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KarmaVaani
Devotional painting: Lord Vishvakarma, an elderly god with a long white beard, a golden crown, white silk, four arms holding a measuring rod, a hammer, a book and a water pot, seated on a white swan before a grand half-built golden temple

Vedic tradition

विश्वकर्मा

Vishvakarma

Devashilpi · Prajapati · Tvashtr

The divine architect and craftsman, who built the cities, chariots and weapons of the gods.

Abode
Svarga
Vahana
A swan
Colour
White
Arms
4

Vishvakarma, the maker of all, is praised in the Rigveda as the creator who fashioned heaven and earth. In the epics and Puranas he is the architect of the gods: he built golden Lanka, Krishna's Dwarka and the flying chariot Pushpaka, and forged Indra's thunderbolt. Craftspeople, engineers and factory workers honour him on Vishwakarma Puja each September, when tools and machines are cleaned and worshipped.

Mantra

ॐ विश्वकर्मणे नमः

Om Vishvakarmane Namaha

Salutations to Vishvakarma, the maker of all.

रूप और प्रतीक

How Vishvakarma is shown

An elderly, bearded god with a crown and four arms, holding the tools of his craft.

Measuring rod
Order, proportion and right measure.
Hammer and chisel
The skill of the hand.
Book
The Sthapatya Veda, the science of building.
Water pot
Creation from the primal waters.
कथाएँ

Stories

The thunderbolt

When the serpent-demon Vritra held back the waters of the world, no weapon could harm him. The sage Dadhichi gave up his life so that Vishvakarma could shape his bones into the vajra, Indra's thunderbolt, with which Indra slew Vritra and set the rivers free.

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