Rudras
Rudras refer to the forms of the god Rudra, whose traditions have since been associated with lord Shiva. They make up eleven of the thirty-three gods in the Vedic religion|Vedic] pantheon. 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 tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage Kashyapa and his wife Aditi, along with the 12 Adityas, 8 Vasus and 2 Ashvins, constituting the Thirty-three gods. 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- Nirṛti
- Śambhu
- Aparājita
- Mṛgavyādha
- Kapardin
- Dahana
- Khara
- Manas
- Ahirbudhnya
- Kapālin
- Piṅgala
- Senāni
The Vishnu Purana narrates that Rudra – here identified as Shiva. The furious Rudra was in Ardhanari 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:
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
In one instance in the epic Mahabharata, the Rudras are eleven in number and are named:
While Kapālin is described the foremost of Rudras here, in the Bhagavad Gita, it is Śankara who is considered the greatest of the Rudras. Both Kapalin and Śankara are epithets of Shiva. In another instance, they are described as sons of Tvashtr and named:
- Vishvarupa
- Ekapada
- Ahirbudhnya
- Virupaksa
- Raivata
- Hara
- Bahurupa
- Tryambaka
- Savitra
- Jayanta
- Pinakin
- Ekapada
- Ahirbudhnya
- Pinakin
- Rta
- Pitrupa
- Tryamabaka
- Maheshvara
- Vrishakapi
- Shambhu
- Havana
- Ishvara
- Manyu
- Manu
- Mahinasa
- Mahān
- Śiva
- Ṛtadhvaja
- Ugraretā
- Bhava
- Kāla
- Vāmadeva
- Dhṛtavrata
- Raivata
- Aja
- Bhava
- Bhīma
- Vāma
- Ugra
- Vṛṣākapi
- Ajaikapāt
- Ahirbradhna
- Bahurūpa
- Mahān
- Kapāli
- Pingala
- Bhima
- Virupaksha
- Vilohita
- Ajapada
- Ahirbhudhnya
- Shasta
- Shambhu
- Chanda
- Bhava
Associations
In Vedic scriptures, Rudras are described as loyal companions of Rudra, who later was identified with Shiva. They are considered as divine aids, messengers and forms of Rudra. They are fearful in nature. The Shatapatha Brahmana mentions that Rudra is the prince, while Rudras are his subjects. They are considered as attendants of Shiva in later mythology.The Rigveda and the Krishna Yajurveda 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 eleven Rudras are represented by ten vital energies in the body and the eleventh one being the Ātman.
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 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 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 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 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 and Indra-Suktas of the Rigveda, 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 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.