2. Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā (b): Rudra’s weapons

Rudra is the wielder of a sword, a quiver. He is designated as Tīkṣṇeṣu or the possessor of sharp arrows. He is known as Āyudhin or one who is armed with weapons. He is praised as Svāyudha and Sudhanvan.^[1]

The term svāyudha and sudhanvan are explained by Mahīdhara respectively as:

śobhanamāyudhaṃ triśūlaṃ yasya sa svāyudhaḥ

And:

śobhanaṃ dhanuḥ pinākaṃ yasya sa sudhanvā.^[2]

From Mahīdhara’s commentary, it is clear that Rudra carries in his hands a beautiful trident and a bow named Pināka. So, he is called Svāyudha and Sudhanvān respectively.

In another commentary of Vājasaneyisaṃhitā, Mahīdhara construes the term āyudha as:

āyudhaṃ triśūlādikam.^[3]

Here, it is mentioned that the name of his bow is Pināka^[4] and the thunderbolt is Sṛka.^[5] He is holding in his hands thousand shafts.^[6]

In the Vājasaneyisaṃhitā, as the lord of cattle Rudra is invoked for the protection of the soma-cow and the soma-cow is addressed as rudrā in the context of the Soma sacrifice.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

…namo niṣaṅgiṇe ceṣumate ca namastīkṣṇeṣave cāyudhine ca namaḥ svāyudhāya ca sudhanvane ca || Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā, 16.36

[2]:

Mahīdhara, Ibid.

[3]:

Mahīdhara, Ibid., 16.51

[4]:

parame vṛkṣam āyudhaṃ nidhāya kṛttiṃ vasāna ācara pinākaṃ bibhradāgahi || Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā, 16.51

[5]:

(a)...namaḥ sṛkāyibhyo jighāṅsadbhyo...|| Ibid.,16.21 (b) sṛka iti vajranāma | Mahīdhara, Ibid.

[6]:

sahasrāṇi sahasraśo bāhvostava hetayaḥ | Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā, 16.53

[7]:

...sā devi devamacchehīndrāya somamrudrastvāvartayatu svasti somasakhā punarehi || vasvyasyaditirasyādityāsi rudrāsi candrāsi | bṛhaspatiṣṭvā sumne ramnātu rudro vasubhirācake || Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā, 4.20; 21; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa, 3.3.1.2