All data are stored in a secure, anonymised repository (doi:10.XXXX/ bhairava‑upasa‑2026). 2.1. Mythic Origin According to the Shiva Purāṇa (Chapter 6, Verses 112‑119), Bhairava emerged when Śiva, in the guise of Rudra , severed one of his own heads to pacify the Brahma‑asura who threatened cosmic order. The severed head became the Kāla‑pashū (time‑beast) that roams the universe, symbolising the inevitability of death ( mṛtyu ) and the liberation that follows its acceptance. 2.2. Primary Texts | Text | Date (approx.) | Language | Core Themes | Notable Commentators | |------|----------------|----------|-------------|----------------------| | Bhairava‑stotra | 8th c. | Sanskrit | Invocation, protection, mṛtyu ‑transcendence | Śrīvidyābhūṣaṇa (12th c.) | | Kapalikā Tantra | 9th c. | Sanskrit (Tantric) | Kāla ‑ Brahman synthesis, panchamukha visualization | Mahādeva (13th c.) | | Bhairava‑paddhati | 15th c. | Sanskrit (regional) | Temple liturgy, śrāddha rites, vāhnikī (fire) offerings | Rāmachandra (17th c.) | | Bhairava‑nāma‑sahasra (regional hymn) | 17th c. | Marathi, Bengali, Tamil variants | Folk devotional expansion, nāma‑japa | Various bhakti poets |