1. Ṛgveda (d): Malevolent aspects of Rudra

In the Ṛgveda, the benign or benevolent aspect of Rudra is not clearly mentioned. But his malicious aspect is vividly expressed here. In this Veda, the hymns which are addressed to Rudra express fear of his terrible shafts and deprecations of his wrath. He is portrayed as discharging sparkling arrows towards the heaven and earth^[1] and possessing those weapons which can kill cows and men.^[2] Rudra is depicted as terrible,^[3] ferocious like a wild beast and young.^[4] He is the red boar of heaven.^[5] He is regarded as strongest of the strong.^[6]

Jogiraj Basu thinks that,

“Here the destructive agency of thunder lightning seems to have been clearly in view. Thunder is always regarded as a dreaded terrific phenomenon which is a menace to human beings, animals and vegetable kingdom. Hence, it is that malevolent attributes accompany the concept of Rudra.”^[7]

Rudra is implored to remove all sickness from the worshipper’s family^[8] and he is requested to bestow immunity from illness on the villagers—

....... viśvaṃ puṣṭaṃ grāme asminnāturam.

From these mantras it is known that at that time, the Vedic people believed god Rudra to be the cause of diseases. As he was regarded as the cause of diseases men conciliated him when they recovered from diseases and ascribed the recovery to the medicinal power of Rudra.^[9] From this it can be understood that the concept of physician which is attributed to Rudra has been developed. Rudra’s devotees pray to him to pass them in safety over the (ocean of) sin as well as keep them apart from all the attacks of mischief^[10] and to hold back his weapon, to slacken the chord of his bow.^[11] He is also supplicated not to deprive one of the sights of the sun^[12] to defend his worshippers from calamity.^[13] He is even called Nṛghna or man-slayer.^[14] In a Ṛgvedic mantra, it is stated that—by his power he perceives all earthly beings and by his universal sovereignty he perceives divine beings.^[15] The general character of the prayers addressed to Rudra is well brought in the following—O lord Rudra, do not injure those people who are old or young; do not harm the one who is growing or who is fully grown. Do not slay the devotees’ father and mother or afflict their personal bodies to which they are dearly attached^[16] and in another mantra of the Ṛgveda it is stated that—O god, do not be jealous of worshippers’ progeny, the human beings, their cows and horses as well as do not kill their heroes by his wrath.^[17]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., 7.46.3

[2]:

āre te goghnamuta pūruṣaghnaṃ kṣayadvīra sumnamasme te astu | Ibid., 1.114.10

[3]:

sthirebhiraṅgaiḥ pururūpa ugro babhruḥ śukrebhiḥ pipiśe hiraṇyaiḥ | Ibid., 2.33.9

[4]:

stuhi śrutaṃ gartasadaṃ yuvānaṃ mṛgaṃ na bhīmamupahatnumugram | Ibid., 2.33.11

[5]:

divo varāhamaruṣaṃ kapardinaṃ tveṣaṃ rūpaṃ namasā ni hvayāmahe | Ibid., 1.114.5

[6]:

śreṣṭho jātasya rudra śriyāsi tavastamastavasāṃ vajrabāho | Ibid., 2.33.3

[7]:

Vide, Basu, Jogiraj, India of the Age of the Brāhmaṇas, p.194

[8]:

avannavantīrupa no duraścarānamīvo rudra jāsu no bhava || Ṛgveda, 7.46.2

[9]:

cf., Basu, Jogiraj, India of the Age of the Brāhmaṇas, p.195

[10]:

parṣi ṇaḥ pāramaṃhasaḥ svasti viśvā abhītī rapaso yuyodhi | Ṛ.V, 2.33.3

[11]:

pari ṇo hetī rudrasya vṛjyāḥ pari tveṣasya durmatirmahī gāt | ava sthirā maghavadbhyastanuṣva mīḍhvastokāya tanayāya mṛḷa || Ibid., 2.33.14

[12]:

Ibid., 2.33.1

[13]:

Ibid., 5.51.13

[14]:

parijmane nāsatyāya kṣe vravaḥ kadagne rudrāya nṛghne || Ibid., 4.3.6

[15]:

sa hi kṣayeṇa kṣamyasya janmanaḥ sāmrājyena divyasya cetati | Ibid., 7.46.2

[16]:

mā no mahāntaramuta mā no arbhakaṃ mā na ukṣantamuta mā na ukṣitam | mā no vadhīḥ pitaraṃ mota mātaraṃ mā naḥ priyāstanvo rudra rīriṣaḥ || Ibid., 1.114.7

[17]:

mā nastoke tanaye mā na āyau mā no goṣu mā no aśveṣu rīriṣaḥ | vīrānmā no rudra bhāmito vadhīrhaviṣmantaḥ sadamitvā havāmahe || Ibid., 1.114.8