Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates 鈥楻udra in the Taittiriya-samhita (Introduction)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.
3. Rudra in the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪it膩 (Introduction)
In the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, Rudra is called 痴腻蝉迟辞峁补迟颈. Here, it is referred that if the sacrificer goes without offering to 痴腻蝉迟辞峁补迟颈, the fire becoming Rudra kills the sacrificer.[1] Rudra is known as 碍谤补测墨.[2] Rudra is said to be the lord of animals.[3] According to Bha峁弓abh膩skarami艣ra, the word 辫补艣耻 means bipeds and quadrupeds.[4] In another mantra of the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, Rudra is referred to the overlord of cattle.[5] A reference has been found in the context of the 顿补谤艣补辫奴谤峁嘺尘腻蝉补 sacrifice, where Rudra is pointed out as the lord of cattle and he is implored to protect the cattle of the sacrificer. Rudra is supplicated so that he avoids using his dart.[6] In the context of the Soma sacrifice, the sacrificer prays to Rudra to guide the soma-cow to the altar in the path of Mitra[7] and this somacow is addressed as 搁耻诲谤腻.[8] Rudras are associated with 罢谤颈峁ａ弓耻产丑 metre.[9] The numbers of Rudras are mentioned as eleven.[10] Veneration is paid to Rudra for protecting the sacrificer.[11] In this 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, there is a legend of N膩bhanedi峁ａ弓ha which points out the relation between Rudra and cattle. According to the story, Manu divided his property to his sons. But he did not give any portion of his property to N膩bhanedi峁ａ弓ha. One day when Manu went to the sacrifice of 础峁単颈谤补蝉补蝉, he gave his cattle to N膩bhanedi峁ａ弓ha. Then Rudra came to N膩bhanedi峁ａ弓ha and told him that those are his (Rudra鈥檚) cattle.[12] In the context of the 搁腻箩补蝉奴测补 sacrifice, 驳腻惫墨诲丑耻办补 caru is offered to Rudra who is 笔补艣耻辫补迟颈.[13] When one desires to practise witchcraft, he should offer a cake on eight potsherds to Agni. Here, Agni has been said to be like Rudra.[14]
The term rudravat means Agni鈥檚 terrible nature. The dreadful body of Agni is said to be similar to the horrible nature of Rudra.[15] Another reference has been found where it is said that one who wish to become resplendent, he must offer an oblation to Soma-Rudra. He must offer this oblation to Soma-Rudra on the fullmoon day of the month of 罢颈峁补. Rudra is called 罢颈峁补 and Soma is 笔奴谤峁嘺尘腻蝉补.[16] He who wishes to get offspring, to practise witchcraft, must offer an oblation to Soma-Rudra. If a person who has been suffering for long time and desires to produce an enemy against a person in his own home, he has to offer an oblation to Soma-Rudra.[17] A reference has been found in the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, where it is said that the gods excluded Rudra from the sacrifice. Then Rudra pierced the sacrifice.[18] The reflection of this account has been found in the P奴r膩峁噄c legend of 顿补办峁鈥檚 sacrifice where 艢颈惫补 has not been invited.[19] North quarter is mentioned as Rudra鈥檚 quarter.[20] Rudra is portrayed as Makhaghna.[21] He is known as Makhaghna because he destroys the people who do not pay obeisance to makha or 测补箩帽补.[22] Rudra is called the slayer of men.[23] In the context of the piling of the fire altar, Agni is said to be Rudra and he has three types of missiles. One of those missiles strikes straight, one hits transversely and the last one that follows up[24] and the sacrificer salute Rudra鈥檚 bow in different directions, i.e. east, west, south, north.[25] Agni is Rudra and he has two bodies one is dread and the other benevolent or auspicious[26] and he is born when the fire is completely piled up.[27]
Bha峁弓abh膩skarami艣ra remarks that鈥�
sa 谤耻诲谤补岣� 别迟补蝉尘颈苍办腻濒别 箩腻迟补岣� 辫谤腻诲耻谤产丑奴迟辞 bhavati yad膩 sarvogni艣cito bhavati.[28]
In the context of the preparation of the sacrificial ground, it is stated that if the sacrificer sets free the bipeds and quadrupeds to the east quarter he would give them to Rudra.[29] There was only one Rudra no second one.[30] This statement points out the superiority of Rudra. An account has been found in this 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 where the gods make him (Rudra) the overlord of animals for destroying the Asuras who had three cities. The first one was of copper, the second of silver and the third of gold.[31] The same legend is described in the P奴r膩峁嘺s also. In the P奴r膩峁噄c literature, lord 艢颈惫补 is said to be the destroyer of the three cities.[32]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
谤耻诲谤补岣� khalu vai v膩sto峁atiryadahutv膩 v膩sto峁at墨ya峁� pray膩y膩drudra ena峁� bh奴tv膩鈥檊niran奴tth膩ya hany膩dv膩sto峁at墨ya峁� juhoti...|| 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪it膩, 3.4.10.38
[3]:
agnirbh奴t膩苍腻尘补dhipatissa鈥Π芑灏贯弗 pa艣奴n膩峁冣�| Ibid., 3.4.5.16
[4]:
...辫补艣奴苍腻峁� 诲惫颈辫补诲腻峁� 肠补迟耻峁补诲腻峁� ca | Bha峁弓abh膩skarami艣ra, Ibid.
[5]:
辫谤腻箩腻辫补迟测腻 vai pa艣avaste峁Ｄ佱箖 rudrodhipatiryadet膩bhy膩mup膩karoti...|| 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪it膩, 3.1.5.15
[6]:
[8]:
[10]:
...ek膩da艣a rudr膩 dv膩da艣膩dity膩...|| Ibid., 3.5.2.8
[11]:
Ibid., 3.5.2.12
[12]:
...测补箩帽补v膩stau rudr膩鈥檊acchatsobrav墨nmama v膩 ime pa艣ava ityadurvai || Ibid., 3.1.9.30
[13]:
...rudr膩ya 辫补艣耻pataye 驳腻惫墨诲丑耻办补峁� 肠补谤耻峁�鈥| Ibid., 1.8.10.1
[14]:
[15]:
rudra艣abdena taddharmo ghoratva峁� lak峁te | ...agne岣� 驳丑辞谤腻 迟补苍奴岣� yat rudravadghorasvabh膩vatva峁�...| Bha峁弓abh膩skarami艣ra, Ibid.
[16]:
...tenaiv膩smin rucamadadhuryo brahmavarcasak膩ma岣� sy膩t tasm膩 eta峁� som膩raudra峁� 肠补谤耻峁� nirvapet...ti峁膩p奴rnam膩se nirvapedrudro vai 迟颈峁补岣� 蝉辞尘补岣� 辫奴谤峁嘺尘腻蝉补岣�...|| 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪it膩, 2.2.10.1-2
[17]:
...som膩raudra峁� 肠补谤耻峁� nirvapet praj膩k膩ma岣�...som膩raudra峁� 肠补谤耻峁� nirvapedabhicarantasaumyo...nirvapejjyog膩may膩v墨... som膩raudra峁� 肠补谤耻峁� nirvapedya岣� k膩mayeta sve鈥檚m膩 膩yatane bhr膩t峁泇ya峁� janayeyamiti...|| Ibid., 2.2.10.3-5
[18]:
[19]:
艢颈惫补-pur膩峁嘺, 2.2.32-37
[20]:
...sak峁沝iva hi rudra uttar膩rdh膩dava dyatye峁Ｄ� vai rudrasya dik sv膩y膩meva di艣i 谤耻诲谤补峁� niravadayate...|| 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪it膩, 2.6.6.5-6
[21]:
...namo rudr膩ya makhaghne...|| Ibid., 3.2.4.12
[22]:
makhaghne makhasya 测补箩帽补sya anamask膩rak膩ri峁噊 n膩艣ayitre tubhya峁� 苍补尘补岣� | Bha峁弓abh膩skarami艣ra, Ibid.
[24]:
...rudro v膩 e峁 yadagnistasya tisra艣艣aravy膩岣� 辫谤补迟墨肠墨 tira艣cayan奴c墨 t膩bhyo v膩 e峁 膩 v峁浥沜ayate yo鈥檊ni峁� cinute...|| Ibid., 5.5.7.30
[25]:
Ibid., 5.5.7.31
[27]:
rudro v膩 e峁 yadagnissa etarhi j膩to yarhi sarva艣citassa...|| Ibid., 5.4.3.9
[28]:
Bha峁弓abh膩skarami艣ra, Ibid.
[29]:
...pa艣avo dvip膩da艣ca catu峁膩da艣ca t膩n yatpr膩ca uts峁沯edrudr膩y膩pi dadhy膩dyadak峁峁嚹� pit峁沚hyo ni dhuvedyatprat墨co rak峁Ｄ佱箖si hanyurud墨ca uts峁沯atye峁Ｄ� vai devamanu峁膩峁嚹佱箖 艣腻苍迟腻 dik || t膩mevain膩nan奴ts峁沯atyatho khalvim膩峁� di艣amuts峁沯atyasau...|| 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-sa峁僪it膩, 5.2.5.27-28
[30]:
...yacchaika eva rudro na dvit墨y膩ya...|| Ibid., 1.8.6.10
[31]:
Ibid., 6.2.3.14-16
[32]:
艢颈惫补-pur膩峁嘺, 2.5.10