Worship of any Mahāvidyā is incomplete without the propitiation of Vaṭuka: the Bhairava in the form of a brahmacārin youth. It is stated in Skandayāmaḷa that among the nine essentials for mantra-siddhi, Guru, Gaṇapati and Vaṭuka are of primary importance, as without their grace, Parāśakti is not pleased with the sādhaka. While Vaṭuka has sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika forms based on kriyā-bhēda, he is popularly depicted as below:
वटुकं बालवेषं च नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम् |
कपालशूलभूषाढ्यं स्वयूथैः परिवेष्ठितम् ||
कुक्कुरैर्नववर्णैश्च वेष्टितं ब्रह्मरूपिणम् |
द्वादशारस्थितं देवं प्रत्यक्ष्यफलदं कलौ |
प्रेतासनसमासीनं त्रैलोक्यजयदं भजे ||
vaṭukaṃ bālaveṣaṃ ca nāgayajnopavītinam |
kapālaśūlabhūṣāḍhyaṃ svayūthaiḥ pariveṣṭhitam ||
kukkurairnavavarṇaiśca veṣṭitaṃ brahmarūpiṇam |
dvādaśārasthitaṃ devaṃ pratyakṣyaphaladaṃ kalau |
pretāsanasamāsīnaṃ trailokyajayadaṃ bhaje ||
The origin of the mūrti named Vaṭuka is described variously in the Tantras. The śākta version is presented here. It is said, that at some point in the present Kalpa, the universe was permeated with various beings such as vētāla, prēta, piśāca, kūṣmāṇḍa, yakṣa, rākṣasa, kinnara, gandharva and grahas of various categories such as Brāhma, Vaiṣṇava, Raudra, Aindra, Gāṇapatya, Kaumāra, Pāśupata, and Saura. While being devoted to a particular deity (such as Gāṇapatya grahas to Gaṇapati and his upāsakas), they also created havoc and robbed sādhakas of the merit of their japa and worship. To protect the world and the well-being of all upāsakas, Bhagavatī ādyā Mahākālī conceived the divine form of Vaṭuka:
वेतालाद्या महादेवि जपपूजादिहारकाः |
तेषां विनाशनार्थाय भक्तानुग्रहणाय च |
वटुकोऽयं महेशानि महाकाल्या विभावितः ||
vetālādyā mahādevi japapūjādihārakāḥ |
teṣāṃ vināśanārthāya bhaktānugrahaṇāya ca |
vaṭuko.ayaṃ maheśāni mahākālyā vibhāvitaḥ ||
The form and essence of Vaṭuka Bhairava were derived from the tējaḥ of innumerable forms of Yōginī, Bhairavas, Mahāvidyās and various manifestations of Kālī, Tārā, Tripurasundarī, Bālā, Chinnamastā, Bagalāmukhī, Bhuvanēśvarī, Dhūmāvatī and Mātaṅgī.
पञ्चाशत्कोटिगणना योगिनीनां तु कोटिशः |
भैरवाणां कोटिकोटिर्महाविद्यास्त्वनेकशः ||
त्रिखर्वसंख्या तारा स्यात् काली दशार्बुदा शिवे |
कलाकोटिप्रभेदा तु सुन्दरी तेन संयुता ||
बाला त्रिकोटिसंख्याभिश्छिन्ना षोडशखर्वतः |
षड्विंशल्लक्षब्रह्मास्त्रैश्चन्द्रषोडशमायुता ||
कोटिद्वादशभिर्देवि भुवनांशेन पार्वति |
धूम्रकला लक्षभेदैः सिद्धविद्याख्यतत्त्वतः ||
चतुरशीतिलक्षैश्च मातङ्गीमन्त्रतः शिवे |
एतत्सर्वमयं तेजः सर्वब्रह्माण्डरूपधृक् |
सर्वतेजःसमुद्भूतं वटुरूपं सनातनम् ||
pancāśatkoṭigaṇanā yoginīnāṃ tu koṭiśaḥ |
bhairavāṇāṃ koṭikoṭirmahāvidyāstvanekaśaḥ ||
trikharvasaṃkhyā tārā syāt kālī daśārbudā śive |
kalākoṭiprabhedā tu sundarī tena saṃyutā ||
bālā trikoṭisaṃkhyābhiśchinnā ṣoḍaśakharvataḥ |
ṣaḍviṃśallakṣabrahmāstraiścandraṣoḍaśamāyutā ||
koṭidvādaśabhirdevi bhuvanāṃśena pārvati |
dhūmrakalā lakṣabhedaiḥ siddhavidyākhyatattvataḥ ||
caturaśītilakṣaiśca mātaṅgīmantrataḥ śive |
etatsarvamayaṃ tejaḥ sarvabrahmāṇḍarūpadhṛk |
sarvatejaḥsamudbhūtaṃ vaṭurūpaṃ sanātanam ||
From the congregation of the tējaḥ or luminous essence of those myriad deities was born the mūrti of Vaṭuka Bhairava due to the saṅkalpa of ādyā Mahākālī. He was endowed with the energies of the trimūrtis and their corresponding śaktis, earning him the name Guṇatrayasvarūpavān (sattva, rajaḥ and tamas). Based on the predominance of sattva, rajas, or tamas, Vaṭuka appears in three major forms. However, based on the predominance of one of the ten Mahavidyās who constitute his form, he also appears in ten forms propitiated by the śāktas.
After the appearance of Vaṭuka, he was gifted with a upavīta by Ugratārā. He was awarded a kapāla by Chinnamastā and granted the mastership of time and death by Kālikā. He was also given a triśūla with its three prongs presided over by śaktitraya – Kālī, Tārā, and Chinnamastā. Categories of various beings such as siddhas, sādhyas, etc. assumed the form of nine dogs and began to serve Vaṭuka. It was then revealed by Mahākālī that it was Lord Shiva, based on her saṅkalpa, who had materialized as Vaṭuka and would henceforth be referred to as ‘Dēvīputra’, reasserting her status as Jagadyōni. Vaṭuka gained control over vētālādi grahas and by propitiating him during one’s upāsanā, the sādhaka is not bothered by any malevolent graha and is protected from every kind of distress and danger.
The jayantī tithi of Vaṭuka Bhairava is śuddha-daśamī of Jyēṣṭha māsa.
The esoteric aspect of Vaṭuka is described thus by Mahāmāhēśvara Abhinavaguptapādācārya:
वरवीरयोगिनीगणसिद्धावलिपूजितांघ्रियुगम् |
अपहृतविनयजनार्तिं वटुकमपादानाभिदं वन्दे ||
varavīrayoginīgaṇasiddhāvalipūjitāṃghriyugam |
apahṛtavinayajanārtiṃ vaṭukamapādānābhidaṃ vande ||