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Lord Kal Bhairav(kalbhairav or kaal bhairav) is the fiercest form of Lord Shiva. He was born as a result of Lord Shiva’s rage.
According to the Indian scriptures there are 3 gods who are responsible for the creation, sustenance & destruction of this world. Lord Brahma is the creator. He is responsible for the creation of the entire world & all living & non living beings. Lord Vishnu nurtures, nourishes & provides the energy, sources & resources for this universe to keep functioning & sustain life. Lord Shiva is the destructor.
Once the Tridevs ie Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva were engaged in a very serious discussion. Lord Brahma displayed arrogance & wanted to impose his supremacy on Lord Vishnu & Lord Shiva.
Lord Brahma, being one of the 3 gods responsible for the creation of this world, was supposedly expected to be beyond the realms of ego & arrogance. Hence, in order to punish Lord Brahma for his behavior, Lord Shiva manifested himself in a really fierce & ferocious form. That fierce form of Lord Shiva came to be known as Kal Bhairav.
What does Kal Bhairav look like?
Kal Bhairav(Kaal Bhairav) has a very intensely scary appearance. He has a very well built & tall physique with a dark skin, fiery(bloodshot, red) eyes. He is equipped with deadly weapons & wears a rudraksh mala.
This form of Shiva had a very frightening & intimidating appearance. He cut off one head of Lord Brahma(Lord Brahma had 5 heads) with the nail of the smallest finger of his hand. This frightening manifestation of Lord Shiva came to be known as Kalbhairav.
Since that time Kaal Bhairav has been a form of Shiva that people worship. Let us find out more about what Kaal Bhairav stands for in modern times & what his worship means in our era
Benefits of Lord Kaal Bhairav’s(Bhairava) worship [significance]
Kaal means Time. Lord Kal Bhairav’s worship gives people strength to continue their journey of life during bad times & during the worst phase of their life.
According to Indian astrology people face problems in their lives due to the malefic effects of planets. All the bad effects of planets can be negated by intensely praying & doing sadhana to appease Lord Kaal Bhairav. Worshipping Kalbhairav one gets protection from black magic, enemies, hypnotic spells, negative energies(ghosts/paranormal presences) etc
Kal Bhairav , Rahu and Ketu
A lot of people visit temples of Lord Kalbhairav during phases of their lives described as Dashas, Mahadashas of planets like Rahu, Ketu & Shani. Among all phases of life governed by various planets, Rahu Maha Dasha, Shani Sadhe sati are acknowledged as the worst phase and when planets are retrograde.
Evil eye being cast & Planets are retrograde
When people cast an evil eye, someone has purposely jinxed your academic and/or business progress, when people get entangled in fake police cases & court cases then Kal Bhairav upasana gives a lot of relief.
Negative Energies, Dark Energies, Ghosts & Paranormal Presence
Those who are believed to be under the influence of intensely dark energies are advised to worship Lord Kal Bhairav. If they are unable even if some close family members(father, mother, spouse) can pray for them, do some chanting on their behalf, the affected individual gets relief.
Kalbhairav upasana leads to elimination of obstacles, fear & protection from enemies.
Various obstacles in the path of materialistic or spiritual growth are eliminated by Bhairav worship. A lot of individuals face anxieties, depression & mental agony. People become paranoid due to fear of downfall & pain from bitter experiences in life. There are conflicts which can arise out of nowhere on the professional &/or personal front.
Conflicts create problems & sometimes enemies which are too powerful to be handled. Bhairav worship with intense devotion can prevent oneself from getting harmed & completely neutralize any kind of fear.
Spiritual Progress & abundance
One gets blessed with mental clarity, prosperity & abundance. Bhairav worship liberates an individual from from all kinds of fear & even the fear of death. It leads him on to the path of enlightenment. Those seeking spiritual progress are put on the right path & their journey gets fast tarcked
Kaal Bhairav Mantra & KalBhairav Ashtakam
In the Hindu scriptures there are various Lord Kaal Bhairav’s worship sources available which are free of cost. Chanting Kaal Bhairav Mantra & reciting the Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam helps people ward off all evils & blesses the individual with abundance & prosperity. They are given in this article in English, below.
The Kalbhairav mantra has to be chanted at least 108 times daily. One can pray, do chantings/recitations anytime during the day but for getting optimum benefits, one needs to do the chanting before sunrise after having bath & being seated on a clean asan. Normally people pray before sunrise or after sunset, before having dinner.
Kalbhairav Mantra with beej mantras:-
One can chant this simple mantra. The Kalbhairav mantra is “Om Hraam Hreem Hraum Kalbhairavaay Namah”. This mantra builds an invisible protective shield around the individual & protects him from dark energies. It ensures that he is guided onto the right path of spiritual as well as materialistic progress. He/She is blessed with success & prosperity.
Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam lyrics in English
Kalbhairav Ashtakam in English
Devaraaj Sewyamaan Paawanaanghri Pankajam, Kaal yagya sutra mindu shekharam kripa karam |
Naarad aadi Yogi vranda vanditam digambaram, Kashika Puradhinath Kaal bhairavam bhaje || 1 ||
Bhaanu Koti Bhaaswaram Bhavabdhi taarakam param, Neelkanth meepsinaarth daayakam trilochanam |
Kaalakaala mannujaaksha maksha shoolamaksharam, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavam bhaje || 2 ||
Shool tankapaash dand paanimaadi kaaranam, shyaam kaayam aadi devamakshara niraamayam |
Bheem Vikramam Prabhum Vichitra taandava priyam, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavambhaje || 3 ||
Bhukti mukti daayakam prashasta chaaru vigraham, bhakta vatsalam sthitam samasta lok vigraham |
Vinikwanan manogya hemkinkineel satkatim, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavambhaje || 4 ||
Dharmasetu paalake tvadharma maarga naashanam, karma paash mochakam susham daayakam vibhum |
Swarna Varna Sheshpaash Shobhitaang Mandalam, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavambhaje || 5 ||
Ratna Paaduka prabhaabhiraam paadayugmakam, nityama dwitiya mishta daivatam niranjanam |
Mrityu darpanaashanam Karaal dansha mokshanam, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavambhaje || 6 ||
Attahaas bhinna padma jaandakosha santati, drishtipaat nashtayaay jaalamugra shaasanam |
Ashta siddhi daayakam Kapaal maali kandharam, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavambhaje || 7 ||
Bhoot sangha naayakam vishaal kirti daayakam, kashivaas loka punya paap shodhakam vibhum |
Neeti maarg kovidam paraatanam jagatpatim, kashikapuraadhinath kaalbhairavambhaje || 8 ||
Kaalbhairav Ashtakam Pathanti ye manoharam, gyaan mukti saadhanam vichitra punya vardhanam |
Shok Moh Dainya Lobh Kop taap naashanam, te prayaanti kaalbhairavaanghri sannidham dhruvam || 9 ||
Kalbhairav ashtakam is a praise of Lord Kaal Bhairav & was composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Adi Shankaracharya was born in 509 BCE. So this is a really ancient hymn which is sung & recited by devotees to appease Lord Kal Bhairav.
Reciting the Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam is a very potent remedial procedure to ward off evil eye, get protection from the bad & malefic effects of planets like Saturn, Rahu & Ketu. The Kalbhairav Ashtakam also protects against paranormal activities.
The learned, wise men have advised to recite the Kaal Bhairav Ashtakam once, daily. Normally you can recite it at any time. But it is recommended to recite it after sunset. After having bath or washing hands, feet, face & completing ablution procedures, one must light a lamp of ghee. Then one can recite it once, thrice or 5 or7 or 9 or 11 times.
If one cannot recite it daily, then one must make it a habit to recite it at least 3 times on Weekoffs(holidays) along with Saturdays & Tuesdays.
Few must-visit Kalbhairav temples in USA
There are various temples of Indian deities all around the world built by devotees. Listed below are a couple of famous Kaal Bhairav temples in the USA(Americas)
1) Shri Maha Kaal Bhairav Temple located in Austin, Texas USA.
This Kaal Bhairav temple is located in the Austin Hindu Temple and Community Center 9801 Decker Lake Rd., Austin Texas, 78724. Kaal Bhairav Abhishekam happens on auspicious days in this temple.
2) Sri Kaal Bhairav Temple at Devi Parashakti Mata Temple, Michigan USA
The Kaal Bhairav temple was inaugurated at the Devi Parashakti temple on August 3rd 2003 in a highly intense & spiritually charged atmosphere. Special prayers/yagya/hawans & poojas are done on the Raahu Kaal of Krishna ashtami each month.
Kaal Bhairav temples with highly potent & intense spiritual vibes in India.
There are many Kal Bhairav temples in India. Some temples have a divine, serene & cleansing aura which pervades the entire space around them. 2 such temples are:-
1) Kashi Kotwal (Kaal Bhairav temple of Kashi/Varanasi)
In Kashi or Varanasi, this temple of Lord Kaal Bhairav is famous for helping devotees to get rid of malefic effects of planets like Rahu, Ketu & Shani. Devotees need to go & visit this temple & offer a bit of oil as prescribed by the local priest. The whole process costs around $1 to $2.
One can purchase oil from the stores near the temple & offer it at the temple. This temple is believed to also help devotees get rid of evil eye being cast & other bad/negative energies. Lord Kaal Bhairav, in this temple, is known as the protector of Kashi hence the temple is named as Kashi Kotwal(Kashi city police in-charge)
2) The Miraculous Lord Kaal Bhairav temple in Ujjain, MP.
This form of Lord Kaal Bhairav in Ujjain is known to help the devotees get rid of all kinds of evil eyes being cast, influence of bad energy, paranormal presences & wards off the malefic effects of planets.
This temple is considered miraculous because it is a custom to offer liquor to the statue of Lord Kaal Bhairav in Ujjain. The devotees offer a bottle of liquor to the priest. The priest takes the bottle of liquor & pours it in a plate which is held near the mouth of the statue of Lord Kaal Bhairav. Within no time the liquor disappears.
Thus, some devotees get liquor from home, some buy liquor from the shops near the temple to offer it to the temple deity ie Lord Kaal Bhairav. Lord Kaal Bhairav’s temple in Ujjain, MP has huge significance. People from all over the world visit these 2 Kaal Bhairav temples in Kashi & Ujjain, in India.
Bhairav Worship as the last resort!
There are various forms of Bhairav or Kaal Bhairav. Bhairava worship is a must for people who get easily disturbed by the ups & downs of life and have a cynical attitude. Some people have a very negative, pessimistic attitude & always keep anticipating pain and downfall in their life.
The 8th house affliction in the birth chart can also be negated by Bhairava worship & the devotee can pull himself out of perennial paranoia, rise above perpetual fear & start living fearlessly ready to face whatever life throws at him/her.
Thus Bhairav or Kaal Bhairav worship is considered as one of the easiest ways to get strength to navigate through the troublesome phases in one’s life. If & when one gets time, one must also try to visit the temples mentioned above to soak in the positive spiritual vibes which can dispel the darkness within & guide you towards success, prosperity & blissfulness.
Please click here to read Sri Hanuman Chalisa in English