365bet娱乐

In the 峁欢惫别诲补, the benign or benevolent aspect of Rudra is not clearly mentioned. But his malicious aspect is vividly expressed here. In this Veda, the hymns which are addressed to Rudra express fear of his terrible shafts and deprecations of his wrath. He is portrayed as discharging sparkling arrows towards the heaven and earth^[1] and possessing those weapons which can kill cows and men.^[2] Rudra is depicted as terrible,^[3] ferocious like a wild beast and young.^[4] He is the red boar of heaven.^[5] He is regarded as strongest of the strong.^[6]

Jogiraj Basu thinks that,

鈥淗ere the destructive agency of thunder lightning seems to have been clearly in view. Thunder is always regarded as a dreaded terrific phenomenon which is a menace to human beings, animals and vegetable kingdom. Hence, it is that malevolent attributes accompany the concept of Rudra.鈥�^[7]

Rudra is implored to remove all sickness from the worshipper鈥檚 family^[8] and he is requested to bestow immunity from illness on the villagers鈥�

....... 惫颈艣惫补峁� 辫耻峁ａ弓补峁� gr膩me asminn膩turam.

From these mantras it is known that at that time, the Vedic people believed god Rudra to be the cause of diseases. As he was regarded as the cause of diseases men conciliated him when they recovered from diseases and ascribed the recovery to the medicinal power of Rudra.^[9] From this it can be understood that the concept of physician which is attributed to Rudra has been developed. Rudra鈥檚 devotees pray to him to pass them in safety over the (ocean of) sin as well as keep them apart from all the attacks of mischief^[10] and to hold back his weapon, to slacken the chord of his bow.^[11] He is also supplicated not to deprive one of the sights of the sun^[12] to defend his worshippers from calamity.^[13] He is even called 狈峁沢丑苍补 or man-slayer.^[14] In a 峁歡vedic mantra, it is stated that鈥攂y his power he perceives all earthly beings and by his universal sovereignty he perceives divine beings.^[15] The general character of the prayers addressed to Rudra is well brought in the following鈥擮 lord Rudra, do not injure those people who are old or young; do not harm the one who is growing or who is fully grown. Do not slay the devotees鈥� father and mother or afflict their personal bodies to which they are dearly attached^[16] and in another mantra of the 峁欢惫别诲补 it is stated that鈥擮 god, do not be jealous of worshippers鈥� progeny, the human beings, their cows and horses as well as do not kill their heroes by his wrath.^[17]

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

Ibid., 7.46.3

[2]:

膩re te goghnamuta p奴ru峁�aghna峁� k峁�ayadv墨ra sumnamasme te astu | Ibid., 1.114.10

[3]:

sthirebhira峁単ai岣� purur奴pa ugro 产补产丑谤耻岣� 艣ukrebhi岣� pipi艣e hira峁噛ai岣� | Ibid., 2.33.9

[4]:

stuhi 艣谤耻迟补峁� 驳补谤迟补蝉补诲补峁� 测耻惫腻苍补峁� 尘峁沢补峁� na bh墨mamupahatnumugram | Ibid., 2.33.11

[5]:

divo var膩hamaru峁�a峁� kapardina峁� tve峁�a峁� 谤奴辫补峁� namas膩 ni hvay膩mahe | Ibid., 1.114.5

[6]:

艣re峁ａ弓ho j膩tasya rudra 艣riy膩si tavastamastavas膩峁� vajrab膩ho | Ibid., 2.33.3

[7]:

Vide, Basu, Jogiraj, India of the Age of the Br膩hma峁嘺s, p.194

[8]:

avannavant墨rupa no dura艣car膩nam墨vo rudra j膩su no bhava || 峁欢惫别诲补, 7.46.2

[9]:

cf., Basu, Jogiraj, India of the Age of the Br膩hma峁嘺s, p.195

[10]:

par峁�i 峁嘺岣� p膩rama峁僪asa岣� svasti 惫颈艣惫腻 abh墨t墨 rapaso yuyodhi | 峁�.V, 2.33.3

[11]:

pari 峁噊 het墨 rudrasya v峁沯y膩岣� pari tve峁�asya durmatirmah墨 g膩t | ava 蝉迟丑颈谤腻 maghavadbhyastanu峁�va m墨岣峢vastok膩ya tanay膩ya m峁涐阜a || Ibid., 2.33.14

[12]:

Ibid., 2.33.1

[13]:

Ibid., 5.51.13

[14]:

parijmane n膩saty膩ya k峁�e vrava岣� kadagne rudr膩ya n峁沢hne || Ibid., 4.3.6

[15]:

sa hi k峁�aye峁嘺 k峁�amyasya janmana岣� s膩mr膩jyena divyasya cetati | Ibid., 7.46.2

[16]:

m膩 no mah膩ntaramuta m膩 no 补谤产丑补办补峁� m膩 na uk峁�antamuta m膩 na uk峁�itam | m膩 no vadh墨岣� pitara峁� mota 尘腻迟补谤补峁� m膩 na岣� priy膩stanvo rudra r墨ri峁�a岣� || Ibid., 1.114.7

[17]:

m膩 nastoke tanaye m膩 na 膩yau m膩 no 驳辞峁�u m膩 no a艣ve峁�u r墨ri峁�a岣� | v墨r膩nm膩 no rudra bh膩mito vadh墨rhavi峁�manta岣� sadamitv膩 hav膩mahe || Ibid., 1.114.8