Shloka 16
Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces
गुणेभ्यः क्षोभमाणेभ्यस् त्रयो देवा विजज्ञिरे एका मूर्तिस् त्रयो भागा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः //
guṇebhyaḥ kṣobhamāṇebhyas trayo devā vijajñire ekā mūrtis trayo bhāgā brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ //
When the three guṇas were stirred into agitation, three deities came into manifestation. Though of one essential form, they appeared in three portions—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara.
FAQs
It explains creation at the level of first manifestation: when the guṇas become active (kṣobha), the supreme principle appears as three functional powers—creation (Brahmā), preservation (Viṣṇu), and dissolution (Maheśvara).
By presenting one reality operating through three functions, it supports a dharma-based worldview: rulers and householders should uphold order (Viṣṇu-like maintenance), initiate constructive works (Brahmā-like creation), and remove harmful disorder (Śiva-like restraint), all as harmonized duties.
While not giving direct Vāstu rules, the verse underpins later iconography and ritual practice: temple worship often honors the Trimūrti as three aspects of one divine essence, guiding how deities may be conceptually related within a sacred complex.