Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates ‘Rigveda (f): Rudra’s association with Agni’ 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.
1. Ṛgveda (f): Rudra’s association with Agni
Affinities between Rudra and Agni are remarkable. In a Ṛgvedic mantra, Rudra as regarded as Agni—
jarābodha tadvividḍhi viśeviśe yajñiyāya | stomaṃ rudrāya dṛśīkam.[1]
In connection with this mantra, Yāska comments—Agni and Rudra are same in respect of their nature.[2]
In this mantra, Sāyaṇācārya explains the term rudra as:
rudrāya krūrāyāgnaye.[3]
It means homage is paid to Rudra who is Agni. In another mantra of the Ṛgveda, Rudra has been described as Agni who is the great spirit of dyuloko.[4]
Sāyaṇācārya states that—
he agne tvaṃ maho divaḥ mahato dyulokāt | asuraḥ śatrūṇāṃ nirasitā rudraḥ asi.[5]
Rudra is said to be an epithet of Agni.[6] Sāyaṇācārya already puts six derivations of the term rudra in the Ṛgveda. Among them the last derivation is related to Agni.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 1.27.10
[5]:
Sāyaṇa, Ibid.