Introduction to Saiva Tantra: Manifestation of Swacchanda Bhairava in Spirituality

श्री गणेशाय नमः

This is my first post on os.me 🙂

Who is Bhairava?

One who does Bha (bharana:maintenace), Ra (ravana:withdrawal) and Va (Vamana:projecting out) is Bhairava. He therefore is the absolute representation of Supreme Reality, capable of performing the panchakrityavidhi. This post commences discussion on a form of Siva called the Swacchandanath or Swacchanda Bhairava. It shall therefore also cover the birth of tantras, which happened through this form of Siva in Satya yuga.

In the beginning, the great lord appeared in the form of Swacchanda Bhairava, a deity today greatly revered by sadhakas in the valleys of Kashmir. Swacchandanath is said to have 5 faces and 18 arms.

Siva is said to have five-fold qualities, represented by the five faces:

1. - - - Cit: This gives rise to manas tattva
      - Ananda: This gives rise to buddhi, ahamkara tattva
      - Iccha: This gives rise to 5 pranas: Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana, Vyana
      - Jnana: This gives rise to 5 Jnanendriyas: nose (ghrana), eyes (caksu), tongue (rasana), skin (tvak) and ears (srotra)
      - Kriya: This gives rise to 5 Karmendriyas: Vaak (Speech), Paani (Grasping or holding), Pada (Locomotion;Feet), Payu (Excretion), Upastha (Reproductive)

From these five faces came the knowledge of tantras, consisting 10 Siva Agamas (bheda), 18 Rudra Agamas (bhedabheda), 64 Bhairava Agamas (abheda).

These 92 Agamas form the central knowledge of Saiva Tantras and are spread throughout Bharatavarsa in the form of Saiva Siddhanta in the South and Trika (Kashmiri Shaivism) in the North.

Swacchandanath is worshipped with the famous Aghora Mahamantra which is:

अघोरेभ्योऽथ घोरेभ्यो घोरघोरतरीभ्यश्च ।

सर्वतः शर्व सर्वेभ्यो नमस्ते रुद्ररूपेभ्यः ॥

aghorebhyo tha ghorebhyo ghoraghoratarībhyaśca

sarvataḥ śarva sarvebhyo namaste rudrarūpebhyaḥ

His consort is therefore named Aghoreshwari Devi, with whom he receives worship.

I shall try diving deep into the content of the 92 Agamas and also the Aghora Mahamantra in the coming posts. Till then, try answering the following question: