Barbarika, also known as Khatu Shyam, is a Hindu divinity who is revered throughout the country. He was one of the fortunate few to witness Lord Krishna in his heavenly glory on the battlefield of Kurukshetra

Barbarika - The Greatest Warrior

One of the amazing stories of a warrior in "Mahabharata" that I have come across is that of Barbarika. Few individuals are aware of his existence. In reality, if he had been permitted to participate in the great war of "Mahabharata" to demonstrate his skill, things may have turned out quite differently.

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According to legend, Barbarik is Bheema's grandson and Ghatotkacha's son. He held three invincible arrows bestowed upon him by Lord Shiva, which might have finished the warfare in moments.

Barbarika's Word to His Mother

As the story develops, Barbarika promises his mother that he would back the weaker side to ensure its victory. This means that he had no prior allegiance to either side, in other words, he was non-committal. This disturbed Lord Krishna since he had the ability to affect the result of the fight.

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Lord Krishna discloses to him the true cost of his participation on the losing side. Krishna warns him that any side he supports will simply render the other side weak owing to his might, since no one will be able to beat him. As a result, he would be obligated to back the opposing side, which has gotten weaker as a result of his promise to his mother.

Due of his pledge, he will continue to fluctuate between the two sides in a real war scenario. This was risky since it meant destroying both sides' armies until just him survived. As a result, because he will be the single survivor, neither side wins. This prompted Krishna to implore that Barbarika refrain from taking part in the war by demanding his head in charity, which he readily accepts.

Barbarika's Account of the Mahabharata War

Before beheading himself, Barbarika told Krishna how much he wanted to see the next war and asked him to make it happen. Krishna consented and positioned the head atop a hill overlooking the battleground. The head of Barbarika witnessed the entire conflict from the mountaintop till the conclusion.

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Following the combat, the triumphant Pandava brothers disputed about who was to credit for their victory. Krishna proposed that Barbarika's head, which had witnessed the entire conflict, be permitted to judge.

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Krishna, according to Barbarika's head, was solely responsible for the triumph. "All I could see were two objects," Barbarika responds. One was a heavenly chakra that spun throughout the battlefield, killing everybody who was not on Dharma's side. The other was Goddess Mahakali, who stretched her tongue over the battlefield and devoured all sinners as her sacrifice."

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As the Pandavas discover this, they realise that it was Lord Narayan and Goddess Mahamaya who genuinely cleansed the universe of Adharma, and the Pandavas were only tools.

 

Barbarika As Deity

Barbarika had won a blessing from Krishna that he would be revered and recognised by Krishna's own name (Shyam) during the Kaliyuga era. Krishna had said that Barbarika's worshippers will be benefited just by saying his name aloud from the bottom of their hearts. If people worship Shyamji (Barbarika) with sincere devotion, their desires would be granted and their worries will be gone. He is known as "KhatuShyam ji" and is revered in Sikar, Rajasthan.

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https://www.myguru.in/The-KhatuShyam-Barbareek.htm