ASHTA BHAIRAVAS: In Tantrism, the three letters of Bhairava are taken to mean: Bha means bharana or maintenance; ra means

ravana or with rawal an va means creation of the !niverse" Bhairva manifestation is trace in the Shiva #!rana" $or Shiva takes the form of %ala Bhairava to behea Brahma in a s!&eriorit' contest between Vishn! an Brahma" Th!s, %ala Bhairava embo ies the wrathf!l si e of the $or Shiva" He can be invoke for estro'in( ne(ative ener(ies an for &rotectin( !s as well" These tremen o!s ener(ies em&hasi)e wh' it is im&ortant to honor %ala Bhairava, the $or of Time" He is shown carr'in( Brahmas eca&itate hea " Since he kille a Brahmin, Shiva was force to carr' this sk!ll an roam as Bhikshatana !ntil his sins were absolve in %asi" In the r!ral settin(s, Bhairava is a (rama evata" In the So!th an amon( Tamil s&eakin( bhaktas, He is known as Vairavar or Anna hani" He is the caretaker an &!nisher" Icono(ra&hicall', Bhairava is accom&anie b' his o(, Shvan" His consort is Bhairavi, another fierce an terrif'in( as&ect of *o ess +evi" ,aha Bhairavar is a reference to $or Shiva himself" The tra itional listin( of ei(ht manifestations of Bhairavas are: Asithan(a Bhairavar, R!r! Bhairavar, -han a Bhairavar, %ro ha Bhairavar, .nmatta Bhairavar, %a&ala Bhairavar, Bhishana Bhairavar an Samhara Bhairavar" In Shiva tem&les, re(!lar &!/a starts with S!r'a an en s with Bhariavar" The best time for Bhairava worshi& is the mi ni(ht &!/a on a 0ri a'" +1#I-TI23: Bhairava eit' is !s!all' sit!ate in north or so!th facin( irection" As a eit', Bhairava a&&ears in a stan in( &osition with fo!r han s" His wea&ons are amar!, &asam noose,

trine an sk!ll" Sometimes, Bhairava is shown with more han s" He a&&ears semi or f!ll' nake " He is accom&anie b' his Vahana, a o(" The o( is not /!st a means of trans&ort b!t is an sea!l &artici&ant in Bhairavas ferocio!s activities" Bhairava has &rotr! in( teeth an looks terrible" His (arlan is ma e of re flowers" ATTRIB.T1S of the Ashra Bhairavas are: 456 Asitan(a Bhairava: (ol en com&le7ion, with well8forme limbs, an carries the Trish!la, +amar!, #asha noose an %ha (a swor 496 R!r! Bhairava: &!re white, a orne with ornaments set with r!bies" R!r! carries the akshmala rosar', a #!staka book, Ank!sha, ele&hant (oa an a Vina l!te" 4:6 -an a Bhairava: Bl!e color an (oo 8lookin(" -an a carries A(ni, Shakti s&ear, *a a mace an %!n a water &ot 4;6 %ro ha Bhairava: smoke color carr'in( %hetaka shiel , a lon( %ha (a swor an #arash! 4a7e6" 4<6 .mnatta Bhairava: white color, (oo 8lookin( an carr' in their han s the %!n a, iron bl! (eon, the %hetaka, cl!b st! e with iron, the #ari(ha iron cl!b an Bhin i&ala /avelin" 4=6 %a&ala Bhairava: 'ellow color, carr'in( the same wea&ons as .nmatta" 4>6 Bhishana Bhairava: re colo!r" 4?6 Samhara Bhairava: $i(htnin( color" %a&ala, Bhishana an Samhara Bhairavas carr' the same wea&ons as .nmatta" 1ach of the Bhairava manifestations re&resent, Akash, air, fire, water an earth an the other three bein( s!n, moon an atma" 1ach of the Bhairavas are ifferent in a&&earance, have ifferent wea&ons, ifferent bahanas" The' also re&resent the Ashta $akshmis" It is to be note that b' an lar(e, Bhairava conce&tion of $or Shiva (ave birth to A(hora an Bhairava (ro!&s carr'in( sk!ll8bowls, wearin( (arlan s of sk!lls or severe hea s" The' besmear ashes of b!rnt h!man bo ies an are !s!all' !nshaven an a&&ear isor ere l' with !nf!rlin( locks of hair" Their &ra'ers are cemeter'8cla an stee&e in m'ster'" +IR1-TI23S: -once&t!ali)e as Shani, *!r! of the &lanet Sat!rn, Bhairava is the movin( form of $or Shiva an the' (!ar the irections" The ei(ht ,aha Bhairavars control the ei(ht irections of this !niverse" This is also the e&iction of the r!ral (rama evata, Vairavar who is sai to (!ar the ett! tikk! or ei(ht irections which he stan s to safe(!ar bhaktas" 1ach Bhairavar has ei(ht s!b8 Bhairavars !n er them" All of the Bhairavars are r!le an controlle b' one ,aha Sorna %ala Bhairavar, who is the s!&reme" +IR1-TI23S I3 B.++HIS,: There is a &arallel in B! hism with +arma&ala or +efen ers of the law" The' are also (ro!&e in ei(ht calle the The 1i(ht Terrible 2nes" This has its Ve ic ori(ins as +ik&alas or the *!ar ian of +irections" The' are 456 In ra, $or of 1ast, 496 A(ni, $or of the So!th8east, 4:6 @ama, of the So!th, 4;6 3irti, of the So!th8west, 4<6 Var!na, of the Aest, =6 Va'!, of the 3orth8west, 4>6 %!bera, of the 3orth, ?6 Ishana of the 3orth8east" =; 02R,S: The =; forms of %ala Bhairava are ei(ht t'&es of Bhairavas from each of the main

forms" Their worshi& bein(s in ivi !al benefits" 5"Asi an(a Bhairava: *ives creative abilit'; 9" *!r! Bhairava: +ivine e !cator; :" -han a Bhairava: *ives incre ible ener(', c!ts com&etition an rivals; ;" %ro a Bhairava: *ives 'o! the &ower to take massive action; <" .nmatta Bhairava: -ontrols ne(ative e(o an harmf!l self talk; ="%a&ala Bhairava: 1n s all !nrewar in( work an action; >" Bhishana Bhairava: 2bliterates evil s&irits an ne(ativit' an ?" Samhara Bhairava: -om&lete issol!tion of ol ne(ative karmas %SH1TRABA$AR: Sometimes Bhairava &la's the role of %heshtrabalar or %shetra&alakar" Th!s his eit' is fo!n on both si es of the oor to the sanct!m of the main eit'" Sometimes &ra'ers are ma e to the kshetrabakar in e&en ent of the main eit'" This is His (!ar ian role in the Shakti&eeths an B'otirlin(a tem&les" In Shakti&eeth tem&les, a se&arate tem&le is e icate to Bhairava" In B'otirlin(a tem&les, Bhairavas shrines are &resent within the sanct!m sanctor!m are not far awa' from the $in(a" SAAR3A A%ARSHA3A BHAIRAVA: 2ther than these ei(ht forms there is 'et another form calle Swarna Akarshana Bahiravar" He has re com&le7ion an clothe in (ol en ress" He has moon in his hea " He has fo!r han s" In one of his han s, he carries a (ol en vessel" He (ives wealth an &ros&erit'" This manifestation wo!l be &oste se&aratel' with more etails" Hara Hara ,aha eva