Nakoda is a place in Rajasthan and here you can find a much revered deity of Bhairava. Known always as Nakoda Bhairava.
It is a tradition amongst Jains to attach regional prefixes before the names of certain deities. For example, Shankheshwara Parshwanath is a form of Parshwanath – the 23rd Jain tirthankar of this age, Parshwanath & Shankheshwara, is the place of a very prominent idol of this deity. So where ever that idol is consecrated then the deity is called Shankheshwara Parshwanath. Similarly, Nakoda Bhairava is so named.
Coming back to the topic, Yes, Nakoda Bhairava is a Jain deity. The idol is usually of a small, sturdy man with a captivating face and a prominent mustache. Often holding a trident, damru and some other items in his many hands. You must be surprised because an idol of Bhairava with trident and damru – but of course it is of Shiva, isn’t it? Calling it Nakoda Bhairava is why people may think it is a different deity. But Nakoda only signifies the original region of the deity.
Know more in my Nakoda Jain Bhairava video:
Bhairava, the Fierce Form of Shiva is also in Jainism?!
Shiva is one of the main deities of Hinduism. As per Hindu understanding, Jainism is an outcrop from Hindiusm. However, as per Jain history, Jainism is the older religion and Hinduism was an outcrop from it.
Either case, both religions are closely associated, yet the trinity – Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma find no place in the Jain tradition as far as I have known. So, when I heard my family discussing visiting Nakoda Bhairava – I was struck and starting asking a lot of questions. What is the story behind Nakoda Bhairava? Why is it called Bhairava?
Searching online got me no stories on the same. I asked my old aunty who is steeped in Jainism and knows way too many stories and tales. She said, “there was a man called Bhairava. This guy helped Jain religion flourish, built temples blah blah… so the people deified him as a Yaksha. Yakshas are helpers of the main god“. However, this is only a few Jains I think. When I visited Nakoda, all the locals do agree that this is indeed the same Bhairava deity that is found in Hindus also. But in Jainism, he is a Sattvic Bhairava.
I have just returned from Kashi – one of the major deities there is Kaal Bhairava. I must admit that I am very intrigued by the fierce forms of Shiva, specifically Kaal Bhairava. So already my head is full of a lot of research on this Hindu god.
Lately, I have been noticing Yakshas and Yakshinis in the Jain temples very closely. I have also done some online research, where many reliable sources suggest that many of these Yaksh-as/inis are a part of Hindu history as well. On one of my jain temple visits I actually came across Nakoda Bhairava himself – trident, damru and all. After this I am really convinced that Nakoda Bhairava is Bhairava – fierce form of Shiva!
And on deeper research and chatting with a lot of folks in Nakoda – including Jain monks, pujaris and locals – definitely Nakoda Bhairava is seen as the same Hindu Bhairava – albeit the method of worship is more sattvic and in tune with Jain practices.
Nakoda Bhairava, a Form of Shwet Bhairava
Nakoda Bhairava is considered a form of Shweta Bhairava. Shwet Bhairava is considered to be the brother of Kala Bhairava. I will be putting up more content on the exact nature of these two Bhairava’s so please stay tuned!
Nakoda Bhairava Mantra
The Nakoda Bhairava Mantra can be easily found in any Jain temple that has a Nakoda Bhairava murti. There is an aarti song and mantra to chant. More details on exact sadhana for Nakoda Bhairava, one should talk to a Jain monk.
In Jainism, these yakshas or demi-gods are considered to be serving the tirthankar. In this case, the main tirthankar of Nakoda is Nakoda Parshwanath. And so, Nakoda Bhairava’s are said to be serving Nako Parshwanath.
Pic Credit: http://www.nakodabhairav.com/p/songs.html#axzz3HGCaaEEZ
Hinduism came from Jainism not the other way round correct you’re post.
This post is correct, first tirthankara of Jainism Rishabhadeva was avatara of Lord Vishnu. Sanatana Dharma is the eternal religion, every other sect came from Sanatana Dharma only.
The blog is about current facts and some hypothesis. No scriptural “facts”, please.
Correct
Firstly, at some point Nako?a Bhairava was a local deity without strong links to Jainism, similar to the many other bhairavas found in
Maybe… it would be interesting to note how he got amalgamated into Jainism. Esp considering he would have much stronger ties with Shaivites then?
At ancient times in Tamil are major followers of Jain and Buddhism, in Tamil it’s called “Samanam or Samana Samayam”
there are family God for a particular family which they worship together in Tamil nadu; in tamil “Kuladeivam”
Why I am saying is because My family god is Kaal Bhairav, and we don’t eat non-veg foods and some cultures are similar to Jain cultures and contrasts Hindu cultures
So, I recognized that there must be Jains in my ancestry and then they were later converted to Hindu
Hi Akshay! Wow, thanks for sharing this… That is very interesting. Can you share some details about how your culture is similar to Jain culture than Hindu? I think it is quite possible that many Hindus in the south have Jain ancestry because earlier that area was largely Jain. And then became hindu. Though does this imply that Kaal Bhairava is / was a Jain deity which then got amalgamated into Hinduism? That’s a bit odd.. no? Because currently it’s a primarily Hindu deity with few Jain connections. So if it was a Hindu deity and then some Jain’s converted to Hinduism and adopted this Hindu deity.. it still doesn’t explain why the exisiting Jain’s would accept it as their deity too.
Yes, Tamilnadu was once 95% Jain. The main epics in Tamil are all written by Jain poets.
You may be interested in my post here on Parsvanatha, Nakoda Bhairava and their link to Lord Shiva.
https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/q/14540/3872
Hi,
I have not read any big big books in details but can you tell one thing.
History is always modified by powerful peoples so at this point it is much difficult to say who come first.
In jainism if you go in some detail you can find they described God in much details. Type of gods and their strength and weakness
God word in Hindu and jainnis quite different .
Ideal Jain believes only in God or person who are Vitragi means who liberated from all karma good and bad
In jain, believe in any person from anywhere if they are Vitragi.only.
They are called Siddha and when they are in human Avatar they told them Arihant.
Arihant goees to only in moksha and they are now siddha and never reborn and never influence any one.
Now all others Gods are divided in
Vyantar dev
Bhavanpati dev
Jyotish dev
Vaimanik dev
All these have to reborn again and all of them have karma pending.
In vyantar and bhavanpati some have Right conduct and good god called Samikiti – who can help individuals who follow some religion.
Others are not good God and they can interfere as they have more power than normal human.
Some human with great spiritual power can control this type of god and they can force them ( god with good intentions) to protect particular religion or family
Same way some hindu rishi and some jain monk force particular deity to work for their respective religion.
Bhairav is also one community of god either they come under vyantar or bhavanpati
It is like in human there are many different race and cast.
It is like biological classification of all living animal
All these things are explained in details in jainism
I think dont go in physical things of any religion just understand basic of it and follow what you feel right.
All other things are propoganda
Wow Abhijeet, I never knew all this stuff quite so..I understand that Jain’s consider mainly the humans that get enlightened – tirthankara as the greatest. Hence, it is considered an agnostic religion by some Hindus. I wasn’t aware of these other God types they have defined… But I am aware of the difference.
I think Hindus kind of take this same path when they clearly designate the guru as greater than even the god. This way they are saying that the enlightened human is greater than any non-human force. And that is kind of commonsense because we being humans, we can emulate, find inspiration in other humans who went beyond life’s limitations. And they are invaluable for us.
How these God beings, who are non-human, how they impact us and such is another matter to understand. I think for devotion they are a great help…
🙂 thanks for stopping by.
Also, I do agree that we don’t know the origin of Hinduism nor Jainism. I have been thinking that at one point both would have been extremely amalgamated possibly as a different unity altogether. And from that came out different shoots – Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and such. I personally, don’t consider Hinduism as the originating religion… And then the Q is , what is Hinduism really? It’s a complex soup.
Hi,
Dont go in debate who is first?
In our short life span we cant go in details.
Just follow only those things that you can justify by your own knowledge and during this journey step by step widen your knowledge and wisdom.
This like that puzzle , but you have to start from one point and go deep by deep with flexible mentality to change way as demand arise from you within.
Follow only inner voice but at same time self guard your inner voice also
I like any particular religion only when it provide logical answer and help me to make fearless.
When you closely observed world here everything follow some rules and everymoment has its after and before effect.
In such logical world how any one can follow illogical religion.
Religion must be inner thing and not for display, rather i believe to be more spiritual then to religious.
Our religious is mixture of psychology and material physics it is upon us how we take this.
One example,
When we are child , how any one can explain from where rain come
Or from where any new born come but it is upon us when we grow we catch real science not old childhood story.
Some time we grow physically only not mentally.
Shankara is often described to take the form of a Yaksha. The test of Trimurti etc. State this fact. His Panchakshari strotram reads Yakshaswarupaya Jatadharaya…..
Thanks for that piece of info 🙂 with your comment it gets added to the discussion.
jainism and Buddhism is came from Hindu religion
The tridev Bhrama Vishnu Mahesh (shiva) are 3 main deity lords of Hinduism
because the first jain thirantnkar rishabhdev is avtar of lord vishnu and lord buddh is also avtar of lord vishnu.
Only Hindus keep saying this.
I happen to read this article just today. Overall good info but I strongly object you saying “Jainism is an outcrop from Hindiusm”. You need to study history and prehistory a lot more. Hinduism is an outcrop of Jainism.
Hmm I am aware of Jain version of this. I think that early on there was no clear distinction between Jain & Hindu.. it was prolly a more amalgamated soup. Later we now have two distinct religions. It would be tough to identify who exactly is the originating religion. But I will add a note abt this in my blog.
Thanks for your interest. And if you have some evidence archeological or otherwise that suggests Jainism was the originating relgion feel free to share.