Bhairava Devta is the Rudra form of Lord Shiva and one of his ganas. He is also a follower of Mata Bhavani. Bhairav Devta is also known as the God of Night. Two forms of Lord Shiva are described in Hindu scriptures, in which one form of Lord Shiva is known as Vishveshar, the protector of the world and the giver of devotion to the devotees, while the other form is exactly the opposite.
In his second form of Kaal Bhairava, Lord Shiva destroys the wicked, this form of him is very formidable and fierce. There are mainly eight forms of Lord Bhairava, by worshiping these eight forms, he becomes pleased with his devotees and gives them different fruits.
There are many forms of Shri Bhairav, in which mainly Batuk Bhairav, Mahakal Bhairav, and Swarnakarshan Bhairav are prominent. The name of the Bhairav that is worshiped should be pronounced in the same form. Batuk Bhairav worship is more prevalent among all Bhairavs.
Bhairava in Tantric texts
The names of Ashta Bhairav are famous in Tantric texts. They are as follows-
- Asithaanga Bhairava
- Ruru Bhairava
- Chanda Bhairava
- Krodha Bhairava
- Unmattha Bhairava
- Kapaala Bhairava
- Bheeshana Bhairava
- Samhaara Bhairava.
Reciting these 8 names on Sunday, Wednesday, or Bhairav Ashtami gives the desired boon. Bhairav Devta is quickly pleased and bestows all kinds of achievements. They are also known by the names of Kshetrapal and Dandapani.
Krodha Bhairav
The color of this form of Lord Bhairav is blue and his ride is Garuda. Like Lord Shiva, Krodh Bhairav also has three eyes and is considered the lord of the South and West. By worshiping this form of Kaal Bhairav, one gets freedom from all kinds of problems and troubles and the person’s ability to fight against these problems and troubles increases.
Kapaala Bhairav:
This form of Bhairav ji is shining and in this form, he rides on an elephant. In this form, Kaal Bhairav has four hands, holding a trishul and a sword in his right two hands and a weapon and a pot in his left two hands. By worshiping this form of Lord Bhairav, a person gets freedom from all legal actions and all his stuck work starts getting done.
Asithaanga Bhairav
Asithaanga Bhairav also has three eyes and his whole body is black, Ride of Asithaanga Bhairav is a swan and he is wearing a garland of hair around his neck. His weapon is also a skull. Worshiping this form of Lord Bhairav increases the artistic ability of a person.
Chanda Bhairav:
The Chanda form of Lord Bhairav is white in color and is adorned with three eyes. In this form, he rides a peacock. Lord Bhairav in his Chanda form is holding a sword in one hand, the vessel in the other hand, an arrow in the third hand, and a bow in the fourth hand. The person who worships this form of Lord Bhairav gets victory over his enemies and gets success in every work.
Ruru Bhairav:
The Ruru form of Bhairav is very effective and attractive. In this form, he rides on a vine. In this form, he is holding an axe, vessel, sword, and skull in his hands and a snake is wrapped around his waist. All knowledge is attained by worshiping Ruru Bhairav.
Samhaara Bhairava:
The form of Samhaara Bhairava is very amazing. In this form, his whole body is of red in color. Samhaara Bhairava is naked in this form and a skull is installed on his head, that too of red colour. His vehicle is a dog and he has three eyes and a snake is wrapped around his body. By worshiping this form of Samhaara Bhairava, a person gets freedom from all his sins.
Unmattha Bhairava
Unmattha Bhairava’s body is yellow in color and he rides on a horse. This form of Bhairav is said to be of calm nature and by worshiping him, a person gets rid of all his negative thoughts and he feels calm and happy.
Bheeshana Bhairava
Bhishan Bhairav’s ride is a lion and he is holding a lotus flower in one hand, a sword in the other, a Trishul in the third, and a vessel in the fourth. Worshiping Lord Bhairav in a fierce form gets rid of evil spirits and ghosts.