śri Vetāla
Pictures are taken from the site: http://navadurga.blogspot.com/
Vetoba mandir - Parule maharashtra
Vetoba mandir in Aravali
The cult of Vetāla is found all over India - from Kerala to Kashmir. Often his images and shrines can be found near Kali, Bhādra Kali, Kamakhya or Camunda.
śri Vetoba mandir:
Vaital temple in Orissa 800 A.D. - Chamunda Devi is the preceding deity there
Shri Vetoba at Khanoli
Vetaleshwar at Ajgaon
Vetiba at Pendur
Betal temple in Amona, Goa
Bhairavanāth temple in Nepal
Ujjain is the place of Vetāl
In Kashmir. Srinagar - the temple is destroyed by muslims
Forms of Vetāla - Vetoba, Bhṛṅgin, Agñyavetāla, Agnivarṇa, Agniśikha, Vetalabhaṭt, Agniya, Ivalavetāla, Pralāyvetāla, Anādivetāla.
 |
| Vetala, Goa |
Vetāla is certainly not a blind predator driven by instincts and he is not trapped in the twilight world or anywhere else. To reside in a twilight zone means to be at the threshold of life and death. He resides at both worlds - in life and in the death world - he enjoys both of the worlds. His qualities exceed humans and comparable to those of devas and asuras so he has high position in the hierarchy of divine. His parents are Siva Parvati and Gaṅga. He is Gaṅga's third son together with Murugan, and Bhairav. According to Kalika Purana all three were born from 3 drops of Shiva'a semen which were taken by Agni God, who could not bear them and dropped into the streams of the heavenly river Gaṅga. That was Vetāla's divine birth. In this world, on earth He was born of Taravatī - a queen whose body entered Parvati and met with Shiva in the form of Kapālin, bearer of scull. Vetāla was born with black monkey-face, became very strong and had great devotion to his father. For devotion to Siva he was granted immortality (he drank amrita). Other qualities granted are: divyajñānabalānvitaḥ - he possesses divide wisdom and power, divyarūpaḥ - he has divine, beautiful, perfect form, arindamaḥ - he has control over enemies. His teachers were great Rishis like Vasishtha so He is learned in Vedas, Tantras and various sciences. Among humans He appreciates heroes and wise man and supports them. I think he also challenges the limits of duality in other creatures. As he himself is free of these limits - good and bad, pure impure, virtue and sin, cold and hot. He is free as he does not see difference between himself and Bhairava universal consciousness. He does posses great destructive power - just as any Devata. But also very supportive for those who seek unity with Vetaal's elder Brother - Mahākāla Bhairava or with His father Shiva Shankara, or his mother, Sri Devi.
Name Vetāla is a bit of obscure derivation but we can guess that the word is
connected to 'tāla' - clapping, which refers to smallest unit of time, rhythm.
Clapping and musical instruments used for rhythmic accompaniment play an important part in classical music and dance - counting of rhythm is called 'tālam' - this makes us think that Vetāla has to do with time counting. Another word which suggests similar meaning is root 'vel' - 'velayati' means 'he counts time', 'velā' - limit of time. Vetāla is younger brother of Mahākāla - the deity who destroys, devours time. He is timeless. Vetāla then, is the principle of course of time. He 'counts' time. Our world exists in time and everything is in 'krama' sequence here. Moment after moment, clap after clap. Mahākāla is 'akrama' - without sequence.
Interesting enough that in Kulārṇava Tantra Vetāla gaṇa is combined with 'khecharī' wheel of powers. These powers are considered to be responsible for limitations on subjective level beginning with limitation of 'kāla' - time and space. Thus, Vetāla is the lord of time.
Vetāla is also worshiped as a cow god - father and protector of cows. In Kalika Purana Ch. 93 there is a story how He fell in love with Kamadhenu - wish-fulfilling cow. They had a son - Nadī, who later came to serve his grand-father Shiva. Cow tribe will never become extinct until Vetāla takes care of them. Consequently Vetāla jee supports those who love and take care of cows, and those who are vegetarians and vegans. There is Vetāla shrine at Vetāl Tikṛa - hill near Pune where the cult of Vetāla as protector of cows flourished. ('Society In India' by A.R. Desai. pg. 141)
| Legends about Mudiyettu |
 In Primeval times, in a war between the Devas (Gods) and the Asuras (Demons) the latter were defeated and their women sought shelter in the nether world. Two of these women, DaanavathiandDaarumathi, through hard penance, propitiated Lord Brahma, and were blessed with sons to avenge the defeat of the asuras. Daanavathi's son was named Daanavendra and Daarumathi's Darika.Darika, in turn, performed rigorous austerities and was given the boon of invincibility. He also won the assurance that from every drop of blood spilled from his body a thousand mighty Darikas would rise. The only being that would destroy him was a woman. |
| Darika, assisted by Daanavendra, begun overpowering the gods and ruling the universe. The desperate gods sought the help of Lord Siva through Naarada, the celestial messenger. SivaproducedBhadrakaali from his third eye. Upon her creation Bhadrakaali set out with a mighty roar to Darika and his assistant Daanavendra. In her task she was jointly helped by Vetaala, a Sivabhooda, attendant, with an insatiable thirst for blood. |
| Bhadrakaali, aided by Vetaala and another attendant named Kooli, challenged Darika. A terrible war ensued which shook the three worlds, and the evil one was finally destroyed with the severing of his head. Not a drop of blood fell to the ground as the thirsty Vetaala drank each drop as it spurted out. Thus was the world made safe again. |
Read more about Vetāla and Bhairava:
1. 'Kalika Purana'
3.The canon of the Śaivāgama and the Kubjikā Tantras of the western Kaula
4. Introductory part to 25 stories of Vetal translated from Hindi to Russian.
4. Introductory part to 25 stories of Vetal translated from Hindi to Russian.
Kahaniya Vikram Aur Betaal Ki
Here Vetal is more handsome - I think he deserves to be depicted as handsome as Lestat or other 20th - 21st century greatest Vampires of cinematography. Why? - He has a power to enter and possess dead corps. If you had such a power, would you chose young and beautiful body? I think, yes. Just imagine the most beautiful body animated and empowered by a spirit
with high divine qualities. Waw!
Stories of Vikram and Vetal told in RUSSIAN are found here:
ИСТОРИИ ВИКРАМА И ВЕТАЛА НА РУССКОМ:
Regarding Bhringin,
- He is mostly worshiped in Tamil Nadu. the following information is provided by Mr. P. Sundaram Pillai, M.A., Professor of Philosophy, Trivandrum College: — “Bhringi is one of the attendants (gana) of Siva. Allusions of his bigoted worship of Siva, which would not condescend even to acknowledge the godhead of Parvati, are frequent in Tamil literature. According to the Skandapuranam, it was to l annoy his exclusive spirit, that Parvati sought union with Siva in the form of Ardhanarisvara. But Bhringi assumed the shape of a bee[6] and pierced his way through the united body of the god and the goddess, going round and worshipping the Siva portion only of the hermaphrodite. The goddess avenged herself then by with drawing all sakti from the zealot, and he is now generally represented as a skeleton, supporting himself with a third leg, which Siva, out of mercy, improvised for him.” This image does not completely correspond to Vetāla, though in Kalika Purana Vetala is called Bhringin. What is common between the two - their closeness to Shiva and their skeleton-like or may be just skinny constitution. There is also might be a connection to gey-like behavior of some Vetālas - they ignore female aspect of reality but completely in love with male God. this might be alsoone of the reasons why women are not allowed to bring offerings at Vetāla temple close to Pune.
Another image of Vetāla is that he has monkey-face as well as his brother Bhairava. Monkeys are very strong and have sharp teeth. However, they are vegetarians, which I like as it signifies that teeth you need only to protect yourself, not for food. I imagine that Vetāl can be both a vegetarian peaceful bramin and a warrior able to drain his enemies - asuras. Also, these monkeys, languras, - see below - are most respected in India, and they have black feces. There could be connection to the image of Hanuman.
"Vetal Strotra is one of my recent findings," said Manjul. "Interestingly, Pune has a Vetal temple on Vetal Hill near Symbiosis Institute where the demon god is worshipped. Women are forbidden from entering that temple," he added. Vetal Strotra explains how the demon-god can save people from diseases and protect them from ghosts. "The manuscript describes how to worship this God," said Manjul. Pandit Vasant Gadgil, a Sanskrit scholar from BORI confirmed that Manjul's work is authentic. "The reference to Vetal as a god exists in Sanskrit and Marathi. Temples devoted to Vetal are found in the Konkan region. "The Vetal Stotra will throw a new light on Vetal, who was a disciple of Lord Shiva," he said. from:http://psychicmariah.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/does-myth-become-reality-or-does-reality-create-our-myths/
Vetāla mantra:
प्लृं
ॐ पराय शिवातमने वेतालाय नमः
Vetāla sadhana includes going to cremation grounds and ritualistic operations with corps. Also magical operations for worldly purposes (śatkarma) include Vetāla invocation.
Vetal Sashti is observed during the Baishakh or Vaisakh month (April – May) in Jammu and Kashmir
Vetal Sashti 2012 date is April 12
Vetāl Tikṛa/ hill near Pune
vetal temple,worli koliwada ,mumbai
