In Hinduism, KhatuShyam is a name and
manifestation of Barbarika, son of Ghatotkacha. This manifestation is
especially popular in the Indian state of Rajasthan, haryana. The original
Sanskrit name Barbarīka is often replaced in Rajasthan by the Hindi version,
Barbarīk, often written as Barbareek.
Barbarika had obtained a boon from Krishna to the
effect that he would be known by Krishna's own name (Shyam) in the Kaliyuga era
(presently ongoing) and worshiped. Krishna had declared that Barbarika's
devotees would be blessed just by pronouncing his name from the bottom of their
hearts. Their wishes would be granted and troubles removed if they worship
Shyamji (Barbarika) with a true piety.
Legend
The legend begins with the Mahābhārata. Barbarika
alias 'KhatuShyam' alias Shyam Baba was a grandson of Bhima, Second of the
Pandava brothers. He was the son of Ghatotkacha (who in turn was son of Bhima)
and Kamkantkata Ma Morwi . Even in his childhood, Barbarika was a very brave
warrior. He learnt the art of warfare from his mother. God Shiva, pleased with
him, gave him the three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). Hence, Barbarika came to
be known by the appellation Teen Baan Dhaari, the "Bearer of Three
Arrows". Later, Agni (the god of Fire) gave him the bow that would make
him victorious in the three worlds.
When Barbarika got to know that battle between the
Pandavas and the Kauravas had become inevitable, he wanted to witness what was
to be the Mahābhārata War. He promised his mother that if he felt the urge to
participate in the battle, he would join the side which would be losing. He
rode to the field on his Blue Horse equipped with his three arrows and bow.
Krishna tests Barbarika
Krishna disguised as a Brahmin and stopped
Barbarika to examine his strength. He baited Barbarika by mocking him for going
to the great battle with only three arrows. On this, Barbarika replied that a
single arrow was enough to destroy all his opponents in the war, and it would
then return to his quiver. He stated that, the first arrow is used to mark all
the things that he wants to destroy. On releasing the third arrow, it would
destroy all the things that are marked and will then return to his quiver. If
he uses the second arrow, then the second arrow will mark all the things that
he wants to save. On using the third arrow, it will destroy all the things that
are not marked. In other words, with one arrow he can fix all his targets and
with the other he can destroy them.
Barbarika's phenomenal power
Krishna then challenges him to tie all the leaves
of the peepal tree under which he was standing with these arrows. Barbarika
accepts the challenge and starts meditating to release his arrow by closing his
eyes. Then, Krishna without the knowledge of Barbarika, plucks one of the leaf
of the tree and puts it under his foot. When Barbarik releases his first arrow,
it marks all the leaves of the tree and finally starts revolving around the leg
of Krishna. For this Krishna asks Barbarika, as why was the arrow revolving
around his foot? For this, Barbareek replies that there must be a leaf under
his foot and the arrow was targeting his foot to mark the leaf that is hidden
under him. Barbarika advises Krishna to lift his leg, since, otherwise the
arrow will mark the leaf by pricking Krishna's leg. Thus, Krishna lifts his
foot and to his surprise, finds that the first arrow also marks the leaf that
was hidden under his foot. Of course, the third arrow does collect all the
leaves (including the one under Krishna's foot) and ties them together. By this
Krishna concludes that the arrows are so infallible, that even if Barbarika is
not aware of his targets, the arrows are so powerful that they can still
navigate and trace all his intended targets. The moral of this incident is
that, in a real battle field, if Krishna wants to isolate some one (for
example: the 5 Pandava brothers) and hides them elsewhere in order to avoid
them from being Barbarika's victim, then Krishna will not be successful as the
arrows after destroying the whole army, can trace the hidden targets also and
destroy them. So, nobody will be able to escape from these arrows. Thus Krishna
gets a deeper insight about Barbarika's phenomenal power.
The Consequence of Barbarika's word to his mother
Krishna then asks the boy whom he would favour in
the war. Barbarika reveals that he intends to fight for the side whichever is
weak. As Pandavas have only seven Akshouni army, when compared to Kauravas
eleven, he considers that Pandavas are weak and hence wants to support them so
that Pandavas will become victorious. But Krishna asks him, did he seriously
gave a thought about the consequences before giving such a word to his mother
(to support the weak side). Barbarika guesses that his support to the weaker
side will make them victorious. Then, Krishna reveals the actual consequence of
his word to his mother:
Krishna tells that, according to the strategy of
Kauravas not the entire eleven Akshouni army will be used to wage a war on the
first day. Hence, the part of Kaurava's army that comes before Pandavas on the
first day, will be completely destroyed by Barbareek. But, that part of
Kaurava's army that does not come before Pandavas on the first day will become
weak. This will force Barbareek to support Kauravas and fight against Pandavas.
Now, Barbareek will destroy that part of Pandavas army that comes before
Kauravas. The remaining part of Pandavas army that does not come before
Barbareek will now become very weak. Thus, whichever side he supports will only
make the other side weak due to his phenomenal power and nobody will be able to
defeat him. Thus, in an actual war, he will keep oscillating between the two
sides, thereby destroying the entire army of both sides and eventually only he
will remain. Subsequently, none of the side is victorious as he will be the
only lone survivor. Hence, Krishna avoids his participation from the war by
seeking his head in Charity.
Krishna's leg
The other version of story tells that the first
arrow indeed pricks Krishna's leg and mark the leaf that is hidden under
Krishna's foot. This becomes a weak spot of Krishna. Prior to this event, lord
Krishna also gets a boon from sage Durvasa that his entire body except his leg
will be immune to all weapons. Hence, only his leg will be vulnerable. In the
end of Kurukshetra war, when Krishna revives Abhimanyu's son Parikshit, he
loses half of his strength and thereby making him even more weaker. Later, in
Mausala parva, a hunter by name Jara hits at Krishna's foot mistaking him for a
deer leads to the death of Krishna. In other words, this weak spot on Krishna's
foot was first created by Barbareek's arrow.
The other interpretation of three arrows
The three arrows are signs of three
"taaps" that humans experience. These include the physical, mental
and emotional conflicts and confusions that are found almost everywhere. These
three "taaps" are cleared with chanting of name of Krishna. Thus,
giving Barabarika the name "Shyaam", the Lord intended to remove the
three taaps of human like, symbolized with the three arrows.
Act of charity
Barbarika donates his head to Krishna.
The guised Krishna then sought charity from
Babarika. Barbarika promised him anything he wished. Krishna asked him to give
his head in charity. Barbarika was shocked. Perceiving that all was not as it
appeared, he requested the Brahmin to disclose his real identity. Krishna
showed Barbarika a vision of His Divine Form and Barbarika was thus graced.
Krishna then explained to him that before a battle, the head of the bravest
Kshatriya needs to be sacrificed, in order to worship/sanctify the battlefield.
Krishna said that he considered Barbarika to be the bravest among Kshatriyas,
and was hence asking for his head in charity. In fulfilment of his promise, and
in compliance with the Krishna's command, Barbarika gave his head to him in
charity. This happened on the 12th day of the Shukla Paksha (bright half) of
the month of phaagun on Tuesday.
Why Lord Krishna asks for Barbareek's head
This was because lord krishna knew that if lord
barbareek fights in the favour of karovas,pandavas will definitely lose so thus
as he wanted pandavas to win he asked barbareek for his head
Bearing witness to the war
Before decapitating himself, Barbarika told
Krishna of his great desire to view the forthcoming battle and requested him to
facilitate the same. Krishna agreed and placed the head on top of a hill
overlooking the battlefield. From the hill, the head of Barbarika watched the
entire battle.
At the end of the battle, the victorious Pandava
brothers argued amongst themselves as to who was responsible for their victory.
Krishna suggested that Barbarika's head, which had watched the whole battle
should be allowed to judge. Barbarika's head suggested that it was Krishna
alone who was responsible for the victory: his advice, his presence, his
gameplan had been very crucial.
Temple
After the Mahābhārata battle, Barbarika's head was
drown in the river name rupawati by lord krishna giving lots of blessings.After
many years when kalyug started the head was found buried in the village of
Khatu in present-day Rajasthan. The location was obscured until well after the
Kaliyuga period began. Then, on one occasion, milk started flowing
spontaneously out of a cow's udder when she neared the burial spot. Amazed at
this incident, the local villagers dug the place up and the buried head was
revealed. The head was handed over to a Brahmin who worshipped it for many
days, awaiting divine revelations as to what was to be done next. Roopsingh
Chauhan, king of Khatu, then had a dream where he was inspired to build a
temple and install the head therein. Subsequently, a temple was built and the
idol was installed on the 11th day of the Shukla Paksha (bright half) of the
month of Phagun.
There is another, only slightly different version
of this legend. Roopsingh Chauhan was the ruler of Khatu. His wife, Narmada
Kanwar, once had a dream in which the deity instructed her to take his image
out of the earth. The indicated place (now known as Shyam Kund) when then dug
up. Sure enough, it yielded the idol, which was duly enshrined in the temple.
The original temple was built in 1027 AD by
Roopsingh Chauhan, after his wife and his wife Narmada Kanwar, saw dream about
the buried idol. The place where the idol was dug out from is called Shyam
Kund.[1]In 1720 AD, a nobleman known as Diwan Abhaisingh renovated the old
temple, at the behest of the then ruler of Marwar. The temple took its present
shape at this time and the idol was enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum. The
idol is made of rare stone. Khatushyam is the family deity of a large number of
families.
His another temple is located at Vasna, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat where people are coming with their newly born child to have blessings
of Khatushyam. Here he is known as Baliya Dev.
Architectural features
The temple is architecturally rich. Lime mortar,
marble and tiles have been used in constructing the structure. The shutters of
the sanctum sanctorum are beautifully covered with silver sheet. Outside is the
prayer hall, named Jagmohan. The hall is large in size (measuring 12.3 m x 4.7
m) and its walls are elaborately painted, depicting mythological scenes. The
entrance gate and exit gate are made of marble; their brackets are also of marble
and feature ornamental floral designs.
Precincts
There is an open space in front of the entrance
gate of the temple. The Shyam Bagicha is a garden near the temple from where
flowers are picked to be offered to the deity. The Samadhi of Aloo Singh, a great
devotee, is located within the garden.
The Gopinath temple lies to the south-east of the
main temple. The Gaurishankar temple also lies nearby. There is an interesting
tale associated with the Gaurishankar temple. It is said that some soldiers of
the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb wanted to destroy this temple. They attacked the
Shiva lingam enshrined within this temple with their spears. Immediately,
fountains of blood appeared from the Shiva Lingam. The soldiers ran away,
terrified. One can still see the mark of the spear on the Lingam.
Khatushyam main temple is located at Khatu Town
about 80 km from Jaipur. Devotees are requested to take route via Ringus.
Observances and festivals
Barbarika is worshiped as Shyam, being Krishna
himself. Therefore, the flavour of the festivities reflects the playful and
vibrant nature of Krishna. The festivals of Krishna Janmaashtami, Jhool Jhulani
Ekadashi, Holi and Vasant Panchami are celebrated with gusto in the temple. The
Phalguna Mela detailed below is the principal annual festival.
Hundreds of devotees visit the temple every day.
Newly married couples come to pay homage and newborn babies are brought to the
temple for their mundan (the first hair-shaving) ceremony. An elaborate aarti
is performed at the temple five times a day. These are:
Mangala Aarti: performed in the early morning,
when temple is open.
Shringaar Aarti: performed at the time of make-up
of Baba Shyam. The idol is grandly ornamented for this aarti.
Bhog Aarti: performed at noon when bhog (Prasadam)
is served to the Lord.
Sandhya Aarti: performed in the evening, at
sunset.
Sayana Aarti: performed in the night, when temple
is closed.[citation needed]
Two special hymns, the "Shri Shyam
Aarti" and the "Shri Shyam Vinati," are chanted on all these
occasions. The Shyam mantra is another litany of the Lord's names that is
chanted by devotees.
Other particular observances include:
Shukla Ekadashi and Dwadashi: The 11th and 12th
days of the bright half of every month in the Hindu calendar is of special
significance to the temple. This is because Barbarika was born on the 11th day
of the bright half of the month of Kartika, and he donated his head (Sheesh) to
Krishna on the 12th day of the bright half of the month of phaagun on Tuesday.
Darshan on these two days is therefore considered auspicious and devotees come
in their thousands every month. The temple remains open throughout the night
that falls between these days. Night-long Bhajan sessions are organised since
devotees traditionally pass the night in singing the praises of the Lord.
Devotees organise Bhajan programmes and invite Bhajan singers to sing
devotional songs.
Bathing in the Shyam Kund: This is the holy pond
near the temple from which the idol was retrieved. It is believed that a dip in
this pond cures a person from ailments and brings good health. Filled with
devotional fervor, people take ritual dips in the Shyam Kund. They believe that
this will relieve them of diseases and contagion. Bathing during the annual
Phalguna Mela festival is deemed specially salutary.
Nishan Yatra: It is believed that your wishes are
granted if you offer a Nishan at the temple. A Nishan is a triangular flag of a
particular size, made of cloth, which is hoisted on a bamboo stick. It is
carried in one's hands while covering the route from the town of Ringas to
Khatu (17 km) on (bare) foot. Nishans are offered in millions during the
Phalguna Mela.
Long Pilgrims Queue to take the sight of shyam
baba in falgun mela 2014
Phalguna Mela: The most important festival
associated with the temple is the Phalguna Mela which occurs just 3–4 days
before from the festival of Holi. Barbarika's head appeared on Phalguna Shuddha
Ekadashi, the 11th day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Phalguna.
Therefore, the fair is held from the 9th to the 12th of that month.
An estimated one million devotees visit the temple
during these four days from all corners of the country. There is virtually no
vacant space in the town during this period. There is celebration and festivity
in the moods of the devotees who wait for hours in long serpentine queues for a
moment's glance of the deity. The whole town, along with the temple, is
illuminated. Singers from all over the country come here to perform Bhajans on
this holy occasion. Special arrangements are made for feeding the devotees in
almost all the Dharamshalas and rest-houses. Special trains and buses operate
during the mela. The government of Rajasthan takes care of the law and order
during the fair.
Administration and amenities
The Public Trust that has charge of the temple is
registered under registration No. 3/86. A 7-member committee oversees the
management of the temple. A number of Dharmashalas (charity lodges) are
available for their comfortable stay. The temple timings are as follows:
In winter (Ashvin bahula 1st to Chaitra shuddha
15th): 5.30 am - 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm - 9.00 pm.
In summer (Vaishakha bahula 1st to Bhadrapada
shuddha 15th): 4.30 am - 12.30 pm and 4.00 pm - 10.00 pm.
The temple is open 24 hours a day on every Shukla
Paksha Ekadasi, i.e., on the 11th day of the bright half of every month in the
Hindu calendar. The temple is also open throughout the 4-day Phalgun Mela.
