Kālabhairava at Kāśī in the Skanda Purāṇa

This account tells how Śiva created Kālabhairava on the peak of Meru, after Brahmā claimed to be supreme. Kālabhairava cut off Brahmā’s fifth head and was followed by brahmahatyā (the pāpa of killing a brāhmaṇa). He wandered through all the worlds, and no tīrtha could free him. The moment he entered Kāśī, brahmahatyā sank down and the skull fell from his hand. He then stayed at Kapālamochana Tīrtha as the koṭvāl, the guardian and officer of Kāśī.

Brahmā’s proud claim on Meru

Long ago, on the peak of Meru, the great ṛshis (seers) bowed to Brahmā. They asked him, “What is that one unchanging Principle?” Brahmā, the father of the worlds, was deluded by the Māyā of Maheśa. He did not understand the great Being, and he declared himself supreme:

“I am the source of the universe. I am the only self-born Īśvara. I am the Brahman without beginning. No one gets moksha unless he does pūjā to me. I make the worlds work. I alone make them withdraw. It is true that no one among the devas is greater than me.”

While Brahmā was speaking, Kratu challenged him. Kratu was born of a part of Nārāyaṇa. In words that were just as deluded, he claimed the highest place for Vishṇu. So Brahmā and Vishṇu argued about who was supreme, and each claimed to be the first cause. In their confusion, they turned together to the four Vedas as the final authority.

The testimony of the Vedas

The four Vedas spoke together. Each one pointed to the same Parameśvara.

Ṛk: “It is Rudra alone in whom the bhūtas (living beings) rest. From him everything comes out and works. He is the one they call the highest reality.”
Yajus: “It is Śiva alone who sees all. He is that Īśa who is honoured by all yajñas and through yoga. We gain our authority through him.”
Sāman: “It is the great Tryambaka by whose light the whole universe shines. Yogīs meditate on him, and the whole cosmos turns because of him.”
Atharvan: “They call him Śaṅkara. He is kaivalya (moksha), the remover of sorrows, the one Īśvara of the devas, whom blessed people know through devotion.”

Even after the direct word of the Vedas, Brahmā and Vishṇu were overcome by Śiva’s Māyā and smiled it away. Brahmā’s fifth head spoke in pride. It said: “How can that master of the Pramathas be compared to the Supreme Brahman? He plays naked with Śivā in a burning ground. He is grey with dust. He wears matted hair and snakes as ornaments, and he rides a bull.”

Then Praṇava, the Oṃkāra, spoke as the voice of truth with no body. It said: “Rudra never plays with a Śakti who is different and apart from him. Śivā is his own everlasting Śakti. She is bliss itself and was not added to him from outside.” Even this did not break through the Māyā that held Brahmā and Vishṇu.

A great light appears and Kālabhairava is created

A great light appeared between Brahmā and Vishṇu. It filled the space between svarga and the earth. In the middle of this shining orb was a form like a man. This was Nīlalohita, three-eyed, holding a trident, wearing snakes and the crescent moon as ornaments.

Brahmā looked at the form and said in pride: “I know you, moon-crested one. Long ago you came out of my forehead as Rudra. You cried then, and so I named you Rudra (rudra, the one who cries). Son, take refuge in me alone.”

On hearing this, Śiva, the Īśvara, became angry in a righteous way. From his own self he created a terrible Purusha: Kālabhairava. Śiva told him his names and what they mean:

Bhairava: because he bears (bharaṇa) the universe, or because his roar (rava) is terrible.
Kālarāja: because he shines like Kāla (Death) itself.
Kālabhairava: because even Kāla is afraid of him.
Amardaka: because he puts down the wicked-minded.
Pāpabhakshaṇa: because he eats up the pāpa of his devotees.

Śiva made Kālabhairava the overlord of Kāśī, his everlasting city and the city of moksha. Kālabhairava alone would correct and punish those who do wrong in Kāśī. Even Chitragupta would not write down their karmas.

Brahmā’s fifth head is cut off

Kālabhairava received Śiva’s order and his names. In one moment he plucked off Brahmā’s fifth head, the head that had spoken the insulting words. He did it with the tip of the nail of a finger of his left hand.

Brahmā was frightened and recited the Śatarudrīya mantra. Vishṇu praised Śaṅkara. Śiva was pleased and comforted them both. Then he spoke to Kālabhairava, who is his own form:

“Adhvara (Nārāyaṇa) and Śatadhruti (Brahmā) are worthy of your respect. O Nīlalohita, take the skull of Brahmā and go begging, as a holy vow. In this way you will drive away the pāpa of killing a brāhmaṇa and show it yourself to ordinary people.”

At the same time Śiva created a woman’s form, Brahmahatyā. She was dressed in red and wore red garlands. She had curved teeth like fangs and a hanging tongue. The ends of her feet reached the sky. She was drinking blood. In her hand were a knife and a broken pot. Her fierce eyes were tawny. Śiva told her: “Follow Kāla (Kālabhairava) everywhere until he reaches Vārāṇasī. Except in Kāśī, you will find it easy to enter everywhere.” After giving this order, Śiva vanished.

Wandering through the worlds

Kālabhairava carried Brahmā’s skull. His Pramatha gaṇas went with him. He wandered through all the worlds: Satyaloka, Vaikuṇṭha, Indraloka, Mahendraloka, and every tīrtha and holy place in the three worlds. Brahmahatyā followed him without rest. No place, no offering and no tīrtha could free him from the skull stuck to his hand.

At Vaikuṇṭha

Kālabhairava came to the divine mansion of Mahāvishṇu. Vishṇu saw the three-eyed master of the worlds coming in this form and fell flat on the ground like a log in praṇāma (a full bow). All the devas, ṛshis and apsarās did the same. Vishṇu spoke to Lakshmī with awe and devotion:

“We are fortunate, O lotus-eyed one, because we see the master of the universe himself. He is the maker and the giver of destiny of all the worlds. He has no beginning and he is the only refuge. He is the twenty-sixth principle, beyond the twenty-five tattvas. He is the soul within all living beings.”

Vishṇu praised Kālabhairava with great devotion and then asked why he had come. Kālabhairava explained. Vishṇu asked Brahmahatyā to let him go, but she refused. Her authority had been given by Parameśvara himself, and nothing could overrule it except Parameśvara’s own city.

Then Janārdana (Vishṇu) himself became Kālabhairava’s bowl for alms. Lakshmī gave a holy offering of food called Manorathāvatī. Śiva accepted Vishṇu’s praise. He gave Vishṇu the vara (boon) of always seeing the feet of Bhagavān Śiva, and departed.

Freedom at Kapālamochana in Kāśī

Kālabhairava went on to Vārāṇasī. It is the everlasting city of Mahādeva, the Avimukta-kshetra, the city that Śiva himself never leaves.

At the moment he crossed the holy boundary of Kāśī:

“Brahmahatyā cried ‘Alas! Alas!’ and went down into the lowest of the nether worlds.”

And:

“While all the people stood watching, the skull of Brahmā fell from Rudra’s hand. Seeing it fallen, he danced with great joy.”

The power of the city had undone what no tīrtha, no ritual and no offering in any world could undo. Kāśī, the everlasting body of Rudra himself, wiped away the pāpa of brahmahatyā that had clung to Kālabhairava through all the worlds.

Kālabhairava stays at Kapālamochana

Kālabhairava stood at the Kapālamochana Tīrtha. This is the spot in the Avimukta-kshetra where Brahmā’s skull fell. He chose to stay there for ever as the overlord of Kāśī.

“Honouring the holy spot Kapālamochana, Bhairava stood there itself, eating up the heap of pāpa of his devotees.”

He became the koṭvāl (guardian and officer) of the holy city. His work is:

To correct and punish those who do wrong in Kāśī.
To protect the righteous people who live there.
To destroy the power of Kali within the kshetra.
To lift the pitṛs (ancestors) of his devotees out of naraka with a single pradakshiṇā (walk around him).

His names are Amardaka (subduer of pāpa), Pāpabhakshaṇa (eater of pāpa), Kālarāja (king of time) and Kālabhairava (terror of time). Each one names a part of his work as guardian and purifier of the city.

Worship of Kālabhairava at Kāśī

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa lays down these practices:

Main day of pūjā: the eighth day (Kṛshṇa Ashṭamī) of the month of Mārgaśīrsha. The devotee fasts and stays awake in his presence. All the pāpa done at Kāśī is destroyed.
Regular pūjā: on every Ashṭamī, every Chaturdaśī, every Tuesday and every Sunday. This is a festival of the procession of Bhairava, and it removes all the pāpa of the year.
Walking around him: eight pradakshiṇās of Pāpabhakshaṇa each day stop pāpa of mind, speech and body from building up.
Japa at his pedestal: six months of japa of any chosen deva, sitting near the pedestal of Amardaka, gives supernatural powers.
Bathing at Kalodaka: the holy tank near his shrine lifts one’s pitṛs out of naraka.

“Those who are devotees of Viśveśvara but not of Kālabhairava will meet obstacles at every step in Kāśī.”

The Kūrma Purāṇa account

The Kūrma Purāṇa tells the same event in its Uttarārdha, Chapter 31.

In the Kūrma Purāṇa, the Vedas speak after Brahmā’s pride.
In the Kūrma Purāṇa, Vishṇu cuts his own forehead and gives his blood as bhikshā (alms) into the skull. The skull is not filled.
In the Kūrma Purāṇa, Vishvaksena is killed by the trident of Kālabhairava and brought back to life by Vishṇu.
In the Kūrma Purāṇa, Brahmahatyā cries out and melts away at Kāśī.
In the Kūrma Purāṇa, the skull falls and is set up as a tīrtha.

Sources

Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 31
Kūrma Purāṇa, Uttarārdha, Chapter 31