Bhramari - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhramari is a Hindu Goddess. She is an incarnation of the

Goddess Shakti. Bhramari means 'the Goddess of bees' or 'the
Goddess of black bees'. She is associated with bees, hornets
and wasps, which cling to her body. She is typically depicted
as holding a mace, trident, sword and shield in her four
hands.

Bhramari
Goddess of Bees
Affiliation

Avatar of Durga, Shakti

Weapon

Trident, Mace, Sword, Shield

Consort

Shiva

The tenth book and thirteenth chapter of the Devi Bhagavata

Purana records the exploit of the goddess Bhramari in detail.
She is also briefly alluded to in the Devi Mahatmya.[1] The Devi Bhagavata Purana describes how she slew the
demon Arunasura.

In the city of the demons, there lived a powerful demon named Arunasura. He was a furious God-hater and a
hypocrite, who wanted above all else to conquer the Gods. He went to the banks of the Ganges in the Himalayas
and practiced a very strict penance to Brahma, who believed him to be the protector of the demons. He held in
his body the five Vayus and began meditating, repeating the Gayatri Mantra and practicing austerities. For the
first ten thousand years, he lived by ingesting only dry leaves, for the second, he lived by drinking only drops of
water and for the third, he lived by inhaling air alone. For the fourth ten thousand years he did not consume
anything and thus practiced his penance. After the fourth ten thousand years, his belly had become dried up, his
body had withered and the nerves of his body had become almost visible; only the life breath was lingering
there. At this point a halo of light emitted from his body and began to burn the whole world. With his eyes
closed, he appeared to be blazing with fire, as if he were a fire himself.
Observing his penance and resolve, Lord Brahma saw fit to bless Arunasur with protection from all two or four
legged creatures. This blessing gave Arunasur the confidence to call on all the other demons living in the nether
regions, and fight a final battle with the Gods above. The demons came and saluted him as their king and by his
command, they sent messengers to the Heavens to signal their intent. Upon hearing the news, Indra trembled
with fear and went instantly with the Gods to the abode of Brahma. After discussing the situation with Brahma,
they went to the Vaikunth to recruit Vishnu. There they all held a conference on how to kill the demon who
sought to overthrow them.
While they were conferring, Arunasur and his army went to the Heavens. The demon utilized the power of his
penances by assuming various forms and seized possession of the Moon, the Sun, Yamraj, Agni and all the
others. All the Gods, dislodged from their stations, then went to the region of Kailash and presented to Lord
Shiva the dire nature of their situation. After conferring with Shiva, they turned to Parvati, the part incarnate of
the Adi Parashakti. Parvati was aware of Arunasur's blessing, and devised a plan to kill the demon with the help
of six-legged creatures.
After taking control of all the celestial regions, Arunasur's next intention was to attack Parvati directly.
Confronting him, Parvati grew to a massive size, wielding a mace, trident, longsword and shield in her four
hands. She closed her eyes in concentration, calling forth countless bees, hornets, wasps, flies, termites,
mosquitos and spiders from the skies. They crawled onto her body and clung onto her, merging with her to
create the divine form of Bhramari Devi.

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Bhramari - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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In the battle that ensued, the demons' swords were blocked by Bhramari Devi's shield, while her other arms
inflicted damage on the massive army. She ran through the ranks, stabbing with the trident, chopping with the
longsword and reducing demons to powder with powerful swings of her mace. The bees, hornets, wasps, flies,
termites, mosquitos and spiders which clung to her emanated forth in a wave over the ranks. When Arunasur
was the last demon remaining on battlefield, she retreated and sent out all of the insects to attack him. They
crawled all over him and ripped open each part of his body: his breasts, chest, back and belly, arms, hands,
fingers, legs, feet and toes were all torn apart. Soon after seeing Arunasur's great fall, the insects returned to
Bhramari Devi and clung on her again. The Gods, who were in awe of this new form, gave her great praise. On
the successful decimation of the demonic forces, all of the gods were able to return to their celestial homes.

See also
Ah-Muzen-Cab -- Mayan god of bees.
Aristaeus -- Ancient Greek god of bees.
Austja -- Lithuaniangoddess of bees.
Bubilas -- Lithuaniangod of bees.
Colel Cab -- Mayan goddess of bees.
Melissa -- Ancient Greek/Minoangoddess of bees.
Mellona -- Roman goddess of bees.
Bee (mythology)

1. C. Mackenzie Brown. The Triumph of the Goddess: The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the
Devi-Bhagavata Purana. SUNY Press. p. 277. ISBN 978-0-7914-9777-7.

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Categories: Hindu goddesses Forms of Parvati
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