Virabhadra
| Virabhadra | |
|---|---|
 Virabhadra and Daksha | |
| Other names |
|
| Affiliation | Shiva |
| Abode | Mount Kailash |
| Planet | Angaraka (Mars) |
| Mantra |
|
| Weapon | Trident, sword, arrow, discus, conch, spear, staff, thunderbolt, two varieties of shields, bow, noose, goad, axe, and club. |
| Day | Tuesday |
Nandi (bull) | |
| Texts | Shiva Purana |
| Festivals | |
| Consort | Bhadrakali |
| Part of a series on |
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Virabhadra (
He appears in the Puranas as a vengeful being, attacking the deities who had attended the Daksha yajna with Bhadrakali. In the ensuing melee, Bhaga's eyes are plucked out,[5] Agni, Mitra, and Chandra are also accosted.[6] The fate of Daksha himself varies from text to text: Virabhadra either decapitates him,[7] urges him to beg forgiveness from Shiva,[8] or is saved by Vishnu, who defeats Virabhadra.[9][10]
Legend
Origin
Notes
Virabhadra was created by Shiva after Sati, Shiva's wife, immolated herself during the Daksha Yajña.
The origin of the Daksha Yajña legend lies in Taittirīya Samhita 2.6.8, where Rudra(Later Shiva) was excluded from the Sacrifice by the Devas, then Rudra Pierced the sacrifice. Pushan lost his teeth and Bhaga got blinded. This legend is also mentioned in the Shatapatha Brāhmana of the Shukla Yajurveda and in the Gopatha Brāhmana of the Atharvaveda. The Gopatha Brāhmana version mentions Prajapati as the one who excluded Rudra from the sacrifice. In post-Vedic literature, Daksha Prajapati excluded Shiva from the Yajña.
According to
One day, Daksha invited all the deities, as well as all of his children and grandchildren, in order to perform a ritual sacrifice, deliberately not inviting Sati and Shiva. Sati's urge to attend the event, due to her affection towards her parents, overpowered the social etiquette of not going to an uninvited ceremony. When Shiva refused to accompany her, Sati insisted on attending the ritual without him. Upon her arrival, Daksha started to humiliate her and her husband, expressing his hatred for Shiva in front of the entire assembly of people. Unable to bear the ignominy, the furious Sati leapt into the sacrificial fire, immolating herself with her yogic abilities. When Shiva heard of these tidings, he tore a clump of his matted hair, from which Virabhadra and Bhadrakali emerged.[12] Shiva instructed Virabhadra to lay waste to the sacrifice, and destroy all of its participants.[13][14]
Maheshwara replied, 'Spoil the sacrifice of Daksha'. Then the mighty Virabhadra, having heard the pleasure of his lord, bowed down his head to the feet of Shiva; and starting like a lion loosed from bonds, despoiled the sacrifice of Daksha, knowing that this had been created by the displeasure of Devi. She too in her wrath, as the fearful goddess Rudrakali, accompanied him, with all her train, to witness his deeds.
The Padma Purana identifies Virabhadra as the fierce form of Mangala (Mars). Virabhadra is born when Shiva, due to his anguish regarding the death of Sati, perspires, and his perspiration falls upon the earth. This gives birth to the fierce Virabhadra, who destroys the sacrifice. In the aftermath, Shiva calms him down and makes him Angaraka, the planet Mars.[15]
Daksha yajna
The
Various scriptures, coloured by their traditions, offer variations of the conflict, and Virabhadra's role in the legend. The Kurma Purana has Virabhadra realise that Vishnu and Shiva are the same deity, and proclaim that the world was created by Narayana. In the Harivamsha, Vishnu gains the upper hand in his fight against Virabhadra.[18]
Gallery
References
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 June 2012). "Virabhadra, Vira-bhadra, Vīrabhadra: 24 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ISBN 978-81-7017-416-5.
- ^ the Horse-sacrifice of the Prajapati Daksha The Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1883–1896), Book 12: Santi Parva: Mokshadharma Parva: Section CCLXXXIV. p. 315 Mahadeva created from his mouth a terrible Being whose very sight could make one's hair stand on its end. The blazing flames that emanated from his body rendered him exceedingly awful to behold. His arms were many in number and in each was a weapon that struck the beholder with fear. p. 317. “I am known by the name of Virabhadra’’ and I have sprung from the wrath of Rudra. This lady (who is my companion), and who is called Bhadrakali, hath sprung from the wrath of the goddess.”
- Aditya; nor am I come hither for enjoyment, nor curious to behold the chiefs of the divinities: know that I am come to destroy the sacrifice of Daksha, and that I am called Vírabhadra, the issue of the wrath of Rudra. Bhadrakali also, who has sprung from the anger of Devi, is sent here by the god of gods to destroy this rite. Take refuge, king of kings, with him who is the lord of Uma; for better is the anger of Rudra than the blessings of other gods.'
- ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
- ISBN 978-1-135-96397-2.
- ^ Tapasyananda, Swami. Srimad Bhagavata – Volume 1. Sri Ramakrishna Math(vedantaebooks.org). p. 43.
- ISBN 978-1-78656-128-2.
- ^ Books, Kausiki (24 October 2021). Siva Purana: Rudra Samhitha: 2 Sati Khanda: English Translation only without Slokas. Kausiki Books. p. 42.
- ^ Oriental Translation Fund. 1840. p. 68.
- ISBN 81-7505-197-3
- ISBN 978-81-8475-396-7.
- ISBN 978-0-19-936007-9.
- ^ "Full text of "Sree Lalitopakhyanam"". archive.org. 1997. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ^ Padma Purana Srishti Khanda First Canto Chapter 24.Verse 29b-41a. English translation by Motilal Bansaridas Publications Book 1 page 343-344 Link: https://archive.org/details/PadmaPuranaVol05BhumiAndPatalaKhandaPages15651937ENGMotilalBanarsidass1990_201901
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (14 December 2019). "A Fight between Vīrabhadra and Viṣṇu and Others [Chapter 4]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0966-6.
- ISBN 978-81-208-2738-7.