Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 785: Shri Martanda Bhairavaradhya (ōṃ mārtaṇḍabhairavārādhyāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is worshipped by Martanda-Bhairava.

The Divine Mother is worshipped by Martanda-bhairava. Devas surrounding Shiva are called Bhairavas.

Sri Puram is the main abode of the Divine Mother. Martanda-Bhairava is a key devotee of the Divine Mother; he is superior in nature due to his strong devotion to the Divine Mother. Martanda-bhairava is said to punish the persons fighting with the Divine Mother’s worshippers. His punishment is usually to make the enemies lose their eyesight. Martanda also means the Sun. The Sun is removing the worldly darkness, this Martanda-Bhairava helps to remove ignorance in the minds of Divine Mother’s devotees.

Martanda-Bhairava with his spouse Chaya Devi, worships the Divine Mother. Since he destroyed Manimala asura, he is called Mallari. Sun is supposed to have born from a infertile egg delivered by Attdi, This egg was revived by the Supreme Brahman. Thus Martanda-Bhairava, the Sun was born.

Any group of fearful people/girls is Called Bhairavam. The Divine Mother is worshipped by Bhairavas and the girls who are afraid.

Determination to achieve something is also called Bhairavam. Such strength removes the blocking darkness in oneself. The Divine Mother provides such determination to Her devotees.

Lalitha Stava Ratna of Durvasa (verse 100) describes Martanda-Bhairava as residing between the twenty-second and the twenty-third walls of the Sri Chakra, “decked with a jeweled crown, and known as Bhairava, sporting with his wife Chaya. She is the energy which supplies light to the eye.” Since the power of eyesight arises from him, the name Chaya (reflection) is given to his wife. Some texts say the location of Martanda-Bhairava is between the thirty-second and thirty-third walls in Sri Chakra.

Tantra-Chintamani recounts that Shiva incarnated as Mallari or Martanda-Bhairava to kill the demon, Manimala. This can mean that the Divine Mother is worshipped by Shiva in that form.

There is a group of Shakti worshipers known as Bhairavas, who believe that it is possible to ascend to heaven with the earthly body intact. This is a sign of extreme willpower of such devotees.

Worshippers of the Sun are sometimes called Bhairavas. The Divine Mother is also the object of their worship, as She had created Sun as one of the five elements to help Her, in this universal functioning.

 The Divine Mother is worshipped by Martanda-Bhairava.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 20 March 2022; updated 05 June 2025.

 

References:

1.   The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamis AparnaSan Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.   Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.   The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar