vīrabhadra sāraṇī (The Vīrabhadra series)
Vīrabhadra (lit. distinguished hero) is a legendary figure narrated in the Śivapurāṇa.1The Purāna-s (पुराण) refers to Sanskrit literature narrating historical legends with over 400,000 verses (metrical couplets). According to Collins, Charles Dillard, Purāṇa-s were likely to have been composed between 3rd and 10th century CE.
Vīrabhadra is Śiva in a form of God of destruction. He was created from Śiva’s mouth in order to spoil the sacrifice of Dakṣa. He is described as having a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, and wielding a thousand clubs. His appearance is fierce and terrifying, wearing a tiger’s skin dripping with blood and bears a blazing bow and battle-axe.
Vīrabhadra sāraṇī includes 5 sequences:
– pre-opening sequence: vīrabhadra upakrama (warm up);
– opening sequence: vīrabhadra krama (vīrabhadra sequence);
– main sequence: ekapādahasta krama (one-leg-hand sequence);
– concomitant sequence: daṇḍa krama (stick sequence);
– closing sequence: phalaprāpti krama (results sequence) or hala krama (plough sequence).
Major anatomical focus
This series’s focus is about creating whole-body muscular contraction, awareness and control. Vīrabhadra krama focus is on contracting the posterior especially (h) gluteus maximus, (i) latissimus dorsi, (l) trapezius, (m) deltoid, and (n) serratus posterior inferior (ref, figure on pārśvottāna sāraṇī. Ekapādahasta krama focus mostly on the legs while daṇḍa on the upper body (especially arms, core and chest). The series can be closed with either phalaprāpti krama or hala krama.
vīrabhadra sāraṇī | |
upakrama pre-sequence | vīrabhadra upakrama vīrabhadra pre-sequence 10’ 3 bhāga-s of 30 breaths = 90 breaths ⩳ 10 minutes |
prāsthānika opening sequence | vīrabhadra krama vīrabhadra sequence 19’ 6 bhāga-s of 30 breaths = 180 breaths ⩳ 19.2 minutes |
ānuṣaṅgika concomitant sequence | |
prādhānika main sequence | ekapādahasta krama one leg-hand sequence 19’ 6 bhāga-s of 30 = 180 breaths ⩳ 19 minutes |
ānuṣaṅgika concomitant sequence | daṇḍa krama stick sequence 13’ 5 bhāga-s of 24 breaths = 120 breaths ⩳ 13 minutes |
saṃprāpti closing sequence | phalaprāpti krama results sequence 11’ 7 bhāga-s of 21 breaths = 147 breaths ⩳ 11 minutes |
series duration pralaya-time not included | 72 minutes or 59’ without concomitant |