2. Rudra as piercer of Prajāpati

In the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, it is said that once Prajāpati attracted to his daughter, Uṣas or sky and desired her as his wife. Prajāpati transformed himself into a kind of deer. Then he approached her in the form of a deer. In order to prevent the illicit deed of Prajāpati, the gods wishing to punish him concentrated their dreaded forms in one place. Out of which, a god named Rudra was emerged. The gods told him (Rudra) to pierce Prajāpati. Then god Rudra asked for a boon from the gods to be the lord of animals. He was rewarded with the boon from the gods and pierced Prajāpati with an arrow. Being pierced Prajāpati flew upwards and became a constellation called Mṛga, Rudra who pierced Prajāpati called Mṛgavyādha and Prajāpati’s daughter became rohiṇī.^[1] In the Purāṇic literature, Lord Śiva is also known as Mṛgavyādha.^[2]