I can do everything that Shiva does and therefore I am Shiva.' Brahma became a little egotistical as a result of this. One day, Brahma thought 'I have five heads. In it, Vishnu inquired of Brahma, 'Who is the supreme creator of the Universe?' Arrogantly, Brahma told Vishnu to worship him as Supreme Creator. The origin of Bhairava can be traced to a conversation between Brahma and Vishnu which is recounted in the Shiva Mahapuranam. Therefore, he becomes the ultimate or the supreme. Therefore, Bhairava is the one who creates, sustains and dissolves the three stages of life. There is also another interpretation: Bha means creation, ra means sustenance and va means destruction. These enemies are dangerous as they never allow humans to seek God within. Bhairava protects his devotees from these enemies. One interpretation is that he protects his devotees from dreadful enemies, greed, lust and anger. It is also known as one who destroys fear or one who is beyond fear. Bhairava originates from the word bhīru, which means 'fearsome'.
