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SoundIdentityVerse 130beginner

Repeating the Name Bhairava

Contemplating its meaning — he who sounds forth all, the all-giving, all-pervading — continuously utter the word "Bhairava", and become Shiva.

Source verse · Verse 130
भया सर्वं रवयति सर्वदो व्यापकोऽखिले। इति भैरवशब्दस्य सन्ततोच्चारणाच्छिवः॥
bhayā sarvaṃ ravayati sarvado vyāpako'khile | iti bhairavaśabdasya santatoccāraṇāc chivaḥ
Contemplating its meaning — he who sounds forth all, the all-giving, all-pervading — continuously utter the word "Bhairava", and become Shiva.
▶ Practice this technique10 / 15 / 20 min · eyes either

How to practice

  1. 1Settle, and bring to mind the meaning hidden in the name "Bhairava": the one who makes all things resound, the all-giving, the all-pervading Lord.
  2. 2Begin to repeat the word "Bhairava" — aloud, then softly, then mentally — continuously.
  3. 3Let each repetition carry that full meaning, not just the syllables.
  4. 4Sustain the meaningful repetition until the name and its meaning fill awareness; through it, one becomes Shiva.
Practice note. This is meaning-soaked japa: the power is in uniting the continuous sound of the name with the felt sense of its all-pervading meaning.

Terms in this technique

śabda
Sound, word — both spoken and inner.
nāda
The inner, unstruck sound; subtle vibration.
bhairava
The fierce, all-encompassing form of Shiva; ultimate consciousness.
aham
The sense of "I"; the self that is inquired into.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Swami Lakshmanjoo, Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization (Universal Shaiva Fellowship, 2007)
  • Bettina Bäumer, Vijñâna Bhairava: The Practice of Centering Awareness (Indica Books, 2011)
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