Bhairava’s Eight

Painting by Gyankar Vajracharya

Sri Bhairava has eight principal manifestations that serve as guardians of the eight directions and as consorts to the astamatrika or eight mother goddesses. In this painting, five of the eight aspects of Bhairava appear in the large jewels of his crown, another two are in the painting’s lower left and right corners, with the mask itself representing Chanda Bhairava as the eighth manifestation. In general, number eight is closely connected with Bhairava's symbolism. In Varanasi, an eight-day pilgrimage of eight temples dedicated to Ashta Bhairava, eight subsidiary aspects of Bhairava, is undertaken on the first eight days of the fortnight, culminating with Bhairava Ashtami. The celebration of Kaala Bhairava in this day emphasizes their being only the eightfold manifestation of the central authority. Each Bhairavar has eight sub Bhairavars under them, further subdivided into eight (8 x 8 = 64). The eight aspects, are named as follows:

1) Asitanga Bhairava: golden complexion, with well-formed limbs, and carries the trishula, damaru, pasha and khadga (sword). Vahana: Swan.
OM HREEM
HRAAM HREEM HRUM
JAM KLAAM KLEEM KLUM
BRAHMI DEVI SAMETHAYA
ASITHAANGA BHAIRAVAYA
SARVA SHAAPA NIVARTHITHAYA
OM HREEM PHAT SWAAHA
2) Ruru Bhairava: pure white, adorned with ornaments set with rubies, and should carry an akshamala , the ankusha, a pustaka (book) and a veena. Vahana: Bull
OM HREEM
SHREEM KLEEM SHREEM
SHREEM KLEEM SHREEM
SARVARAJA VASHEEKARAYA
SARVA JANA MOHANAYA
SARVA VASHYAM SHEEGHRAM SHEEGHRAM
SHREEM KLEEM SHREEM SWAAHA
3) Chanda Bhairava: blue color and good-looking, carry in their hands agni, shakti (spear), gada and kunda. Vahana:  Peacock.
4) Krodha Bhairava: smoke color and should carry khetaka, a long khadga, and parashu. Vahana: Garuda.
OM SHREEM HREEM
SHREEM HREEM KLEEM
SARVA VIGHNA NIVARANAYA
MAHA KRODHA
BHAIRAVAYA NAMAHA
5) Unmatta Bhairava: white color, good-looking and carry in their hands the kunda, the khetaka, the parigha (iron bludgeon, or club studded with iron) and bhindipala (javelin). Vahana: Horse.
OM HREEM
VAARAAHI SAMETHAYA
MAHA UNMATTHA BHAIRAVAYA
HREEM OM SWAAHA
6) Kapala Bhairava: yellow color, carry the same weapons as in the previous group. Vahana:  Elephant.
OM HREEM
KREEM HREEM KLEEM
SREEM KLEEM SREEM
KAPAALA BAHIRAVAYA NAMAHA
7) Bhishana Bhairava: carry the same weapons as in the above group, and are of red color. Vahana:  Pretha.
OM HREEM,
MAHA BHEESANA BHAIRAVAYA
SARVA SAABA NIVARANAYA
MAMA VASHAM
KURU KURU SWAAHA
8) Samhara Bhairava: color resembling the lightning, carries the same weapons as in the previous group. Vahana:  Lion.
om namo bhagavate
saṁhāra bhairavāya
bhūta preta piśāca
brahma rākṣasān uccāṭaya uccāṭaya
saṁhāraya saṁhāraya sarva bhaya chedanaṁ
kuru kuru svāhā ||
Eight Bhairavas ashtakam

 Though Kaala Bhairava is the most important and central Bhairava, he is not counted among the eight traditional Bhairavas in the eight different directions of the holy city. Ruru Bhairava protect the south-east; Chanda Bhairava - the south; Asitanga Bhairava - the east; Kapala Bhairava - the north-west; Krodha  Bhairava - the south-west; Unmatta Bhairava protect the west; Samhara Bhairava - the north-east; and Bhishana Bhairava protect the north. It is interesting to note that in Buddhism, the Defenders of the law (Dharmapala) are also grouped in eight (The Eight Terrible Ones). Like the eight Bhairavas, they are related to this other group of gods called the Ashta-Dikpala , the guardians of eight directions, known already in the Veda. These deities are 1) Indra, lord of east, 2) Agni, lord of the south-east, 3) Yama, of the south, 4) Nirti, of the south-west, 5) Varuna, of the west, 6) Vayu, of the north-west, 7) Kubera, of the north, 8) Ishana, of the north-east.
Except the directions of space,  the number 8 has set of values in Vedic culture.  This number signifies reconstruction after destruction, the end, after which a new beginning is initiated. Everything that exists ends in this number. It is the number governing destiny and fate, life and death.
This inevitable  reconciliation of life and death is reflected in the fusion of beauty and horror in Shaiva religion and the tremendous mystery of Bhairava.
The Vijnana-Bhairava Tantra raises the question: "What is the real form of Bhairava, the terrible?" Bhairava himself replies to the goddess: "Know that there is only one form which is ultimately real: the spotless [reality] which fills everything, the state of Bhairava [called] Bhairavî [because it is] absolutely replete, being beyond determination by direction or time, unlocated, impossible to indicate, ultimately indescribable, blissful with the self’s innermost experience of its own identity, free of all thought. Within such an Absolute how can one distinguish a recipient of worship or gratification?" "worship likewise is not what is accomplished by [offering] flowers and the rest. It is awareness made firm, dissolution into that final void [within consciousness] which is free of all thought, through intense conviction [that this is the goal]."

Om Bhairavaay Namah