Shloka 42
भैरवावतारवर्णनम् (Bhairavāvatāra-varṇanam) — “Description of the Descent/Manifestation of Bhairava”
ब्रह्मोवाच । नीललोहित जाने त्वां मा भैषीश्चन्द्रशेखर । भालस्थलान्मम पुरा रुद्रः प्रादुरभूद्भवान्
brahmovāca | nīlalohita jāne tvāṃ mā bhaiṣīścandraśekhara | bhālasthalānmama purā rudraḥ prādurabhūdbhavān
Brahmā said: “O Nīlalohita, I recognize You. Do not fear, O Candraśekhara. Long ago, from the region of my forehead, You—Rudra—manifested.”
Brahma
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
It affirms Rudra (Shiva) as the self-manifest Lord (Pati) who appears by divine will for the welfare of beings, and it removes fear through recognition of Shiva’s protective, grace-bestowing presence.
By naming Shiva as Nīlalohita and Candraśekhara, the verse supports Saguna-upāsanā—devotion to Shiva with attributes—often approached through the Shiva Linga as the accessible emblem of the formless Supreme.
A practical takeaway is fear-dispelling japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while visualizing Shiva as Candraśekhara, combined with Shaiva marks like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of Rudra’s guardianship.