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.
4. Forms of Śiva and his different activities
In the first chapter of the Vāyu Purāṇa, lord Śiva is designated as the Supreme deity of this Purāṇa.[1] He takes on three different forms, i.e. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra. That is why he is acknowledged as Triguṇa.[2] Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Mahādeva are considered to be the different manifestations of the Supreme Being for doing the different tasks of the lord. At the very beginning, he (Śiva) manifests himself as Hiraṇyagarbha.[3] He alone is depicted as the creator, sustainer and annihilator of the world in the names of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.[4] His Rājasika manifestation is Brahmā, Sāttvika manifestation is Viṣṇu and Tāmasika is Rudra.[5] Brahmā resides in Brahmaloka, Viṣṇu in the milk-ocean and Śiva in Kailāsa.[6] In another reference, he is said to be the creator of Viṣṇu and Brahmā, the lord of the universe as well as the performer of all types of activities.[7] Brahmā is born of his right side and Viṣṇu of his left side[8] and Rudra from his heart.[9] Lord Śiva is frequently supplicated by a name, Rudra.[10]
In the Purāṇic literature, it is stated that Rudra and Śiva are same. There is no difference between Rudra and Śiva.[11] A reference has been found where Rudra and Śiva are mentioned as same. There is no difference between Śiva who is beyond three guṇas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) and Rudra, possessor of all guṇas, 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 śaktis.[14] Rudra is the complete manifestation of Śiva.[15] Rudra is the perfect form of Śiva. Lord Śiva 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 Brahmā, ‘u’ is Viṣṇu and ‘m’ is Rudra.[18] In the Kūrma Purāṇa, Rudra is described as three-formed. Agni is the Tamas form, Brahmā is the Rajas forms and Viṣṇu is the Sattva form.[19] Here, it is said that there is no difference between Viṣṇu and Rudra. He who is Viṣṇu is Rudra himself.[20] The valiant Rudra is the form of Śiva. He holds numerous forms for the benefit of his devotees and for helping Brahmā and Viṣṇu.[21]
Maheśvara is another form of Śiva. They are symbolised as same.[22] Lord Maheśvara is described as the first creator of all. He is Pradhāna. 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 Śiva and Pārvatī.[24] He is known as Śiva, Sadāśiva, Bhava, Viṣṇu, Brahmā.[25] There is a reference in the Vāyu Purāṇa where Kumudā is considered as the sister of Mahādeva.[26]
In the Purāṇic literature, it is also stated that Śiva is greater than Brahmā and he created Hiraṇyagarbha (Brahmā). He is portrayed as greater than the world and he is the entire universe.[27] The entire world consists of the eight forms of Śiva, viz. Śarva, Bhava, Rudra, Ugra, Bhīma, Paśupati, Īśāna, Mahādeva.[28] These eight forms represent the earth, water, fire, wind, the individual soul, sun and moon respectively.[29] These eight-forms are taken by Śiva for the welfare of all and are popular in the world.[30]
Śiva is free from illness and desire.[31] He is the destroyer of Kāma.[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 Śiva, 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 Śiva is said to be the Brahman or the supreme lord of all, he assumes many forms for the welfare of this universe.[37] Śiva 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 Mṛtyuñjaya 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 paśus (bipeds and quadrupeds).[48]
Śiva is mentioned as fire, water, wind, ether, earth, sun, moon, stars and the solar system[49] and he manifests himself as the eight legged Śarabha.[50] He is the only truth, the beginning, middle and end of this world.[51] Śiva 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 Śiva (Mahārudra).[54]
Śiva 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 Śiva is worshipped in Niṣkala and Sakala form. His Niṣkala aspect is said to be the liṅga[56] He is the crest jewel of Devas.[57] Śiva manifests himself as a column of fire in the battle between Brahmā and Viṣṇu.[58]
Śiva is the destroyer of many Asuras, e.g. Tārakākṣa, Vidyunmāli, Kamalākṣa 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 Śiva Purāṇa where lord Śiva wants the lordship of the animals from the gods for destroying the Asuras.[60]
Lord Śiva has thousand forms and is known by several names. In the Liṅga Purāṇa, Śiva’s thousand and eight names are pointed out. Some of them are mentioned here. Sūrya is depicted as Śiva himself.[61] He is Rāma,[62] Kāla or time[63] He is the lord of Gaurī.[64] He is called Mṛgavyādha.[65] In the Brāhmaṇa literature, Rudra is mentioned as Mṛgavyādha.[66] Lord Śiva protects those people who take shelter in him.[67] He is Īśa.[68] He is considered as the physician and the remedy for all diseases.[69] In the Vājasaneyisaṃhitā, Rudra is called as the great physician of devas.[70] Śiva brings everything under his control. That is why he is known as Śiva.[71]
In the Purāṇas, it is said that the people who are devotedly attached to Śiva, whose minds are turned towards Śiva and those who always remember Śiva, never fall in misery.[72] In order to achieve the fulfilment of all desires one should worship Śiva.[73] Śiva 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 Śiva assuming the form of Kāla he creates the whole world, protects it and destroys it.[76] He is the lord of the prāṇas.[77] He is the father of the world.[78] He is Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra. He is Prakṛti, the basis of all.[79] Śiva is portrayed as Yama, the moon, the earth, water.[80] Śiva is said to be the Brahman who is the cause of both Śakti and Śiva. They (Śakti and Śiva) are both the womb and seed of the world.[81] Śiva has two bodies one ghora and other śiva.[82] Different types of winds, viz. prāṇa, nāga, kūrma, āvaha etc., are the different forms of Śiva.[83]
His (Śiva’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 Dakṣa, sage Dadhīci told Dakṣa that all inauspicious things become auspicious if it is accepted by Śiva and all good things take place in him.[85] He is the destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice.[86] He is the destroyer of the eyes of Bhaga and the teeth of Pūṣan.[87] The source of this reference has already been found in the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa.[88]
Śiva’s worship is performed facing the north side.[89] In the Brāhmaṇa literature, north quarter is said to be Rudra’s quarter.[90] In Śiva’s worship, a cow and a bull shall be given in charity.[91] A reference has been found in the Śūlagava ceremony of the Sūtra literature where a spit-ox is said to be offered to Rudra.[92]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ataśca saṅkṣepamimaṃ śṛṇudhvaṃ maheśvaraḥ sarvamidaṃ purāṇam | sa sargakāle ca karoti sargān saṃhārakāle punarādadīt || Vāyu-purāṇa, 1.1.185
[2]:
tridhā yad vartate loke tasmātriguṇa ucyate | Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.70.95
[3]:
guṇātmakatvātraikālye tasmādekaḥ sa ucyate | agre hiraṇyagarbhaḥ sa prādurbhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ || Kūrma-purāṇa, 1.4.58
[4]:
yasya ca trividhā mūrttirvidhā tussṛṣṭikarmaṇi || sṛṣṭisthityantajananī brahmaviṣṇuharābhidhā || Śiva-purāṇa, 2.3.33.39
[5]:
(a) yo’yaṃ brahmāsti rajasā viśmūrtiḥ pitāmahaḥ | tvatprasādātprabho viṣṇussatvena puruṣottamaḥ || kālāgnirudrastamasā paramātmā guṇaiḥ paraḥ | sadāśivo maheśānassarvavyāpī maheśvaraḥ || Ibid., 2.3.49.22-23; (b) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa, 1.4.6
[6]:
[7]:
viṣṇubrahmakadātre te bhaktapriya namo’stu te...bhaktavaśyo hi karmakṛt || Ibid., 2.3.11.17-20
[8]:
ayaṃ me dakṣiṇātpārśvādbrahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | vāmapārśvācca viṣṇustvaṃ samutpannaḥ parātmanaḥ || Ibid., 2.1.9.17
[10]:
(a) śitikaṇṭhāya rudrāya svāhākārāya te namaḥ || Ibid., 2.4.12.39 (b) namo’stu śitikaṇṭhāya surāpāya suvarcase | Vāyu-purāṇa, 2.35.162
[11]:
vastutaḥ hyekarūpaṃ hi dvidhā bhinnaṃ jagatyuta | ato na bhedā vijñeyaḥ śive rudre kadācana || Śiva-purāṇa, 2.1.9.34
[12]:
śive triguṇasambhinne rudre tu guṇadhāmani | vastuto na hi bhedo’sti svarṇe tadbhūṣaṇe yathā || Ibid., 4.42.10
[13]:
[14]:
eko’pi trīnimānllokān bahudhā śaktiyogataḥ | vidadhāti vicetyante viśvamādau maheśvaraḥ || Ibid., 7.1.6.27
[15]:
(a) pūrṇānśaśaṅkarasyaiva yo rudro varṇito purā || Ibid., 2.2.1.3 (b) tasya pūrṇāvatāro hi rudrassākṣācchivaḥ smṛtaḥ || Ibid., 2.1.16.50
[16]:
kailāsavāsinaṃ rudraṃ madrūpaṃ pūrṇamuttamam | devakāryārthamudbhūtaṃ pṛthagākṛtidhāriṇam || Ibid., 2.5.31.39
[17]:
Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.5.27-29
[18]:
ekākṣarādakārākhyo bhagavānkanakāṇḍajaḥ || ekākṣarādukārākhyo hariḥ paramakāraṇam | ekākṣarānmakārākhyo bhagavānnīlalohitaḥ || Ibid., 1.17.60-61
[19]:
[20]:
yo viṣṇu sa svayaṃ rudro | yo rudraḥ sa janārdanaḥ || Ibid., 1.15.90
[21]:
sarvathā śivarūpo hi rudro raudraparākramaḥ | utpanno bhaktakāryārthaṃ haribrahmasahāyakṛt || Śiva-purāṇa, 4.42.12
[22]:
[24]:
[25]:
ādikartā ca bhūtānāṃ saṃhartā paripālakaḥ | tasmānmaheśvaro devo brahmaṇodhipatiḥ śivaḥ || sadāśivo bhavo viṣṇurbrahmā sarvātmako yataḥ | etadaṇḍe tathā lokā ime kartā pitāmahaḥ || Ibid., 1.3.37-38
[26]:
[27]:
hiraṇyagarbhaṃ rudro’sau janayāmāsa śaṅkaraḥ | viśvādhikaśca viśvātmā viśvarūpa iti smṛtaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.28.10
[28]:
[29]:
bhūmyambho’gnimarudvayomakṣetrajñārkaniśākarāḥ | adhiṣṭhitāśca śarvādyairaṣṭarūpaiḥ śivasya hi || Ibid., 3.2.4
[30]:
iti proktāḥ svarūpāste vidhiputrāṣṭaviśrutāḥ | sarvopakāraniratāḥ sevyāḥ śreyā’rthibhirnaraiḥ || Ibid., 3.2.17
[32]:
namo rudrāya devāya madanāntakarāya ca || Ibid., 2.3.24.1
[34]:
niranjanaṃ nirābhāsaṃ nirvikāraṃ nirāmayam || Ibid., 2.3.24.31
[35]:
[36]:
(a) gautamakleśakartāhaṃ tryambakātmā sukhāvahaḥ | tatkaṣṭapradaduṣṭānāṃ śāpadāyī viśeṣataḥ || Ibid., 2.3.24.69 (b) Śiva-purāṇa, 2.5.39.10
[37]:
[38]:
[39]:
gatirnassarvadā tvaṃ hi sarvāpadvinivārakaḥ | tvameva sarvadā’smābhirvandyo devārisūdana || Ibid., 2.5.6.11
[40]:
tvamādistvamanādiśca svānandaścākṣayaḥ prabhuḥ || Ibid., 2.5.6.12
[41]:
varado vāṅmayo vācyo vācyavācakavarjitaḥ || Ibid., 2.5.6.14
[42]:
namaḥ sarvātmane tubhyaṃ śaṅkarāyārtihāriṇe || Ibid., 2.5.6.10
[43]:
tripuraghnāya śarvāya brahmaṇe parameṣṭhine || Ibid., 2.5.13.23
[44]:
tvattaḥ śarva ca sarvaṃ ca tvayi sarvaṃ maheśvara || Ibid., 2.5.31.23
[45]:
mṛtyuñjayāya śokāya triguṇāya guṇātmane | Ibid., 2.2.41.41
[46]:
asmānnāsti paraṃ kiñcidaparaṃ paramātmanaḥ | nāṇīyo’sti na ca jyāyastena pūrṇamidaṃ jagat || Ibid., 7.1.6.19
[47]:
sarvavyāpī ca bhagavānstasmātsarvagataḥ śivaḥ || Ibid., 7.1.6.20
[48]:
guhāyāṃ nihitaścāpi jantorasya maheśvaraḥ || Ibid., 7.1.6.24
[49]:
tvamagniranilo vyomatvamevāpo vasundharā | tvaṃ sūryaścandramā bhāni jyotiścakraṃ tvameva hi || Ibid., 2.5.13.28
[50]:
bhavānvāgvyavahāreṣu bhārgavastvaṃ kaviṣvapi | pakṣiṣvevāsi śarabhaḥ siṃho hiṃsreṣu sanmataḥ || Ibid., 2.5.2.39
[51]:
ādyantāvasya yanmadhyamidamanyadahambahiḥ | yato’vyayaḥ sanaitāni tatsatyambrahma cidbhavān || Ibid., 2.3.49.14
[52]:
maheśvaro’tha taṃ dṛṣṭvā’yāntaṃ svaṃ visṛjajjvaram || māheśvaro yuyudhāte jvarādyāte jvarāvubhau || Ibid., 2.5.54.28
[54]:
[55]:
auṣadhīḥ pratisaṃdhatte rudraḥ kṣīṇāḥ punaḥ punaḥ | prajāpatimukhairdevaiḥ samyagiṣṭaphalārthibhiḥ || Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa, 1.13.143
[56]:
śivaiko brahmarūpatvānniṣkalaḥ parikīrtitaḥ || rūpitvātsakalastadvattasmātsakalaniṣkalaḥ | niṣkalatvānnirākāraṃ liṅgaṃ tasya samāgatam || Śiva-purāṇa, 1.5.10-11
[57]:
tayormānaṃ nirākartuṃ tanmadhye parameśvaraḥ || Ibid., 1.5.28
[58]:
[59]:
Ibid., 2.5.9-10
[60]:
athāha bhagavānrudra devānālokya śaṅkaraḥ | paśūnāmādhipatyaṃ me dhaddhvaṃ hanmi tato’surān || pṛthak paśutvaṃ devānāṃ tathānyeṣāṃ surottamāḥ | kalpayitvaiva vadhyāste nānyathā daityasattamāḥ || Ibid., 2.5.9.13-14
[65]:
mṛgavyādhāya sarpāya sthāṇave bhīṣaṇāya ca || Vāyu-purāṇa, 2.35.172
[67]:
tato viprakṛte loke’suraistairduṣṭamānasaiḥ | divaṃ devāḥ parityajya bhuvi ceruralakṣitāḥ || Śiva-purāṇa, 2.5.43.7
[68]:
īśatvādevamenityaṃnamadanyasyakasyacit || Ibid., 1.9.38
[70]:
adhyavocadadhivaktā prathamo daivyo bhiṣak | Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā, 16.5
[71]:
...prakṛteḥ paratoyataḥ...sarvaṃ vaśīkṛtyaṃ yasmāttasmācchiva iti smṛtaḥ || Śiva-purāṇa, 1.18.10-11
[72]:
bhavabhaktiparā ye ca bhavapraṇatacetasaḥ | bhavasaṃsmaraṇā ye ca na te duḥkhasyabhājanāḥ || Ibid., 2.1.12. 21
[73]:
Ibid., 2.1.11.12
[74]:
jñānaṃ vairāgyamaiśvaryaṃ tapaḥ satyaṃ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ | draṣṭṛtvamātmasaṃbandhamadhiṣṭhātṛtvameva ca || avyayāni daśaitāni tasmistiṣṭhanti śaṅkare | vibhutvātkhalu yogāḍhyo brahmaṇo’nugrahe rataḥ || sa lokavigraho bhūtvā sāhāyyamupatiṣṭhate | akṣaraṃ dhruvamavyagramaṣṭamaṃ tvaupasargikam || Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa, 3.2.218-220
[76]:
[77]:
tvāmekamīśaṃ puruṣaṃ purāṇaṃ prāṇeśvaraṃ rudramanantayogam | Ibid., 2.5.21
[78]:
jagataḥ pitaraṃ śambhuñjagato mātaraṃ śivām || Śiva-purāṇa, 2.1.1.4
[79]:
tvameva viṣṇuścaturānanastvaṃ tvameva rudro bhagavānapīśaḥ | tvaṃ viśvanāthaḥ prakṛtiḥ pratiṣṭhā sarveśvarastvaṃ parameśvaro’si || Kūrma-purāṇa, 2.5.35
[80]:
[81]:
āne tvāmīśaṃ viśvasya jagato yonibījayoḥ | śakteḥ śivasya ca paraṃ yattadbrahmā nirantaram || Bhāgavata-purāṇa, 4.6.42
[82]:
dve tanū tava rudrasya vedajñā brāhmaṇā viduḥ | ghorāṇyanyā śivāṇyanyā te pratyekamanekadhā || Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.96.106
[83]:
śarīrasthaśca bhūtānāṃ śaivī mūrttiḥ paṭīyasī | prāṇādyā nāgakūrmādyā āvahādyāśca vāyavaḥ || Ibid., 2.12.38
[85]:
[86]:
Ibid., 2.2.32-37
[87]:
bhaganetrāntakaścandraḥ pūṣṇo dantavināśanaḥ | Vāyu-purāṇa, 1.30.253
[88]:
Gopatha-brāhmaṇa, 2.1.2-3
[89]:
śivārcanaṃ sadāpyevaṃśuciḥ kuryādudaṅmukhaḥ || Śiva-purāṇa, 1.21.53
[90]:
Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa, 2.6.2.7
[91]:
[92]:
Pāraskara-gṛhyasūtra, 3.8.1-17; Hiraṇyakeśī-gṛhyasūtra, 2.3.8; Āśvalāyana-gṛhyasūtra, 4.8.1