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Rudras refer to the forms of the god Rudra, whose traditions have since been associated with
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
. They make up eleven of the thirty-three gods in the
Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
pantheon.Hopkins pp. 172-3 They are at times identified with the storm deities referred to as Maruts, while at other times considered distinct from them. While the '' Vamana Purana'' describes Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi, Maruts are described distinct from the Rudras as the 49 sons of Diti, sister of Aditi, and the attendants of Indra, rather than Rudra.


Birth and names

The ''
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages e ...
'' tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage
Kashyapa Kashyapa ( sa, कश्यप}, ) is a revered Vedic sage of Hinduism., Quote: "Kasyapa (Rudra),(Vedic Seer)..." He is one of the Saptarishis, the seven ancient sages of the ''Rigveda''. Kashyapa is the most ancient and venerated rishi, alo ...
and his wife Aditi, along with the 12 Adityas, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashvins, constituting the Thirty-three gods.Mani pp. 654–5 The '' Vamana Purana'' describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi. The '' Matsya Purana'' notes that Surabhi – the mother of all cows and the "cow of plenty" – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven Rudras. Here they are named : # Nirriti #Shambhu #Aparajita #Mrigavyadha #Kapardi #Dahana #Khara #Ahirabradhya # Kapali #Pingala #Senani The '' Harivamsa'', an appendix of the ''
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
'', makes Kashyapa and Surabhi – here, portrayed as his wife – the parents of the Rudras. In another instance in the Mahabharata, it is
Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for ...
(possibly identified with Yama) who is the father of the Rudras and the Maruts. The ''
Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana ( IAST:, sa, विष्णुपुराण) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manusc ...
'' narrates that Rudra – here identified as
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
. The furious Rudra was in
Ardhanari The Ardhanarishvara ( sa, अर्धनारीश्वर, Ardhanārīśvara, the half-female Lord, translit-std=IAST), is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half ...
form, half his body was male and other half female. He divided himself into two: the male and female. The male form then split itself into eleven, forming the eleven Rudras. Some of them were white and gentle; while others were dark and fierce. They are called: # Manyu #Manu #Mahmasa #Mahan #
Siva Siva may refer to: Film and television * Siva (director), Indian cinematographer and director * ''Siva'' (1989 Tamil film), a film starring Rajinikanth as the title character * ''Siva'' (1989 Telugu film), an action film Music and dance * "Siv ...
#Rtudhvaja #Ugraretas # Bhava #
Kama ''Kama'' (Sanskrit ) means "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsकाम, kāmaMonier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column Kama often connotes sensual pleasure, se ...
# Vamadeva #Dhrtavrata From the woman were born the eleven Rudranis who became wives of the Rudras. They are: #Dhi #Vrtti #Usana #Urna #Niyuta #Sarpis #Ila # Ambika #Iravatl #Svadha #Diksa Brahma allotted to the Rudras the eleven positions of the heart and the five sensory organs, the five organs of action and the mind. Other Puranas call them Aja,
Ekapada Ekapada refers to a one-footed aspect of the Hindu god Shiva. This aspect is primarily found in South India and Orissa, but also occasionally in Rajasthan and Nepal. The Ekapada is primarily represented in three iconographical forms. In the Ekapa ...
(Ekapat), Ahirbudhnya, Tvasta, Rudra, Hara, Sambhu, Tryambaka, Aparajita, Isana and Tribhuvana. In one instance in the epic ''
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
'', the Rudras are eleven in number and are named: #Mrgavadha #Sarpa # Nirriti #Ajaikapad # Ahi #Budhnya #Pinakin #Dahana #
Ishvara ''Ishvara'' () is a concept in Hinduism, with a wide range of meanings that depend on the era and the school of Hinduism. Monier Monier Williams, Sanskrit-English dictionarySearch for Izvara University of Cologne, Germany In ancient texts of ...
# Kapali # Sthanu #
Bhaga ''Bhaga'' is the Vedic god of wealth, as well as a term for "lord, patron" and "wealth, prosperity". He is an Āditya, a group of societal deities who are the sons of Aditi. Bhaga's responsibility was to make sure that people received a share ...
While Kapalin is described the foremost of Rudras here, in the Bhagavad Gita it is Sankara who is considered the greatest of the Rudras. Both Kapalin and Sankara are epithets of Shiva. In another instance, they are described as sons of Tvastr and named: #Vishvarupa #Ajaikapad #Ahi Budhnya #Virupaksa #Raivata # Hara #Bahurupa #Tryambaka #Savitra #Jayanta #Pinakin While usually the Rudras are described to eleven, in one instance in the ''Mahabharata''; they are said to be eleven thousand and surrounding Shiva, which is another name for Rudra. The eleven groups of hundred are named: #Ajaikapad #Ahi Budhnya #Pinakin #Rta #Pitrrupa #Tryamabaka #
Maheshvara Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
#Vrsakapi #Sambhu #Havana #
Ishvara ''Ishvara'' () is a concept in Hinduism, with a wide range of meanings that depend on the era and the school of Hinduism. Monier Monier Williams, Sanskrit-English dictionarySearch for Izvara University of Cologne, Germany In ancient texts of ...
Th
Bhagavata Purana Canto 3 Chapter 3
mentions that Rudra is born from the anger of Lord Brahma. The names are mentioned i
Canto 3 Chapter 3 and Verse 12
as follows: # Manyu # Manu # Mahinasa # Mahān # Śiva # Ṛtadhvaja # Ugraretā # Bhava # Kāla # Vāmadeva # Dhṛtavrata I
Bhagavata Purana Canto 6 Chapter 6
the eleven Rudras are said to be the children of Sarūpā and Bhūta. Sarūpā was a daughter of Daksa. The names of the eleven Rudras given i
Canto 6 Chapter 6 Verse 17-18
are: # Raivata # Aja # Bhava # Bhīma # Vāma # Ugra # Vṛṣākapi # Ajaikapāt # Ahirbradhna # Bahurūpa # Mahān The '' Matsya Purana'' mentions the ferocious eleven Rudras – named: # Kapali #Pingala #Bhima #Virupaksa #Vilohita #Ajapada #Ahirabradhya #Shasta #Shambhu #Chanda #Bhava Aiding God
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within ...
in his fight against the demons. They wear lion-skins, matted-hair and serpents around their necks. They have yellow throats, hold tridents and skulls and have the crescent moon on their foreheads. Together headed by Kapali, they slay the elephant demon Gajasura.


Associations

In Vedic scriptures, Rudras are described as loyal companions of Rudra, who later was identified with
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
. They are considered as divine aids , messengers and forms of Rudra. They are fearful in nature. The '' Satapatha Brahmana'' mentions that Rudra is the prince, while Rudras are his subjects. They are considered as attendants of Shiva in later mythology. The
Rig Veda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one ...
and the Krishna Yajur Veda makes the Rudras the gods of the middle world, situated between earth and heaven i.e. the atmosphere. As wind-gods, the Rudras represent the life-breath. In the ''
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad The ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' ( sa, बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्, ) is one of the Principal Upanishads and one of the first Upanishadic scriptures of Hinduism. A key scripture to various schools of Hinduism, the ''Br ...
'', the eleven Rudras are represented by ten vital energies (''rudra-prana'') in the body and the eleventh one being the Ātman (the soul). The Rudras are said to preside over the second stage of creation and the intermediary stage of life. They govern the second ritual of sacrifice, the mid-day offering and the second stage of life – from the 24th to the 68 year of life. The ''
Chandogya Upanishad The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Chāndogyopaniṣad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166- ...
'' prescribes that the Rudras be propitiated in case of sickness in this period and further says that they on departing the body become the cause of tears, the meaning of the name Rudra being the "ones who make cry". The
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad The ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' ( sa, बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्, ) is one of the Principal Upanishads and one of the first Upanishadic scriptures of Hinduism. A key scripture to various schools of Hinduism, the ''Br ...
explicitly states the fact that since the Rudras leaving the body – causing death – makes people cry, they are Rudras. The ''Mahabharata'' describes the Rudras as companions of Indra, servants of Shiva and his son Skanda and companions of Yama, who is surrounded by them. They have immense power, wear golden necklaces and are "like lighting-illuminated clouds". The ''
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
'' prescribes the worship of the Rudras to gain virile power.


Association with Maruts

Rudras are at times identified with the Maruts – sons of Rudra in the Vedas; while at other times, considered distinct from them. Some scholars believe that Rudras and Maruts could be distinct groups, Rudras being the true followers of Rudra and daivic (Godly) in nature. But poets of the ''Rigveda'' declared the Maruts to take the position of the Rudras in order to give status to the Vedic god Rudra. Later in post-Vedic literature like the epics and Puranas, Maruts were associated with Indra, while Rudras gained their former status as followers of Rudra, who had evolved into Shiva. However, other scholars disregard this theory and consider that originally Rudras and Maruts were identical. A theory suggests that slowly in the Vedas two classes of Maruts came into existence: the friendly and beneficent, and the roaring and turbulent; the latter grew into the distinct group of deities called the Rudras, who were associated only with the wild Rudra. In the ''Marut Suktas'' (RV 1, 2, 5, 8) and ''Indra-Suktas'' (RV 1, 3, 8, 10) of the ''Rigveda'' (RV), the epithet "Rudras" – originating from the verb root ''rud'' or ''ru'' and meaning howlers, roarers or shouters – is used numerous times for the Maruts – identifying them with the Rudras even when associated with Indra, rather than Rudra. There are some hymns in the ''Rigveda'' (RV 2, 7, 8, 10) that explicitly distinguish between the Maruts and the Rudras. While the '' Vamana Purana'' describes Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi, Maruts are described distinct from the Rudras as 49 sons of Diti, sister of Aditi and attendants of Indra.


Ashwatthama

Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, is the avatar of one of the eleven Rudras, along with being one of the eight Chiranjivi (the immortals). Drona performed many years of severe penances to please Lord Shiva in order to obtain a son who possessed the same valiance as the latter. Ashwatthama, the powerful son of Drona, though known as the part incarnate of Rudra, was really born of the four parts of Yama (death), Rudra (destruction), Kama (love) and Krodha (anger). Just before
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
war,
Bhishma Bhishma (Sanskrit: भीष्‍म, , ), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, played an integral role in Mahabharata. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War mentioned in the Hindu epi ...
himself declared that it would be virtually impossible for anyone to kill or defeat Ashwatthama in battle as he was the part incarnate of Rudra.
Bhishma Bhishma (Sanskrit: भीष्‍म, , ), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, played an integral role in Mahabharata. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War mentioned in the Hindu epi ...
stated that when Ashwatthama becomes angry, it would become impossible to fight him as he would become "a second
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
". The dishonoured death of Drona left Aswathama infuriated, and this event led directly to the annihilation of most of the
Pandava The Pandavas ( Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic '' Mahabharata''. They are acknowle ...
lineage by the hands of Ashwatthama himself.J.L Shastri. "The Shiva Purana - The Complete Set in 4 Volumes". Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd; 2008 Edition


See also

* Thirty-three gods * Aditya * Vasus * Ashvins * Indra *
Prajapati Prajapati ( sa, प्रजापति, Prajāpati, lord and protector of creation) is a Vedic deity of Hinduism. In later literature, Prajapati is identified with the creator god Brahma, but the term also connotes many different gods, depe ...
* Maruts


Notes


References

* *{{cite book, last=Hopkins , first=Edward Washburn, author-link=Edward Washburn Hopkins, title=Epic mythology , url=https://archive.org/stream/epicmythology00hopkuoft#page/n147/mode/2up/search/Kubera, year=1915, publisher=Strassburg K.J. Trübner, isbn=0-8426-0560-6 Forms of Shiva Hindu gods Rigvedic deities