MYTHOLOGY BEHIND WARRIOR POSES

- Symbol of our inner ability to overcome ego and ignorance - Build up our strength, focus and courage

We are inspired to embody the spirit of a warrior while practicing these challenging poses which are teaching us to use the right weapons in battles of life.

MARRIAGE

The story begins a long time ago with a king called Daksha.

Daksha was a powerful ruler respected towards Gods. He had a beautiful and virtuous daughter Sati who was a jewel of his kingdom. Sati became an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and as she grew to womanhood, she desired to marry him and so become his wife.

Shiva was a rebellious hermit who lived by his own rules, usually not acceptable to traditional society. He refused to conform to the ways of the world and had little respect for authorities, covering himself in ashes, wandering around graveyards and meditating.

Daksha was strongly against and did not approve of the marriage. He thought Shiva was far too wild to marry his beloved daughter and could hardly fit the lifestyle of their wealthy nobility.

Sati married Shiva regardless, without her father’s consent and blessing and moved with him to live in a forest.

REVENGE

One day, Daksha held a grand fire ceremony.

Everyone in heaven and on earth was invited, except for Shiva & Sati.

Sati could not understand their exclusion and decided to attend the ritual anyway to ask her father for an explanation.

Sati entered the venue and approached her father impatiently. Daksha could not stand seeing his daughter who reminded him of the great disappointment still dwelling and hurting inside. He burst with anger and accused Sati of bringing shame on their family.

Unable to bear her father’s cruel words, humiliated Sati set herself aflame and died.

Shiva instantly sensed what happened as his heart filled with pain.

His anger was incomparable! He got furious, pulled one of his dreadlocks of the scalp and smashed it onto the ground. The energy manifested into his incarnation, fierce warrior /

Virabhadra who was awaiting Shiva's commands.

CONCLUSION

The story of Virabhadra can be interpreted and its lesson understood in many ways.

• Listen to your heart

𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘢, 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯-𝘪𝘯-𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘨𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.

• Don't take love for granted

𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘢 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘢 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

The story of Virabhadra emphasizes the importance of knowing our true self. It encourages us to follow our hearts and restraint the ego as we navigate through complex worlds of human emotions.

We have just covered the Warrior I-III poses which are related to the myth of Virabhadra. Peaceful and Humble Warrior poses, which are coming next, are newer shapes that are not rooted in that story; still, they have clear antecedents and many benefits.