Virabhadrasana known as Warrior, is a powerful pose. The Hindu mythology talks about how Shiva created Virabhadra from his dreadlocks. Virabhadra, which means a hero and a friend, was commanded to kill Daksha (Parvati’s father) to avenge an insult towards Shiva and Parvati.
Virabhadra arrives at Daksha’s place in style. With a sword in each hand. He emerges from the earth, pushing through with swords up in the air. Now that he has arrived, he seeks out Daksha. With precision and control, he moves swiftly to cut off Daksha’s head. These actions are what are dedicated as Yoga poses Virabhadrasana I, II and III.
The warrior actions can be found in the ancient Indian martial art Kalaripayat. A lot of the poses have the front knee bent and the back leg much like the warrior poses of Yoga.
The picture is from Nicolas Chorier’s book “A Kite’s Eye View: India: Between Earth and Sky”.
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