Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates 鈥楳onotheistic Idea In The Vedic Pantheon鈥� of the study on the Rudra-Shiva concept in the Vedic and Puranic literature, starting with the concept of God as contemplated by the Rishis (Vedic sages). These pages further deal with the aspects, legends, iconography and eulology of Rudra-Shiva as found in the Samhitas, Brahamanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads Sutras and Puranas. The final chapters deal with descriptions of his greatness, various incarnations and epithets.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2. Monotheistic Idea In The Vedic Pantheon
In the later 峁歡vedic age, there arose doubts in the minds of the Vedic Indians as to whether there are many gods or there is in reality only one divine being.
In the 贬颈谤补峁噛补驳补谤产丑补 厂奴办迟补 of the 峁欢惫别诲补, it is stated that
Perhaps such types of doubts opened a path towards the idea of monotheism.
And the Vedic Indians started to believe that behind the multiplicity of gods there is only one Being鈥�
indra峁� mitra峁� varu峁嘺magnim膩huratho divya岣� sa supar峁噊 garutm膩n |
eka峁� sadvipr膩 vahudh膩 vadantyagni峁� 测补尘补峁� 尘腻迟补谤颈艣惫腻苍补尘腻丑耻岣�.[2]
It means they call him Indra, Mitra, 痴补谤耻峁嘺, Agni, and he is hevenly, Garutm膩n. Sages call him by many names such as Agni, Yama, M膩tari艣v膩n.
From this above statement it is clear that the curious mind of the ancient Indians was not satisfied by the early Vedic pantheon. Their minds slowly moved away towards the monotheistic idea of godhead. The Vedic people used various methods for seeking the monotheistic answer. One process was to lump all the previous deities together drawing the common elements into a conceptualised god. And another process was to enumerate the gods on their functional basis. Thus, it can be said that 痴颈艣惫补办补谤尘补苍 is the maker of the things, 叠谤补丑尘补峁嘺蝉辫补迟颈 is the lord of supreme power and great 笔耻谤耻峁 is the creator of everything. In the 笔耻谤耻峁 厂奴办迟补, it is said that everything is originated from the cosmic 笔耻谤耻峁. It seems that the Vedic people were attracted with the concept of one creator god.
The monotheistic idea occurs when the worshippers worship a god and treat him as the Supreme deity among all deities. For example, in the Agni 厂奴办迟补, Agni is mentioned as Indra, 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, the king 痴补谤耻峁嘺, Mitra, Aryaman, the lord of beings. Agni is Rudra, Maruts, 笔奴峁苍, Sabit峁�, Bhaga, 峁歜丑耻, Aditi, 叠丑腻谤补迟颈, 莫岣嵞� and 厂补谤补蝉惫补迟墨.[3] Here, Agni is identified with many gods and depicted as the Supreme god among them. In another reference of the 峁欢惫别诲补, the indication of the monotheistic idea has been found. The entire universe is the appearance of a single deity. Here, it is stated that鈥斺�楢diti is the sky, the air, the mother, father and son. She is all the gods as well as the five classes of man. She is whatever has been born and whatever shall be born.[4] So, these statements can be the rising point of the monotheistic idea.
According to 驰腻蝉办补, the author of Nirukta, all the gods are different manifestations or forms of one Supreme Reality. Only they are known by different names. One Supreme Reality is termed as Indra, Mitra, 痴补谤耻峁嘺, Agni, and (he is) the celestial, well-winged Garutmat. Sages call the supreme one as Agni, Yama, 惭腻迟补谤颈艣惫补苍.[5]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
kasmai dev膩ya havi峁Ｄ� vidhema | 峁欢惫别诲补, 10.121.1
[2]:
Ibid., 1.164.46
[3]:
tamagna indro 惫峁涐梗补产丑补岣� sat膩masi tva峁� vi峁ａ箛ururug膩yo 苍补尘补蝉测补岣� | tva峁� 产谤补丑尘腻 rayivid brahma峁嘺spate tva峁� vidharta岣� sacase purandhy膩 || tvamagne 谤腻箩腻 varu峁噊 dh峁泃avratastva峁� mitro bhavasi dasma 墨dya岣� | tvamaryam膩 satpatiryasya sambhuja峁� tvama峁吪沷 vidathe deva bh膩jayu岣� || tvamagne 迟惫补峁ａ弓腻 vidhate 蝉耻惫墨谤测补峁� tava gn膩vo mitramaha岣� saj膩tyam | tvam膩艣uhem膩 rari峁 sva艣vya峁� tva峁� 苍补谤腻峁� 艣ardho asi 辫耻谤奴惫补蝉耻岣� || Ibid., 2.1.3-5
[4]:
[5]:
Nirukta, 7.18