| Bhairava | |
|---|---|
 12th-century Bhairava sculpture | |
| Affiliation | Shiva |
| Mantra | ॐ भैरवाय नमः ॥ oṁ bhairavāya namaḥ |
| Weapon | Trishula, Khaṭvāṅga, Sword, Kapala, Sickle, Vajra, Noose, Pinaka bow, Pashupatastra arrow, Pestle and Damaru |
| Day | Monday, Tuesday, or Sunday |
| Number | 33 |
| Mount | Dog |
| Festivals | Bhairava Ashtami |
| Consort | Bhairavi |
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Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव, lit. 'frightful'), or Kala Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.[1][2][3] In the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Bhairava represents the Supreme Reality, synonymous to Para Brahman.[4][5] Generally in Hinduism, Bhairava is also called Dandapani ("[he who holds the] danda in [his] hand"), as he holds a rod or danda to punish sinners, and Svaśva, meaning, "he whose vehicle is a dog".[6] In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is considered a fierce emanation of boddhisatva Mañjuśrī, and also called Heruka, Vajrabhairava, Mahākāla and Yamantaka.[7][8]
Bhairava is worshipped throughout India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Japan, as well as in Tibetan Buddhism.[9][10]
- ^ Kramrisch, Stella (1994). The Presence of Śiva. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 471. ISBN 0691019304
- ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). Gautam, K.S. (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 76.
- ^ "Bhairava: The Wrathful". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
s1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Wallis, Christopher D. (15 August 2013). Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition. Mattamayura Press. ISBN 978-0-9897613-6-9.
- ^ Sehgal, Sunil (1999). Encyclopaedia of Hinduism: C-G, Volume 2. Sarup & Sons. pp. 491–492. ISBN 978-81-7625-064-1.
- ^ Whalen-Bridge, John; Storhoff, Gary (2009). The Emergence of Buddhist American Literature. State University of New York Press. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-4384-2659-4.
- ^ Davidson, Ronald M. (2003) Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement. Columbia University Press. p. 211. ISBN 0231126190
- ^ Johnson, W. J (1 January 2009). A Dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ACREF/9780198610250.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19861-025-0. OCLC 244416793. OL 23224406M. Wikidata Q55879169. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ^ Elizabeth Chalier-Visuvalingam (28 May 2013), Bhairava, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/OBO/9780195399318-0019, Wikidata Q55919026 (subscription or UK public library membership required)