Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates ‘Rudra as Nilashikhanda’ 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.
2.12. Rudra as Nīlaśikhaṇḍa
The word nīlaśikhaṇḍa is used to designate Rudra as the possessor of blue-tufts—
jalāṣabheṣaja nīlaśikhaṇḍa karmakṛt.[1]
Sāyaṇācārya in his commentary interprets the term nīlaśikhaṇḍa as:
nīlaśikhaṇḍa nīlavarṇakapardopeta | anena nityatāruṇyaṃ uktam.[2]
Sāyaṇācārya expresses the term nīlaśikhaṇḍa by the word anena. The eternal-youth of Rudra is spoken of by means of this name or epithet nīlaśikhaṇḍa. According to Whitney, nīlaśikhaṇḍa is one who possesses ‘dark (nīla) crests’.[3] Lord Śiva is also called Kapardin or one who has matted hair and Nīlakeśa or one who has blue coloured hair.[4]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Atharvaveda-saṃhitā, 2.27.6
[3]:
Vide, Whitney, W.D., Atharvaveda Saṃhitā, Vol.1, p.116
[4]:
Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.50.21