She who has the color of the fire, effulgent with the power of Tapas blazing, the one who is desired in the fruits of all actions, I take refuge in her, the goddess Durga. Reverence to the wonderful savioress for all our deliverance.

Fire, deliver us anew, across all difficulties to wellbeing. Be a wide, vast and abundance city for all the progeny of our creative work.

Fire, Knower of all births as a ship across the sea, deliver us across all difficulties. Like the Sun, chanting with the mind, awaken as the protector of our being.

Mahanarayana Upanishad. Durga Sukta 2-4.

Bhairavi means terrifying and is the awesome form of the Goddess. She represents transforming radiance, Tejas which is the Divine energy. She also represents Divine anger and wrath. This wrath is directed towards the impurities within one and the negative forces which may interfere with one’s spiritual growth.

She represents the supreme word (Para). She is three-fold as Fire (Agni), Lightning (Vidyut), and the Sun (Surya), and these are her three light forms in the three worlds of earth, atmosphere and heaven. Her location is in the Mooladhara chakra, and she is the Kundalini in her awakened role. Her chief characteristic of her form is blazing light.

Bhairavi has two mantras. The first is Hstraimh hsklirm hssrauh. It consists of three syllables. It has the power to uncover and destroy all negativity. Svaha is the second one, which means self-offering and is the main mantra by which offerings are made to Agni.

Aim Hrim Klim

Picture by: G Biswas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.