Rudra
Rudra (Sanskrit: रुद्रः) ("Howler") is a Rigvedic God of the storm, the hunt, death, Nature and the Wind. Rudra is thought to be an early form of Shiva, the lord of destruction in Hinduism, and a name of Shiva in the Shiva sahasranama.
Rudra has arrows which cause disease in whomever he hits whether it be a god, human or animal. With Diti he is the father of the Maruts. The famous hymn, Shri Rudram is a Vedic Mantra that is still chanted today.
According to Adi Sankara's commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama, Rudra means "One who makes all beings cry at the time of cosmic dissolution." Alternatively, Rudra means "One who gives speech." Rudra also means "one who drives away sorrows."
The word Rudraksha is a Tatpurusha compound meaning "The eye of Rudra"
A musical instrument has been named after Rudra Shiva — Rudra Veena.
The Meaning of Rudra
This section is clearly a theosophical interpolation.
Rudra means the Lord of Ethers (Rodasi, Antariksha). The Lord vibrates through the ethers. His vibration in the ethers is like a roar, which can be listened by the ones who can listen to silence. Silence is the higher aspect of sound called Nada. The Rudras roar through the ethers transmitting electromagnetic waves. The whole world of the phenomena of light beyond darkness manifesting visible and invisible worlds is the work of Rudras. He is the fire that manifests the three worlds. He is therefore the three fires.
The Rudras are chiefly 11 and exist in the 3 worlds of cosmic, solar and planetary. Rudras function to create and to destroy. “Eleven are the Rudras and thrice eleven they are. Hence the number is thirty three.” An initiate of 33 degrees carries the knowledge of creation and destruction (Reference from the book on Rudras). The 11 Rudras exist in the human body in all the 3 planes: as mind, as the 5 senses and the 5 organs of action, as Akasa, as the 5 elements and the 5 sensations and as chief life manifesting as 5 major and 5 minor pulsations. Rudra associates with the body and conducts the vibrations of life, of mind and of Akasa. It is the function of Rudra that enables the pulsation in the body and the occurrence of thought, speech and action. He roars through the body. When he departs from the body, the departing soul as well as his friends and relatives roar (weep). When he begins his function in the body with the first breath, the just born child roars (cries). The Rudra roars through the sky like a thunder. The light manifests through such thundering. Such is the power of Rudra.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Vishnu Sahasranama, commentary by Shankaracharya, translated by Swami Tapasyananda
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend by Anna Dhallapiccola ISBN 0-500-51088-1
- Rudrastadhyayi by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Devi Mandir. ISBN 1-877795-53-4
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