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Shri Bhairava Mahadeva

Bhairava means "terrifying" and it is an adjective applied to Shiva in his fearful aspect. Yet in Kashmir Shaivism, the three letters of this name are taken in a different manner. Bha means bharana, maintenance; ra means ravana, ithdra al and va means vamana, creation of the universe. !he yantra sho n above is the "atuka Bhairava puja yantra, used in his daily ritual orship. Yet if an individual applies the Bhairava #udra, he or she looks both out ards and in ards at the same time and is one ith Shiva$Shakti. !he follo ing chapter from the Netra Tantra reveals more of the mysteries of Bhairava.

/ Shri &etra !antra %' Bhagavan said( &o ) speak of the characteristics of the Bhairava *gama, resembling a mass of fragments of collyrium, like the fire at the end of an aeon. +%, -ive faced, seated on a corpse, ith ten arms, the dispeller of an.iety, resembling a host of night flo ers, the final peal of thunder, making a terrifying roar. +/, 0aving a gaping fanged mouth, and fearsome bro s and eyes, enthroned on a lion$seat, adorned ith vicious fangs, earing a rosary of skulls, large in body, earing a garment of elephant$hide, ith the #oon as a diadem, carrying skull$bo l and a skull$staff, bearing a cleaver and a goad, ith hands granting boons and dispelling fears. +1$2, * great hero, holding a vajra and a battle$a.e. *fter ho is on his lap. +3, orshipping Bhairava, one should meditate on she ith dishevelled hair and a

Similar to the fire causing dissolution, effulgent, like red lac and vermilion, mighty body, dreadful and truly terrific. +4,

5ith a great belly and ith five faces, each of hich is adorned ith three eyes, having horrible talons, the protectress of the fortress, adorned ith a rosary of skulls. +6, * 7evi ith arms like Bhairava ho carries Bhairava8s her o n free ill goes lovingly on Bhairava8s lap. +9, eapons, thus is declared )ccha Shakti, ho of

!hus should one meditate on the reno ned *ghoreshi having the above form. Spoken of in all tantras, but never made plain +%',, my essence is by no means clear and is hard to attain. )n ailments, punishment, evils and so on, in various setbacks, in protection, for desires, in pacifying and in nourishing, for co ns and for brahmins one should orship :Bhairava Yamala;. <esembling a himakunda flo er, like the pearly effulgence of the #oon +%/,, resembling %',''',''' #oons, like the clearest crystal. :=hit Bhairava; is like the fire at the end of the aeon, red as the =hina rose, e>uivalent to %',''',''' Suns. ?ne should meditate on him as red or blackish in hue. @ffulgent as a red lotus or like yello orpiment +%A,, being of the nature of 5ill :)ccha;, the deva besto ing the fruit of )cchasiddha. ?ne should meditate on :these forms; placed in the centre of a lotus and should orship, according to the ritual injunction +%3, ith food, flo er, incense and distilled li>uor abundantly. !he 7evi resembling co 8s milk, effulgent as a necklace of pearls +%4, like beautiful pure crystal, hite as sno , pure as camphor, ith four arms and one face adorned ith three eyes. +%6, !he 7evi earing hite garments, ornamented ith hite pearls, seated on a deer ith a vajra in her hand, very po erful, the :Siddha 7evi;. +%9, !he 7evi carrying a noose and a goad, ringing a bell, is placed in the east of the god of gods. +/', * man ho meditates on her as one ith himself is successful >uickly. :<akta 7evi; resembles %',''',''' Suns, is as effulgent as flaming fire, like a heap of vermilion, the form of lightning, inspiring fear, ith three eyes and a terrifying face, ith a large belly and a great body, pot$bellied, ith pendulous breasts. +//, Seated on a corpse, very po erful, earing a rosary of skulls ith a tiger skin around her hips, earing the hide of an elephant. &aked, adorned ith a garland of skulls, like great firebrands they shine and they glo . +/A,

1 5ith four arms and one face, holding a cleaver, a shield a skull and a skull$staff, placed in the south. ?ne should meditate thus. +/3, 7ark red, the great light, skeletal ith a deformed face, is Shushka, the protectress of the fortress. 5ith one face and four arms, three eyes and a terrifying mouth, adorned ith a necklace of teeth, a mighty$ bodied one ith dishevelled hair, adorned ith a garland of skulls. +/4, 5ith limbs the tendons of hich are like knotted cords, carrying a cleaver and a shield, her mouth full of meat and entrails, holding a pot in her hand. ?ne should meditate in this ay in the est of the god of gods, seated on a crocodile, ith the throat of a buffalo, the shoulders of an elephant, horse8s ears and the face of a ram, ith diamond$hard talons like eapons, legs like a beast of prey and a crocodile, ith the back of a tortoise and the tail of a fish $ this is the reno ned Kumbha. +1%, 7usky like a blue lotus, resembling the autumnal moon and ith three eyes and one face, dressed in dark clothes the colour of sapphire, adorned ith sapphires, seated on the back of a lion, holding a bo and an arro in preparedness, and carrying a dart in her hand, a great 7evi. #editated thus, she :Btpalahasta; is the giver of the desired fruit. +11, So in the four directions are situated the 7evis of Bhairava, ? #other of 0ostsC +1A, )n the intermediate points are placed the 7utis, the south east being first and the north east last. Kali, Karali, #ahakali and Bhadrakali are the reno ed 7evis placed there. !he 7evis have t o arms and sit on a lotus, carrying a knife and a severed head. !he attendants of the door are Krodhana, "rintaka, Karshana and Dajanana +14,, ith t o arms, of deformed appearance and holding a cleaver and a shield. )n the matter of pacifying acts, they are all$ hite, or in other acts according to their forms. +16, &o ) declare the characteristics of the <ajaraksha. By the yoga of enveloping in a mantra, one should rite the name in the centre. +19, *bove this, one should orship the lord of nectar, should be orshipped in the petals of the lotus. +A', ho is Bhairava, dear one. Similarly, the 7evis

*fter ards, one should orship the 7utis and the servants using the root mantra. ?n the outside of the lotus one should dra a very hite #oon mandala. ?n the outside of this is a bhupura, marked ith the vajra symbol. 0aving dra n it using rochana, kumkum or hite milk, one should orship, in pacifying acts, using all$ hite ritual accessories, giving suitable food, and animal sacrifice of vicious beasts of prey. +A1, !he ise man should do homa using hite sandal, mi.ed ith camphor and ash, unhusked rice, sesame oil together ith hite sugar, ghee and milk. Dreat peace comes s iftly by orshipping the #rityunjaya. +A2,