Shaiva Upanishads (A Critical Study)
by Arpita Chakraborty | 2013 | 33,902 words
This page relates 鈥楢ghorastra-murti鈥� of the study on the Shaiva Upanishads in English, comparing them with other texts dealing with the Shiva cult (besides the Agamas and Puranas). The Upani峁ds are ancient philosophical and theological treatises. Out of the 108 Upanishads mentioned in the Muktikopanishad, 15 are classified as Saiva-Upanisads.
16. Aghor膩stra-尘奴谤迟颈
[...] Ag.m奴.verse 43
Lord 艢颈惫补 adorns this form to kill the demon Saptatantu. Once there was demon called Saptatantu who by doing 艢颈惫补 worship gained immense wealth鈥搕he richness made him proud. Soon he forgot that 艢颈惫补 worship is the cause of his prosperity. He decided to perform a 测腻驳补. He invited all the gods and demons except 艢颈惫补 and requested Brahma to start the 测腻驳补. This message reached 艢颈惫补 and He deputed 痴墨谤补产丑补诲谤补 to destroy the 驰补箩帽补.
He readied a chariot of 惭补峁囜笉补濒补蝉. The worlds were its wheel. Agni was the fire -god was the bow. Moon was the bowstring. Varuna was the arrow. 碍耻尘腻谤补 was the Charioteer. 痴墨谤补产丑补诲谤补 with a terrific form and huge army of 叠丑奴迟补驳补峁嘺蝉 reached the site and defeated all the gods and sages.
He with the arrow鈥�痴补谤耻峁嘺 destroyed the 驰腻驳补. The angry demon confronted him. 痴墨谤补产丑补诲谤补 destructed him with a terrible missile. The gods and sages fled the site. After the war, the wives of the gods appealed to the Lord to pardon them. The compassionate God resurrected and reinstated the gods in their positions. This form of the Lord, wherein He employs a terrible missile to destroy the fearful demon is eulogized as Aghor膩stra-尘奴谤迟颈. This form is comparable to the Tripurahara-尘奴谤迟颈.