Rudra-Shiva concept (Study)

by Maumita Bhattacharjee | 2018 | 54,352 words

This page relates ‘Rudra as Krishna Asita’ 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.

2.27. Rudra as Kṛṣṇa Asita

< Previous

Next >

In the Atharvaveda, these two words kṛṣṇa and asita occur in connection with Rudra. This name is attributed to Rudra.^[1]

Sāyaṇācārya gives interpretations of these two terms kṛṣṇa and asita respectively as:

kṛṣṇaṃ kṛṣṇavarṇam

And

asita sitetaraparicchadam.^[2]

These two words mean the same colour, i.e. black. Here, Rudra is said to be the wearer of black dress. But in the Ṛgveda, Rudra is said to be white-complexioned.^[3] The Ṛgveda and the Yajurveda disclose numerous epithets of Rudra which suggest his colour as tāmra and aruṇa,^[4] babhru.^[5]