Bhairava of the Aghora Path

Aghora Bhairava · a-ghora bhairava, “the Bhairava who is not terrible”

Bhairava of the Aghora path is a yati of the Kali Yuga in the Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa. Born without a womb at Kāśī from the aṃśa of Bhagavān Kapālī Śiva, he established the difficult Aghora mārga among his śishyas, became a śishya of Śaṅkarācārya, and established the Ḍāmara Tantra.

His account

The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that Sūta said to Śaunaka: Bhagavān Kapālī Śiva by his aṃśa was born at Kāśī as ayonija (not of a womb). He came onto the earth from the Kapālamocana kuṇḍa and became famous as Bhairava, a yati, a vedanidhi (treasure of the Veda).

He established the difficult Aghora mārga among his śishyas. Then he came to Śaṅkarācārya and became his śishya. He established the mantra-filled Ḍāmara Tantra, and taught the way of utkīlana, the releasing of kolita (locked) mantras.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 13

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 13