Bhairava

Bhairava is a furious Tribal deity, who guards the eight directions of the universe. Also known as Maha Swarna Kala Bhairava or as Kala Bhairava, who is the supreme ruler of time of this universe.

Pic.1 Bhairava with his consort, (PC-Wikipedia)

Ashta Bhairava (“Eight Bhairavas”) are eight manifestations of the Bhairava. They guard and control the eight directions. Each Bhairava has eight sub Bhairavas under him. Ashta Bhairavas are as follows:

Asithaanga Bhairava

Ruru Bhairava

Chanda Bhairava

Krodha Bhairava

Unmattha Bhairava

Kapaala Bhairava

Bheeshana Bhairava

Samhaara Bhairava

Then there is a concept of Ashta-Matrikas which are as follows:

1. Brahmani
2. Vaishnavi
3. Maheshvari
4. Indrani
5. Kaumari
6. Varahi
7. Chamunda
8. Narasimhi

These Ashta Bhairava’s got married to Ashta Matrikas. These Ashta Bhairava’s and Ashta Matrika’s have dreadful forms. From these Ashta Bhairava’s and Ashta Matrika’s, 64 Bhairava’s and 64 Yogini’s were created.

Sri Asithaanga Bhairavar

Consort: Bhrami

Vahana: Swan (nnam)

Direction: East

Sri Ruru Bhairavar

Consort: Maheshwari

Vahana: Ox (Rishabam)

Direction: Southeast

Sri Chanda Bhairavar

Consort: Koumaari

Vahana: Peacock

Direction: South

Sri Krodha Bhairavar

Consort: Vaishnavi

Vahana: Eagle (Garuda)

Direction: South-West

Sri Unmatha Bhairavar

Consort: Vaarahi

Vahana: Horse

Direction: West

Sri Kapaala Bhairavar

Consort: Indrani

Vahana: Elephant

Direction: North-West

Sri Bheeshana Bhairavar

Consort: Chamundi

Vahana: Lion

Direction: North

Sri Samhaara Bhairavar

Consort:

Vahana: Dog

Direction: Northeast

The names of 64 yoginis or joginis with respective Bhairavas are as follows:

1. jaya — nilakanta bhairava
2. vijaya — vishalaksha bhairava
3. jayanti — martanda bhairava
4. aparajitha — mundana prabhu bhairava
5. divya mohini — svacanda bhairava
6. maha yogini — athi santhushta bhairava
7. siddha mohini — kechara bhairava
8. ganeshara yogini — samhara bhairava
9. prethasini -vish!a rupa bhairava
10. dakini — viribaaksha bhairava
11. kali — nana rupa bhairava
12. kaalaratri — parama bhairava
13. nicashari — dandha karna bhairava
14. dannkari — shudha patra bhairava
15. vethalya — chirithan bhairava
16. humkari — unmatta bhairava
17. urtla keshi — megha natha bhairava
18. virubakshii — mano vegha bhairava
19. sushkaanggi — kshetrabala bhairava
20. nara bojini — karala bhairava
21. petkari — nirbaya bhairava
22. virabatra — bishitha bhairava
23. pitha — maha bhairava
24. dhrotaki .tara — balana bhairava
25. mantra yogini — loka bala bhairava
26. ghora raktakshi — bhumi garbha bhairava
27. rakshasi dhumrakshi — pralaya bhairava
28. varahi — runda maala bhairava
29. pretha vahini — samhara bhairava
30. tvankshini — apra rupa bhairava
31. malini — maha kaala bhairava
32. vira koumari — kula bala bhairava
33. dhumranki — vishnu bhairava
34. maha mari — kula bhairava
35. cakrini — bishana bhairava
36. bhairavi — pingalekshna bhairava
37. dhirga lamboshdi — raktangga bhairava
38. kadgini — vatuka natha bhairava
39. yama dhuti — antakha bhairava
40. munda dharini — prekshatha bhairava
41. kalaha priya — pracandha bhairava
42. candika — ghada dhara bhairava
43. vishla rupi — mantra nayaka bhairava
44. kan kaali — kapala bhairava
45. uma — rudrabhairava
46. bhuvaneshvari — praja balana bhairava
47. kaali — vajra hasta bhairava
48. abayankari — kapala bhushana bhairava
49. totyami — sashi vahana bhairava
50. kaarmukhi — sarva bhutha bhairava
51. thunkshini — bayankara bhairava
52. durjadi — ishana bhairava
53. vyakrini — kalagni bhairava
54. karaali — ghora natha bhairava
55. pretha rupini — maha routra bhairava
56. vishalanka — bhutha vethala bhairava
57. keshini — bukti mukti pala pradha bhairava
58. gorya — dakshinapistitha bhairava
59. karal — varada bhairava
60. nir varani — tripurantaka bhairava
61. roma janke — parvatha vahana bhairava
62. vishali — sarvagnya bhairava
63. atho mukhi — sarva deva bhairava
64. mundakra dharini — trinetra bhairava

The Sixty-four Yogini as depicted in the complete Hirapur shrine are:

1. Bahurupa

2. Tara

3. Narmada

4. Yamuna

5. Shanti

6. Varuni

7. Kshemankari

8. Aindri

9. Varahi

10. Ranveera

11. Vanara-Mukhi

12. Vaishnavi

13. Kalaratri

14. Vaidyaroopa

15. Charchika

16. Betali

17. Chinnamastika

18. Vrishabahana

19. Jwala Kamini

20. Ghatavara

21. Karakali

22. Saraswati

23. Birupa

24. Kauveri

25. Bhaluka

26. Narasimhi

27. Biraja

28. Vikatanna

29. Mahalakshmi

30. Kaumari

31. Maha Maya

32. Rati

33. Karkari

34. Sarpashya

35. Yakshini

36. Vinayaki

37. Vindya Balini

38. Veera Kumari

39. Maheshwari

40. Ambika

41. Kamiyani

42. Ghatabari

43. Stutee

44. Kali

45. Uma

46. Narayani

47. Samudraa

48. Brahmani

49. Jwala Mukhi

50. Agneyei

51. Aditi

52. Chandrakanti

53. Vayubega

54. Chamunda

55. Murati

56. Ganga

57. Dhumavati

58. Gandhari

59. Sarva Mangala

60. Ajita

61. Surya Putri

62. Vayu Veena

63. Aghora

64. Bhadrakali

Now you all must be surprising why we are telling this. As we all know in Odisha, this tribal cult was more prevalent than any other cult. Later, this cult was converted in Shaktism and merged once upon a time with Buddhism. This merger gave a new philosophy of Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism. But later, after the fall of Buddhism , it maintained its original identity of Shaktism.

In Tantrism Jagannatha is known as Bhairava and Bimala is Bhairavi. It means , Lord Jagannath is the supreme Kala Bhairav and Goddess Bimala is his consort Bhairavi. So, Jagannath is a furious tribal God. We all make him softer and now a days even more softer…

Pic.2 The furious form of Lord Jagannath(PC-shrijagannath)

Pic.3 The furious form of Lord Jagannath(PC-shrijagannath)

So, in that sense Lord Jagannath is controlling the eight directions of this universe with help of Eight Bhairavas.The slokas of Lord Jagannath depicting him as Bhairava are as follows:

vimala sa mahadevi jagannatha tu bhairava

srishtibhuta mahashakti manipura nivasini vimala sa parashakti uddiyana pureshvari anjuna dehi me devi bahiryoge mamambike madhavah bhairava sakshat pranatosmi jagatpate

Now look at this. The temple of Simhanath in Narasimhapur in cuttack district of Odisha.

Pic 4. The temple of Simhanath

The temple is having the eight planets on its wall or the ashta griha. We can also find same in Talaesvar temple in Old Town of Bhubaneswar, in Odisha.

Pic.5The temple of Talaesvara Temple

Also in Parshurameswar temple in Old Town of Bhubaneswar have eight planets mounted on its wall. These Ashta Griha control the eight directions of universe.

As we all know that there are mainly Eight Planets in our solar system, as after 1992, the status of planethood of PLUTO was questioned following the discovery of several objects of similar size in the Kuiper belt. In 2005, Eris, which is 27% more massive than Pluto, was discovered. This led the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term “planet” formally. That definition excluded Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet.

Pic.6

So are these eight planets are a kind of Ashta Bhairavas? All of which are controlled by SUN(Kaal Bhairava)? Is it possible that our ancient intellectuals knew this and therefore they first started it as a Eight Planet theory? Sounds stupid, but it may be. We are not remembering now but somewhere we read that before 9th AD there was a concept of Eight Planet which later changed to Nine Planet.

Now let us see the wheel of Konarka. The wheel also has eight number of spokes as ashta bhairava and all are controlled by one kaal bhairav.

Pic.7 The wheel of Konarka

It is just like you can see in the below diagram. The eight dots as ashta bhairava controlling the eight directions and being controlled by one.

Pic.8 The dotted diagram

Now let us see the shape and structure of a pyramid.

Pic.9

A Cheops or square pyramid has eight edges. Are these eight edges are eight bhairavs and they all are controlled by kaal bhairava? This type of pyramid also has five faces, including the base, as well as five corners, known as vertices. This is the type of design used in the construction of the Great Pyramids in Egypt.

In addition to the traditional Cheops or square pyramid, there exists what is known as a triangular pyramid. A triangular pyramid has only six edges. In addition, this type of pyramid has four faces and four vertices. Other types of pyramids not commonly seen include a pentagonal pyramid, a hexagonal pyramid and a heptagonal pyramid. These more unusual types of pyramids are most often seen in educational and classroom settings. The shape of pyramid is just like that you have to pull the central dot in above Pic.8.

Pic.10. Kali-The Shakti, The Divine Power at Vill. Biragovindpur (Puri), Odisha

Well its just an interlinking of different things as we all know in last that the word Kaal or Kala will always have a feminine and that is only KAALI, the Shakti. Are these irrelevant or illogical? Or these are some signs? Well, we do not the answers and leave on you, just to read and guide us.

Ref:

Sincerely Yours,

Ashish Kumar Nayak

Ashish Sarangi