Svayambhu
Sanskrit term meaning self-born / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Svayambhu (Sanskrit: स्वयम्भू, romanized: Svayambhū, lit. 'self-born') is a Sanskrit word that means "self-born",[1] "self-manifested", "self-existing",[2] or "that that is created by its own accord".[3] Various deities and entities featured in Hindu literature and tradition are regarded to be svayambhu, such as Brahman in the Upanishads, and the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and Manu in the Puranas.[4][5]
The term svayambhu is also used to describe the belief of a self-manifested image (murti) of a deity present in a temple, which is described to be not of human creation, but of natural or divine origin. Such images are described in some of the regional legends of religious sites called the sthala puranas.[6] Some of the best examples of such images include the twelve Jyotirlinga images of Shiva,[7] and Venkateswara image of Vishnu.[8]