HYMN TO RUDRA

Steatite seal found at Mohenjodaro

 

                 

        Queer, weird and unique Lord!

         Most powerful and terrific God !

         From all other gods you do stand apart;

         Purest divinity! None equals Thee not;

         Not robed in costly silks and muslins thin

         You strangely dress yourself in tiger’s skin;

         No diamond coronet with sparkling shine

         You surpass all with cool moon-crown divine;

         No craze for fragrant flowers like jasmine and rose

        Cool hissing coiled soft serpent-wreaths you chose;

         No perfumed oils and scented sandal splash

         You smear your body with white holy ash;

         Not hankering after worlds with heavenly glow

         You are content to dwell in hills covered with snow;

         No craze for bright-lit pleasure gardens trim

         You chose to stay with ghosts in graveyards grim;

         While others dance with celestial dames with cheer

         You sport with weird fiends and ghouls sans fear;

         You don’t require costly gifts and rituals grand

          A little water enough, no precious things you demand;

         While others enjoy tasty ambrosial dish

         You beg with a bowl to grant devotees, their wish;

         While others flaunt themselves with diamonds and gold

         A garland of grinning skulls around your neck you hold

        While others craved for gifts from milky ocean white

         You drank dire poison to save worlds from plight;

         No royal elephant or steed as mount you decide

         A sturdy snow-white bull you prefer to ride;

         While others worship Thy mysterious phallic form

        On whom you meditate so deep and calm?

         Your dreamy eyes show depths of bliss supreme

         Beyond all powers divine as sages deem;

         Thy ineffable mystic origin none can trace

         Though gods tried to explore in many ways;

         To grace Thy devotees you took Linga form

         Quelling all fears appearing  serene and calm      

         Brahma’s pride subdued by Thy trident keen

         When he considered Thee as worthless and mean;

         Thy flaming eye reduced the God of love to dust

          You rise above all gross passions and lust;

          You purged him of his egoistic pride and charm

          Resurrecting him with a more graceful form;

          The daughter of Himavanth did penance great

           Facing ordeals to win Thy love and be Thy mate;

           All saints and gods admired her penance intense

           Her unprecedented dedication immense.

           Your matted locks restrained Ganga’s turbulent force

           By Thy holy touch, subdued to earth she flows;      

           Though demons deified Thee with selfish greed

           They perished in pride and destructive deeds;

            What awful weapons Lord! You bravely wield

           To slay dreadful demons, defiant and bold

           Along with their worlds of silver, iron and gold

           Burnt to ashes by Thy mountain-bow with serpent- string

           As gods and sages Thy glory with joy did sing;

           Too liberal and fount of boundless grace thou art

           With simple things devotees gratify Thy heart;

           A speck of selfless pure devotion will suffice

           To please Thee, Lord of gods and Yoga wise;

           Even brutes and birds got Thy spontaneous grace

           Even a hunter unlettered by his faithful ways;    

           Death incarnate! Conqueror of death!

           Soul-animating force of vital breath!   

           God of music and dire, dynamic dance!

           God of benign visage and Yogic trance!

           Thy rhythmic raging dance with vigorous speed

           Will make all worlds shudder like feeble reeds;

           Lord of infinite space, planets and starry spheres

           Lord of all herbs, weapons and forces far and near;

           Lord of Vedas, mantras and sacred sacrifice;

           Lord of all arts, sciences and vibrating skies

           Beyond our mortal dividing illusions

           Beyond Maya’s restless ruffling delusions;

           Restrain Thy powerful majestic bow and darts

           With benign peace dwell within our hearts;

           Hail Rudra! Unstring Thy bow, reveal Thy charm

          Withdraw Thy dreadful, terrific form.

          Hail Rudra! Guardian of holy places and streams

          Hail Rudra! Lord of immense wealth supreme

          Hail Rudra! Lord of metals, deserts and forests green

          Hail Rudra! Lord of weapons with keen-edged sheen;

          Hail Rudra! Thy name enough to fill our lives with bliss

          Hail Rudra! Bless us with good health, wealth and peace. 

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               22nd April, 2021                                     Somaseshu Gutala                    

 A Note on Rudra: Rudra is a minor deity along with Vishnu (a solar deity) in Vedic period. He was depicted as a fierce god who shoots arrows of death and disease. He was implored in Rigvedic hymns not to slay or injure in his wrath. He is identified with powerful storms, fire, lightning and wind. He is also depicted as great healer of maladies and as a lord of many remedies. Rudra gained prominence at the end of the Rigvedic period. In Svetswaropanishad Rudra is called Shiva who bestows auspicious things on devotees. He is the eliminator of evil forces and miseries. In Rudra Suktam, the various manifestations of Rudra are described in a very detailed way. He is called “Jagatham Pataye Namah” (Lord of all worlds). Pashunam Pataye Namah (Lord of all living beings), “Oushadinam Pataye Namah(Lord of all medicines) and as “Devaanaam Hridayebhyho Namah” (who dwells in the hearts of all gods). The phrase “salutations to Lord” (Pathaye Namaha) is repeatedly used to emphasize Rudra as the sole controller and ruling supreme power over all gods, worlds, creation and dissolution.

The chanting of Mahamrithyunjaya mantra gives spiritual wisdom and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The Rudra Suktam is found in Krishna Yajurveda’s Taittiriya Samhita. It is a hymn to Lord Rudra giving a very detailed description about the universal presence of God and his vast powers and divine qualities. It comprises two parts; Namakam and Chamakam. The Namakam describes the names and qualities of Rudra and prays to Rudra to withdraw His terrific aspect and invokes for His benevolent form asking for the forgiveness of sins. The Chamakam is a prayer to Rudra requesting Him to grant both material and spiritual desires of the devotee. The earliest hymns to Rudra is the Shatarudriya found in the Yajurveda. 

Rudra Suktam is chanted while performing Abhishekam (pouring water) to Shiva Lingam. The cosmic dance of Shiva (called Tandava) shows both overwhelming spiritual ecstasy and also the wrath of destruction of evil forces leading rejuvenation.

 At Mohenjodaro the discovery of the steatite seal dating back to (2350 BC. -2000 B.C) with the figure of an ascetic in yogic pose was discovered. The figure has three heads with a horned head dress and is surrounded by animals. This figure is named as “Pashupati” and bears resemblance to Vedic Rudra regarded as the lord of animals, asceticism and yoga. Thus the worship of Rudra is seen right from very ancient civilizations.  

Ref :

 You drank dire poison --- during churning of milky sea by Gods and demons to procure amrit (nectar which gives immortality) and other precious things, poison emanated suddenly from the Vasuki serpent who was used as churning rope. All gods and demons ran away with fear dreading the destruction of the whole universe. Shiva came forward to drink the dreadful poison in order to save the all worlds from destruction. He did not swallow the poison but retained it in his throat as a result of which his throat became blue. This blue mark on his throat is a mark of his boundless mercy and supreme sacrifice.

 Brahma’s pride subdued – When Brahma arrogantly declared Himself as the supreme God and insulted Shiva, Lord Shiva cut off his head as a punishment.    

Thy flaming eye reduced the God of love to dust – Kamadev, god of sensual pleasures and love, was sent by gods to disturb Shiva’s penance so that he would be tempted by the beauty of Parvati (Sati reborn as Himavanth’s daughter) and marry her. When Kamadev shot arrows of love and disturbed Shiva, he became very angry and opened his third eye and Kamdev was reduced to ashes. After sometime he was resurrected by Shiva and Parvati when Rati (wife of Kamdev) did penance to please the Lord.

The daughter of Himavanth did penance great – Parvati, the daughter of the Himavanth, wished to please Lord Shiva by her austerities and penance and win his love. Though her parents tried dissuade her, she left her home and went to Tapovan to do severe penance for thousands of years without taking any food and water. The gods and sages were moved very much by her devotion and dedication. Shiva came in the guise of an old man and spoke harshly about Shiva’s ascetic way of life and his uncouth dress and way of life. But she became very angry and ordered him to leave the place. Shiva pleased by her unswerving faith at last accepted her as his spouse.

Your matted locks restrained Ganga’s pride--Baghirath did severe penance to bring Ganga from heaven to earth to get salvation for his ancestors who were burnt to ashes by Kapila’s fury. They disturbed Kapila’s penance thinking that he stole the sacrificial horse of their father, King Sagara. Sagara’s great-great grandson Baghirath pleased Ganga and asked her to come down to earth. But her turbulent flow would devastate the whole earth. Hence, he prayed to Lord Shiva to restrain her speed. Lord Shiva pleased with his devotion caught her in his matted locks to check her rapid flow.

To slay the dreadful demons defiant and bold – Tripuras (three cities) made of iron, silver and gold were constructed by the Asura architect, Mayasura. The three powerful demons and sons of Tarakasura, ( Tarakaksha,Vidyunamali, and Kamalksha) did great penance and got a boon from Brahma that their three cities made of iron, silver and gold should have the ability to move anywhere in the universe, and death should happen to them only when all their cities would come in conjunction only once in a thousand years, and when only a single arrow should be capable of destroying their worlds. With this wish granted, the three demons moved freely tormenting devas. When the gods prayed to Shiva and Vishnu, they assured them protection. Shiva asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to prepare a chariot made of gold. The earth became the chariot; the sun and moon became the wheels of the chariot; brahma was the charioteer; Mount Meru was the bow and Vishnu was the powerful arrow; and the divine serpent Vasuki became the bow-string. When the three forts conjoined after a gap of one thousand years, Shiva installed a powerful dart and burnt the three forts along with the three powerful demons.

Even brutes and birds got Thy boundless grace -- A spider (Sri), a snake(Kala) and an elephant(Hasti) worshipped Lord Shiva and attained salvation. A hunter (called Kannappa) worshipped Shiva and attained the grace of Kalahastiswara. The temple of Srikalahastiswara was built during the Pallava period in 5^th century and  the outer temple was constructed in 11^th century Rajendra Chola and later by Vijayanagara kings.

Death incarnate --- As the lord of dissolution, Shiva liberates souls from worldly cares in the guise of death. He is also the Lord of life and immortality.

Conqueror of Death – Shiva became angry when Yama, the lord of death, threw his noose around the neck of Markandeya who hugged the Linga tightly and prayed to Shiva. Shiva emerged from the Linga and killed Yama with his trident. He gave immortal life to Markandeya and revived Yama back to life who asked Shiva to pardon his faults.

Thy ineffable origin none can trace -- When Brahma and Vishnu argued about their superiority status, Shiva appeared before them in the form of a blazing pillar of fire. Brahma assumed the form of a swan to find out the topmost end of the Shiva Lingam. Vishnu went down the earth in the form of a boar to find out the bottom of the Shiva Lingam. Both failed in finding out the starting point and the top of the Shiva Lingam. Then they realized Shiva as the supreme godhead of the whole creation.

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