1. Rudra-Śiva In The Āraṇyaka Literature

In the previous chapter, god Rudra has been found as a distinct god. He also associated with the various parts of the sacrifices. The gradual development of Rudra-Śiva is very clear in the post-Brāhmaṇic period. Rudra-Śiva occupies a higher position in this period.

In the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, it is stated that Rudragaṇa wears white clothes and they are present with summer season (grīṣma).^[1] Here, Rudragaṇa defines as the eleven Rudras.^[2] In the Purāṇic literature also, Rudras are enumerated as eleven.^[3] The Rudras who are staying in the terrestrial place are transferred themselves to the celestial place.^[4] They are mentioned as tawny or black (asita) in colour. Their chariot is carried by copper coloured horses. They are called Daṇḍahastā and Khādagdata.^[5] According to Sāyaṇācārya, asita means something without a hint of white colour.^[6] Daṇḍahastā means one who holds in his hand a Gadā^[7] and Sāyaṇācārya also construes the term khādagdata as one whose teeth are ready for eating something.^[8] Rudra is the lord or Adhipati.^[9] According to Sāyaṇācārya, he is a fearful god. He protects all by removing all mischief or calamity.^[10] Rudra is supplicated by his devotees to protect.^[11] Northern quarter is said to be Rudra’s own quarter.^[12] Rudra is said to be Hotṛ.^[13] Rudra is described as Viśvādhika and Maharṣi.^[14] Regarding the word viśvādhika Sāyaṇa expresses that he is bigger than the world as because he is the root of the universe and the word maharṣi means one who is the great among the sages.^[15] Sāyaṇācārya explains the relevant passage thus—Rudra is the great among the sages, he is omniscient and Supreme god. May Rudra endow us (worshippers) with the essence of the knowledge of the Supreme Being.^[16] Rudra is depicted as Hiraṇyabāhu, Hiraṇyavarṇa, Hiraṇyarūpa, Hiraṇyapati, Ambikāpati, Umāpati and Paśupati.^[17] In this connection, Sāyaṇācārya states that Ambikā is none other than Pārvatī and regarding the word of Umā, Sāyaṇa remarks that the body of Ambikā which is full of with the essence of supreme knowledge is stated as Umā; Rudra is the lord of such type of Umā.^[18] Sāyaṇācārya explains in the clear term that Rudra is popular in the Purāṇas as the husband of Pārvatī.^[19] In the Purāṇic literature, Śiva occupied the position of the husband of Pārvatī^[20] and Śiva is regarded as Ambikāpati.^[21] From these references, it is clear that Rudra is Śiva or Mahādeva. Rudra is Puruṣa. This entire universe, the living and nonliving things and those who took birth and those who are taking birth in this world, all these are stated as Rudra.^[22]

Acording to the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, Rudra is stated as Mahādeva.^[23] He has five faces in five directions. His five faces are Sadyojāta, Aghora, Vāmadeva, Tatpuruṣa and Īśāna. Sadyojāta is in the western quarter, Aghora is in the southern quarter, Vāmadeva in the northen quarter, Tatpuruṣa in the eastern quarter and Īśāna is on the above.^[24] These are the various forms of Rudra.^[25] Īśāna (Rudra) is portrayed as the lord of all vidyās or knowledge and of all beings. He is portrayed as Brahmādhipati and Brahmanodhipati.^[26] According to Sāyaṇācārya, brahman means hiraṇyagarbha.^[27] In the Purāṇic literature, Śiva is said to be five-faced deity.^[28] Lord Śiva is identified with the Pañcabrahman.^[29] In the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, a reference has been found where Rudra is invoked along with other Purāṇic deities and their Gāyatrī mantras. Here, a list of twelve divinities has been mentioned, viz. Puruṣa-Sahasrākṣa-Mahādeva-Rudra; PuruṣaMahādeva-Rudra; Puruṣa-Vakratuṇḍa-Dantin; Puruṣa-Cakratuṇḍa-Nandin; Puruṣa-Mahāsena-Saṇmukha; Puruṣa-Suvarṇapakṣa-Garuḍa; Vedātman-Hiraṇyagarbha-Brahmā; Nārāyaṇa-Vāsudeva-Viṣṇu, Vajranakha-TikṣṇadaṃṣṭṛNārasiṃha; Bhāskara-Mahādyutikara-Āditya; Vaiśvānara-Lālīla-Agni; Kātyāyana-Kanyākumārī-Durgi.^[30] Sāyaṇācārya states that Rudra is Mahādeva.^[31] A reference has been found in the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā where Mahādeva (Rudra) is present along with some other Purāṇic deities, viz. Puruṣa-Mahādeva, Girisūtā, Kumāra-Kārttikeya, Karaṭa Hastimukha (Dantin or Ganeśa), Caturmukha-Padmāsana (Brahmā), Keśava-Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu) etc.^[32] There is a reference in the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka where the Om is regarded as Paramātman. The Paramātman in the form of Om is identified with Rudra, Brahmā, Prajāpati, Viṣṇu, Vaṣaṭkāra etc. This Paramātman resides in the body of man, woman, gandharva etc., as well as in all beings and mind. Thus, Rudra is identified as Paramātman.^[33]

Some forms (images) of Rudra which is related to Vāyu has been found in the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, viz. Vyavadāta, Vāsukivaidyuta, Rajata, Paruṣa, Śyāma, Kapila, Atilohita, U̅ rdha.^[34]

Thus, it is found that Rudra is extolled as the lord of all as well as the root cause of the universe in the Āraṇyaka literature also.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

śuklavāsā rudragaṇaḥ | grīṣmeṇā’vartate saha | Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 1.3.3

[2]:

yo’yamekādaśānāṃ rudrāṇāṃ gaṇaḥ...| Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[3]:

Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa, 2.3.70-72; Śiva-purāṇa, 3.31.35

[4]:

ye rudrāḥ santi ta itaḥ sthānātpṛthivīrūpātparāṃ divaṃ gatāḥ| Sāyaṇa on Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 1.12.4

[5]:

tāmrāśvāstāmrarathāḥ | tāmravarṇāstathā’sitāḥ | daṇḍahastāḥ khādagdataḥ | ito rudrāḥ parāṃ gatāḥ | Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 1.12.4

[6]:

...asitā īṣadapi sitaṃ śvaityaṃ yeṣāṃ nāsti te tādṛśāḥ...| Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[7]:

daṇḍahastā gadāpāṇayaḥ…| Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[8]:

khādagdataḥ khādayanto bhakṣayanto dantā yeṣāṃ tādṛśāḥ... | Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[9]:

tasya te padvaddhavirdhānaṃ | agniradhyakṣāḥ | rudro’dhipatiḥ iti | Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 4.11.5

[10]:

yo’yaṃ rudraḥ krūro devaḥ so’yamadhipatiraniṣṭanivāraṇenādhikapālakaḥ | Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[11]:

...mā no rudro nirṛtirmā no astā | Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 4.20.2

[12]:

udañcaṃ nirasyati | eṣā vai rudrasya dik | svāyāmeva diśi rudraṃ niravadayate | Ibid., 5.8.9

[13]:

rudrāya rudrahotre svāhetyāha| Ibid.

[14]:

(a) yo devānāṃ prathamaṃ purastādviśvādhiko rudro maharśiḥ | hiraṇyagarbhaṃ paśyata jāyamānaṃ sa no devaḥ śubhayā smṛtyā saṃyunaktu | Ibid., 10.10.3 (b) Mahā.U., 12.12

[15]:

Sāyaṇa on Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 10.10.3

[16]:

maharṣiḥ ṛṣīṇām atīndriyadraṣṭṛṇāṃ madhye mahān yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavit ityādi śrutipratipādya ityarthaḥ | sa devaḥ tādṛśaḥ parameśvaraḥ naḥ asmān śubhayā smṛtyā sarvasaṃsāranivartakatvena śobhanayā brahmatatvānusmṛtyā saṃyunaktu saṃyuktān karotu | Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[17]:

namo hiraṇyabāhave hiraṇyavarṇāya hiraṇyarūpāya hiraṇyapataye’mbikāpataya umāpataye paśupataye namo namaḥ || Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 10.18.1

[18]:

ambikā jaganmātā pārvatī tasyāḥ pataye bhartre | tasyā eva ambikāyāḥ brahmavidyātmako deha umā śabdenocyate...| Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[19]:

yaḥ rudraḥ pārvatīpatiḥ purāṇeṣu prasiddhaḥ...|| Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 10.16.1

[20]:

āgamya tamajaṃ devamathaṃ taṃ nīlalohitam | astuvangopatiṃ śambhuṃ varadaṃ pārvatīpatim || Matsya-purāṇa, 132.20

[21]:

ambikāpatirīśāno hemaretā vṛṣadhvajaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.18.31

[22]:

puruṣo vai rudraḥ sanmaho namo namaḥ | viśvaṃ bhūtaṃ bhuvanaṃ citraṃ bahudhā jātaṃ jāyamānañca yat | sarvo hyeṣa rudrastasmai rudrāya namo astu || Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 10.16.1

[23]:

Ibid., 10.43.1

[24]:

Ibid., 10.43-47

[25]:

sarvataḥ śarva sarvebhyo namaste astu rudrarūpebhyaḥ | Ibid., 10.45.1

[26]:

īśānaḥ sarvavidyānāmīśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ brahmādhipatirbrahmano’dhipatirbrahmā śivo me astu sadā śivom || Ibid., 10.47.1

[27]:

...brahmanaḥ hiraṇyagarbhasya... | Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[28]:

(a) Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.14.1-33 (b) Śiva-purāṇa, 1.1.1

[29]:

sarvalokaikasaṃhartā sarvalokaikarakṣitā | sarvalokaikanirmātā pañcabrahmātmakaḥ śivaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 2.14.3

[30]:

Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 10.1.5

[31]:

virāḍrūpaḥ mahādevaḥ | Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[32]:

M.S., 2.9.3-8

[33]:

om antaścarati bhūteṣu guhāyāṃ viśvamūrtiṣu | tvaṃ yajñastvaṃ viṣṇustvaṃ vaṣaṭkārastvaṃ rudrastvaṃ brahmā tvaṃ prajāpatiḥ || Taittirīya-āraṇyaka, 10.31.1

[34]:

Ibid., 1.17.1