| Bhairava | |
|---|---|
 Bhairav Statue at the British Museum |
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| Destruction (guard god) | |
| Devanagari | भैरव ( in ) |
| Nepal Bhasa | भैराद्य: |
| Affiliation | Aspect of Shiva |
| Weapon | Trishula |
| Consort | Bhairavi |
| Mount | Dog |
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव, "Terrible" or "Frightful",[1]), sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji (In Rajasthan), Kaala Bhairavar(கால பைரவர்) or Vairavar (In Tamil), is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation.[2] He is one of the most important deities of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Nepal who originated in Hindu mythology and is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains alike.
He is depicted ornamented with a range of twisted serpents, which serve as earrings, bracelets, anklets, and sacred thread (yajnopavita). He wears a tiger skin and a ritual apron composed of human bones.[3] Bhairava has a dog (Shvan) as his divine vahana (vehicle). Bhairavi, a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Devi who virtually indistinguishable from Kali, with the exception of her particular identification as the consort of the Bhairava.
Bhairava himself has eight manifestations: Kala Bhairava, Asitanga Bhairava, Samhara Bhairava, Ruru Bhairava, Krodha Bhairava, Kapala Bhairava, Rudra Bhirava and Unmatta Bhairava. Kala Bhairava is conceptualized as the Guru of the planetary deity Saturn. Bhairava is known as Vairavar in Tamil where he is often presented as a Grama Devata or folk deity who safeguards the devotee on all eight directions (ettu tikku). Known in Sinhalese as Bahirawa, he protects treasures. Lord Bhairava is the main deity worshipped by the Aghora sect.
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Legends
The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu recounted in "Shiv Maha-Puran" where Lord Vishnu asks Lord Brahma who is the supreme creator of the Universe. Arrogantly, Brahma tells Vishnu to worship him because he (Brahma) is the supreme creator. This angered Shiva who in reality is the creator of all. Shiva then incarnated in the form of Bhairava to punish Brahma. Bhairava beheaded one of Brahma's five heads and since then Brahma has only four heads. When depicted as Kala Bhairava, Bhairava is shown carrying the decapitated head of Brahma. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty of the crime of killing a Brahmin, and as a result, he was forced to carry around the head for years and roam as Bhikshatana, a mendicant, until he had been absolved of the sin.
In another version, when Brahma sees the cosmic confusion while creation of universe and ponders how to settle it. He created Saraswati from his imagination ('Manasaputri'). She issued as Shatarupa. She presented him with the wealth of knowledge and wisdom. But Brahma was infatuated with her beauty and pursued her. He sprouted a fifth head to gaze at her continuously. The horrified goddess took multiple forms to escape his eye, but Brahma continued to take a complementary form and chase her. This unlawful lust caused an imbalance in the universe and Lord Shiva took the form of Bhairava to put an end to such incest. He confronted Brahma and cut off his fifth head which brought him to his senses. He then performed a yagna to purify himself, reciting mantras with his four heads for salvation.
In the form of the frightful Bhairava, Shiva is said to be guarding each of these Shaktipeeths. Each Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple dedicated to Bhairava.
Temples
- Chomukha Bhairavji Temple, Kharkhara, Khetri, Rajasthan
- Shri Kal Bhairava Temple, Amer Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Kala Bhairava Temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- " Sri Kala Bhairava Temple pogular village gudiyattam Tamil nadu "
- Kala Bhairava Temple, courtalam, Tamil Nadu
- Kal Bhairava Temple, near Purana Qila, New Delhi. Said to be established by the Pandava brothers during the building of their capital Indraprastha. Purana Qila is sometimes said to be their castle and the temple is situated in its backyard.
- Ashta Bhairava at Sri Kamanada Eswar temple, Aragalur, Tamil Nadu.
- Bhairavar Temple, Vairavan Patti, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu.
- Bhairaveswarar Temple, Cholapuram, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
- Ajaikapada Bhairava Temple, Nuagaon, Jagatsinghpur, Orissa
- Kal Bhairav Temple at Ujjain, M.P.
- Kalbhairav Temple at Dhargal, Goa.
- Kalabhairaveshvara Temple at Adichunchanagiri, Karnataka
- Kalabhairaveshvara Temple at Jogi Mutt, Kadri, Mangalore, Karnataka
- Kalabhairav Temple at Adhiyaman Kottai, Dharampuri district, Tamil Nadu
- Sri Kalabhairava Swamy Temple at Ramareddy, Nizamabad district, Andhra Pradesh
- Naga Bhirava Kona, P.K.Padu,Somasila, SPSR Nellore District, Andhrapradesh, India
- Bhairava Kona,Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
- Kala Bhairav Temple at Toliasar, Sri Dungargarh, Rajasthan
- Kodamdesar Ramdevra Temple, Jaisalmer Highway, Rajasthan
- Bhairava Moorthi ( Bhairava Natha Moorthi) Temple, Morepalayam, Tiruchengodu Thaluk, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu
- Sri Vairavamoorthy, Illupaikudi Temple, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
- Konguvadukanatha Swami, Kundadam, Dharapuram, Tamil Nadu
- Kala Bhairava temple, Gadag, Karnataka
- Sri Nakoda Bhairav Jain Temple, Barmer District, Rajasthan
- Bhairava sela or Bayyanna sela in Srisailam, Andhrapradesh
In the Kathmandu valley
Bhairava is an important deity of the Newars. All the traditional settlements of Newars have at least a temple of Bhairava. Most of the temples of Bhairava in Nepal are maintained by Newar priests. There are several Bhairava temples in the Kathmandu valley. Some of them are:
- The Kala Bhairava temple in Hanuman Dhoka (Durbar Square) has a 12-foot (3.7 m) high stone image of Kala Bhairava sculpted in the 5th or 6th century and later rediscovered in paddy field in the 17th century CE by King Pratap Malla. It was believed that people die if they speak false in front of this sculpture. So, this temple served as the supreme court of Nepal for a long time.[citation needed]
- Akash Bhairava (Sava Bhakku Deva or Wanga Dya)
- Swet Bhairava
- Shanta Bhairava (Majipa Lakhey Dya)
- Kirtimukha Bhairava
- Unmukta Bhairava (inside the Pashupatinath Temple)
- Bagh Bhairava temple of Kirtipur
- Batuk Bhairava temple, Lagankhel
- The Kaal Bhairav Nath Mandir temple is in "Varne Goan" - {Satara-Maharastra}.
- "Kaal Bhairicha Navane Changbhale"
- "Kala Bhairava Temple pogular village gudiyattam Tamil nadu "
Bhairava temple in Brasil
- kalabhairav temple in Brasil
Literature
Kipling makes reference to Bhairon as being the "drunken god" and the "god of the common people" throughout his acclaimed short story "The Bridge-Builders", the opening story of The Day's Work (1898).
Images of Bhairava
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Bhairava's image in the Durbar Square, Kathmandu
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Kali and Bhairava in Union, 18th century, Nepal
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14th century Bhairava, Indonesia.
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bhairava |
References
- ^ For भैरव as one of the eight forms of Shiva, and translation of the adjectival form as "terrible" or "frightful" see: Apte, p. 727, left column.
- ^ For Bhairava form as associated with terror see: Kramrisch, p. 471.
- ^ Bhairava statuette in copper from 15th-16th century Nepal, in collection of Smithsonian Institution. Accessed August 11, 2007.
External links
- Bhairav Worship Chant - Chalisa
- Obtaining a Yidam (Bhairava or Dakini) as a guide and protector (from wisdom-tree.com)
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