Sept 2, 2025 

When we step into Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose), we often feel strength rising up through the legs, steadiness in the core, and openness in the heart. But beyond the physical alignment is an ancient story from Indian mythology a story of grief, courage, and transformation.

The name Virabhadra comes from two Sanskrit words: vira, meaning “hero” or “warrior,” and bhadra, meaning “auspicious” or “blessed.” Virabhadra was not just a pose he was a powerful warrior created by Lord Shiva himself.

The Myth of Virabhadra

The story begins with Shiva, the great yogi, and his beloved consort, Sati. Against her father Daksha’s wishes, Sati married Shiva. Out of pride, Daksha held a great ritual sacrifice, inviting all the gods but deliberately excluding Shiva and Sati.

Heartbroken but hopeful, Sati went anyway, only to be shamed and dishonored by her father. Overcome with grief, she cast herself into the sacrificial fire.

When Shiva learned of Sati’s death, his grief and rage were immeasurable. From a lock of his hair, he created Virabhadra, a fierce warrior sent to avenge her. Virabhadra appeared on the battlefield with sword in hand, and his movements are reflected in the warrior postures we practice today:

• Warrior I — rising from the earth, sword raised to the sky.
• Warrior II — surveying the field, gaze steady and focused.
• Warrior III — the precise, unwavering strike.

Bringing the Story Into Our Lives

At first glance, the story of Virabhadra is fiery and destructive, but underneath lies something more universal: what do we do with pain? With heartbreak? With the moments in life that shatter us?

Virabhadra reminds us that within us is a strength that can rise up from the ashes of grief. He teaches us that even in times of loss, we have the power to stand tall, to steady our gaze, and to act with clarity and purpose.

A Reflection From the Mountains

For me, this lesson often arrives on the trail. There are days in the mountains when the climb feels overwhelming the air is thin, the path steep, and my body heavy. In those moments, I think of Virabhadra rising from the earth. Like him, I root down through my legs, steady my breath, and lift my gaze toward the horizon.

The mountains teach me, as the story does, that strength is not about aggression but about presence the courage to keep moving, one step at a time, even when the path is uncertain. Warrior Pose, much like hiking, is not about defeating anything outside of us. It is about transforming what is within: doubt into confidence, pain into resilience, and loss into a deeper connection with life itself.

So the next time you step into Warrior Pose, imagine yourself on your own mountain trail. Feel the steadiness of the earth beneath you, the openness of the sky above you, and the power within you to rise just as Virabhadra did with strength, clarity, and courage.