Virabhadra

Origin

Sati was the youngest daughter of Daksha. When Sati grew up she set her heart on Shiva, worshipping him. In the Swayamvara of Sati, Daksha invited all gods and princes except Shiva. Sati cast her garland into air, calling upon Shiva to receive the garland; and behold he stood in midst of the court with the garland about his neck. Daksha had no choice but to get Sati married with Shiva.

One day Daksha made arrangements for a great horse sacrifice called the Daksha Yaga, and invited all the gods omitting only Shiva. Sati's urge to go to her home due to the affection towards her parents overpowered the social etiquette for not going to an uninvited ceremony. Daksha insulted her in front of others.Angered on hearing insults against the supreme lord,she set herself ablaze by her inner yogaagni .The site where Sati had died later on became famous as "Jwalamukhi devi".

Then Shiva came to know about this and with deep sorrow and anger, plucked a lock of hair and thrashed on the ground. Lord Veerabhadra, and Rudrakali were born. Virabhadra is believed to be the destroyer of Agnana, his tall, muscular body reached the high heavens, he was dark as the clouds, three burning eyes, and fiery hair; he wore a garland of skulls and carried terrible weapons. To provide him the power, arrived Bhadrakali, a wrathful incarnation of Devi.

Destroyer of Daksha

Maheshwara replied, 'Spoil the sacrifice of Daksha'. Then the mighty Virabhadra, having heard the pleasure of his lord, bowed down his head to the feet of Shiva; and starting like a lion loosed from bonds, despoiled the sacrifice of Daksha, knowing that this had been created by the displeasure of Devi. She too in her wrath, as the fearful goddess Rudrakali, accompanied him, with all her train, to witness his deeds.

Shiva directed Virabhadra: "Lead my army against Daksha and destroy his sacrifice". On this direction of Shiva, Virabhadra appeared with Shiva's ganas in the midst of Daksha's assembly like a storm and broke the sacrificial vessels, polluted the offerings, insulted the Brahmin priests, trampled on Indra, broke the staff of Yama and scattered the gods on every side.

Lord Vishnu could not let his devotee - Daksha be mortified by Virabhadra. He therefore got astride his Garuda, armed as he was with Conch, Discus and Bow and Arrows, and rushed out to give battle to Veerabhadra to the great joy of all the scared assembly of victims. He immediately rained powerful arrows at his foe from all directions. Angered all the more by this quite unexpected attack, Veerabhadra also climbed a chariot and retaliated by sending fiery arrows in the direction of Vishnu. Thus started, they went on exchanging many a mighty astra and sastra as though two wild and mad elephants were at war; and the three worlds trembled with their movements; their mutual shouts of anger and wrath raised a thunderous din that filled the directions with rolling echoes. Both used celestial weapons - one upon the other; but none of them was affected in the least though they struck awe into the hearts of the onlookers and shook the three worlds. Both were equally matched and both were adept and quick with their hands and weapons in offensive and defensive. Keenly watching the fierce duel and thinking that Veerabhadra might come out victorious, Brahma decided to become the charioteer of Veerabhadra. Taking charge of the chariot instantly, he steered it ever so skillfully that Veerabhadra, though angry at first, soon became reconciled and even appreciative on beholding the expert manner in which Brahma conducted the many intricate manoeuvres of the chariot. Continuing the duel, Veerabhadra showered multiple weapons of tremendous power at Vishnu who retaliated with equal might. Thus proceeded a long-drawn-out battle between Hari and a manifestation of Hara, filling the three worlds with amazement; causing earth-quakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, landslides and storms and outbreaks of fire. The firmament reverberated with thunder and lightning. At last, discovering that it was impossible to subdue Veerabhadra by any ordinary methods, Vishnu decided to take his life once and for all by using his invincible Discus-Sudrasana - feared in all the worlds for its efficacy. So, twirling it around his right index finger, he let loose the mighty Sudarsana and it roared into the intervening space with such tremendous momentum and acceleration that it flew cleaving the air with incandescent jets of flame spouting off tangentially from its thousand revolving teeth. Seeing Vishnu's Discus approaching him thus, Veerabhadra coolly opened his vast mouth and swallowed it at one gulp; and was none the worse for it.

Lord Vishnu was astonished at this miracle and was filled with admiration for Veerabhadra. Instantly he flew to his side in great ecstasy and praised his erstwhile opponent thus: " 0 Veerabhadra Mahavira! There is none to equal you here nor in the seven worlds! None can now stop you from punishing the wicked Daksha. You were born of the body of Shiva himself to punish these evildoers; and I see that none can oppose you nor come in your way. Who is there to stand equal to you in might and strength, when my invincible discus-which is capable of powdering a diamond-hard mountain - has not made a scratch on you! It has disappeared into your body now, and seems as though it had never existed! It is a wonder how you swallowed this all-destructive and up to-now invincible discus as though it were a ball of sweet! There is none to oppose you now. you may punish Daksha to your heart's content. Daksha, the enemy of Lord Shiva, caused his own daughter to burn herself; and must certainly now meet his own doom.

Brimming with anger, Veerabhadra beheaded Daksha and marched along with his army to Mount Kailash to testify the completion of his assigned task.