# भैरव (bhairava)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhairava

भैरव (bhairava) is a Sanskrit word meaning frightful, terrible, horrible, formidable, relating to Bhairava, a form of Shiva, a man representing Bhairava, a jackal, a mountain. Its 48 recorded definitions are grouped into 17 contexts, among them Adjective: Frightful, Terrible, Horrible, Deity: A Form/Manifestation of Śiva, Noun: Terror, Horror.

- **Etymology:** E. भीरु fearful, aff. अण् । — E. bhīru fearful, aff. aṇ
- **SLP1:** `BErava`  **IAST:** bhairava  **Devanagari:** भैरव
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhairava
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhairava/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** भैरवा (bhairavā)

## Meanings by context

### Adjective: Frightful, Terrible, Horrible (10 definitions)
- frightful, terrible, horrible, formidable  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 767,1] भैरव (bhairava) mf( आ (ā) and ई (ī) )n. ( fr. भीरु (bhīru) ) frightful, terrible, horrible, formidable ( अम् (am) ind. ), Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=152990 ]
- independently  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1C) [Printed book page 767,1] भैरवम् (bhairavam) ind. [ ID=153009.1 ]
- Terrible, frightful, or formidable.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 0826-a ] भैरव (bhairava) a. ( वी (vī) f. ) [ भीरोरिदं अण् (bhīroridaṃ aṇ) ] 1 Terrible, frightful, horrible, formidable; Uttararāmacarita 5. 6
- 1. Frightful or formidable. 2. A form of Shiva. 3. A form of Durga.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 210-2 ] भैरव (bhairava) bhairav-a, 〈1.〉 a. ( ā, ī ) frightful terrible, formidable: -m, ad.; m. a form of Śiva ( of which eight kinds are distinguished ); N. : ī, f. a form of Durgā; 〈2.〉 a. ( ī ) relating to Bhairava; a‿ācārya, m. N. of a teacher; -ānanda, m. N. of a Yogin. [ ID=13398 ]
- 1. Formidable, horrible, or terrific. 2. Horror or the property of exciting terror. 3. A form of Shiva, or a name of a river or a musical mode. 4. A form of Durga.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 627 ] भैरव (bhairava) mfn. ( - वः (-vaḥ)- वी (-vī)- वं (-vaṃ) (-vaḥ-vī-vaṃ) ) Formidable, horrible, terrific. n. ( - वं (-vaṃ) ) Horror, the property of exciting terror. m. ( - वः (-vaḥ) ) 1 A name of ŚIVA, but more especially an inferior manifestation or form of the deity, eight of which are called by the common name Bhairava, and are severally termed ASITĀṄGA, RURU, CAṆḌA, KRODHA, UNMATTA, KUPATI, BHĪṢAṆA, and SAṂHĀRA, all alluding to terrific properties of mind or body. 2 The name of a river. 3 A musical mode; that which is calculated to excite emotions of terror. f. ( - वी (-vī) ) A name or form of DURGĀ. E. भीरु (bhīru) fearful, aff. अण् (aṇ). [ ID=28901 ]
- 1. Formidable, horrible, or terrific. 2. Horror or the property of exciting terror. 3. A form of Shiva. 4. A river. 5. A musical mode. 6. A form of Durga. 7. A young girl personating Durga at her festival. 8. A musical ragini.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 537-b ] भैरव (bhairava) mfn. ( - वः (-vaḥ)- वी (-vī)- वं (-vaṃ) (-vaḥ-vī-vaṃ) ) Formidable, horrible, terrific. n. ( - वं (-vaṃ) ) Horror, the property of exciting terror. m. ( - वः (-vaḥ) ) 1. A name of ŚIVA, but more especially an inferior manifestation or form of the deity, eight of which are called by the common name Bhairava, and are severally termed ASITĀNGA, RURU, CHANDA, KRODHA, UNMATTA, KUPATI, BHISHANA, and SANHĀRA, all alluding to terrific properties of mind or body. 2. The name of a river. 3. A musical mode; that which is calculated to excite emotion of terror. f. ( - वी (-vī) ) 1. A name or form of DURGĀ. 2. A young girl personating DURGĀ at the festival of that goddess. 3. Name of a Rāgini. E. भीरु (bhīru) fearful, aff. अण् । (aṇ.) [ ID=29822 ]
- 1. Formidable or miserable. 2. Shiva, a river, or a musical mode. 3. Durga. 4. Horror.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 0667-b ] भैरव (bhairava) bhairava, i. e. bhīru + a, I. adj. 1. Formidable, horrid, Rām. 3, 50, 21. 2. Miserable, Rājat. 5, 408. II. m. 1. Śiva, Rājat. 5, 55. 2. The name of a river. 3. A musical mode. III. f. vī, Durgā. IV. n. Horror. [ ID=10703 ]
- 1. Formidable, awful, or horrible. 2. A form of Shiva. 3. A form of Durga.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 386 ] भैरव (bhairava) f. आ (ā) & ई (ī) formidable, awful, horrible, n. adv. — m. a form of Śiva, a man's name; f. ई (ī) a form of Durgā. [ ID=23272 ]
- 1. Fearful or awful. 2. A name of Shiva or a hunter.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 209-a ] bhairava, a. fearful, i. e. awful; as m. Terrible, name of a hunter. [ bhīrú, 1208c.] [ ID=3057 ]
- 1. Formidable, awful, or terrible. 2. A form of Shiva. 3. A particular form of Durga. 4. Terror or horror.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 0722-a ] भैरव (bhairava) bhairava, as, ī, am (fr. bhīru ), for- midable, awful, horrible, terrific, terrible, horrid; miserable; relating to Bhairava; ( as ), m. a form of Śiva, (eight forms of Bhairavas are enumerated, viz. mahā-bh°, saṃhāra-bh°, asitāṅga-bh°, ruru-bh°, kāla-bh°, krodha-bh°, tāmra-cūḍa-bh° or ka- pāla-bh°, candra-cūḍa-bh° or rudra-bh°; other names of these forms are sometimes given, e. g. Page0722-b+ 78 vidyā-rāja, kāma-r°, nāga-r°, sacchanda-r°, lambita-r°, deva-r°, ugra-r°, vighna-r° ); a man representing Bhairava; a Śivagaṇādhipa; a son of Śiva by Tārā-vatī (who was wife of Candra-śekhara, king of Karavīra-pura); N. of a Nāga; of a Yakṣa; of the author of the Pheṭkāriṇī-tantra; of a teacher of the Haṭha-vidyā; of two kings; of a hunter; of a river; of a Rāga or musical mode calculated to excite emotions of terror; ( ī ), f. a particular form of Durgā; a girl of twelve years (representing that goddess at the Durgā festival); N. of a Rāgiṇī or of a particular scale in the Hindū musical system; ( am ), n. terror, horror, the property of exciting terror, terribleness; = bhairava-tantra below. —Bhairava- kāraka, as, ikā, am, causing terror, formidable. —Bhairava-tantra, am, n., N. of a Tantra men- tioned in Kṛṣṇānanda's Tantra-sāra. —Bhairava- tarjaka, as, m. ‘awful threatener,’ an epithet of Viṣṇu (properly of Śiva). —Bhairava-tva, am, n. the state of being Bhairava or a form of Śiva. —Bhairava-dīkṣita-tilaka, as, m., N. of an author. —Bhairava-nātha-tantra, am, n. ‘Tantra of the lord of terror,’ N. of a Tantra. —Bhairava- yātanā, f. a purificatory torment inflicted by Śiva as presiding deity of Benares on those who die there, to render their spirits fit for absorption into the essence of the Supreme (whereas those who are punished by Yama have to return to mundane exist- ence). —Bhairavāgratas (°va-ag°), ind. in the presence of Bhairava. —Bhairavācārya (°va-āc°), as, m., N. of a preceptor. —Bhairavānanda (°va- ān°), as, m., N. of a Yogin. —Bhairavendra (°va-in°), as, m., N. of a king. —Bhairaveśa (°va- īśa), as, m. ‘lord of terror,’ an epithet of Viṣṇu (properly of Śiva). [ ID=35824 ]

### Deity: A Form/Manifestation of Śiva (6 definitions)
- A form of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > भैरव (bhairava) m. N. of a form of Śiva ( cf. Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 85 ), Prabodha-candrodaya (Title); Rājataraṃgiṇī (Title); Purāṇas (Literary category) (in the latter 8 Bh° (°) s are enumerated, viz. महा - (mahā-), संहार - (saṃhāra-), असिता (asitā) ङ्ग - (ṅga-), रुरु - (ruru-), काल - (kāla-), क्रोध - (krodha-), ताम्रचूड - (tāmracūḍa-), or कपाल - (kapāla-), चन्द्रचूड - (candracūḍa-) or रुद्र - भ् (rudra-bh) ° (°); sometimes other names are given, e.g. विद्या - राज (vidyā-rāja), काम - र् (kāma-r) ° (°), नाग - र् (nāga-r) ° (°), स्वच्छन्द - र् (svacchanda-r) ° (°), लम्बित - र् (lambita-r) ° (°), देव - र् (deva-r) ° (°), उग्र - र् (ugra-r) ° (°), विघ्न - र् (vighna-r) ° (°) ) [ ID=152992 ]
- Name of a chief of Shiva's host  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a chief of Śiva's host, Kālikā-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=152997 ]
- A form of Shiva  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वः (vaḥ) 1 A form of Śiva (of which 8 kinds are enumerated)
- A form of Shiva  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) (II) m. A form of Śiva. [ ID=28004 ]
- an attendant of Shiva  
  *The Purana Index*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 2-584 ] Bhairava (I) — a Śiva gaṇa. Br. III. 41. 27; IV. 14. 7; 17. 4; 19. 78-9; 33. 17. [ ID=9802 ]
- An epithet of Rudra, representing the form assumed by Shiva  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Bhairava (II) — An epithet of Rudra; the form assumed by Śiva when Gaurī returned from penance; She became Bhairavī; 1 Image of, to be placed in each temple but not in mūlāyantana. 2 [ Footnote: 1) M. 158. 24; 179. 1.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. 252. 10; 259. 14.] [ ID=9803 ]

### Noun: Terror, Horror (6 definitions)
- terror or the property of exciting terror  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > भैरव (bhairava) n. terror or the property of exciting terror, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=153008 ]
- The sentiment of terror  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वः (vaḥ) 2 The sentiment of terror ( भयानक (bhayānaka) )
- Fear, terror  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वः (vaḥ) 3 Fear, terror
- Terror or horror  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वं (vaṃ) Terror, horror
- 1. Horror. 2. Shiva. 3. Formidable. For the feminine form, Durga.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 562-b ] भैरव (bhairava) ( वं ) ((vaṃ)) 1. n. Horror. m. Shiva. f. ( वी (vī) ) Durgā. a. Formidable. [ ID=28414 ]
- Terror, horror  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) (III) n. Terror, horror. [ ID=28005 ]

### Deity: Bhairavī (Form of Durgā) / Related Female Aspects (4 definitions)
- the goddess Nirriti  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 767,1] भैरवा (bhairavā) f. N. of Nirṛti, Varāhamihira’s Yogayātrā [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=153005 ]
- See below  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 767,1] भैरवी (bhairavī) a f. See below [ ID=153007 ]
- A form of the goddess Durga  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वी (vī) 1 A form of the goddess Durgā
- a young girl representing the goddess Durga at the Durga festival  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वी (vī) 3 A girl of 12 or a young girl representing the goddess Durgā at the Durga festival

### Proper Name or Epithet for Specific Individuals/Entities (4 definitions)
- a son of Shiva by Taravati  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a son of Śiva by Tārā-vatī (wife of Candra-śekhara, king of Karavīra-pura), in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=152998 ]
- of a hunter  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a hunter, Hitopadeśa (Title) [ ID=153001 ]
- an epithet applied to various kings, teachers, and authors  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of 2 kings and various teachers and authors (also with त्रिपाठिन् (tripāṭhin), दैवज्ञ (daivajña), तिलक (tilaka), दीक्षित (dīkṣita), आचार्य (ācārya), भट्ट (bhaṭṭa) and मिश्र (miśra) ), in the same place [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=153002 ]
- an epithet of Vishnu or Shiva  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — ईशः (īśaḥ) an epithet of Viṣṇu (or Śiva ?); so भैरवतर्जकः (bhairavatarjakaḥ)

### Relating to the Deity Bhairava or His Representation (4 definitions)
- relating to Bhairava  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > relating to Bhairava, Catalogue(s) [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=152991 ]
- a man representing Bhairava  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a man representing Bh°, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=152993 ]
- Relating to Bhairava  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 0826-a ] भैरव (bhairava) a. ( वी (vī) f. ) [ भीरोरिदं अण् (bhīroridaṃ aṇ) ] 3 Relating to Bhairava
- 1. Relating to Bhairava. 2. Terrible or horrible.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 537-05 ] भैरव (bhairava) (I) a. (f. वी (vī) ) 1. Relating to Bhairava; 2. terrible, terrific, horrible. [ ID=28003 ]

### Music: Rāga (Masculine Musical Mode) (2 definitions)
- a musical raga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (in music) N. of a Rāga [ ID=152996 ]
- a musical mode calculated to excite fear or terror  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वः (vaḥ) 4 N. of a musical mode ( राग (rāga) ) calculated to excite emotions of fear or terror

### Mythical Being: Nāga (Serpent) (2 definitions)
- a serpent deity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Nāga, Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=152999 ]
- A naga of Dhritarashtra's race  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 119-1 ] Bhairava. § 67 (Sarpasattra): I, 2158 (a Nāga of Dhṛta- rāṣṭra's race). [ ID=1289 ]

### Mythical Beings: Apsaras (Clan/Class) (2 definitions)
- a class of Apsaras  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pl. of a class of Apsaras, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=153006 ]
- an Apsarasa clan  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 2-585 ] Bhairavas — an Apsarasa clan from Mṛtyu. Vā. 69. 57. [ ID=9807 ]

### A Geographical Feature: Mountain (1 definition)
- a mountain  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a mountain, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=152995 ]

### A Social Group: Religious Sect (1 definition)
- a particular religious sect  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > भैरव (bhairava) m. pl. N. of a partic. sect, Viṣṇu-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=153004 ]

### A Specific Text: Bhairava-tantra (1 definition)
- See bhairava-tantra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > = भैरव - तन्त्र (bhairava-tantra) below. [ ID=153009 ]

### Adjective: Miserable (1 definition)
- Miserable  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भैरव (bhairava) [Printed book page 0826-a ] भैरव (bhairava) a. ( वी (vī) f. ) [ भीरोरिदं अण् (bhīroridaṃ aṇ) ] 2 Miserable

### An Animal: Jackal (1 definition)
- a jackal  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a jackal, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=152994 ]

### Geographical Feature: A River (1 definition)
- of a river  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a river, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=153003 ]

### Music: Rāginī (Feminine Musical Mode) (1 definition)
- A musical mode or Ragini in the Hindu musical system.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — वी (vī) 2 N. of a Rāgiṇī in the Hindu musical system

### Mythical Being: Yakṣa (1 definition)
- of a Yaksha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Yakṣa, Catalogue(s) [Cologne Addition] (Title) [ ID=153000 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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