
The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Lord Bramha and Lord Vishnu recounted in “Shiv Maha-Purana” where Lord Vishnu asks Lord Bramha who is the supreme creator of the Universe. Arrogantly, Bramha tells Vishnu to worship him because he (Bramha) is the supreme creator. When he started displaying his arrogance, as the supreme creator of the Universe, Shiva assumed the form of Bhairava the terrible, and with the mere snap of a finger nail, cut off one of the five heads of Bhrama. The severed head stuck to the left palm of Bhairava. In order to expiate for the sin of cutting of Bhrama’s head (bhramahatti dosha), Shiva had to take the Kapaalika vow of wandering all over the world as a beggar, carrying the skull as his begging bowl.