2.4. Rudra as Paśupati and Bhūtapati

In the Vedas, Rudra is known by these names. Mahīdhara states that one who protects the animals is known as Paśupati.^[1]

In another mantra of the Vājasaneyisaṃhitā, Mahīdhara remarks that:

paśunāṃ prāṇināṃ patiḥ pālakaḥ.^[2]

In the Atharvaveda, a complete hymn has been found which is addressed to Paśupati^[3] and the word paśupati has been found in several mantras of the Atharvaveda.^[4] Sāyaṇācārya stated that Rudra is the lord of animals.^[5] From this point it can be said that, according to Sāyaṇa, Paśupati is another epithet of Rudra. In another Sūkta of the Atharvaveda, Bhava and Śarva are declared as Bhūtapatī and Paśupatī.^[6]

Sāyaṇācārya interprets the terms bhūtapatī and paśupatī respectively as—

bhūtapatī bhūtānāṃ prāṇināṃ svāminou 

“The lord of beings”.

And:

paśupatī paśūnāṃ gomahiṣādīnāṃ pālayitārou 

“The lord of cow, bull, animals etc.”^[7]

Śiva is extolled as Paśupati (the lord of animals).^[8] Once Śiva was asking for the lordship of animals from gods to slay the three formidable Asuras in the battle. The gods accepted his proposal and declared him as the lord of animals. From that day, he is known as Paśupati.^[9]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

paśūn ajñāna pāti rakṣatīti paśupatistasmai namaḥ || Mahīdhara on Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā, 16.28

[2]:

Mahīdhara, Ibid., 16.40

[3]:

Atharvaveda-saṃhitā, 2.34

[4]:

Ibid., 11.2.2; 9; 11; 19; 24; 28

[5]:

paśupate paśūnāṃ adhipate rudra || Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 11.2.2

[6]:

bhavāśarvau mṛḍataṃ mābhi yātaṃ bhūtapatī paśupatī namo vām | pratihitāmāyatāṃ mā vi srāṣṭaṃ mā no hiṅsiṣṭaṃ dvipado mā catuṣpadaḥ || Atharvaveda-saṃhitā, 11.2.1

[7]:

Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[8]:

Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa, 52.8; Vāyu-purāṇa 1.27.11; Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.65.101; Śiva-purāṇa, 4.35.12; Viṣṇu-purāṇa, 1.8.6; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa,1.10.13

[9]:

Śiva-purāṇa, 2.5.9.13-24