Preethi Sriram
By Preethi Sriram
On August 04, 2024, one of the dance performances that I had attended was for a show called HariHaran by the Gurukrupa School of Dance. A solo performance was performed on a song called “Yam Yam Yaksha Roopam Mahakala Bhairava Stotram.”
The dance performed was a very powerful choreography in praise of Lord Maha KalaBhairava, which is supposed to be a frightening manifestation of Lord Shiva.
The dancers showcased the gruesome form of Shiva as Lord Maha KalaBhairava. The expressions provided by the dancers were terrific in showcasing His fearsome form.
Watching this dance made me want to learn more about the song itself as well and this manifestation of Shiva. As a kid, I have always had some draw to both Shiva and Kali in forms that some may see as horrible or frightening.
For me, the frightening characteristics of Kali and Shiva were always wonderous.
The skulls Kali wears around her neck are beautiful. This is beautiful because She is a mother, and She is a protector. Her rage is justified. She protects Her children.
When pondering what I would do if I saw the forms of Kali in person, I could easily say that I would be so delighted. I could feel that with such an innocence as well that only children can understand when not yet fettered to the worldly attachments.
I could easily think that if I were in Her way, and She ran over me, I would feel so fortunate. This is not in any way a “dark” feeling, but a feeling of being blessed to be able to be so fortunate to encounter Her.
Lord KalaBhairava also wears skulls around His neck and is quite terrible looking. In the Stotra, the description noted is that He has a “Dirgha Jiwha” or a long tongue as well as sharp teeth.
But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the concept of what one may find beautiful may change in one’s different stages of life. This concept can also be impacted by knowledge.
What one finds scary can change with exposure to new ideas. For instance, in daily life, a new neighbor moving into the neighborhood who comes from a different background or culture may be initially “scary” to the other neighbors.
Maybe they look different from the other neighbors. Or maybe they wear different clothes. They may talk in a different strange sounding garble/a menacing “tongue.” It may be uncomfortable to not know what they are saying, and they may seem unfamiliar.
This fear can be taken in a negative direction or can be taken positively.
In the positive direction, by overcoming one’s own trepidations and fear, maybe an understanding can occur.
Pam Pam Pam Papanasham – This translates from the Stotram noting that Maha KalaBhairava destroys sins.
In the context of the neighbors, given time, the “sin” of ignorance is destroyed and becomes knowledge.
The “tongue” garble of the neighbors which once seemed demonic, is now an exposure to a new language.
Going from the worldly, back to the divinities, the concept of the skulls can be explored from various vantage points. It can be seen as gruesome, and it can be misunderstood or taken out of context.
But when exploring the concepts in Sanatana Dharma, the skulls represent the impermanence of the material body.
The skulls worn by Kali and KalaBhairava demonstrate that the human form is but a shell, or carrier for the atma.
In daily life, from fear of the foreign neighbor, another fear is the concept of time.
Will we make it in time to school? If we wake up too late, we may miss the bus. Is there enough time to play outside – or should one keep studying all the time. Can we make it in time to the meeting for work if there’s a traffic jam?
When will we stop having to keep switching the time twice a year. Can society stop doing that and stick to one time, or is it arbitrary?
How to manage time properly before time starts catching up and we lose track of that time.
Does time truly heal wounds? Maybe it may take a few cycles for the healing to occur. Maybe a new start is needed to learn a lesson.
KalaBhairava is fearful because Kala also represents time. Krishna notes to Arjuna in Bhagavad Geetha that He is time. The ultimate “destroyer” of the mortal form is time.
But is that truly fearful? Or is that a “truth?” Does the truth in this case set one free?
If through understanding one understands time, they can maybe start to try to use that time wisely.
Being enlightened to that helps one to rise above the initial fear of what time is, and to see how magnificent KalaBhairava truly is in His divine and great form. Asato ma sad gamaya.
From ignorance, understanding KalaBhairava can take one to truth. The Indian Classical Arts is a medium to be able to teach the abstract and yet very real concepts of time and to be able to meditate upon these complex constructs throughout one’s journey in time.
This series of articles is about the journey and unique insights of an adult dance student learning classical Indian dance and the experiences and perspective of taking classical Indian dance as both an American and an Indian.
Preethi Sriram is a classical dance enthusiast and lifelong learner of dance. Contact: [email protected]
