Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)
by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words
This page relates ‘Number of Rudra’ 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.
42. Number of Rudra
According to the Purāṇas, Rudra and Śiva are the same. There is no difference between Rudra and Śiva.[1] Rudra is the complete manifestation of Śiva.[2] According to the Brahma Purāṇa, eleven Rudras were born to Kaśyapa and Surabhi.[3] The names of the eleven Rudras are—Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Tvaṣṭṛ, Rudra, Hara, Bahurūpa, Tryambaka, Aparājita, Vṛṣākapi, Śambhu, Kapardin, Raivata, Mṛgavyādha, Śarva and Kapālin.[4] The Bhāgavata Purāṇa, mentions the names of the eleven Rudras as—Raivata, Aja, Bhava, Bhīma, Vāma, Ugra, Vṛṣākapi, Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Bahurūpa and Mahān.[5] In another chapter of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, the names of the eleven Rudras are—Manyu, Manu, Mahinasa, Mahān, Śiva, Ṛtudhvaja, Ugraretas, Bhava, Kāla, Vāmadeva and Dhṛtavrata.[6] According to the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, by the blessing of Mahādeva, eleven Rudras were born as the sons of Surabhi and Kaśyapa. The names of the eleven Rudras are—Aṅgāraka, Sarpa, Nirṛti, Sadasaspati, Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Jvara, Bhuvana, Īśvara, Mṛtyu and Kapālin.[7]
But each Purāṇa mentions slightly different versions of the names of eleven Rudras. The Liṅga Purāṇa points out these names as—Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Virūpākṣa, Bhairava, Hara, Bahurūpa, Tryambaka, Sāvitra, Jayanta, Pinākin and Aparājita.[8] In the Vāyu Purāṇa, it is stated that eleven Rudras are born from Surabhi and Kaśyapa. The names of them are mentioned as—Aṅgāraka, Sarpa, Nirṛti, Sadasaspati, Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, U̅ rdhaketu, Jvara, Bhubaneśvara, Mṛtyu and Kapāla.[9] In the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, the names of eleven Rudras are mentioned differently—Hara, Varṣa, Śudha, Tryambaka, Aparājita, Vṛṣākapi, Śambhu, Kapardin, Raivata, Īśvara and Bhuvana.[10] The names of the eleven Rudras are mentioned as such in the Śiva Purāṇa—Raivata, Aja, Bhava, Bhīma, Vāma, Ugra, Vṛṣākapi, Ajaikapāt, Ahirbudhnya, Bahurūpa and Mahān.[11] Brahmā gave eleven wives for each of them. The names of them are—Dhī, Vṛtti, Uśanā, Umā, Nityutsarpi, Īlā, Ambikā, Irāvatī, Sudhā, Dikṣā and Rudrāṇī.[12] Rudras are said to be prāṇas and prāṇas are Rudras.[13]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
vastutoḥ hyekarūpaṃ hi dvidhā bhinnaṃ jagatyuta | ato na bhedā vijñeyaḥ śive rudre kadācana || Śiva-purāṇa, 2.1.9.34
[2]:
(a) pūrṇāṅśaśaṅkarasyaiva yo rudro varṇito purā || Ibid., 2.2.1.3 (b) tasya pūrṇāvatāro hi rudrassākṣācchivaḥ smṛtaḥ || Ibid., 2.1.16.50
[3]:
surabhī kaśyapādrudrānekādaśa vinirmame | Brahma-purāṇa, 3.46
[4]:
[5]:
raivato’jo bhavo bhīmo vāma ugro vṛṣākapiḥ | ajaikapādahirbradhnyo bahurūpo mahāniti | Bhāgavata-purāṇa, 6.6.17-18
[6]:
manyurmanurmahinaso mahāñchiva ṛtadhvajaḥ | ugraretā bhavaḥ kālo vāmadevo dhṛtavrataḥ || Ibid., 3.12.12
[7]:
[8]:
...ajaikapādahirbudhnyo virūpākṣaḥ sabhairavaḥ || haraśca bahurūpaśca tryambakaśca sureśvaraḥ | sāvitraśca jayantaśca pinākī cāparājitaḥ || Liṅga-purāṇa, 1.63.20-22
[9]:
surabhī kaśyapādrudrānekādaśa vijajñire | mahādevaprasādena tapasā bhāvitā satī || aṅgārakaṃ tathā sarpaṃ nirṛtiṃ sadasaspatim | ajaikapādahirbudhnyamūrdhaketuṃ jvaraṃ tathā || bhuvanañceśvaraṃ mṛtyuṃ kapālañcaiva viśrutam | devānekādaśaitānstu rudrānstribhuvaneśvarān | tapasā tena mahatā surabhī tānajījanat || Vāyu-purāṇa, 2.5.68-70
[10]:
Bhaviṣya-purāṇa, 1.125.7
[11]:
raivato’jo bhavo bhīmo vāma vṛṣākapiḥ | ajaikapādahirbudhnyo bahurūpo mahāniti || Śiva-purāṇa, 5.31.35
[12]: