Story of Bhūtas

(A set of beings created by Rudra).

General.

A Mānava class or sect in ancient India. In the Purāṇas, this Mānava sect is classified into four subdivisions. (1) Dharmapraja (2) Īśvarapraja (3) Kāśyapīyapraja (4) Pulahapraja.

Birth.

In the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa there is the following story about the birth and shape of Bhūtas:—

Bhūtas are one of the subdivisions of Pulaha’s creations. Long ago, Brahmā asked the Rudra, Nīlalohita, to perform the function of creation. Accordingly he begot thousands of Bhūtas in the womb of his wife Satī. All the issues were the exact replica of his own figure. Lean limbs, long ears, thick hanging lips, red eyes, bushy eyebrows, long, pointed and protruding teeth, long nails, matted dirty hair etc. were the grotesque features of these Bhūtas. These music-haters used serpents as their Yajñopavītas (sacred threads). These spirits who loitered in Śiva’s assembly were, as a rule, naked and carried skulls on their heads. But at times they wore fantastic dress with elephant skin. Their chief weapons were, trident, bow, sword, etc.

Bhūta Chief.

In the Purāṇas, Rudra is acknowledged as the Bhūta chief. That is why Rudra is known by such names as "Bhūtanāyaka", "Gaṇanāyaka", "Rudrānucara", "Bhavapariṣada" etc. But since the common name Rudra is used for the ruler (king) of all the Bhūtas, Vāmana Purāṇa declares that Rudra is not an individual. Both Vāmanapurāṇa and Matsyapurāṇa represent Vīrabhadra and Nandikeśvara as two Rudras who are the masters of Bhūtas. (Matsyapurāṇa 181, 2; Vāmanapurāṇa 4, 17).

In Vāmana Purāṇa, the number of Bhūtas is given as 11 crores. Śkanda, Sākha, Bhairava are the chief among them. Under them are innumerable Bhūtas. Ashes and Khatvāṃga etc. are their weapons. The emblem on the banner is a cow or a bird. That is how the Gaṇanāyakas have got the titles like "Mayūradhvaja", "Mayūravāhana". (Vāmana Purāṇa 67, 1-23).

War with Asuras.

In the war between Śiva and Andhakāsura, the Bhūtas fought on the side of Śiva. It was Vināyaka, the master of the Bhūta hordes who first came into conflict with the Asura. In that battle Andhaka defeated Vināyaka. After that, Nandi, another leader of the Bhūtas, attacked Andhaka jointly with Vināyaka and defeated him. At last, Andhaka approached Śiva himself for protection, and Śiva received him and appointed him as commander of one of his hordes of Bhūtas. It is this Andhakāsura who later became famous under the name of Bhṛṅgi.

In this way, the Bhūtas had fought many battles with the Asuras, joining the party of the Devas. But at the time of Dakṣa’s yajña, they joined the party of the Asuras and opposed the Devas.

Although the Bhūtas won all the battles they fought both on the side of the Devas and on the side of the Asuras, in the end they had to leave north India and to come and settle down in south India. By the time of Vaivasvata manvantara they had already become South Indians.