Ramayana preceded Mahabharata. According to Srimad Ramayana Sri Rama ruled the Kosala kingdom for 10,000 years.
दशसहस्राणि प्राप्य वर्षाणि राघवः |
शताश्वमेधानाजह्रे सदश्वान्भूरिदक्षिणान् ||
(Yuddha Kanda 128 Sarga 96 Sloka)
"Having enjoyed the kingship for ten thousand years, Rama performed a hundred horse-sacrifices, in which good horses were sacrificed and numerous gifts bestowed."
The Puranas were said to be written by Sage Veda Vyasa. It must be atleast 10,000 years after the Rama-Ravana war that took place in Ramayana. Let us not dwell into the subject of dating of Mahabharata war, after which only the Sage Veda Vyasa wrote these puranas. The content of the puranas is important.
In Siva Purana, Siva has been described as Lord of all; Lord Brahma, Ganesh, Indra and Surya are spoken as servants. Vishnu Purana holds Vishnu on highest pedestal and Shiva and other gods as servants. For Devi Purana , Devi is Supreme and others totally subordinate.
However, according to Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, Lord Brahma was the Ruler of all Lokas, brahmaa lokaadhipo yathaa (Sloka 34 Sarga 18 of Bala Kanda). Further, at various parts of Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, the sage Valmiki describes Brahma was the source for all creations.
तेषाम् एवम् प्रभावाणाम् सर्वेषाम् दीप्त तेजसाम् ||
पिता दशरथो हृष्टो ब्रह्मा लोकाधिपो यथा |
"All was water only in the beginning" from which element the earth was formed. After that, the self-existent Brahma with all the gods came into existence." (Sloka 3 in Sarga 110 of Ayodya Kanda)
सर्वम् सलिलम् एव आसीत् पृथिवी यत्र निर्मिता |
ततः समभवद् ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर् दैवतैः सह ||
"The eternal, changeless and imperishable Brahma was begotten from ether and from him was born Marichi. Marichi's son was kashyapa." ." (Sloka 5 in Sarga 110 of Ayodya Kanda)
आकाश प्रभवो ब्रह्मा शाश्वतो नित्य अव्ययः |
तस्मान् मरीचिः सम्जज्ने मरीचेः कश्यपः सुतः ||
As I understand, Lord Brahma was adored, prayed and meditated upon for getting boons by many, be they were Rakshasas or Humans or Devatas, as he was Lokaadipathi at the time of Sage Valmiki.
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However, the concept of Brahma could not be traced to Vedic Literature, where only Prajapathi was mentioned.
Thus, we can infer that the concept of Brahma had been temporarily bloomed in the Ramayana only, and the status of Brahma was was depicted as an inferior to Lord Vishnu and Shiva in Puranas.
दशसहस्राणि प्राप्य वर्षाणि राघवः |
शताश्वमेधानाजह्रे सदश्वान्भूरिदक्षिणान् ||
(Yuddha Kanda 128 Sarga 96 Sloka)
"Having enjoyed the kingship for ten thousand years, Rama performed a hundred horse-sacrifices, in which good horses were sacrificed and numerous gifts bestowed."
The Puranas were said to be written by Sage Veda Vyasa. It must be atleast 10,000 years after the Rama-Ravana war that took place in Ramayana. Let us not dwell into the subject of dating of Mahabharata war, after which only the Sage Veda Vyasa wrote these puranas. The content of the puranas is important.
In Siva Purana, Siva has been described as Lord of all; Lord Brahma, Ganesh, Indra and Surya are spoken as servants. Vishnu Purana holds Vishnu on highest pedestal and Shiva and other gods as servants. For Devi Purana , Devi is Supreme and others totally subordinate.
तेषाम् एवम् प्रभावाणाम् सर्वेषाम् दीप्त तेजसाम् ||
पिता दशरथो हृष्टो ब्रह्मा लोकाधिपो यथा |
"All was water only in the beginning" from which element the earth was formed. After that, the self-existent Brahma with all the gods came into existence." (Sloka 3 in Sarga 110 of Ayodya Kanda)
सर्वम् सलिलम् एव आसीत् पृथिवी यत्र निर्मिता |
ततः समभवद् ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर् दैवतैः सह ||
"The eternal, changeless and imperishable Brahma was begotten from ether and from him was born Marichi. Marichi's son was kashyapa." ." (Sloka 5 in Sarga 110 of Ayodya Kanda)
आकाश प्रभवो ब्रह्मा शाश्वतो नित्य अव्ययः |
तस्मान् मरीचिः सम्जज्ने मरीचेः कश्यपः सुतः ||
As I understand, Lord Brahma was adored, prayed and meditated upon for getting boons by many, be they were Rakshasas or Humans or Devatas, as he was Lokaadipathi at the time of Sage Valmiki.
-----
However, the concept of Brahma could not be traced to Vedic Literature, where only Prajapathi was mentioned.
Thus, we can infer that the concept of Brahma had been temporarily bloomed in the Ramayana only, and the status of Brahma was was depicted as an inferior to Lord Vishnu and Shiva in Puranas.
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