Vishvakarma
Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman (Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा, lit. 'all maker', IAST: Viśvakarmā) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the word "Vishvakarma" was originally used as an epithet for any powerful deity. However, in many later traditions, Vishvakarma became the name of the craftsman god.
| Vishvakarma | |
|---|---|
Architect of the devas | |
Bronze sculpture of Vishvakarma from Lopburi, Thailand, 13th century. Kept at Bangkok National Museum. | |
| Affiliation | Deva |
| Abode | Svarga |
| Mantra | Om Viśvakarmane Namaḥ |
| Weapon | Scale, Kamandalu, book, hammer and chisel |
| Mount | |
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Prabhasa Vasu (father) Yogasiddha or Angirasi (mother) |
| Consort | Ghritachi or Gayatri |
| Children | Manu, May, Tvashta, Shilpi, Daivajna and Sanjna, Vishvarupa, Barhismati, Chitrangada, Nala |
Vishvakarma crafted all of the chariots of the devas and weapons including the Vajra of the god Indra. Vishvakarma was related to the sun god Surya through his daughter Samjna/Randal. According to the legend, when Samjna left her house due to Surya's energy, Vishvakarma reduced the energy and created various other weapons using it. Vishvakarma also built various cities like Lanka, Dvaraka, and Indraprastha. According to the epic Ramayana, the vanara (forest-man or monkey) Nala was the son of Vishvakarma, created to aid the avatar Rama.