Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates ‘Scope and Purpose of the Study’ 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.
4. Scope and Purpose of the Study
The scope of this work includes all the major aspects regarding the overall evaluation of the concept of Rudra-Śiva from Vedic to Purāṇic literature. Therefore, a modest attempt has been made to study the Rudra-Śiva concept in the Vedic and the Purāṇic literature.
There are so many western and Indian writers who have already discussed on Rudra as a god in the Vedic literature. But as per our belief and knowledge, the gradual development of Rudra to Śiva from the Vedic to Purāṇic literature has not been found in any other work. Therefore, I have chosen this topic for my Ph.D dissertation. Here, in this work, it has been shown how Śiva usurps the position of Vedic Rudra in the post-Vedic literature. It has also tried to emphasize the similarities with respect to their activities as well as the characteristic features of the two gods in detail.