Virabhadra (Sanskrit Vīrabhadra, “auspicious hero”), also spelt Veerabhadra, is a fierce form of Lord Shiva. At Kothakonda he is worshipped as Kora-Meesala Veerabhadra Swamy – the Lord with a moustache – with Kethamma and Medalamma on either side.
The Legend
The Puranas narrate that Daksha Prajapati held a great yajna and did not invite his son-in-law Shiva. When Sati, Daksha’s youngest daughter, came and was insulted, she immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. Grief-stricken and enraged, Shiva tore a lock of his matted hair and dashed it on the ground. From it arose Virabhadra and Bhadrakali.
Shiva commanded Virabhadra to destroy the sacrifice. The assembled gods fled, and Daksha was punished. Shiva then calmed down, restored Daksha to life with the head of a goat, and the yajna was completed with Vishnu as chief priest. Different Puranas tell the story with variations – the Kurma Purana, for example, has Virabhadra realise that Vishnu and Shiva are one.
Significance
- Affiliation: Shiva; abode Mount Kailash; consort Bhadrakali
- Sacred day: Tuesday; associated planet Angaraka (Mars)
- Mantra: Om Vīrabhadrāya Namaḥ
- Weapons in iconography include the trident, sword, bow and arrow, club, axe and shield
- Virabhadra is the ancestral deity (gotrapurusha) of many families and Veerashaiva communities
Worship at Kothakonda
Devotees come to Kothakonda for protection, strength, health and family well-being. See Daily Pujas and Temple Timings. Source for legend and iconography: Wikipedia, “Virabhadra”.
Om Sri Veerabhadraya Namaha
