Brahma, god of fire, the infinite, the source of all space, time, causation, names and forms, has many interesting and instructive designations. Theologically, he is the single letter (eka aksharam) Om and the uncreated creator (svayambhu), the self-born first person.

Philosophically, he is the first manifestation of one's existence (ahankara).

Cosmologically, he is hiranya garbha (golden embryo), the ball of fire, from which the universe develops.

He is Prajapati, since all creatures are his progeny. He is pitamaha (patriarch), vidhi (ordinator), Iokesha (master of the universe), dhatru (sustainer) and Viswakarma (architect of the world).

Mythology describes Brahma as springing from Kamala (lotus), from the nabhi (navel) of Vishnu. Hence, his names Nabhija (navel born), Kanja (water born).

Mythology has it that Brahma had originally five head. One of them was cut down by Shiva in his rage. Now, Brahma's icon has four heads (chatur mukha brahma) facing the four quartem. They represent the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), the four yugas (krita, treta, dwapara, kali) (epochs of time), the four varnas (brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra). The faces have beards with eyes closed in meditation. There are four arms holding up different objects, akshamala (rosary), kurcha (kusha grass), sruk (ladle), sruva (spoon), kamandala (water pot) and pustaka (book) and in different poses representing the four quartem.