Unknown Artist

Bhairava, late 11th - early 12th century

About

• Hindu deities take a variety of forms, each dependent on the role the deity plays at a specific time. For instance, one form of Shiva, Nataraja, dances the world in and out of existence, thus acknowledging both his creative and destructive nature. The eight manifestations of Bhairava (Terrible) signify another fierce form of the Hindu deity Shiva. Bhairava arose when Shiva killed Brahma, creator of the universe; hence, Bhairava is associated with concepts of death, a connection with multiple meanings, including his identification with deliverance. He is sometimes depicted wandering the earth as a mendicant.
  To distinguish Bhairava from other forms of Shiva, he is four-armed, pot-bellied, and compact. In this example, he holds a sword, trident, and a shield, attributes that correspond to the description given of him in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. Vidyadharas (celestial beings) fly above his head to either side of a kirtimukha (face of glory). Two female companions bearing skull cups and choppers stand to either side of the main image, while a flowing vine bearing two donors decorates the pedestal’s base.
  A mass of curled locks rises in horripilation around his head and those of his female attendants, contrasting with the smooth fleshiness of his body. A snake-like brahmin thread is draped around his torso, an allusion to Shiva, who is associated with snakes. His ferocity is emphasized in his wide-open gaze, fanged mouth, and by the garland of skulls that hangs to his knees.