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 //
गुणेभ्यः क्षोभमाणेभ्यस्त्रयो देवा विजज्ञिरे। एका मूर्तिस्त्रयो भागा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः॥
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.