, with citations
from Upanishads, Brahmasutras, etc. in quite good detail.

A sample of quotations are Mahabharata Anushasanika parva, Ch.45. Here

Krishna says about Shiva that from Shiva have Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra have
emerged. I have not given the translation of each verse:

योऽसज
ृ द्दक्षक्षणादङ्गाद्ब्ब्रह्माणं लोकसम्भिम ् |
िामपार्शिादत्तिा विटणुं लोकरक्षािदम र्शिरः ||१८३||
यग
ु ान्ते चैि सम्प्रातते रुद्रमङ्गात्सज
ृ त्प्रभःु ||१८३||

[He who created Brahmaa from his right side and Vishnu from his left, at the
end of the creation, created Rudra from his body. He is Mahadeva.]

This verse is relevant to the Parashara Smriti in that it shows that the Trimurtis
are created; they have an origin.

स रुद्रः संहरन्कृत्थिं जगत्थिािरजङ्गमम ् |

कालो भत्ू िा महातेजाः संितदक इिािलः ||१८४||

एष दे िो महादे िो जगत्सटृ ्िा चराचरम ् |

कल्पान्ते चैि सिेषां थमनृ तमाक्षक्षतय नतटठनत ||१८५||
सिदगः सिदभत
ू ात्मा सिदभत
ू भिोद्भिः |
आथते सिदगतो नित्यमदृर्शयः सिददैितैः ||१८६||

From the Adityapurana: Aditya says to Manu:

आत्मभत
ू ान्महादे िाल्लीलाविग्रहधाररणः ।
आह्रदसगे समद्भ
ु तू ा ब्रह्मविटणुसरु ोत्तमाः ॥
तमेकं परमात्मािमाह्रदकारणम र्शिरम ् ।
प्राहुर्दहुविधं तत्त्िशमन्द्रष्म्मरशमनत श्रनु तः ॥
ि तथमादधधकं कष्र्शचन्ि ज्यायान्ि समः कुतः ।
तेिेदमखिलं पण
ू ं िंकरे ण महात्मिा ।
आह्रदसगे महादे िो ब्रह्माणमसज
ृ द्ब्विभःु
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(The idea conveyed by the above cited Mahabharata verses is contained in the
Adityapurana too. The underlined part is the alluding to the famous Rg. vedic
passage: indram mitram varunam…. Ekam sat viprāh bahudhā vadanti as the
pramana for the concept of One Paramatma having various forms.)

In the Padmapurana, Shiva tells Rama:

Here is just the gist of the few verses: From the right side Shiva created Brahmā
and from the left, Hari. From the heart region Shiva created Mahesha. These
three sons he created. Just upon being born the three asked ‘Clearly let us know
who You are and who we are?’ Shiva replied: ‘You are my sons and I am your
father.’ तािाह च शििः पर
ु ादि ् यय
ू ं पर
ु ा अहं वपता.

In the Shaivapurana, Vāyavīyasamhitā, Dadhīchi says to Dakṣa:

ब्रह्मविटणुमहे िािां स्रटिा यः प्रभरु व्ययः

The ‘ṛight side left side’ creation by shiva of brahma and vishnu is contained in
several puranas. In the shaiva, the section cited ends with this line: संसारमोचको
दे िः पर्शयन्िन्य इनत श्रुनतः । [It is alluding to a shruti passage which contains the word
‘paśyannanyaḥ’ as pramana for the concept]

The skanda purana: Nandikeshvara addresses Sanatkumara about the same

concept.

सज
ृ ते सकलं दे ि ग्रसस ि पि
ु ः पि
ु ः
…
ब्रह्मविटणस
ु रु ाः सिे थिािराखण चराखण च

Shiva purana, vaavīyasamhitā:

यथमात्सिदशमदं ब्रह्मविटणुरुद्रे न्द्रपि

ू क
द म ् ॥ 2ab
सह भत
ू ष्े न्द्रयैः सिवः प्रिमं संप्रसय
ू ते ॥ 2cd
कारणािां च यो धाता ध्याता परमकारणम ् ॥ 3ab
ि संप्रसय
ू ते ऽन्यथमात्कुतर्शचि कदाचि ॥ 3cd
The first cited verse above is an unmistakable upabrhmana of the Atharvashikha
Upanishad: sarvamidaṁ brahmaviṣṇurudrendrāste saṁprasūyante sarvāṇi cendriyāṇi s
aha bhūtairna… https://shaivam.org/scripture/English-Script/1748/atharvashikha-u
panishad One can actually read the words of the Upanishad in the Shiva Puran
a verse.
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There itself in the 8th chapter:

ततथतेभ्यो विकारे भ्यः रुद्रविटणवु पतामहाः

Padmapurana:

यं िातमाहुयं रुद्रं िार्शितं परमेर्शिरम ्

परात्परतरञ्चाहुः परात्परतरं शििम ्
ब्रहमणो जिकं विटणोिदह्िेिादयोः सदाशििम ्
The shruti pramana for the concept of One Para Shiva being the cause of the
Brahma Vishnu and Rudra is:

सोमः पिते जनिता मत िां जनिता ह्रदिो जनिता पधृ िव्याः …जनितोत विटणोः .

The alluding, rephrasing, of the above shruti, called ‘upabṛhmaṇam’ is found in

several puranas, and the most direct one is:

Sanatkumara samhita where Vishnu tells Prabhakara:

मत िाञ्च ह्रदिः पथ्व

ृ व्या िह्िेः सय
ू थ
द य िष्िणः ।
साक्षादवप च विटणोर्शच सोमो जिनयतेर्शिरः ॥
Brahmandapurana:

द्ब्यािापधृ िव्योररन्द्राग्िेभ्यो विटणोधादतय

ु म
द थय च ।
िरुणथय ििांकथय जनिता परमेर्शिरः ॥

Kurmapurana, Skandapurana too give out this concept. In the latter it is said
that even the three consorts of the three murtis are born of the Supreme Shiva:

Brahma tells Vasishtha:

आत्मिक्तत्या ससजादि कन्यारयमनिष्न्दतम ्

Skandapurana:

अजायां जक्षज्रे पर
ु ाष्र्शचदािन्दात ् सदाशििात ्
रयथरेताष्ग्िसंकािा एकपञ्चचतम
ु ि
ुद ाः
सष्ृ टिष्थिनतवििािािां कतादरः कायदकोविदाः
ब्रह्मा विटणुर्शच रुद्रर्शच माराष्थतस्रः प्रकीनतदताः
Here, by eka, pancha and chatuḥ, Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma are indicated.

In the Brahmandapurana, Brahma says to Bhṛgu:

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He says: Shiva created me from his right side and created Vishnu from his left
and instructed us both to engage in creation and sustenance. At the time of
dissolution, he, out of his own amsha, will be instructed in that act.

Ishānasamhitā too contains this concept. There is a shruti passage too cited:

त्ररणेरं त्ररगण
ु ाधारं रयाणां जिकं विभम
ु ्।
थमरन्िमष्र्शििायेनत ललिे तु त्ररपण्ड्
ु रकम ् ॥
[The above have been cited in very great detail in the book ‘Vedantanāmaratna
sahasram’ authored by Sri Paramashivendra Saraswati, the guru of Sri
Sadashivendra Saraswati. This book is a compilation of 1000 names from the
shruti. In support of those names, as far as possible, the author has cited
references from Itihasa and puranas. That list contains names such as Vishnu,
Vasudeva and Narayana, and shown as names of Brahman, with references from
shruti/smrti none of them are about a vaikuntha vāsin, lakshmipati, etc. just the
same way they are found in the Shankara’s bhashyas. The book is available for
download in DLI.]

What is shown above is with reference to the upanishadic/vedic name रयाणां

जिकः {The progenitor of the ‘three’} (this term is found exactly so in the Shiva
puranam cited in the foregoing) for which alone the author has given copious
references from the Mahabharata onwards.

The post referred here is also bringing out Shankaracharya’s statement about
Vishnu being a samaShTi jeeva:

https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2017/08/02/vishnu-is-samashti-jiva-shankara-in-
mundaka-bhashya/

Om Tat Sat