“The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind”

The unique story of Shri Shyam Baba begins from the medieval Mahabharata. He was earlier known as Barbarik. He is the grandson of extremely powerful mace bearer Bhima and mother Ahilavati. He was very brave and a great warrior since childhood. He learned the art of war from his mother and Shri Krishna. Pleased Mahadev by doing severe penance and got three unfailing arrows; Thus got the famous name of three arrows. Durga was pleased and presented him with a bow, which was capable of making him victorious in all the three worlds.

The war of Mahabharata had become inevitable between Kauravas and Pandavas, when Barbarik received this news, his desire to participate in the war also awakened. When he reached to receive blessings from his mother, he promised his mother to support the losing side. He rode on his blue horse and went towards the battlefield of Kurukshetra with three arrows and a bow.

The omnipresent Shri Krishna Brahmin to know the secret of Barbarik in disguise, he stopped him and after listening to his words laughed at him that he had come to participate in the war with only three arrows; Hearing this, Barbarik replied that only one arrow is enough to defeat the enemy army and after doing so the arrow will come back to Tunir. If all the three arrows are used, then the whole universe will be destroyed. Knowing this, Lord Krishna challenged him to pierce all the leaves of this tree. Both of them were standing under the Peepal tree. Barbarik accepted the challenge and took out an arrow from his tunir and remembered God and directed the arrow towards the leaves of the tree. The arrow pierced all the leaves of the tree in a moment and started circling around the feet of Shri Krishna, because he had hidden a leaf under his feet. Barbarik said that you remove your leg otherwise this arrow will pierce your leg as well. Thereafter, Shri Krishna asked the child Barbarik from which side he would participate in the war; Barbarik repeated the promise given to his mother and said that he will support the side which is weak and losing in the war. Shri Krishna knew that defeat in the war was certain for the Kauravas and therefore if Barbarik supported them, the result would go in the wrong direction.

Therefore, Shri Krishna in the form of a Brahmin expressed his desire for charity from Veer Barbarik. Barbarik promised him and asked him to ask for charity. The Brahmin asked him for the donation of his head. Brave Barbarik was surprised for a moment, but remained firm on his word. Veer Barbarik said that an ordinary Brahmin cannot ask for such a donation, so the BrahminPrayed to inform about his real form. Shri Krishna in the form of Brahmin came in his real form. Shri Krishna explained to Barbarik the reason for asking for head donation that before the start of the war, the head of the best Kshatriya in all the three worlds has to be sacrificed for worshiping the battlefield; So they were forced to do so. Barbarik prayed to him that he wanted to see the war till the end. Shri Krishna accepted his prayer. Shri Krishna was pleased with this sacrifice and decorated Barbarik with the title of the best hero in the war. His head was decorated on a hill near the battlefield; From where Barbarik could take stock of the entire war. He had donated his head on the Dwadashi of Falgun month, thus he was called ‘शीश के दानी’ (the donor of the head) .

At the end of the Mahabharata war, there was a mutual dispute among the Pandavas as to who gets the credit for the victory in the war. Shri Krishna told him that Barbarik’s head is the witness of the entire war, so who can be a better judge than him? Everyone agreed with this and went towards the hill, after reaching there, Barbarik’s head replied that Shri Krishna is the greatest character in getting victory in the war, his education, presence, war strategy was decisive. He could only see his Sudarshan Chakra spinning in the battlefield which was cutting the enemy army. Mahakali, on the orders of Krishna, was consuming the cups filled with the blood of the enemy army.

Shri Krishna was very pleased with the great sacrifice of Barbarik and gave a boon that as Kaliyuga descends, you will be worshiped in the name of श्याम (Shyam). Your devotees will be saved only by uttering your name with a true heart. If they worship you with true heart and love, then all their wishes will be fulfilled and all their works will be successful.

His head was in Khatu Nagar (present-day Sikar in the state of Rajasthan ).Hence he is called खाटू श्याम बाबा (Khatu Shyam Baba).
A cow coming to that place was automatically flowing milk from her breasts every day. Later after digging that sheesh appeared, which was handed over to a Brahmin for a few days. Once the king of Khatu Nagar was inspired in a dream to build a temple and to decorate that head in the temple. Later, a temple was built at that place and the Ekadashi of the month of Kartik was decorated in the Sheesh temple, which is celebrated as such. The original temple was built in 1027 AD by Rup Singh Chauhan and his wife Narmada Kanwar. Abhay Singh, Diwan of Thakur, the ruler of Marwar, renovated the temple in 1720 AD on the instructions of Thakur. The temple took its present shape at this time and the idol was enshrined in the sanctum sanctorum. The idol is made of rare stone. Khatushyam is the totem of a large number of families.