Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates ‘Forms of Shiva and his different activities� 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.
4. Forms of Ś and his different activities
In the first chapter of the ʳܰṇa, lord Ś is designated as the Supreme deity of this ʳܰṇa.[1] He takes on three different forms, i.e. , վṣṇ, Rudra. That is why he is acknowledged as հṇa.[2] , վṣṇ and Ѳ𱹲 are considered to be the different manifestations of the Supreme Being for doing the different tasks of the lord. At the very beginning, he (Ś) manifests himself as ᾱṇy.[3] He alone is depicted as the creator, sustainer and annihilator of the world in the names of , վṣṇ and Ś.[4] His Ჹ첹 manifestation is , ٳٱ첹 manifestation is վṣṇ and 峾첹 is Rudra.[5] resides in Brahmaloka, վṣṇ in the milk-ocean and Ś in .[6] In another reference, he is said to be the creator of վṣṇ and , the lord of the universe as well as the performer of all types of activities.[7] is born of his right side and վṣṇ of his left side[8] and Rudra from his heart.[9] Lord Ś is frequently supplicated by a name, Rudra.[10]
In the Purāṇic literature, it is stated that Rudra and Ś are same. There is no difference between Rudra and Ś.[11] A reference has been found where Rudra and Ś are mentioned as same. There is no difference between Ś who is beyond three ṇa (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) and Rudra, possessor of all ṇa, Such as no difference is found between gold and gold ornaments.[12] Rudra is alone and there is no one who is second to him. He alone creates, protects and withdraws the world.[13] After destroying all, the lord creates the world again from the beginning in association with his manifold śپ.[14] Rudra is the complete manifestation of Ś.[15] Rudra is the perfect form of Ś. Lord Ś manifested himself for the activity of gods with a separate form and features.[16] Rudra takes a half man and half female form. All the women in the three worlds are born of the female part and eleven Rudras are born of the male part.[17]
Rudra is expressible by the single syllable Om. Out of that single syllable Om, the syllable ‘a� is , ‘u� is վṣṇ and ‘m� is Rudra.[18] In the Kūrma ʳܰṇa, Rudra is described as three-formed. Agni is the Tamas form, is the Rajas forms and վṣṇ is the Sattva form.[19] Here, it is said that there is no difference between վṣṇ and Rudra. He who is վṣṇ is Rudra himself.[20] The valiant Rudra is the form of Ś. He holds numerous forms for the benefit of his devotees and for helping and վṣṇ.[21]
Ѳś is another form of Ś. They are symbolised as same.[22] Lord Ѳś is described as the first creator of all. He is ʰԲ. He alone creates all.[23] It has been pointed out beautifully that just as children are not born without their parents, similarly the three worlds do not originate without Ś and ī.[24] He is known as Ś, ś, Bhava, վṣṇ, .[25] There is a reference in the ʳܰṇa where ܻܳ is considered as the sister of Ѳ𱹲.[26]
In the Purāṇic literature, it is also stated that Ś is greater than and he created ᾱṇy (). He is portrayed as greater than the world and he is the entire universe.[27] The entire world consists of the eight forms of Ś, viz. Ś, Bhava, Rudra, Ugra, ī, ʲśܱ貹پ, ĪśԲ, Ѳ𱹲.[28] These eight forms represent the earth, water, fire, wind, the individual soul, sun and moon respectively.[29] These eight-forms are taken by Ś for the welfare of all and are popular in the world.[30]
Ś is free from illness and desire.[31] He is the destroyer of 峾.[32] He is the father, the mother and the lord of all.[33] He is free from distortion, aberrations and diseases.[34] In this entire world there is no one greater than Ś, he is delineated as the source of everything, the lord of gods.[35] He confers happiness to his devotees and punishes the mischievous or wicked person who harasses his devotees.[36] Lord Ś is said to be the Brahman or the supreme lord of all, he assumes many forms for the welfare of this universe.[37] Ś is the master of delusion.[38] He is the slayer of enemies of the gods,[39] he is the beginning,[40] granter of the boons,[41] the remover of distress,[42] the destroyer of Asura, Andhaka.[43] Everything originates from him and everything merges in him at the end of time.[44] He is known as ṛtñᲹⲹ or the conqueror of death.[45] In this universe, nothing is greater, smaller and bigger than him. This universe is completed by him.[46] He pervades all and he is present everywhere.[47] He resides in the cavity of the heart of 貹śܲ (bipeds and quadrupeds).[48]
Ś is mentioned as fire, water, wind, ether, earth, sun, moon, stars and the solar system[49] and he manifests himself as the eight legged Ś.[50] He is the only truth, the beginning, middle and end of this world.[51] Ś discharges his own fever missile.[52] In the Atharvaveda, Sāyaṇācārya comments that Rudra is the presiding deity of fever.[53] One hundred fevers originated from the furious breath of Ś (Ѳܻ).[54]
Ś burns down everything including the upper and lower world by his anger. He brings back to life the waning or degenerating medicinal herbs again and again.[55] Lord Ś is worshipped in ṣk and Sakala form. His ṣk aspect is said to be the ṅg[56] He is the crest jewel of Devas.[57] Ś manifests himself as a column of fire in the battle between and վṣṇ.[58]
Ś is the destroyer of many Asuras, e.g. ṣa, Vidyunmāli, ṣa along with their three cities. These three cities were of gold, silver and copper. He burns the Tripuras with a single glance.[59] A reference has been found in the Ś ʳܰṇa where lord Ś wants the lordship of the animals from the gods for destroying the Asuras.[60]
Lord Ś has thousand forms and is known by several names. In the Liṅga ʳܰṇa, Ś’s thousand and eight names are pointed out. Some of them are mentioned here. ūⲹ is depicted as Ś himself.[61] He is 峾,[62] or time[63] He is the lord of Ҳܰī.[64] He is called ṛg.[65] In the ṇa literature, Rudra is mentioned as ṛg.[66] Lord Ś protects those people who take shelter in him.[67] He is Īś.[68] He is considered as the physician and the remedy for all diseases.[69] In the ᲹԱ⾱ṃh, Rudra is called as the great physician of devas.[70] Ś brings everything under his control. That is why he is known as Ś.[71]
In the ʳܰṇas, it is said that the people who are devotedly attached to Ś, whose minds are turned towards Ś and those who always remember Ś, never fall in misery.[72] In order to achieve the fulfilment of all desires one should worship Ś.[73] Ś is the possessor of some qualities of imperishable nature. These qualities are—perfect knowledge, free from worldly anxieties, heavenly faculties of omnipotence, omnipresence, severity, truthfulness, mercy, fortitude, the state of being the seer, self contact and the state of being the presiding deity.[74] He is the one who creates and bestows destiny.[75] Lord Ś assuming the form of he creates the whole world, protects it and destroys it.[76] He is the lord of the ṇa.[77] He is the father of the world.[78] He is , վṣṇ and Rudra. He is ʰṛt, the basis of all.[79] Ś is portrayed as Yama, the moon, the earth, water.[80] Ś is said to be the Brahman who is the cause of both Śپ and Ś. They (Śپ and Ś) are both the womb and seed of the world.[81] Ś has two bodies one ghora and other śiva.[82] Different types of winds, viz. ṇa, 岵, ū, 屹 etc., are the different forms of Ś.[83]
His (Ś’s) form is beyond the path of darkness and one who is calm, pure, changeless, incomprehensible through worldly knowledge, selfilluminated.[84] In the sacrifice of ٲṣa, sage ٲī told ٲṣa that all inauspicious things become auspicious if it is accepted by Ś and all good things take place in him.[85] He is the destroyer of ٲṣa’s sacrifice.[86] He is the destroyer of the eyes of Bhaga and the teeth of ūṣa.[87] The source of this reference has already been found in the Gopatha ṇa.[88]
Ś’s worship is performed facing the north side.[89] In the ṇa literature, north quarter is said to be Rudra’s quarter.[90] In Ś’s worship, a cow and a bull shall be given in charity.[91] A reference has been found in the Śūlagava ceremony of the ūٰ literature where a spit-ox is said to be offered to Rudra.[92]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[4]:
yasya ca ٰ mūrttirvidhā tussṛṣṭikarmaṇi || sṛṣṭisthityantajananī brahmaviṣṇuharābhidhā || Ś-ܰṇa, 2.3.33.39
[5]:
[7]:
viṣṇubrahmakadātre te bhaktapriya namo’stu te...bhaktavaśyo hi 첹ṛt || Ibid., 2.3.11.17-20
[8]:
[10]:
(a) śitikaṇṭhāya rudrāya svāhākārāya te Բ� || Ibid., 2.4.12.39 (b) namo’stu śitikaṇṭhāya surāpāya suvarcase | -ܰṇa, 2.35.162
[11]:
ٳܳٲ� hyekarūpa� hi dvidhā bhinna� jagatyuta | ato na bhedā ñⲹ� śive rudre kadācana || Ś-ܰṇa, 2.1.9.34
[12]:
śive triṇaambhinne rudre tu guṇadhāmani | vastuto na hi bhedo’sti svarṇe tadbhūṣaṇe yathā || Ibid., 4.42.10
[13]:
eka eva rudro na dvitīyo’sti kaścan | saṃsṛjya viśvabhuvana� DZ te sañcukoca ya� || Ibid., 7.1.6.14
[15]:
(a) pūrṇānśaśaṅkarasyaiva yo rudro varṇito ܰ || Ibid., 2.2.1.3 (b) tasya pūrṇāvatāro hi rudrassākṣācchiva� smṛta� || Ibid., 2.1.16.50
[16]:
첹Բ� ܻ� madrūpa� pūrṇamuttamam | devakāryārthamudbhūta� pṛthagākṛtidhāriṇam || Ibid., 2.5.31.39
[17]:
ṅg-ܰṇa, 1.5.27-29
[18]:
ekākṣarādakārākhyo bhagavānkanakāṇḍaja� || ekākṣarādukārākhyo � paramakāraṇam | ekākṣarānmakārākhyo bhagavānnīlalohita� || Ibid., 1.17.60-61
[19]:
[21]:
ٳ śivarūpo hi rudro raudraparākrama� | utpanno bhaktakāryārtha� haribrahmasahāyakṛt || Ś-ܰṇa, 4.42.12
[25]:
[28]:
[29]:
bhūmyambho’gnimarudvayomakṣetrajñārkaniśākarā� | adhiṣṭhitāśca śarvādyairaṣṭarūpai� śivasya hi || Ibid., 3.2.4
[30]:
iti proktā� svarūpāste vidhiputrāṣṭaviśrutā� | sarvopakāraniratā� 𱹲� śreyā’rthibhirnarai� || Ibid., 3.2.17
[32]:
namo rudrāya devāya madanāntakarāya ca || Ibid., 2.3.24.1
[35]:
[36]:
[37]:
[39]:
[40]:
tvamādistvamanādiśca svānandaścākṣaya� � || Ibid., 2.5.6.12
[41]:
varado vāṅmayo vācyo vācyavācakavarjita� || Ibid., 2.5.6.14
[42]:
Բ� sarvātmane tubhya� śaṅkarāyārtihāriṇe || Ibid., 2.5.6.10
[43]:
tripuraghnāya śarvāya brahmaṇe parameṣṭhine || Ibid., 2.5.13.23
[44]:
tvatta� śarva ca � ca tvayi � maheśvara || Ibid., 2.5.31.23
[45]:
mṛtyuñjayāya śokāya triguṇāya guṇātmane | Ibid., 2.2.41.41
[46]:
asmānپ 貹� kiñcida貹� paramātmana� | nāṇīyo’sti na ca jyāyastena pūrṇamida� jagat || Ibid., 7.1.6.19
[48]:
guhāyā� nihitaścāpi jantorasya ś� || Ibid., 7.1.6.24
[49]:
[50]:
bhavānvāgvyavahāreṣu bhārgavasٱ� kaviṣvapi | pakṣiṣvevāsi ś� siṃho hiṃsreṣu sanmata� || Ibid., 2.5.2.39
[51]:
ādyantāvasya yanmadhyamidamanyadahambahi� | yato�ⲹⲹ� sanaitāni tatsatyambrahma cidbhavān || Ibid., 2.3.49.14
[52]:
maheśvaro’tha ta� ṛṣṭv’yānta� sva� visṛjajjvaram || māheśvaro yuyudhāte jvarādyāte jvarāvubhau || Ibid., 2.5.54.28
[54]:
[55]:
ṣaī� pratisaṃdhatte ܻ� kṣīṇā� puna� puna� | prajāpatimukhairdevai� samyagiṣṭaphalārthibhi� || ṇḍa-ܰṇa, 1.13.143
[56]:
[58]:
[59]:
Ibid., 2.5.9-10
[60]:
[65]:
mṛgavyādhāya sarpāya sthāṇave bhīṣaṇāya ca || -ܰṇa, 2.35.172
[67]:
tato viprakṛte loke’suraistairduṣṭamānasai� | 徱� � parityajya bhuvi ceruralakṣitā� || Ś-ܰṇa, 2.5.43.7
[68]:
īśatvādevamenityaṃnamadanyasyakasyacit || Ibid., 1.9.38
[70]:
adhyavocadadhivaktā prathamo daivyo ṣa | Vājasaneyi-ṃh, 16.5
[72]:
bhavabhaktiparā ye ca bhavapraṇatacetasa� | bhavasaṃsmaraṇ� ye ca na te duḥkhasyabhājanā� || Ibid., 2.1.12. 21
[73]:
Ibid., 2.1.11.12
[74]:
[78]:
jagata� pitara� śambhuñjagato ٲ� śivām || Ś-ܰṇa, 2.1.1.4
[79]:
[80]:
[81]:
āne tvāmīśa� śⲹ jagato yonibījayo� | śakte� śivasya ca 貹� yattadbrahmā nirantaram || Bhāgavata-ܰṇa, 4.6.42
[82]:
dve ٲū tava rudrasya vedajñā brāhmaṇ� vidu� | ghorāṇyanyā śivāṇyanyā te pratyekamanekadhā || ṅg-ܰṇa, 1.96.106
[83]:
śarīrasthaśca bhūtānā� śaivī mūrtti� paṭīyasī | prāṇādyā 岵kūrmādyā āvahādyāśca ⲹ� || Ibid., 2.12.38
[85]:
[86]:
Ibid., 2.2.32-37
[87]:
bhaganetrāntakaścandra� pūṣṇo dantaśana� | -ܰṇa, 1.30.253
[88]:
Gopatha-brāhmaṇa, 2.1.2-3
[91]:
[92]:
첹-ṛhⲹūٰ, 3.8.1-17; ᾱṇyśī-ṛhⲹūٰ, 2.3.8; Āśvalāyana-ṛhⲹūٰ, 4.8.1