Barbarika/Khatu Shyam: the grandson who gave his head

Variant

The 'third Pandava' who watched the war as a head.

Son of Ghatotkacha and a daughter of Mura (Kamakatankata), grandson of Bhima, Barbarika has three infallible arrows. He vows to join the weaker side, which would make him annihilate both. Krishna, disguised, asks for his head in charity and he gives it; Krishna blesses him as 'Shyam'. His head watches the war from a hill and judges that Krishna's discus did the killing. Worshipped as Khatu Shyam (Rajasthan), Baliyadev (Gujarat), and linked to Kirati king Yalambar/Akash Bhairav in Nepal.

Who: Barbarika, Ghatotkacha, Krishna, Bhima

Bound to

Barbarika was the yaksha Suryavarcha past-life-explains

Ghatotkacha: the shakti that saved Arjuna, and Gatotkaca in Java causes

Places: Khatu, Sikar, Rajasthan, Kathmandu Valley (Yalambar link)

Where this comes from

purana · Substack Bharathi V, The Tale of Barbarika Part 1 (cites Skanda Purana, Kaumarika Khanda ch.59) Kaumarikakhanda 59 (as cited by author)
commentary · Wikipedia: Barbarika
devotional · hindu-blog.com Barbarika story

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