Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Rudra of the Upanishads

Photo: Rudra of the Upanishads Some ignorant persons think that Rudra is a malevolent, terrific deity who causes destruction. They believe that Rudra is a God of punishment. It is not so. Rudra is the God who bestows prosperity and destroys suffering. He is a benevolent Deity who confers auspiciousness, offspring and cattle. He is the bringer or source of prosperity. Siva or Rudra means He who removes sin or suffering. The names Bhava, Sarva, Pasupati, Ugra, Mahadeva, Isana and Asani are applied to Rudra. Pasupati means the Lord or Protector of cattle. In the Vedas you will find prayers such as: “O Rudra! May we increase in offspring”. “Thou, O Rudra, art the most eminent of beings, the strongest of the strong, wielder of the thunderbolt; protect us, carry us happily across our calamity, drive away all evils”. “Remove from us whatever sins we have done.” Therefore, Rudra is not a terror-inspiring God, but a bestower of welfare or prosperity. He is the one great Lord of the Universe. Rudra is the ideal of mendicants, because Rudra alone, of all the deities, is spoken of in the scriptures as the mendicant-God. He is mentioned as having, the ascetic water-pot in the Rigveda hymns. You will find in the Svetasvatara Upanishad, chapter III: “There is one Rudra only who rules all the worlds by His powers. There is no one besides Him who can make Him the second. He is present inside the hearts of all beings. He creates all the worlds and maintains and finally withdraws them into Himself”. Rudra represents here Para Brahman or the Supreme Self, the Infinite or the Absolute. Rudra, after having created all objects, draws together or takes them all back into Himself at the end of time, i.e., during cosmic Pralaya or dissolution. Rudra is the destructive aspect of Siva. There are eleven Rudras in the cosmic hierarchy. Esoterically, the Pranas (or the ten senses) and the mind represent the eleven Rudras. Sri Hanuman is a manifestation or aspect of Rudra only. In Siva-Purana, Rudra is another name for Siva. Rudra is one who destroys the sins and removes the miseries of His devotees and confers on them wisdom and bliss. Rudra is the Antaryamin or indweller of all beings. He witnesses silently the actions and thoughts of men and dispenses the fruits of their actions. “That one God, having His eyes, His face, His arms and feet in every place, when producing heaven and earth, forges them together with His arms and His wings”. May Rudra, the creator and supporter of the gods, the great seer, the Lord of all, who created at first Hiranyagarbha, endow us with good thought (pure intellect). “Rudra, with Thy form which is auspicious, which is not dreadful, and which manifests what is holy, with that all-blessed form, appear to us, O Dweller among the mountains”. source: "LORD SIVA AND HIS WORSHIP" By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

Rudra of the Upanishads

Some ignorant persons think that Rudra is a malevolent, terrific deity who causes destruction. They believe that Rudra is a God of punishment. It is not so. Rudra is the God who bestows prosperity and destroys suffering. He is a benevolent Deity who confers auspiciousness, offspring and cattle. He is the bringer or source of prosperity.

Siva or Rudra means He who removes sin or suffering. The names Bhava, Sarva, Pasupati, Ugra, Mahadeva, Isana and Asani are applied to Rudra. Pasupati means the Lord or Protector of cattle.

In the Vedas you will find prayers such as: “O Rudra! May we increase in offspring”. “Thou, O Rudra, art the most eminent of beings, the strongest of the strong, wielder of the thunderbolt; protect us, carry us happily across our calamity, drive away all evils”. “Remove from us whatever sins we have done.” Therefore, Rudra is not a terror-inspiring God, but a bestower of welfare or prosperity. He is the one great Lord of the Universe.

Rudra is the ideal of mendicants, because Rudra alone, of all the deities, is spoken of in the scriptures as the mendicant-God. He is mentioned as having, the ascetic water-pot in the Rigveda hymns.

You will find in the Svetasvatara Upanishad, chapter III: “There is one Rudra only who rules all the worlds by His powers. There is no one besides Him who can make Him the second. He is present inside the hearts of all beings. He creates all the worlds and maintains and finally withdraws them into Himself”.

Rudra represents here Para Brahman or the Supreme Self, the Infinite or the Absolute.

Rudra, after having created all objects, draws together or takes them all back into Himself at the end of time, i.e., during cosmic Pralaya or dissolution.

Rudra is the destructive aspect of Siva. There are eleven Rudras in the cosmic hierarchy. Esoterically, the Pranas (or the ten senses) and the mind represent the eleven Rudras. Sri Hanuman is a manifestation or aspect of Rudra only.

In Siva-Purana, Rudra is another name for Siva. Rudra is one who destroys the sins and removes the miseries of His devotees and confers on them wisdom and bliss. Rudra is the Antaryamin or indweller of all beings. He witnesses silently the actions and thoughts of men and dispenses the fruits of their actions.

“That one God, having His eyes, His face, His arms and feet in every place, when producing heaven and earth, forges them together with His arms and His wings”.

May Rudra, the creator and supporter of the gods, the great seer, the Lord of all, who created at first Hiranyagarbha, endow us with good thought (pure intellect).

“Rudra, with Thy form which is auspicious, which is not dreadful, and which manifests what is holy, with that all-blessed form, appear to us, O Dweller among the mountains”.

source: "LORD SIVA AND HIS WORSHIP" By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
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