Probabbly most Indian are familiar about different forms of Shiva. Indians have been worshipping Shiva in different forms from time to time like Pashupati during the Harappan Civilisation times, or Rudra during the Vedic times or many other forms like Mrityunjaya, Sadashiva, Maheswara, Tarakeshwar, Panchalingeswar or Nataraja are to name a few of them. The ascetic form and the family form of Shiva or the Linga form of Shiva are very popular form of Shiva. I won’t be discussing about the most popular or so called popular forms of Shiva, I will be discussing about relatively unknown or lesser-known form of Shiva and probably a form whose motivation was more ‘political’, about which I will be discussing at the later part. I form of Shiva which I’m going to introduce you to is Sharabha.
As per to Shiva Purana, Sharabha was very fierce looking. It had the wings and beak of a bird, the body of a lion, sharp teeth, many legs and huge arms. It had sharp claws, the three eyes were like raging fire and was blazing fire. The voice was like thousands of thunders striking together.
The myth has its origins in the Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu. Having achieved the purpose of killing the demon Hiranyakashipu, Lord Vishnu was supposed to go back to his original form. However Narasimha having tasted blood was in no hurry to return to his original form. There was a growing belief that Vishnu might not go back to his form, and so to tame it, Lord Shiva had to take the most dangerous form to bring Narasimha avatar under control. A battle took place, where Narasimha avatar tried to strike at Sharabha, where Narasimha realise that defeating Sharabha was invincible. On striking Sarabha, it was Lord Vishnu who groaned in pain only to realise that it was none other than Lord Shiva, and thus was Narasimha subdued, who later sang praises of the Sharabha Deva!
This rationale of such a form of Shiva can be found in the conflict between the Shaivites and Vaishnavites. The Bhagvata Purana describes Hiranyakashipu as to be the terror to mankind and to eliminate him, Lord Vishnu had to come to earth in the form of Narasimha avatar. The Skanda Purana however, mentions Hiranyakashipu, as just a distracting on earth and not at all a terror. A point must be noted and not to be forgotten here, that Hiranyakashipu was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, i.e. though the boon given to him was by Lord Brahma. The Shaivites believe in this form of Lord Shiva and find its rationale of taming a form of Lord Vishnu, which was quite palatable. However, the Vaishnavites do not believe in Narasimha avatar being defeated by Sharabha. Rather, they believe that Narasimha avatar manifested itself into Sharabha after killing the demon and Sharabha even finds place in the 1000 names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranama)!
It is believed the Believing in Sharabha Deva is left to one’s individual inclination.
Sharabha Deva in due course stands for the Lord who destroys those who cross the moral and ethical boundaries.
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