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Both in the purāņās and the Āgamās, Rudra is lauded
as Shiva the benevolent and the destroyer. Though Gods like Agni
have specific features in the front according to their several
functions, yet each is only a front of the All-Gods supporting
from within, one light of the original Godhead. Hence though
specific features of each deity are denoted, yet mention of those
of other deities alongside makes it difficult to determine the
sole specialty of each. Thus in certain hymns (e.g. 4.3.1) there
is hardly any distinction between Agni and Rudra; similarly
between Indra and Rudra elsewhere. Still inspite of the fact that
the features of Agni, Indra, the supreme Godhead,
are ascribed to Rudra, it is possible to sift certain
specific characteristics of Rudra. Though the qualities of
Rudra are described in the Yajur and Atharva vedās, here we take
into account only the hymns in the Rigveda. Let us note, in
passing, that the number of hymns devoted to each God do not
measure his importance. Gods like Sūrya, Vişhņu, Rudra
may have fewer hymns, but that does not lessen their eminence.
Why then are such a large number of hymns devoted to Indra
or Agni? The hymns stress the role of the deities whose
favour is indispensable in the upward path of the ancient
rişhis engaged in the inner sacrifice. Neither Vişhņu nor
Rudra are as relevant in these states of the ascent as Agni or
Indra.
To come to the description of Brahma, Rudra and
Vişhņu: Brahma creates all by Speech. The creation is a
manifestation. Things lost in darkness are brought out into light.
He who thus effects the manifestation is Brahma,
Brahmaņaspati, the creator. He brings out all things from the
darkness of Inconscience and gives them life-forms and mental
forms.
Rudra forcibly leads this creation upwards. He as Shiva,
puts down all those who arrogantly obstruct his course, punishes
them as with a whip, kills the evil opponents with his weapons.
Though thus terrible, he is beneficent, compassionate to the
distressed, effects the auspicious with his healing balm.
Upholding the Universe with his three steps, Vişhņu creates
for Indra wide station amongst us mortals by which we can reach
the supreme station above.
Even derivatively, the word Rudra denotes the fierce or terrible
one. The hymns speak of him as the source of life-strengths,
father of Rudrās, parent of Maruts, as Shiva the benevolent. They
speak of his greatness, plentiful progeny, parentage of Maruts
and giver of the universe, who spreads felicity among all. The
profound Mantra, trayambakam yajāmahe (7.59.12) [discussed
at the end of this chapter] celebrates his power to liberate all
persons from death. The half of the Mantra illustrating the
release from bondage contains a truth of direct experience in yoga
relevant even today. It reads, urvārukamiva bandhanāt mŗtyor
mukşhīya māmŗtāt; even as the fruit as it ripens gets
loosened from the hard shell covering it, the soul within gets
separated from the external body subject to death. So, the
rişhi says: release from bondage to death, but not from
immortality. This is the basis of the passage in the Kaţha
upanishad (6.17) which speaks of extracting the soul from the body
as the fiber from a blade of grass.
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