The Creation of Veerabhadra
Shiva's grief and fury at Sati's death were beyond measuring. He tore a lock from his matted hair and dashed it to the ground. From it rose Veerabhadra — a being of pure fury, eight feet tall, with a thousand arms, roaring like a thousand thunderstorms.
Beside him rose Bhadrakali — from Parvati's equal rage — dark, terrible, terrifying.
Shiva sent them to Daksha's sacrifice with his entire army of ganas.
The Destruction
Veerabhadra arrived at the sacrifice. The devas, the sages, the great warriors who were there for the sacrifice — none could stand against him.
Indra's thunderbolt shattered. Yama's noose could not catch Veerabhadra. The guardian of the sun was scattered. The great sages fled.
Veerabhadra killed Daksha — cut off his head, as Daksha had symbolically cut off Shiva from the gathering by not inviting him.
Bhadrakali's work left the sacrifice in ruins, the fires scattered, the gathered deities in disarray.
The Restoration
After the destruction, the surviving gods went to Brahma and then to Vishnu. Vishnu came and prayed to Shiva to restore what had been destroyed.
Shiva, his fury finally at rest, agreed. He brought Daksha back to life — with the head of a goat, since his original head could not be found. He restored the sacrifice.
The relationship between Shiva and the Brahmanical tradition — always uneasy — was rebuilt, though never without the memory of what had been destroyed.