Who Came First - Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, or Shiva the Destroyer?

“एकोऽहम् बहुस्याम्” — “I am One; let Me become many.”

(Chandogya Upanishad 6.2.3)
Before there was light or darkness, before sound or silence, there was only consciousness — infinite, undivided, and self-aware. From that infinite stillness came the desire to manifest, and thus began creation. But who was the first — Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva? The Creator, the Preserver, or the Destroyer?
This question has fascinated seekers, philosophers, and devotees for centuries. Every Hindu scripture gives a slightly different answer, each revealing a deeper layer of understanding. To truly know “who came first,” we must first understand what these deities represent, not just who they are.

In Hindu philosophy, the Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — are not three separate entities in competition. They are three aspects of the same Supreme Reality (Brahman) that operates in cycles.

• Brahma represents Srishti — creation or manifestation.
• Vishnu represents Sthiti — preservation or sustenance.
• Shiva represents Samhara — dissolution or transformation.

Creation, preservation, and destruction are not separate moments in time; they are continuous processes. Every breath you take, every cell that dies, and every thought that arises and fades mirrors this cycle.

So, to ask who came first is like asking whether the seed came before the tree — each exists because of the other.

The Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, never directly mentions Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva as we know them today. Instead, it speaks of Brahman — the unmanifested, formless, all-pervading consciousness that exists beyond time and space.

The Nasadiya Sukta of the Rig Veda says:

That “One” later became associated with different forms for the sake of human understanding. Brahma emerged as the personification of the creative force, Vishnu as the sustainer of cosmic order, and Shiva as the ultimate dissolver into whom all returns.

In essence, before Brahma could create, Vishnu and Shiva already existed within that One Reality. Thus, Brahman came first — not Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva.

Each Purana tells its own version of how the Trimurti came into being, often emphasizing the deity it primarily worships.

• In the Vishnu Purana, Vishnu is eternal and creates Brahma from a lotus emerging from his navel as he lies on the cosmic ocean. From Brahma’s creation, Shiva later manifests to maintain balance.
• In the Shiva Purana, Shiva is the formless, self-born Supreme Being. From him, Vishnu arises, and from Vishnu, Brahma.
• In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, it is the Divine Mother (Adi Shakti) who precedes them all, creating the Trimurti for her divine play (Lila).

While the stories differ, the philosophical core remains the same: there is always one eternal source, and the Trimurti are its expressions.

Creation without preservation would instantly collapse. Preservation without destruction would cause stagnation. Destruction without creation would end existence altogether.

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva represent interdependent cosmic principles, not a hierarchy.

• Brahma’s creation sets the universe in motion.
• Vishnu’s preservation maintains dharma and balance.
• Shiva’s destruction clears the way for renewal and rebirth.

This cyclical process ensures the eternal rhythm of life. The “first” is irrelevant — what matters is the continuity of their cosmic dance.

In the Skanda Purana, there’s a scene where Brahma and Vishnu argue about who is supreme. Suddenly, a pillar of infinite fire appears — it has no beginning or end. Both gods try to find its limits and fail. Then Shiva emerges from that pillar, revealing that he is the infinite consciousness both are born from.

But in another text, Vishnu reveals himself as the eternal source of all, including Shiva. These are not contradictions; they are metaphors.

Each story teaches that the divine cannot be divided into ranks. The “fire pillar” represents the truth that all forms emerge from the same infinite reality — call it Vishnu, Shiva, or simply That Which Is.

The Upanishads and Advaita Vedanta resolve this debate beautifully. They say that the Trimurti are three phases of the same energy — Sat (existence), Chit (consciousness), and Ananda (bliss).

• Brahma represents Sat — the act of becoming.
• Vishnu represents Chit — the sustaining awareness.
• Shiva represents Ananda — dissolution into bliss.

They are not three beings but three vibrations of the same cosmic essence. Asking who came first is like asking which color in a rainbow appears first — they are inseparable expressions of one light.

Modern thinkers often interpret the Trimurti through the lens of physics and cosmology.

• Brahma corresponds to the Big Bang, the moment of creation.
• Vishnu symbolizes the steady expansion and maintenance of the universe.
• Shiva represents entropy, the cosmic principle of decay and renewal.

Even in modern science, these three forces coexist. The universe is constantly being born, sustained, and dissolved — not in separate epochs but simultaneously. This perfectly mirrors Hindu cosmology, which saw creation as an eternal cycle billions of years before science did.

In Tantric philosophy, Shiva and Vishnu are powerless without Shakti, the divine feminine energy. She is the consciousness that moves, while they are the still awareness that witnesses.

Before Brahma could create, before Vishnu could preserve, and before Shiva could destroy, Shakti willed them into being. The Devi Bhagavata Purana says:

Thus, the first divine movement of creation is not masculine or feminine — it is the union of both.

The answer is paradoxical - none and all.

In the highest understanding, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are not different gods but different faces of the same reality. Each arises when the cosmos needs that function. When the universe is to be born, Brahma appears. When it must be sustained, Vishnu acts. When it’s time to dissolve, Shiva awakens.

Yet beyond them all is the eternal consciousness, the unmanifest Brahman, from which everything arises and into which everything returns.