| Bhairava | |
 Bhairav Statue,British Museum |
|
| Destruction | |
| Devanagari | भैरव (भैराद्य: in Nepal Bhasa) |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Aspect of Shiva |
| Weapon | Trishula |
| Mount | Dog |
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव, "Terrible" or "Frightful"[1]), sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya, is the fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva Shiva:(pronunciation; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, lit "Auspicious one" One of the Trimurtis Shiva is the supreme God in the Shaiva [2] He is one of the most important deities of Nepal, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Bhairava is invoked in prayers to destroy enemies.
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 as his divine vahana (vehicle). Vâhana or a Hindu vehicle, sometimes called a mount, is an animal mythical entity or Chimera (or sometimes a divine attribute closely
Bhairava himself has eight manifestations, Kala Bhairava, Asitanga Bhairava, Samhara Bhairava, Ruru Bhairava, Krodha Bhairava, Kapala Bhairava, Rudra Bhirava and Unmatta Bhairava.
Contents |
Legends
The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu recounted in "Shiv Maha-Purana" where Lord Vishnu asks Lord Brahma who is the supreme creator of the Universe. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific 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 amputated head of Brahma. Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty of Brahmanicide, and as a result, he was forced to carry around the head for years until he had been absolved of the sin.
Another story of the origin of Bhairava is the tale of Sati, wife of Shiva. Satī (Devanagari सती the feminine of sat "true" or Dākshāyani is a Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity she is worshipped particularly Sati, the daughter of the king of gods, Daksha, had chosen to marry Shiva. In Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one" is an ancient creator god one of the Prajapatis ref> Narada said Her father disapproved the alliance because he perceived Shiva as an ascetic associated with animals and ghosts and a frugal lifestyle. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Eventually, Daksha held a yagna (a ritualistic sacrifice) and invited all the gods, but not Sati and Shiva. In Hinduism, Yajna ( Devanagari यज्ञ IAST yajña; also anglicized as Yagna, Yagya or Yadnya Within Hinduism a large number of personalities or 'forms' are worshiped as Murtis. Sati came to the yagna alone, where Daksha publicly spoke in a belittling manner about Shiva. Sati could not bear to hear her husband insulted and offered herself to the sacrificial pyre.
When Shiva learned of this, he destroyed the yagna and killed Daksha by beheading him. Shiva carried Sati's corpse on his shoulders and ran uncontrollably all around the world for days. Since this would eventually destroy all creation, Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra (divine discus) to cut Sati's body into pieces, which then fell all around. The chakram ( Devanāgarī: चक्रम is a throwing Weapon that was used by the ancient Indians it is a flat Metal disc with a sharp outer These spots where Sati's body parts fell are now known as Shakti Peethas. The Shakti Peethas ( holy places of cosmic power) are places of worship consecrated to the goddess ' Shakti ', the female principal of Hinduism 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
- Ashta Bhirava at Sri Kamanada Eswar temple.
- Kal Bhairav Temple at Ujjain M. P.
In the Kathmandu valley
Bhairava is an important deity of Newars. The Newa ( Nepal Bhasa:नेवाः Newa or Newah, Old Nepal Bhasa नेवार Newar, नेवाल Newal) are the 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 high stone image of Kala Bhairava sculpted in the 17th century CE. 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.
- 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. Majipa Lakhey (Lakhey Aaju Devnagari: मजिपा लाखे लाखे आजु is a special Lakhey.
- Batuk Bhairava temple, Lagankhel
Images of Bhairava
 Bhairava's image in the Durbar Square, Kathmandu |
 Kali and Bhairava in Union, 18th century, Nepal |
 A statue of Kala Bhairava, National Geographic Magazine, October 1920 issue |
See also
References
- ^ For भैरव as one of the eight forms of Shiva, and translation of the adjectival form as "terrible" or "frightful" see: Apte, p. Durbar Square is the plaza opposite the old royal palace in the three main cities in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal: Kathmandu, Patan and Kathmandu (काठमांडौ येँ is the Capital and the largest city of Nepal. Kali redirects here See Kali (disambiguation for other uses Not to be confused with Kali (demon, the personification of Kali Yuga The National Geographic Magazine is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. In Hindu culture Kapalika means bearer of the skull-bowl and has reference to Lord Bhairava's vow to take the Kapala vow Aragalur (six moat place (ஆறகழூர்: ஆறு அகழி ஊர் is a village in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Sirkazhi (சீர்காழி is a city and a Municipality in Nagapattinam district 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. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of Accessed August 11, 2007.
External links
- Bhairava's royal brahmanicide by Elizabeth Visuvalingam
- Bhairava and the Goddess: Tradition, Gender and Transgression by Elizabeth Visuvalingam
- Paradigm of Hindu-Buddhist Relations: Pachali Bhairab of Kathmandu by Elizabeth Visuvalingam
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