Bhairavas are the wrathful emanations of Shiva. There are many occasions when Shiva sends his Bhairava emanation. One interesting story I remember learning about is about the famous yagya (fire ceremony) performed by Dakshyaprajapti, the father of Shiva’s first wife, Sati.
So the story goes that Dakshyaprajapati never liked his daughter’s husband since he thought Shiva had no social graces. When he organized the ritual, he invited gods of all realms but deliberately did not invite Shiva. Sati Devi went to the ritual to express her dismay at her father’s decision. But things got worse, and Dakshya kept on insulting Shiva in front of all the deities.
Sati Devi got very hurt by this. She could take no more, and she flung herself into the pyre that was meant for the yagya. When the news of her death and the events leading up to this tragedy reached Shiva’s ears, he got furious and emanated Birbhadra, a form of Bhairava, and Kali to demolish everyone in the Yagya.
The two wrathful emanations destroyed the Yagya place and killed many gods. Vishnu tried to protect Dakshya and the rest of the gods by shooting his Sudarshan cakra, but the cakra could not harm Birbhadra at all. He was about to devour the mighty cakra. Out of fear, Vishnu also fled the place. Then the two emanations beheaded Dakshya.
Shiva’s wrath was pacified after this, and after Dakshya’s wife supplicated him, he restored Dakshya’s life by replacing it with a goat’s head.
This story is one of the most fascinating ones I have listened to since I was young, and to me, it illustrates how ferocious Bhairavas can be.
Here are some of the most famous Bhairavas of the Kathmandu Valley.
Akash Bhairav
Kal Bhairava