A Study of Virabhadra As Depicted in Ancient Indian Texts
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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-4, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in A Study of Virabhadra As Depicted In Ancient Indian Texts V Anuradha Department of History, Maharani’s Arts College for Women, Seshadri Road, Bangalore- 560001, Karnataka, India. Abstract : Virabhadra the auspicious hero raging the Prajapatis and is sometimes regarded as their like flaming fire is Shiva‘s ferocious instrument for chief. He is charged with the responsibility of destruction of ignorance, ritualism and dogma. ensuring perpetuation of life on earth, as also the Virabhadra, the Great Warrior, is the sublimation richness and dignity in life. He is a very prominent of Shiva’s impatience and anger; the embodiment person of the established order; and, in fact, is at its of his resolute might; and is therefore regarded an very core. Daksha holding the office of Prajapathi aspect of Shiva in blazing mood burning down was a lawgiver who formulated rules for conduct of delusion and falsehood (samhara –murti).It is behaviour in the society and norms for the orderly said; Shiva represents pure-consciousness (jnana working of the society along the well respected shakthi); Devi is the creative energy, the thought traditional lines. The world order as envisaged by within his consciousness, the will to intend an act Daksha defined the precise role and conduct not (itccha shakthi); and Virabhadra is the power of merely of humans but of gods as well. He expected action (kriya-shakthi) the determined might to from all, reverence to his self and obedience to his transform that will into an act. Virabhadra, the law. He would not tolerate subversive bunch of action-hero, personifies implicit faith, absolute renegades who had scant regard for the social devotion and reverence as also the ruthless dignity and decorum. Daksha therefore represents efficiency in carrying out the command of his the matter-of-fact logical mode of thinking, the way creator. Virabhadra also symbolizes the sharp in which most of us would like to lead our lives. incisive power of discrimination, potent in each of Shiva, in contrast, was beyond the pale of us, to sever attachments to conceited values, normal society; and stood for everything that misplaced faith and the routines that we all run Daksha dreaded. Shiva was a Vratya, and the most through thoughtlessly. He points out to our distinguished among them, Ekavratya, an adulation of that which should not be esteemed; unorthodox hermit, who lived by his own rules, not and to our neglect of that which ought to be valued. always acceptable to traditional society. He refused Virabhadra’s message is to open our heart; to to conform to the ways of the world. embrace everything that life has given us, without Vrathyas were a community of dissenters, fear or prejudice. Virabhadra destroys in order to social rebels and ascetics living under a set of save. strange religious vows (Vrata). They totally 1. INTRODUCTION rejected the Vedic rites and rituals. Vratyas followed their own cult-rules and practices; and did The origin and the relevance of Virabhadra have to not care either for the rituals or for initiations be appreciated in the context of the running quarrel (adhikshitah); and not at all for celibacy (Na hi between Daksha and Shiva spread over many brahmacharyam charanthi).They did not engage eons, manvantara.(astronomical time) . The two themselves in agriculture (Na krshim) or in trade mighty personages represent two different realities, (Na vanijyam).They behaved as if they were two divergent faiths, two separate streams of possessed (gandharva grithaha) or drunk or just understanding and two opposed world orders. mad. They roamed about the countryside and lived among the warriors, herdsmen and farmers. They 2. HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF were worshippers of Rudra, Isana or Mahadeva; VIRABHADRA and yet were regarded irreligious. In the words of Daksha meaning ‘able, competent, skilled ‘in Shri DSamapth, they were the ‘freethinkers who performing rituals, is rooted in the propriety and gave a very time and space based approach to the the relevance of elaborate rituals; and in their issues; and, were the initial social scientists with techniques as prescribed in the scriptures. He is rationality as the anchor’. also a great believer in the organized hierarchy of Shiva, Rudra the wild one, like a true Vratya, gods and the proper order of apportioning the wandered among cremation grounds with a rowdy oblation among various levels of gods. He is one of bunch of renegades consuming intoxicants Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 658 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-4, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in forbidden in polite society and slept amidst the experience; and between the man of the world and warmth of burning funeral pyres. He sang and the one who has cast off all concerns and danced whenever and wherever he wanted to with obligations. little heed to decorum and protocol. Shiva refused The Indian traditions, for some reason, have to indulge in any social rule having pretentions of always regarded content-less intuitional respect. He had no home, no possessions, no understanding and recognition of 'what Is’ as being family, no vocation; he was a drifter, ritually far superior to belief systems or a schools of impure, unsuitable for married life. thought. Our ancients always asserted that the Uma was the daughter of Himavat (Uma immediate experience ( sakshat aparoksha) which Haimavathi) by Menaka or Mena [In this version liberates is truly superior to the intellectual she is not related to Daksha]; she was desperately knowledge of scriptures, rites and rituals. They in love with Shiva but had a hard time persuading explained it as the sort of experience that leads to him to marry her. Shiva narrated all his the true understanding of the problems of being and disqualifications that failed to make him a becoming; that which aids to cross over all sorrows dependable householder. Despite that, Uma (shokasya param trayathi); and to realize one’s followed Shiva wherever he went, over hills, across true identity. It is beyond the understanding of the desolate plains and dense forests and through intellect; it is experience (we shall return to this cremation grounds. Shiva at first ignored Uma. He theme a little later). barely acknowledged her. Uma finally told her The Daksha –Shiva conflict enacts the theme of reluctant lover, “It is for the good of both of us. limited formal learning giving place to expansive You are incomplete without me and I am intuitional understanding. This theme manifests in incomplete without you. I do not ask for anything, life, in all ages, in various forms.The ego fears for but you. I accept you for what you are, not deterred its death, so it refuses to surrender to the heart. But, by what you do not have...I would like to observe it eventually does give in. The old sage Parashara with you”. Shiva could no longer be without his wryly remarks “in every age Daksha and the rest loving consort. are born and are again destroyed." Daksha Prajapathi’s intense dislike of Shiva The emergence of Virabhadra as Shiva’s was because the latter was a vagrant, a tramp who instrument for destruction of Daksha’s small ’ego’ had neither commitments nor sense of values in and for awakening of true understanding in him life. Daksha called Shiva – a Kapalin having occurs when Daksha was born as the son of neither father nor mother, impure , incorrigible and Prachetas and Marisha; and was designated as proud abolisher of rites and demolisher of barriers Prajapathi in age of Vaivasvata Manu. who roams about in dreadful cemeteries, attended by hosts of ghosts and sprites, like a madman, 4. DAKSHA YAJNA-AS DEPECITED naked, with disheveled hair, wearing a garland of IN PURANAS,SMRITHIS AND EPICS skulls and ornaments of bones of the dead, The performance of the magnificent and most pretending to be Siva (auspicious), but in reality elaborate Brahaspathi – savana - yajna by Daksha is a- Siva (inauspicious), insane, leader of the Prajapathi must have been a highly significant insane Bhutas (spirits), the wicked hearted whose event in the very ancient past. The Daksha story nature is essentially darkness.'Let this Bhava became a ground for fertile epic imagination. (Siva), lowest of the gods, never, at the worship of Countless versions of the event were described the gods, receive any portion along with the gods elaborately in various Puranas, epics and folk Indra, Upendra (Vishnu), and others’. legends; each version, of course, bending the event to champion its own pet theme. 3. PERCEPTION OF SHIVA BY UMA By all accounts, ‘Daksha’s sacrifice’ shook the Uma’s perception of Shiva is of a different kind. It old world and brought in a new world order. Shorn is non-judgmental absolute faith and intense love. of prejudices and rhetoric, the legend indicates that There are no words to describe it otherwise. It Rudra-Shiva an unorthodox god stormed his way obviously is unwise. But, that foolish wisdom is a into the world of established order, secured there a precious gift of grace received in humility of mind prominent undisputed status among all gods and and simplicity of heart; an un-bounded loving claimed a fair share of esteem and oblations that energy that transforms the world more effectively were due to him. It also amply demonstrates the than the rhetoric. But, that rarely happens. futility and irrelevance of mere scriptural learning, The Daksha - Shiva conflict is more along the rituals and sacrifices; and upholds the way of right- traditional lines, It is between establishment and understanding as the means to liberation from all anti-establishment.