Bhairava

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Bhairava
12th-century Bhairava sculpture
AffiliationShiva
Mantraॐ भैरवाय नमः ॥ oṁ bhairavāya namaḥ
WeaponTrishula, Khaṭvāṅga, Sword, Kapala, Sickle, Vajra, Noose, Pinaka bow, Pashupatastra arrow, Pestle and Damaru
DayTuesday and Sunday
Number33
MountDog
FestivalsBhairava Ashtami
ConsortBhairavi

Bhairava (

Vajrabhairava, and Yamantaka.[7][8]

Bhairava is worshipped throughout India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Japan, as well as in Tibetan Buddhism.[9][10]

Etymology

Bhairava originates from the word bhīru, which means "fearsome". Bhairava means "terribly fearsome form". It is also known as one who destroys fear or one who is beyond fear. One interpretation is that he protects his devotees from dreadful enemies, greed, lust, and anger. These enemies are dangerous as they never allow humans to seek God within. There is also another interpretation: Bha means creation, ra means sustenance and va means destruction. Therefore, Bhairava is the one who creates, sustains and dissolves the three stages of life. Therefore, he becomes the ultimate or the supreme.[11][full citation needed]

Hinduism

Bhairava depicted in Elephanta Caves, mid-5th century.

Legend

Mahakala Bhairava depicted on a chaturmukha (four-faced) lingam, 10th century
Murti of Akasha Bhairava, Kathmandu

The legend of the origin of Bhairava is traced back to a conversation between Brahma and Vishnu described in the Shiva Purana.[12]

Shiva manifested as a pillar of light to settle the dispute of superiority between Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma dishonestly proclaimed his victory, stating that he had discovered the higher end of the pillar of light. To punish him for his dishonesty and arrogance, Shiva produced Bhairava from the region between his brows. When Bhairava sought instruction from Shiva, the deity directed him to, "worship Brahma with his sharp-pointed quick-moving sword". Bhairava decapitated the fifth head of Brahma for uttering the falsehood. Vishnu interceded on Brahma's behalf and sought mercy, and the two deities then worshipped Shiva.[13]

Having committed the sin of brahmahatya (the murder of a Brahmin) by decapitating Brahma, Bhairava was pursued by the terrible female personification of the sin. The skull of Brahma was still attached to his hand. To expiate himself of the sin, Bhairava roamed the three worlds. He visited Vaikuntha, where he was honoured by Vishnu and Lakshmi. When Bhairava visited Kashi, the city of the liberated, Brahmahatya left him, and the skull of Brahma was released from his hand.[14]

In another legend, Brahma is regarded to have stated to Vishnu to worship him as the supreme creator of the universe. Noting that both Shiva and he had

Shakti Pithas (A group of temples dedicated to the goddess Shakti). Each Shakti Pitha is accompanied by a temple dedicated to Bhairava.[15][16]

There is another school of thought that states that Shiva himself created Bhairava. It states that there was once an asura named Dahurāsura, who got a boon that he could be killed only by a woman. Parvati took the form of Kali to kill him. The wrath of Kali killed the asura. After killing the asura, her wrath metamorphosed as a child. Kali fed the child with her milk. Shiva made both Kali and the child to merge with him. From this merged form of Shiva, Bhairava appeared in his eight forms (Aṣṭāṅga Bhairavas). Since Bhairava was thus created by Shiva, he is sometimes said to be one of the sons of Shiva.[17]

The Puranas also give a version of Bhairava. In this version, there was a war between devas and asuras. To eradicate the asuras, Shiva created Kala Bhairava, from whom the Aṣṭāṅga Bhairavas were created. These Ashta Bhairavas married the Ashta Matrikas. Both groups of these deities are described to possess dreadful forms. From these Ashta Bhairavas and Ashta Matrikas, 64 Bhairavas and 64 Yoginis were created.[18]

Depiction

Dancing Bhairava, Bengal, 12th century.
Indonesian stone Bhairava, from the syncretic Hindu-Buddhist Singhasari temple in East Java, Indonesia

Normally in Shiva temples, idols of Bhairava are situated in the north, facing Southern direction. He is also called Kṣhetrapāla. He appears in a standing position with four hands. His weapons are drum, pāśa (noose), trident and skull. In some forms of Bhairava, there are more than four hands. He appears with a dog. His weapons, the dog, protruding teeth, terrifying looks, and a garland with red flowers all give him a furious appearance.[19][20]

In all Shiva temples, regular puja (reverence) rituals begin with Surya and end with Bhairava. Devotees offer what is understood to be favored by Bhairava: a ghee bath (abhiṣeka), red flowers, ghee lamp, unbroken coconut, honey, boiled food, fibrous fruits etc. If a Bhairava idol is facing west, it is good; facing south is moderate; facing east is not good. The right time to pray to Bhairavi is midnight. At midnight it is said that Bhairava and his consort Bhairavi will give darśana (appearance) to their devotees. The most appropriate time is a Friday midnight. There are eight types of flowers and leaves used in archana (अर्चन) to Bhairava.[21][22]

In Kashmir Shaivism, Bhairava is the ultimate form of manifestation or pure "I" consciousness.

One of his forms is called Svarṇākarṣṇa Bhairava ; In this form, he has red or blue complexion and is clothed in golden dress. He has the moon over his head. He has four hands, one of which he holds a golden vessel. He gives wealth and prosperity. Performing pūja on Tuesdays gives quick results. In some of the ancient texts he is said to have thirty two hands, the shape of a bird, golden complexion, terrible teeth, and a human form above the hip. Worshipping him destroys enemies.[1][23]

Some forms of Bhairava are guardians of the eight cardinal points. There are 64 Bhairavas. These 64 Bhairavas are grouped under eight categories and each category is headed by one major Bhairava. The major eight Bhairavas are called

āgamas). Bhairavi is the consort of Kala Bhairava.[24] The eight Bhairavas are said to represent five elements viz. ākāś, air, fire, water and earth and the other three being sun, moon and ātman. Each of the eight Bhairavas are different in appearance, have different weapons, different vāhanas (vehicles) and they bless their devotees with eight types of wealth representing Ashta Lakshmis. Continuous worship of Bhairava leads the worshipper to a true Guru. There are separate mantras to all the eight Bhairavas.[25]

Bhairava is also called upon as protector, as he guards the eight directions of the universe. In Shiva temples, when the temple is closed, the keys are placed before Bhairava. Bhairava is also described as the protector of women. He is described as the protector of the timid and in general women who are timid in nature.[26][27]

It is generally believed that worshiping Bhairava gives prosperity, success and good progeny, prevents premature death and gives solution to debts and liabilities. Different forms of Bhairava evolve only from Śiva, who is called the Mahā Bhairava.[28][29][30]

Trika System

Dharana). The text is a chapter from the Rudrayamala Tantra, a Bhairava Agama. Bhairavi, the goddess, asks Bhairava to reveal the essence of the way to realization of the highest reality. In his answer Bhairava describes 112 ways to enter into the universal and transcendental state of consciousness. References to it appear throughout the literature of Trika, Kashmir Shaivism, indicating that it was considered to be an important text in the schools of Kashmir Shaiva philosophy and Trika.[4][5]

List of Bhairavas

"Trikala Bhairava", Eastern Ganga Dynasty, 10th century.

The list of manifestation of Shiva:[31][unreliable source?]

Buddhism

Thangka Depicting Vajrabhairava, c. 1740s.

Buddhism also adopted Bhairava (Tibetan: 'Jigs byed; Chinese: Buwei) as a deity and a

Buddhist tantras, the Vajrabhairava tantras.[33] According to Tibetan tradition, these tantras were revealed to Lalitavajra in Oddiyana in the tenth century.[34]

These texts play a particularly important role in the

Sarma (new translation) traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, especially among the Gelug school where Vajrabhairava is one of the three central highest yoga tantra practices of the lineage.[35]

Bhairava - Mahakala is also popular in Mongolia as a protector deity and was also popular among the Manchus.[35]

The deity is also central to Newar Buddhism. The tantric practices associated with Bhairava focus on the transformation of anger and hatred into understanding.[36]

Worship

Kala Bhairava attended by devotees in Durbar Square, Kathmandu

Temples or

Kal Bhairava temple, Ujjain. The Patal Bhairava and Vikrant Bhairava shrines are located in Ujjain as well.[37][38]

Gorat Kashmiris are known to worship Bhairava during

Adi Sankara composed a hymn on Kala Bhairava called "Sri Kalabhairava Ashtakam" in the city of Kashi.[40]

Observances

Margashirsha month of the Hindu calendar. It is a day filled with special prayers and rituals.[41]

Iconography

Bhairava is depicted as being 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.[42] Bhairava has a dog (shvana) as his divine vahana (vehicle). Bhairavi is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Devi who is virtually indistinguishable from Kali, with the exception of her particular identification as the consort of Bhairava.[43][44]

Bhairava himself has eight manifestations called the

  • Asitāṅga Bhairava
  • Ruru Bhairava
  • Caṇḍa Bhairava
  • Krodha Bhairava
  • Unmatta Bhairava
  • Bhīṣaṇa Bhairava
  • Saṃhāra Bhairava

Kala Bhairava is conceptualized as the guru-natha (teacher and lord) of the planetary deity Shani (Saturn).[46][47]

Bhairava is known as Bhairavar or Vairavar in

grama devata or village guardian who safeguards the devotee in eight directions (ettu tikku). Known in Sinhalese as Bahirawa, he is said to protect treasures. He is the main deity worshipped by the Aghora sect.[48]

Temples

Reflection of blue sky on mask of Shwet Bhairava at Basantapur, Kathmandu, Nepal

Bhairava is an important deity of the

Newars. All the traditional settlements of Newars have at least one 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.[49]

In south Karnataka, Lord Sri Kalabhairaveshwara is present as Kshetra Palaka in Sri Adichunchanagiri Hills.[50]

Kala Bhairava temples can also be found around

Gowdas). Especially in the Jogi Vokkaliga, he is considered the caretaker and punisher.[51] Shri Kala Bhairava Nath Swami Temple of Madhya Pradesh
is also popular.

See also

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). Gautam, K.S. (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 76.
  3. ^ "Bhairava: The Wrathful". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  4. ^ .
  5. ^ .
  6. .
  7. .
  8. required)
  9. required)
  10. ^ Hiltebeitel
  11. ^ The Śiva Purana, Śatarudra Samhita, chapter 8, The Śiva Purana, part III (English translation), Motilal banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, Delhi, reprint edition (2002), pp. 1097–1103.
  12. .
  13. .
  14. .
  15. ^ Chalier-Visuvalingam, Elizabeth. "Bhairava's Royal Brahmanicide: The Problem of the Mahābrāhmaṇa", pp. 157–229 in Hiltebeitel
  16. ^ Lorenzen, David. "New Data on the Kāpālikas", pp. 231–238 in Hiltebeitel
  17. ^ Masilamani-Meyer, Eveline. "The Changing Face of Kāttavarāyan", pp. 69–103 in Hiltebeitel
  18. ^ Shulman, David Dean. "Outcaste, Guardian, and Trickster: Notes on the Myth of Kāttavarāyan", pp. 35–67 in Hiltebeitel
  19. ^ Sontheimer, Gunther Dietz. "Between Ghost and God: A Folk Deity of the Deccan", pp. 299–337 in Hiltebeitel
  20. ^ Visuvalingam, Sunthar. "The Transgressive Sacrality of the Dīkṣita: Sacrifice, Criminality, and Bhakti in the Hindu Tradition", pp. 427–462 in Hiltebeitel
  21. ^ Doniger O'Flaherty, Wendy. Siva: The Erotic Ascetic. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981
  22. .
  23. ^ "Kala Bhairava Ashtakam – Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia". www.hindupedia.com. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  24. S2CID 143517233
    .
  25. ^ Erndl, Kathleen M. "Rapist or Bodyguard, Demon or Devotee: Images of Bhairo in the Mythology and Cult of Vaiṣṇo Devī", pp. 239–25 in Hiltebeitel
  26. ^ Sukul, Kubernath (1977). Vārānasī Vaibhava. Patna, India: Bihar Rastrabhasa Parisad
  27. ^ Lorenzen, David (1972). The Kāpālikas and Kālāmukhas: Two Lost Śaiva Sects. Delhi: Thomson
  28. ^ Eck, Diana L. (1983) Banaras: City of Light. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
  29. JSTOR 2802004
    .
  30. ^ "Shaktipeeth Bhairava". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  31. OCLC 859536678.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  32. ^ Siklós, Bulcsu (1996) The Vajrabhairava tantras: Tibetan and Mongolian versions, English translation and annotations, Institute of Buddhist Studies.
  33. ^ a b Skorupski, Tadeusz. The Buddhist Forum. Vol. 4. pp. 186–187.
  34. .
  35. .
  36. .
  37. ^ "Hindu Bhakti". hindubhakti.blogspot.com. 27 August 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  38. .
  39. ^ Bhairava statuette Archived 30 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine in copper from 15th–16th century Nepal, in collection of Smithsonian Institution. Accessed August 11, 2007.
  40. .
  41. ^ vdocuments.mx_the-kubjika-upanishad-egbert-forsten-56885839dd6b9. p. 7.
  42. ^ பைரவரைப் போற்றும் தேவாரப் பதிகம்
  43. ^ பைரவர்
  44. ^ Harper, Katherine Anne, and Brown, Robert L. (Eds) (2002). The Roots of Tantra. Albany: State University of New York Press.
  45. .
  46. ^ "Bhairav Temple – Lord Bhairo Baba". shaligramrudraksha.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  47. ^ Chalier-Visuvalingam, Elizabeth & Sunthar Visuvalingam (2006). Bhairava in Banaras: Negotiating Sacred Space and Religious Identity. Wiesbaden, Germany: Harrassowitz.

Cited sources

  • Hiltebeitel, Alf, ed. (1989). Criminal Gods and Demon Devotees: Essays on the Guardians of Popular Hinduism. Albany: State University of New York Press. .

External links