Bhairava

Bhairava, fearsome Hindu deity worshipped throughout Asia who is important primarily in Hinduism as well as Buddhism and Jainism. Bhairava’s name means “horrific” in Sanskrit, and the deity is closely associated with the Hindu god Shiva. He is venerated in various Tantric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism as well as within Shaivism—the branch of Hinduism that worships Shiva as the supreme god.

Religious background

Bhairava has been part of Hindu mythology since at least the 5th century ce. He is closely related to the cremation ground, where his worship likely began, as the lord of demons and the dead, although in later religious practice he is considered a protector of the living from those same demonic and deadly forces. He is closely associated with Tantric ascetic groups in Hinduism connected to Shaivism, such as the Kapalikas and Kalamukhas (“skull-bearers” and “black-faces”), Pashupathas, Aghoris, and Nath Yogis. These so-called “left-hand Tantra” groups, few of which remain in small pockets in India, have been known to smear themselves with ashes, live in cremation grounds, and partake of sexual and food-consumption practices that conscientiously violate the taboos of conventional Hinduism. The ancient Kapalikas, for example, used human skulls for begging bowls, in imitation of the story of Bhairava. These Tantric groups have historically venerated Bhairava and engaged in antinomian activities emulating that god’s horrifying nature. According to their philosophies, imitating the god by transgressing mainstream norms can be a means of achieving liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirth (samsara).

Bhairava is not one singular deity according to some sources but many “horrifying” emanations of Shiva. He is frequently called Kala (“black”) and Dandapani (“one with a stick in his hand”) Bhairava. Some sources list eight forms of Bhairava, and others list many more. His iconography often incorporates a dog, which serves as his vahana (vehicle), and dogs are generally associated in Hinduism with ritual impurity. While some sources list many forms of Bhairava associated with the cremation ground and liminality, Kashmiri Shaivism, especially as developed in the work of Abhinavagupta (flourished 11th century), postulated a singular Bhairava as the creator and destroyer of all, as well as a state of divine consciousness.

Mythology

The mythology of Bhairava is many and various, depending on the source. In Tantric texts Bhairava is created by Shiva in order to defeat the demonic spirits of the deceased. In one story in the Netratantra (850 ce), written in Kashmir, Shiva, in his battle to destroy the antigod daityas, creates a form of himself as Svacchandabhairava (“self-willed Bhairava”) along with a coalition of male and female demonic dead. Once the daityas are defeated, Shiva gives the demonic spirits a boon of being invincible. The spirits, however, proceed to afflict all other beings—god, human, and animal—so Shiva creates Bhairava beings that utter mantras that frighten off the spirits. Another myth in the Netratantra tells of a horde of female demons (called yoginis) who kill their victims as offerings to Mahabhairava (“great Bhairava”), and in doing so offer the victims liberation from their bodies of sin and elevate them to becoming identified with Shiva.

Bhairava, in mythology of the Puranas, is considered in some sources as the version of Shiva who dissolves the cosmos at the end of time. The most prominent Puranic myths of Bhairava associate him with the Kapalika tradition. According to these myths, the god Brahma, who is traditionally known to have four heads, originally had five. Stories then diverge in their details: in some the fifth head makes insulting comments about Shiva, in others Brahma’s fifth head is arrogant. In response Shiva emanates Bhairava and commands him to remove Brahma’s insulting head. Bhairava removes Brahma’s fifth head with his thumbnail, but he is then guilty of killing a Brahmin, among the worst crimes a person can commit in Hinduism. The skull sticks to Bhairava’s hand, and as he seeks penance for his sin, it becomes his begging bowl until it falls off in Varanasi at a location that later became a center for Bhairava worship. The myth establishes the use of skulls as begging bowls as part of Kapalika practice and associates Varanasi as a locus of cremation practices, a significance for which the city remains well known. Other Puranic myths of Bhairava identify him as a son of Shiva and Parvati, along with a brother named Vetala (“vampire”).

The Tamil Shaiva text Periyapuranam (12th century) offers a story of Bhairava in the theme of bhakti, a religious movement in Hinduism that emphasizes worshippers’ devotion to deities. Shiva disguises himself as a Kapalika ascetic, a devotee of Bhairava. A devotee named Ciruttontar (“little devotee”) offers hospitality to the deity in disguise, but the ascetic insists that he will only eat a child who has been killed and cooked by his parents. Ciruttontar does as instructed, butchering and cooking his son Ciralan. Bhairava insists that they all eat together, and just as they are about to share in this bit of cannibalism, the little boy, alive and well, comes in the door. Somewhat like the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, the story affirms the importance of devotion to the deity, however horrific.

The iconography of Bhairava varies, but in the main he is depicted in a way that is quite frightful. He usually has fangs, is black or dark in coloring, and sports bulging eyes. He wears a necklace of skulls or is otherwise ornamented with skulls and snakes. He tends to hold various weapons in his hands. He also usually carries a skull alms bowl in one hand and a severed head in another. He also carries a staff topped with a skull. As frightening as he may appear, if he is won to the side of a devotee, he is regarded as powerful and beneficent.

Practices

In Tantric practices Bhairava has been associated with rituals that feature dancing in cremation grounds, sexual acts, and other practices that for the majority of Hindus would be extremely ritually impure. These Tantric practices were said to signify transcendence through transgression. Among some practitioners, it was believed that magical abilities (siddhis) would be achieved through these practices.

Outside of Tantric contexts Bhairava is significant as a protector deity. In Varanasi he is likened to a police chief, protecting the citizenry from evil. Images of Bhairava across India and neighboring countries are thought to protect homes and fields from the ill effects of the demonic dead. He is also regarded as a capable remover of bodily and mental afflictions, and it is thought that offerings made to this frightful deity will move him to defend sufferers from torment by demonic spirits. A form of Bhairava called Suvarnakarshana (or Swarna Akarshana; “attracting gold”) Bhairava is often worshipped by those seeking wealth.

In Nepal Bhairava has become particularly important as part of the royal cult and is central to many Nepali festivals, especially among the Newar community. The Kathmandu valley has many Bhairavas that are worshipped, and his veneration at Bhaktapur is particularly strong. Masks of Bhairava are a prominent part of Nepali festivals. At the Indra Jatra Festival beer spouts out of the Bhairava masks as sanctified libations to be consumed by devotees. His face, in red, is part of the emblem of Nepal’s national airlines.

In Buddhism and Jainism

In Vajrayana Buddhism, which is heavily informed by Tantra and has in turn influenced the development of Tibetan Buddhism, Bhairava is often imagined in the center of Tantric mandalas—used for meditative purposes—in sexual union (yab yum) with his consort Bhairavi, or in some instances, with the goddess Kali. Bhairava in Tantric Buddhist texts is often referred to as Vajrabhairava (“thunderbolt Bhairava”).

In Jainism Bhairava is a protector deity in many Jain temples. Bhairava also figures in some Jain Tantric texts. At a Shvetambara Jain temple in Nakoda, Rajasthan, dedicated to Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara (“Ford-maker”; i.e., savior), a popular Bhairava murti is worshipped for boons and other benefits. Unlike Tirthankaras, gods are thought to be able to intervene in human matters, and the Nakoda Bhairava is presumed to be well disposed toward his devotees. He is also thought to possess devotees in order to speak through them.