Bhairav (tantrik)
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| Bhairavnath | |
|---|---|
 Temple of Bhairav, near Vaishno Devi shrine | |
| Other names | Bhairav, Bhairon, Bhaironath, Bhairon Bali |
| Venerated in | Hinduism |
| Affiliation | Disciple of Gorakhnath |
| Region | Trikuta Hills, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Temples | Bhairon Ghati |
Bhairavnath (also called Bhairav, Bhairon, Bhaironath) is the central antagonist-turned-beneficiary in the most widely circulated version of the Mata Vaishno Devi legend. He was a powerful tantric disciple of Guru Gorakshanath. [1][2]
Death and the Boon
In the most widely cited and accepted legend, Bhairon is described as the most able disciple of the Tantrik Guru Gorakhnath. [2] Another variation portrays him as Bhairon Bali, a devil king who ruled the territory between the Sutlej and Jehlum rivers during the Kali Yuga.[3]
The conflict began during a grand feast arranged by Pandit Shridhar, a devout follower of the Vaishno Devi. During this feast, Bhairon demanded to be served meat and wine. The Goddess, appearing as a young maiden, refused his demand, explaining that such items could not be served in a vegetarian Brahmin's house. Struck by her extraordinary beauty, Bhairon lustfully tried to grab her hand, prompting her to flee towards the Trikuta Hills.[4][2][5] According to an alternate legend, Bhairon was a devil king who proposed marriage to the Goddess. When she rejected him, he started a war and relentlessly chased her into the mountains. As the Goddess fled, she stopped at several places that are now important stops on the modern pilgrimage route. One of these stops is Ardhkuwari, where she hid and meditated for nine months in a narrow cave called Garbh-Joon.[6][7]
When Bhairon finally tracked her down, a mendicant warned him that the girl was actually Adishakti who had taken a vow of celibacy, but Bhairon ignored the warning. The Goddess blasted her way out of the cave with her trident and continued her ascent, leaving Hanuman Langoor to guard the entrance to her holy cave. Bhairon arrived at the cave, fought the Langoor, and routed him.[8][9]
Seeing Bhairon's stubborn and evil intentions, the Goddess assumed the terrifying form of Mahakali (also referred to as Chandi or Chamunda) and beheaded Bhairon Nath with a single, mighty stroke.[5][9][10] His severed head was flung high up the mountain to a place now known as Bhairon Ghati, while his headless torso fell at the entrance of the holy cave, where it remains today as a 14-foot-long petrified rock boulder.[10][11] In his final moments, Bhairon realized his mistakes. Fearing that future generations would remember him only as a sinner, he deeply repented and begged the Goddess for forgiveness, pleading that future generations would despise him if she did not show mercy.[9][7][12]
Touched by the sincerity of his last-minute repentance, the compassionate Goddess forgave him and granted him a remarkable boon. She declared that the pilgrimage of her devotees would forever remain incomplete unless they also visited the site where Bhairon's head fell to pay him their respects.[5][2]
