SRI VEERABHADR SWAMY

ACCORDING TO HINDU RELIGIOUSBELIFES, SWAMY VEERABHADRA IS A SUPER BEING CREATED BY LORD SHIVA, WHEN HE STEPPED IN TO DESTROY THE YAGNA OF DAKSHA, AFTER HIS DAUGHTER DAKSHAYANI CONSORT OF SHIVA, SELF IMMOLATED IN YAGNA FIRE.

ALONG WITH HIM WAS CREATED, HIS CONSORT BHADRAKALI, FROM THE WRATH OF DEVI.

SWAMY VEERABHADRA IS DESCRIBED AS A WARRIOR WHO EVENTUALLY BLINDED BHAGA AND BROKE, AMONG MANY OTHER COUNTLESS GOD’S, PUSHAN’S TEETH. OTHER GOD’S FLED THE BATTLEFIELD UNABLE TO SUSTAIN HIS POWER.

ORIGIN

SATI WAS THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF DAKSHA, THE CHIEF OF THE GOD’S. WHEN SATI GREW UP SHE SET HER HEART ON SHIVA, WORSHIPPING HIM IN SECRET.   

IN THE SWAYAMVARA OF SATI, DAKSHA INVITED ALL GOD’S AND PRINCESS EXCEPT LORD SHIVA. SATI CAST GARLAND IN TO THE AIR, CALLING UPON SHIVA TO RECEIVE THE GARLAND; AND BE HOLD HE STOOD IN MIDST OF THE COURT WITH THE GARLAND ABOVE HIS NECK.DAKSHA HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GET SATI MARRIED WITH SHIVA.

ONE DAY DAKSHA MADE ARRANGMENTS FOR A GREAT HORSE SACRIFICE, AND INVITED ALL THE GOD’S OMITTING ONLY LORD SHIVA. SATI WAS ENRAGED BY THIS DELIBERATE EXCLUSION OF SHIVA AND SET OUT TO ATTEND, AND CONFRONT HER FATHER DAKSHA. DAKSHA THEN WENT ON TO INSULT LORD SHIVA; AND AS SATI’S RAGE AT THE DISRESPECT TOWARD LORD SHIVA PEAKED, SHE DECLARED TO HER FATHER, “I WILL TOLERATE NO MORE OF YOUR FILTH” AND SHE RELEASED THE INNER CONSUMING FIRE, AND FELL DEAD AT DAKSHA’S FEET.

THEN SHIVA CAME TO KNOW ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND BECAME FURIOUS AT THE NON-RIGHTEOUS YAGNA. SHIVA BURNED WITH ANGER, AND TORE A LOCK OF HAIR, GLOWING WITH ENERGY IN KAILASA. AT THAT MOMENT, WAS BORN LORD VEERABHADRA. THE DESTROYER OF AJNANA, SPRANG FROM IT, HIS TALL BODY REACHED THE HIGH HEAVENS ,HE WAS DARK AS CLOUDS, HE HAD A THOUSAND ARMS, THREE BURNING EYES, AND FIERY HAIR; HE WORE A GARLAND OF SKULL’S AND CARRIED TERRIBLE WEAPONS. TO PROVIDE HIM THE POWER, ARRIVED BHADRAKALI, A WRATHFUL INCARNATION ON DEVI.                

DESTROYER OF DAKSHA

LORD SHIVA DIRECTED VEERABHADRA “LEAD MY ARMY AGAINST DAKSHA AND DESTROY HIS SACRIFICE; FEAR NOT THE BRAHMANAS’ FOR THOUART A PORTION OF MY SELF”. ON THIS DIRECTION OF SHIVA, VEERABHADRA APPEARED WITH LORD SHIVA’S GANAS IN THE MIDST OF DAKSHSA’S ASSEMBLY LIKE A STROM AND BROKE THE SACRIFICAL VESSELS, POLLUTED THE OFFERINGS, INSULTED THE PRIESTS AND FINALLY CUT OFF DAKSHA’S HEAD, TRAMPLED ON INDRA, BROKE THE STAFF OF YAMA, SCATTERED THE GOD’S ON EVERY SIDE; THEN HE RETURNED TO KAILASH.

AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF DAKSHA’S SACRIFICE, THE DEFEATED GOD’S SOUGHT BRAHMA AND ASKED HIS COUNSEL. BRAMHA ADVISED THE GOD’S TO MAKE THEIR PEACE WITH LORD SHIVA.BRAMHA HIMSELF WENT WITH THEM TO MOUNT KALISH. BRAMHA PRAYED TO LORD SHIVA TO PARDON DAKSHA AND TO MEND THE BROKEN LIMB’S OF GOD’S AND RISHIS. THE COMPASSIONATE LORD SHIVA TOOK PITY ON DAKSHA AND RESTORED THE BURNT HEAD OF DAKSHA WITH THAT OF GOAT’S HEAD, AND THE BROKEN LIMBS WERE MADE WHOLE. THEN THE DEVAS INCLUDING BRAMHA, ASKED THE FORGIVENESS OF LORD SHIVA AND INVITED HIM WITH REVERENCE, THE RITE WAS DULLY PERFORMED, AND THEN ALL THE GOD’S AND RISHIS SALUTED SHIVA AND DEPARTED TO THEIR PLACES.

AFTER THAT, DAKSHA BECAME A GREAT DEVOTEE OF LORD SHIA.

CONSORT BHADRAKALI

CONSORT OF VEERABHADRA WAS BHADRAKALI, ALSO KNOW AS THE GENTLE KALI, IS GENERALLY AN AUSPICIOUS FORM OF THE GODDESS KALI, AND THE LEGEND STATES THAT SHE CAME IN TO BEING BY DEVI’S WRATH, WHEN DAKSHA INSULTED LORD SHIVA. IT IS BELIVED THAT BHADRAKALI WAS A LOCAL DEITY, WHICH WAS ASSIMILATED IN TO THE MAINSTREAM HINDUISM, PARTICULARLY IN TO LORD SHIVA MYTHOLOGY.

SOMETIMES, SHE ASSUMES TERRIBLE ASPECT, AND IS REPRESENTED WITH THREE EYES, AND FOUR, TWELVE OR EIGHTEEN HANDS. SHE CARRIES A NUMBER OF WEAPONS, WITH FLAMES FLOWING FROM HER HEAD AND A SMALL TUSK PROTRUDING FROM HER MOUTH.