Who is kal bhairav

Please contact us in case of abuse at Trunicle[At]gmail. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Sign in Join. Sign in. Forgot your password? Create an account. Privacy Policy. Sign up. Password recovery. Recover your password. Get help. Write For Us. Friday, November 12, All Politics. Rajiv Saxena - November 10, Why a False Portrayal of Hindu Festivals?

Pankaj Jayswal - November 10, Guest Writer - November 7, Religion spiritualism. Kaal Bhairav , a fierce manifestation of God Shiva. By Guest Writer. December 7, V Must read. November 10, Guest Writer.

Compiled By Advaita. Tags hinduism KaalBhairav Sanaatan Shiva. More articles. Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya: Shubh Diwali November 3, Comment: Please enter your comment! Latest article. In the name of Wokeism and Inclusiveness, Kolkata Schools are screening short films on same-sex relationships November 9, All rights reserved. Trunicle is a registered trademark. About Us.

Popular Category. Editor Picks. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.

We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Necessary Necessary. He is also referred to as Dandadhipati and Dandapani.

A puja is performed at midnight followed by aarti. The puja includes the recitation of the Kaal Bhairav Jayanti Katha which explains why this avatar of Lord Shiva came into being. Read on to know more about it. It so happened that Lord Brahma grew arrogant and took pride in being the creator of the Universe. As per another version, an arrogant Lord Brahma went on to abuse Lord Shiva.

Before this incident, Lord Brahma had five heads. His behaviour invited Kaal Bhairav's wrath who severed one of Brahma's five heads with his trident. However, this act of Lord Shiva attracted the sin of Brahmahatya, and hence he had to wander as a beggar until he reached Kashi.

In Varanasi, devotees undertake an eight-day pilgrimage to the eight temple of Ashta Bhairava. This journey is undertaken on the first eight days of the fortnight, ending with the Bhairava Ashtami. The deity is generally covered with a cloth with only the face showing the whole year round. But on this day, the cloth is removed to reveal the entire idol. His image is decorated with a garland of silver skulls. Devotees throng the temple in order to catch a glimpse of the powerful God.

The Gowdas of this region adore him as the Supreme Godhead. Those belonging to the Gangadikara Gowda caste consider him as the caretaker and punisher. Bhairava is one of the most important deities of the Newars in Nepal.

Most settlements there have at least one temple of the Lord. Also, the Bhairava temples in that country are mostly maintained by Newar priests. Temples of Kaala Bhairava can be predominantly found around the Shakti Peethas. It is believed that Shiva allocated each Bhairava to guard one of the 52 Shakti Peethas. The Shakti Peethas are holy places of worship, dedicated to Goddess Shakti, the main female deity of Hinduism and the principal deity of the Shaktya sect.

Goddess Shakti is often associated with harmony, peace, prosperity, longevity, strength, marital felicity and destruction of evil. The 52 Shakti Peethas can be found scattered all over the Indian subcontinent. His most favorite daughter, Sati, had fallen in love with Shiva and had married him against his wishes.

He was a staunch Vaishnavite follower of Vishnu and detested Shiva. He had tried everything to stop Sati from marrying Shiva, but had failed miserably. Daksha invited all the deities to the yagna, but decided to ignore Sati and Shiva. Though Sati was upset at not being invited for the event, she wanted to attend it, as it was her family function. When she expressed her desire to Shiva, he tried his best to dissuade her from going there. However, she was insistent that she wanted to attend the yagna.

Shiva eventually relented and acceded to her request. Sati left for her parental home, escorted by Shiva's ganas. When Sati reached the site of the yagna, Daksha refused to even acknowledge her and insulted her and Shiva. Unable to bear her father's insulting words against her husband, she committed suicide by jumping into the sacrificial fire. When Shiva came to know about this, he was furious. He, along with his ganas, went to the site of the yagna and completely destroyed it.

He then cut off the head of the arrogant Daksha. Still in a state of uncontrollable grief and fury, Shiva carried the corpse of Sati on his shoulder and performed his terrible Tandava dance. Unable to stand the extent of his fury, the three worlds went into a state of turmoil. The Gods went to Vishnu, beseeching him to somehow control Shiva's anger. Vishnu appeared before Shiva, took Sati's lifeless body and severed it into many pieces, with the help of his Sudarshana Chakra Discus.

The pieces of her body fell at various places throughout India. They then came to be known as the sacred Shakti Peethas. In each of the Shakti Peethas, both the presiding Goddess and the Bhairava guarding her temple are given a particular name. Bhairava encompasses the entire universe within himself; all the Shaktis seamlessly merging into him; becoming one with him.

In Tantra, Bhairava is both an aspect of Shiva and a supremely divine mantra, capable of transporting the seeker into the highest realms of consciousness. The Vijnana-Bhairava is one of the most important tantric treatises. Similarly, the Bhairavamudra is one of the most crucial mudras gestures in tantra. This mudra, which is complicated and is a difficult state to achieve, is revealed only to a few sadhaks.

When Shiva completely withdraws into himself and immerses himself in his own consciousness, he rises in the awareness of being one with Kali.

Thus emerges the form of Bhairava, the masculine aspect of Kali herself, who manifests as Bhairavi. This union of the potent male and female energies in the universe lacks any intrinsic qualities - it is pure, effulgent light.

The thing to note here is that the dark, evil-looking intensity depicted in the forms of Bhairava and Bhairavi do not actually imply evil intent. The very nature of Bhairava is to look inward and not outward. Shiva, in his state of intense meditation, goes on an inward journey; eventually experiencing his existence within the womb of Kali, who manifests as Bhairavi. From this dark abyss arises the terrible form of Bhairava.

Similarly, the Bhairava-Bhairavi union aims to educate the seeker to defy the dark forces of evil, ignorance and violence; journey into himself; understand that he comes from within the womb of the Universal Mother, Kali; then finally transform himself to emerge as powerful pure energy, which can help serve humanity in ways he could otherwise not even imagine possible.

Seen from this perspective, Bhairava or Mahakala is a tantric deity, which symbolizes an internalizing, holistic, healing force, which helps a sadhak towards self-fulfillment and actualization of desires. The energy of Bhairava emerges as a driving force, which overcomes every obstacle to achieve all that it seeks.

It is therefore seen as "destructive" - that which destroys everything which comes in the way of its own fulfillment. Kaalabhairava Ashtakam is a beautiful Sanskrit hymn, composed by Adi Shankara.

It comprises eight stanzas; which are typical of any Ashtakam. This Bhairava is described as being black; without clothing; terrible-looking with protruding fangs; ornamented with entwined snakes and a garland of skulls; holding weapons in each of his four hands; and bells attached to his waist-band. The Ashtakam further goes on to describe how his frightful laughter shakes the entire creation; how he controls all the ghosts, ghouls and goblins; and how his fierce Tandava dance annihilates the evil; while also bestowing liberation upon devout souls.

The first stanza of the Kaalabhairava Ashtakam offers salutations to the Supreme Lord. Indra sits at his Lotus feet and serves him. He adorns himself with snakes and the beautiful moon sits on his head. He appears in the form of a Digambara and is extremely kind and compassionate. The second stanza offers salutations to the Supreme Ruler of Kashi, who is as brilliant as a million Suns.

He, who is blue-throated and three-eyed, rescues his devotees from the bhavasagara the ocean of worldly misery and showers peace and prosperity upon them. He, the Imperishable One, supports the three worlds, which rotate around him. The third stanza describes Bhairava as the Punisher of Evil. He holds a noose, club and spear in his hands. He is the Primordial Lord, whose body is dark and fearful.

He is beyond disease and death. The fourth stanza relates that he is the giver of all prosperity and lovingly liberates his devotees from worldly miseries and sins. The fifth stanza offers salutations to Bhairava, who is ornamented with golden snakes and guards Dharma righteousness , also leading his devotees toward the right path. He thus frees them from the unending cycle of Karma and eternal rebirth.