SHIVA BHIKSHATANAM - BRAHMA KAPALAM

 

SHIVA BHIKSHATANAM

BRAHMA KAPALA - SHIVA BHIKSHATANA

According to BrahmANDa purANa, Lord Shiva and Lord BrahmA, at one point in time, had five heads each. Once, when BrahmA visited kailAsha, pArvati dEvi saw Him from far and mistook BrahmA for Shiva. She offered pAda pooja to Him. Lord Shiva arrived and got enraged at this sight. Sighting the five heads to be the reason for the confusion, he angrily cut off the fifth head of BrahmA. ShivA acquired the brahmahatyA dOsham. 

BrahmA cursed Shiva that His severed head would stick to Shiva's hand and will be separated only when it gets filled. As Lord Shiva is ardhanAreeshwara, his one-half of the body was occupied by Parvati dEvi. She could not bear her husband’s insult and suffering. She advised Him to beg for alms (bhikshA) in sacred places. So, Shiva became a mendicant, carrying brahmA's kapAlam, and visiting kshEtrams.  Several years passed. To his dismay, the skull did not get filled up in any of the kshEtrams. 

Shiva finally reached BadrinAth and beseeched the Lord. On the approval of MahAlakshmi, Lord Badri nArAyaNa cut His chest and filled the brahma kapAlam fully with blood from His chest, saying ‘akshayam!’. Then the skull fell down and broke. Thus, Lord Shiva's curse was expiated by the charity of Lord VishNu. (The same story is also quoted as having happened in the divya desam, TirukanDiyoor, Hara shApa vimOchana sthalam).

The blood from the chest of VishNu that filled the skull is referred to in divya prabandhams by many beautiful names by AzhvArs. As mahAlakshmi resides in the Lord's chest permanently, the blood from the chest is considered pure, fragrant, auspicious, and blessed by her.

Tirumangai AzhvAr in Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.4

ஈனமர் சாபம் நீக்கா என்ன ஓண் புனலை ஈந்தான்

eenamar shaapam neekkaa enna ON punalai eendaan

Lord ViShNu gave alms of sacred water to absolve the brahmahatya shaapam of Lord Shiva.

Tirumangai AzhvAr in Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.9

மாறொன்று இல்லா வாசநீர், வரைமார்பு அகலத்து அளித்து உகந்தான்..

mARonRu illaa vAsaneer, varaimaarbu agalatthu aLittu ugandaan

Lord ViShNu filled the skull with unmatched fragrant water from His wide generous chest. 

Tirumazhisai AzhvAr in Tiruchchandaviruttam 42

கீறு திங்கள் வைத்தவன் கைவைத்த வன்கபால் மிசை 

 ஊறு செங்குருதியால் நிறைத்த..

keeRu tingaL vaittavan kaivaitta vankapAl michai ooRu chengkurudiyAl niRaitta..

Lord VishNu filled with red blood, the skull held by Shiva adorned with the half-moon.