Kaal Bhairav Jayanti Katha: All you need to know

KaalBhairavJayanti also known as Kaalashtami falls on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha in the Margashirsh month. It marks the appearance of Lord Shiva’s furious form KaalBhairav. He came into being to punish the evil and destroy the ones who did wrongful acts. His other names are Dandapati which literally means the one who punishes. Ardent devotees of Shiva not only worship the God on this day but also observe a fast. It is an important time of the year to seek blessings of the mighty Lord KaalBhairav. Performing ritualistic puja on KaalBhairavJayanti removes fear and bestows courage.

KaalBhairavJayanti Story

Once the Gods questioned Lord Brahma and desired to know what was the indestructible element in this entire world. They wanted to see the indestructible God whose beginning or end was unknown. Lord Brahma replied that He was the invincible among all because He is the Creator of this Universe. The Gods then asked the same question to Lord Vishnu. He said that He is the indestructible God because the world’s sustenance & preservation depends on Him. Due to the diverging answers from both the deities, the Gods called Four Vedas to find the truth. The Four Vedas declared that Lord Shiva was the one whose origin is unknown, the past, present & future is contained within Him and He is invulnerable in the three worlds. As Lord Brahma heard this, He was angered and said disrespectful things about Lord Shiva. This displeased the Four Vedas and at that very moment, a pillar of gleaming light appeared. It was Lord Rudra who appeared in the form of a sacred light. Lord Brahma said that Rudra was born from His head and Rudra should serve Him. Enraged by this,Lord Shiva created Bhairav who was a ferocious avatar of Shiva Himself. He was created to keep a control over Brahma.

KaalBhairavJayanti Puja

Wake up early on KaalBhairavJayanti. Take a bath and cleanse the surroundings by sprinkling Gangajal
Wear black clothes on this day
Set up an altar for KaalBhairav Puja and lay a black cloth on it
Worship Lord KaalBhairav with sincere devotion
Offer Akshat (whole rice grains), Chandan (Sandalwood), Black Urad lentils, Black Sesame seeds and Dhatura flower to the God during puja
After this, offer blue flowers to the God
Recite the KaalBhairav Mantra “||AtikrurMahakaayKalpaantDahnopam

BhairavNamastyubhamAnudnyaDaatumarhasi||”

Perform KaalBhairavAarti to complete the puja

Things to do on KaalBhairavJayanti

Visit your nearest KaalBhairav or Lord Shiva temple
Offer 21 Bel Patra (Bel leaves) with “Om NamahShivaay” written on them with Sandalwood to the Shivaling
Feed a black dog with sweet bread to appease Lord KaalBhairav
Make offerings such as Sindoor, Mustard oil, Coconut, Chironji seeds, Grams and Jalebi (Indian sweet) to Lord KaalBhairav in any temple
One can also visit holy sites such as Kashi, Nasik, etc. to feed the Brahmins
It is advised to recite the BhairavAshtakam to please Lord KaalBhairav

Things to avoid on KaalBhairavaJayanti

Do not harm dogs on this day
Do not worship Lord KaalBhairav without worshipping Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati
Do not respect the elderly people around and even your parents
Do not perform KaalBhairav puja with a negative intention of hurting others
Do not lie or speak badly of anyone; it may be unfavorable

Apart from the abovementioned things, it is also favorable to chant 108 names of Lord KaalBhairava as given below: