Saraswati Curses Brahma

Dadi: "Guddu, have you noticed that there are thousands of temples for Vishnu and Shiva but very few for Brahma?"

Guddu: "Now that you mention it... yes! Why is that?"

Dadi: "Tonight I'll tell you the story of why Brahma, the creator of the universe, has only one main temple in all of India - and how it's connected to his wife Saraswati's curse."

Guddu: "Saraswati cursed Brahma?! But she's the goddess of knowledge and wisdom!"

Dadi: "Even wise goddesses can get angry, beta. Let me tell you what happened."

Guddu: "Please do!"

Dadi: "Once, Brahma was performing a great yajna - a fire sacrifice - at a place called Pushkar. For certain parts of the ritual, his wife Saraswati absolutely had to be present. Without her, the ceremony couldn't be completed."

Guddu: "Where was Saraswati?"

Dadi: "She was waiting for her friends - Lakshmi, Parvati, and Indrani - to accompany her to the ceremony. She told the messenger, "I will come only with my companions.""

Guddu: "What was wrong with that?"

Dadi: "The auspicious time for the ceremony was passing! Brahma couldn't wait any longer. The ritual required the presence of a wife by his side."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "In haste and frustration, Brahma married someone else on the spot - a woman named Gayatri - and completed the ceremony with her sitting beside him!"

Guddu: "Oh no... Saraswati must have been so hurt!"

Dadi: "When Saraswati arrived and saw another woman in her place, she was devastated. Her hurt turned to fury. She cursed Brahma: "Despite being a god, you shall never be worshipped by people! No temples shall be built for you!""

Guddu: "That's a powerful curse!"

Dadi: "But as her anger cooled, she modified it slightly. She allowed that Brahma could be worshipped at Pushkar - the place where the yajna happened. That's why the Brahma Temple at Pushkar remains one of the only temples dedicated to him."

Guddu: "Did she curse anyone else?"

Dadi: "Yes! She was so angry that her curses spread. She cursed Vishnu that he would have to experience the pain of separation from his wife. This came true when Vishnu incarnated as Rama and was separated from Sita for fourteen years!"

Guddu: "Wow! The curse affected even Vishnu?"

Dadi: "And she cursed Indra to be confined in chains in a foreign land. She cursed the sages present to always perform rituals in exchange for gifts rather than pure devotion."

Guddu: "That's a lot of curses!"

Dadi: "After Saraswati left, Gayatri felt terrible about what had happened. She used her own powers to soften some of the curses, promising benefits to those who worship Brahma at Pushkar."

Guddu: "What happened between Saraswati and Gayatri?"

Dadi: "Vishnu and Lakshmi went after Saraswati and requested her to return. Seeing Gayatri fall at her feet in genuine remorse, Saraswati's heart softened. She agreed to live together with Brahma and Gayatri."

Guddu: "So there was forgiveness in the end?"

Dadi: "There was reconciliation. But the curse remained. That's why, to this day, you'll find countless temples for Vishnu and Shiva across India, but Brahma has almost none."

Guddu: "Dadi, what's the lesson here?"

Dadi: "Several lessons, beta. First, that haste can cause tremendous damage. Brahma's impatience led to a curse that affects him for all time. Second, that even gods face consequences for their actions. Third, that anger, while understandable, can spread beyond its original target - Saraswati's curses affected Vishnu and others who weren't even part of the original problem."

Guddu: "And maybe... don't replace your wife at your own ceremony?"

Dadi: "Ha! That's certainly one lesson! But also, Saraswati was hurt not just by being replaced, but by not being waited for, not being valued enough for Brahma to delay. Sometimes the deepest wounds come from feeling unimportant to those who should cherish us most."

Guddu: "I'll remember that."

Dadi: "Good, beta. And when you visit Pushkar someday - the only place where Brahma is properly worshipped - remember this story. The beautiful lake there, the ancient temple... all connected to a moment of haste, a flood of anger, and eventually, grudging forgiveness."