The name Bhairavi means "Terror" or "awe-inspiring". She is the Fifth of ten Mahavidyas. She is also called Tripurabhairavi. "Tri" means three, "Pura" means fortress, castle, city, town, etc. Tripura convey three different stages of consciousness i.e active, dream and deep sleep. She is in the form of all triads and once these triads are transcended, the Brahman is attained. In other words, once we have her grace, we can realize Shiva consciousness. Hence She is called Tripurabhairavi.

Her dhyana shloka in the Devi Mahatmya describes her form. She is seated on a lotus with four hands, one with a book, one with rosary beads, one with abhaya mudra and another with varada mundra. She wears red garments and wears a garland of severed heads around her neck. She has three eyes and her head is adorned with a crescent moon. In another form she is carrying a sword and a cup containing blood and other two hands showing abhaya and varada mudras. She is also depicted as sitting on Shiva, which is more predominant in tantric worship. She is also depicted as a queen, closely resembling Rajarajeswari.

Tripurabhairav? is set to be residing in muladhara chakra. Her mantra consists of three letters and they all form an inverted triangle in the centre of muladhara chakra. She is the creator in muladhara chakra in the form of kamarupa, which consists of three dots forming an inverted triangle, from which all triads are born, which ultimately leads to the creation of this universe.^{[citation needed]} The innermost triangle of muladhara chakra is known as kamarupa. The three points of triangle have three bijaksara's (sacred letters) and the three bijaksara's connected to each other by the sides of the triangle and each of these sides represent iccha sakthi, jnana sakthi and kriya sakti or the Divine will, Divine knowledge and Divine action. Tripura Sundari and Tripura Bhairavi are closely associated but different. Tripura Bhairavi is posited as the latent energy whereas as Tripura Sundar? who causes this latent energy to actualize and moves this energy upwards towards higher chakra's till Sahasrara Chakra.^[6]

Bhairavi controls the changes taking place in the universe. In the Narada Pancharatra she is said to have emerged from the shadow of Tripura Sundari. The Mahavidyas represent the world, where Kali represents destruction and Tripura Sundari represents creation. Bhuvaneshwari symbolizes the created universe and Kamala represents prosperity and evolution. The other Mah?vidyas display the various processes that take place during the period of the universe. In this cycle of creation and destruction, Bhairavi represents knowledge and civilization, she symbolizes the modifications of universe by mankind, the progress of humans and detailed studies. She is called the charioteer of Tripura Sundari.^{[citation needed]}

Bhairavi is also a title for a female adept in Kundalini Tantra. A yogini is a student of Tantra or an aspirant. A Bhairavi is one who has succeeded. So the one who has achieved the state of Bhairavi, is beyond the fear of death and therefore awesome.^[7]

Bhairavi is the consort of Dakshinamurti according to the Puranas and Tantras.

• Devi
• Mahakali
• Mahavidya