Many so-called western "scholars" say that in the vedas rudra is a "minor storm god".Here are a few quotes to show that lord shiva is conceived of as the Supreme being in the vedas itself.
The name Rudra which is given to Lord Shiva in the vedas is Rudra,which means "he who drives away the miseries of Samsara".
Please note that this collection is by no means exhaustive.I have not gone through the Sama and Atharva vedas yet, and there might be verses in Rig and yajur vedas that escaped my notice.
RV 1.43.1 What could we say to Rudra, the wise, the most liberal, the most powerful, that is most welcome to his heart.
RV 1.43.2 That Aditi may grant the grace of Rudra to our folk, our kine,
Our cattle and our progeny;
RV 1.43.4 To Rudra Lord of sacrifice, of hymns and balmy medicines,
We pray for joy and health and strength.
RV 1.43.5 He shines in splendour like the Sun, refulgent as bright gold is he,
The good, the best among the Gods.
RV 1.43.9 Soma! head, central point, love these; Soma! know these as serving thee,
Children of thee Immortal, at the highest place of holy law.
RV 1.114.1. To the strong Rudra bring we these our songs of praise, to him the Lord of Heroes with the braided hair,
That it be well with all our cattle and our men, that in this village all he healthy and well−fed.
RV 1.43.3 By worship of the Gods may we, O Bounteous One, O Rudra, gain thy grace, Ruler of valiant men.
Come to our families, bringing them bliss: may we, whose heroes are uninjured, bring thee sacred gifts,
RV 1.43.4 Hither we call for aid the wise, the wanderer, impetuous Rudra, perfecter of sacrifice.
May he repel from us the anger of the Gods: verily we desire his favourable grace.
RV 1.43.5 Him with the braided hair we call with reverence down, the wild−boar of the sky, the red, the dazzling
shape.
May he, his hand filled full of sovran medicines, grant us protection, shelter, and a home secure.
RV 1.43.6 Grant us, Immortal One, the food which mortals eat: be gracious unto me, my seed, my progeny.
RV 1.114.6 This praise, the sweetest of the sweet, and cause of increase (to the reciter), is addressed to Rudra,the father of the Maruts; immortal Rudra ,grant us food sufficient for mortals, and bestow happiness on me, my son, and my grandson.
RV 1.129.3 Thou, Mighty, pourest forth the hide that holds the rain, thou keepest far away, Hero, the wicked man, thou shuttest out the wicked man.Indra, to thee I sing, to Dyaus, to Rudra glorious in himself,
To Mitra, Varuna I sing a far-famed hymn to the kind God a far-famed hymn.
RV 2.33.3 You, Rudra, are the chief of beings in glory; you, wielder of the thunderbolt, are the mightiest of the mighty;do you waft us in safety over (the ocean) of sin; repel all the assaults of iniquity.
RV 2.33.4 Let us not anger thee with (imperfect) adorations, Rudra, unworthy praise, Strong God! nor address You equally with others.
RV 2.33.6 May the showerer of benefits, the lord of the Maruts, gratify me his suppliant with invogorating food;may I, free from sin, so propitiate Rudra, that I may attain to his felicity, as a man, distressed by heat, (finds relief)in the shade.
RV 2.33.7 Where, Rudra, is your joy-dispending hand, which is the healer and delighter (of all); showerer (of benefits), who are the dispeller of sins of the gods, quickly have compassion upon me. [The dispeller of the sinsof the gods:apabharta_ rapaso daivyasya = devakr.tasya pa_pasya apaharta_, the taker-away of sin committedby a divinity)
RV 2.33.8 I address infinite and earnest praise to the showerer (of benefits), the cherisher (of all), the white-complexioned; adore the consumer (of sin), glorify the illustrious name of Rudra.
RV 2.33.10 Worthy (of reverence), you bear arrows and a bow; worthy (of praise), you wear an adorable and omniform necklace; there is no one more powerful than you.
RV 2.33.9 With firm limbs, multiform, the strong, the tawny adorns himself with bright gold decorations:
The strength of Godhead ne'er departs from Rudra, the supreme ruler and lord of this world.
2.33.15 Cherisher of the world, showerer (of benefits), omniscient and divine (Rudra), hearer of our invocation,so consider us on this occasion, that you may not be irate, nor slay us; but that, blessed with excellent descendants, we may worthily glorify you at this sacrifice.
RV 4.3.1, YV 1.3.14.2 Rudra, king (ruler) of the sacrifice, True offerer, priest of both worlds.
RV 1.114.4 Hither we call for aid the wise, the wanderer, impetuous Rudra, fulfiller of sacrifice
RV 5.41.11 How can we offer (fit praise) to the mighty posterity of Rudra, or to the all-knowing Bhaga, for (the sakeof obtaining) riches; may the waters, may the plants, protect us, and the heaven, the woods, and the mountains,whose tresses are trees.
RV 5.60. 5 They are brothers, of whom no one is the elder, no one the younger, but who grew up together for their mutual prosperity; may their father, Rudra, ever youthful, the doer of good deeds, and Prsni, (their mother),easy to be milked, grant favourable days for (the sake of) the Maruts.
RV 6.49.10 Rudra by day, Rudra at night we honour with these our songs, the Universe's Father.
Him great and lofty, blissful, undecaying let us call specially as the Sage impels us.
RV 6.74.3 Provide, O Soma-Rudra, for our bodies all needful medicines to heal and cure us.
Set free and draw away the sin committed which we have still inherent in our persons.
RV 7.46.1. To Rudra bring these songs, whose bow is firm and strong, the self-dependent God with swiftly-flying shafts,
The Wise, the Conqueror whom none may overcome, armed with sharp-pointed weapons: may he hear our call.
RV 7.46.2. For, being the lord , he looks after what is born on earth; being the universal ruler, he looks after what is born in heaven. Protecting us, come to our protecting doors, be without illness among our people, O Rudra!
RV 2.33.12. O Rudra, a boy indeed makes obeisance to his father who comes to greet him : I praise the lord of brave men, the giver of many gifts, and thou, when thou hast been praised, wilt give us thy medicines.
RV 1.114.9. Like a shepherd, I have driven these praises near to thee; O father of the Maruts, grant us thy favour! For thy goodwill is auspicious, and most gracious, hence we desire thy protection alone.
RV 7.59.12 We Worship Tryambaka(shiva), Who spreads Fragrance and Increases nourishment, May He LIBERATE (moksha) us, like the cucumber from its stem, from Mortal life, and give us Immortality.
RV 10. 83.3 Come to us Manyu, who are the strongest of the strong; with Tapas as your ally overthrow ourenemies; do you who are the slayer of enemies, the slayer of adversaries, the slayer of foes, bring to us all riches.
RV 10.83.4 Do you, Manyu, who are possessed of over-powering strength, self-existent, irate, the overcomer ofenemies, the beholder of all, enduring, vigorous, grant us strength in battles.
Yajur Veda Quotes are from Taittriya Samahita
YV 1. 8. 6.
a For each he offers on one potsherd, and one over.
b As many as we are of the house, to them have I made prosperity.
c Thou art the protection of cattle, the protection of the sacrifice; give
me protection.
d Rudra alone yieldeth to no second.
e The mole is thy beast, O Rudra; rejoice in it.
f This is thy portion, O Rudra, with thy sister Ambika; rejoice in it.
g (Give) medicine for ox, for horse, for man,
And medicine for us, medicine
That it be rich in healing,
Good [1] for ram and sheep.
h We have appeased, O lady, Rudra,
The god Tryambaka;
That he may make us prosperous,
That he may increase our wealth,
That he may make us rich in cattle,
That he may embolden us.
i To Tryambaka we make offering,
The fragrant, increaser of prosperity;
Like a cucumber from its stem,
From death may I be loosened to immortality.
k This is thy portion, O Rudra; rejoice in it; with it for food, do thou go away beyond the
Mujavants.
l With unstrung bow, thy club in thy hand, clad in skins.
YV 4. 5. 1 onwards-Sri rudram
ōm namaste rudra manyava utota iṣave namaḥ,
namaste astu dhanvane bāhubhyāmuta te namaḥ.
Prostration to Thee, Rudra; prostration to Thy wrath and Thy arrow (which destroy evil); prostration to
Thy bow; prostration to Thy mighty Arms.
Note:—According to the celebrated Sayana Acharya, the Rudra chapter of the Yajur Veda consists of the
mantras by which oblations are offered in the Sacrifice of Knowledge, wherein the manifold universe is
visualised as the extensive manifestation of the Supreme Being.
yā ta iṣuḥ śivatamā śivaṁ babhūva te dhanuḥ,
śivā śaravyā yā tava tayā no rudra mṛḍaya.
This, Thy arrow that has become exceedingly peaceful (to the devout); Thy bow become a source of
auspiciousness, and Thy quiver of blessedness; with these, O Valiant One (Rudra), make us happy.
Note:—While the first mantra invokes the Terrible Power for destruction of evil, the second envisages the
fulfilment of the arms on the establishment of peace, and the now benignant phase of what was once
formidable.
yā te rudra śivā tanūraghorā'pāpakāśinī,
tayā nastanuvā śantamayā giriśaṁtābhicākaśīhi.
Rudra! That blessed and benign form of Thine, which obliterates the trace of all sins—with that most
hallowed and calm phase of Thy being, reveal Thyself to us, O Radiator of Peace from the Mount of
Kailasa!
Note:—Rudra-Siva is said to have two forms, the terrific and the beatific, which are manifested at
different times.
yāmiṣuṁ giriśaṁta haste bibharṣyastave,
śivāṁ giritra tāṁ kuru mā higṁsīḥ puruṣaṁ jagat.
O Benefactor from the Mount of Kailasa! That arrow which Thou wieldest for aiming at enemies, make that
benign (in respect of us). Harm not human beings or others in creation, O Protector on the sacred Mount!
śivena vacasā tvā giriśācchāvadāmasi,
yathā naḥ sarvamijjagadayakṣmagṁsumanā asat.
Resident of the Mountains! We pray to Thee with auspicious eulogies for the sake of attaining Thee. Do so
deign that this whole world of ours is rid of all ailment and affliction, and blooms with a joyous mind.
adhyavocadadhivaktā prathamo daivyo bhiṣak,
ahīgṁśca sarvāñjaṁbhayantsarvāśca yātudhānyaḥ.
May that Divine Physician, First among gods, exalt me in His all-redeeming Transcendent Being, having
cut off all evil, whether in the form of poisonous creatures and wild beasts, or the demoniacal natures in
creation.
asau yastāmro aruṇa uta babhruḥ sumaṁgalaḥ,
ye cemāgṁrudrā abhito dikṣu śritāḥ
sahasraśo'vaiṣāgṁheḍa īmahe.
This (Rudra in the form of the Sun), ruddy, pink, brownish and yellow and of variegated hue (in different
stages of rising from the horizon), most auspicious (being dispeller of darkness), manifested in the bright
rays enveloping (the earth) from all directions, ranging in tens and thousands—we mitigate the
penetrating ferocity of these with our prostrations.
asau yo’vasarpati nīlagrīvo vilohitaḥ
utainaṁ gopā adṛśannadṛśannudahāryaḥ
utainaṁ viśvābhūtāni sa dṛṣṭo mṛḍayāti naḥ.
This Blue-necked (due to drinking poison), Red-complexioned One, who traverses through the sky (in the
form of the Sun)—Him do see (with their eyes) the unlettered cowherds as well as the maids carrying
water, Him do also see all beings (both high and low). May He (Rudra) make us happy.
Note:—The import of this mantra is that while the Lord as seated in such regions as Mount Kailasa is
accessible only to those who have spiritual realisation, as the Sun He is visible to everyone. In His great
compassion He makes Himself felt even by our outer senses.
namo astu nīlagrīvāya sahasrākṣāya mīḍhuṣe,
atho ye asya satvāno'haṁ tebhyo'karannamaḥ.
Salutation be to Nilagriva (with blue neck), who has a thousand eyes (as Indra), and who pours down (as
rain or parjanya); salutation be from me to others, too, who attend upon Him (as His servants).
pramuṁca dhanvanastva-mubhayo-rārtniyorjyām,
yāścate hasta iṣavaḥ parā tā bhagavo va.
Lord! Unfurl the string at both the ends of Thy bow. Those arrows that are in Thy hand, set them aside
(now, after the enemy has been destroyed).
Note:—The term ‘Lord’ is the equivalent of the Sanskrit original ‘Bhagavan’, which means one who is
possessed of all wealth (Aisvarya), valour (Virya), fame (Yasas), prosperity (Shri), wisdom (Jnana), nonattachment
to things (Vairagya)—an epithet of the Almighty.
avatatya dhanustvagïsahasrākṣa śateṣudhe,
niśīrya śalyānāṁ mukhā śivo naḥ sumanā bhava.
O Thousand-eyed Divinity! Thou that hast hundreds of quivers (in war)! Setting down Thy bow, and
dismantling the ends of Thy piercing arrows (after Thy purpose has been fulfilled), become Thou
auspiciousness unto us, with a charming mood of blessing.
vijyaṁ dhanuḥ kapardino viśalyo bāṇavāgïuta,
aneśannasyeṣava ābhurasya niṣaṁgathiḥ.
May the bow of Kapardin (Siva) be freed from its string; and may His quiver be without the piercing ends
of the arrows held above. May his arrows become incapable of piercing through, and may His bow become
merely a support for the arrows (and not to shoot them).
Note:—This mantra and the others which pray for the putting down of the weapons of Rudra-Siva are
invocations of His peaceful aspect, which manifests itself when He is not engaged in the work of
destruction with His fierce arms.
yā te hetirmīḍhuṣṭama haste babhūva te dhanuḥ,
tayā'smānviśvatastva-mayakṣmayā paribbhuja.
O Abundant Source of all fulfilments! Protect us Thou, from all sides, with the weapons (like the sword)
and the bow in Thy hands, that have ceased from purposes of destruction.
namaste astvāyudhāyānātatāya dhṛṣṇave,
ubhābhyāmuta te namo bāhubhyāṁ tava dhanvane.
Salutation be to Thy weapon arrow that has not been extended on the bow, but is capable of striking the
enemy! Salutation to Thy bow. And salutation to Thy two arms.
pari te dhanvano hetirasmānvruṇaktu viśvataḥ,
atho ya iṣudhistavāre asmannidhehi tam.
Lord! May the pointed arrows of thy bow exclude us in every way (from their destructive operations). And
that quiver of Thine, may Thou keep it far away from us (and protect us).
Note:—According to another interpretation, the second line can be rendered thus: ‘And that quiver of
Thine, may Thou direct it to our enemies.’
ōm namaste astu bhagavan
viśveśvarāya mahādevāya
tryaṁbakāya tripurāntakāya
trikalāgni-kālāya kālāgnirudrāya
nīlakaṇṭhāya mrutyuṁjayāya
sarveśvarāya śankaraya
sadāśivāya śrīmanmahādevāya namaḥ.
Prostration be to Thee, O Lord, Ruler of the universe, Great God Three-Eyed One, Destroyer of the
Tripuras, Death to the destructive Fire of the three worlds at the end of Time, Terror to even to the
terrible Fire of Time, Blue-necked One, Overcomer of mortality, Overlord over everyone, Bestower of
Blessedness, Ever-Auspicious, the Blessed Great God—to Thee, prostration.
namo hiraṇyabāhave senānye diśāṁ ca pataye namo
namo vṛkṣebhyo harikeśebhyaḥ paśūnāṁ pataye namo
namaḥ saspiñjarāya tviṣīmate pathīnāṁ pataye namaḥ.
Prostration to the Golden-armed One, the Supreme Commander of all forces, the Lord of all quarters.
Prostration to the Vital Essence and Source of the green-leafed trees, the Master of all created beings.
Prostration to the Self-effulgent One, the Lord of the different routes (which souls take on departure from
this world).
Note:—In the first section, the Rudra-Adhyaya delineated the Power of Rudra-Siva in His form as the
Wielder of the bow and arrows. In the subsequent sections, His glories as revealed in all creation, as
manifest in every quarter and cranny, are described. These hymns abound in a varied adoration of the
Supreme Being in all things, and every word of ‘prostration’ is repeated twice, as prostration on both
sides, and prostration in the beginning and in the end (which is avoided in the translation).
namo babhluśāya vivyādhine'nnānāṁ pataye namo
namo harikeśāyopavītine puṣṭānāṁ pataye namo
namo bhavasya hetyai jagatāṁ pataye namo.
Prostration to the Rider of the bull, the Chastiser of the opposing force, the Lord of food or Ruler over
matter. Prostration to the One with blue hair on the head (not turned gray), the Wearer of the sacred
thread (indicating auspiciousness), the Master of those who are full with the qualities of perfection.
Prostration to the Severer of samsara, the Sovereign over all creation.
namo rudrāyātatāvine kṣetrāṇāṁ pataye namo
namaḥ sūtāyāhantyāya vanānāṁ pataye namo
namaḥ rohitāya sthapataye vṛkṣāṇāṁ pataye namaḥ.
Prostration to Rudra, who protects with His outstretched bow, the Ruler of all fields (temples, bodies and
all creation). Prostration to the Charioteer (Director of all things), the Invincible One, the Lord of all
forests (vegetation life). Prostration to the crimson-hued One, who, existing (even) in trees, is the
Supreme Protector of all.
namo mantriṇe vāṇijāya kakṣāṇāṁ pataye namo
namo bhuvaṁtaye vārivaskṛtāyauṣadhīnāṁ pataye namo
nama uccairghoṣāyākrandayate pattīnāṁ pataye namo
namaḥ kṛtsnavītāya dhāvate satvanāṁ pataye namaḥ.
Prostration to the One who manifests Himself as the minister in a royal court, as the merchant in
business, and as the ruler over all the plant kingdom; prostration to the Creator of the world, the Master
of all wealth, the Lord over medicines; prostration to Him who thunders in battle and makes the enemy
shriek in fear, and is the Commander of all forces; prostration to the All-enveloping One, the Fast in
action, the Refuge of the self-surrendering devotees.
namaḥ sahamānāya nivyādhina āvyādhinīnāṁ pataye namo
namaḥ kakubhāya niṣaṅgiṇe stenānāṁ pataye namaḥ.
Prostration to the valiant Confronter of foes; the terrific Uprooter of the opposing forces, the Protector of
the powers (of dharma) pressing from all sides; prostration to the Lord seated on the hump of the bull,
armed with the sword, the Chief of (even) thieves (or stealer of everyone’s heart).
Note:—The appellation ‘Chief of thieves’ is to indicate the supreme immanence and the non-exclusiveness
of the Divine Being.
namo niṣaṅgiṇa iṣudhimate taskarāṇāṁ pataye namo
namo vañcate parivañcate stāyūnāṁ pataye namo
namo nicerave paricarāyāraṇyānāṁ pataye namo.
Prostration to the Chief of robbers, to Him who is armed with quiver and arrows; prostration to the
deceiving, the tricky and elusive Lord of marauders; prostration to the ever-cunning Leader of the thieves
lurking at home and those wandering in the streets and the forests.
Note:—The Lord is adored as the Chief of thieves, etc., in two senses. Firstly, He is the indwelling
presence of even the thieves, and their lives are impossible without His existence in them as their
essence. Secondly, He is also the jiva, which is the thief, apart from His being Isvara ranging beyond the
realm of the former. Also, the Lord it is that sports as the high and low, the good and the bad, the
virtuous and the debased, when looked at from the standpoint of the universe taken as a whole, a view
which is hard for the jiva sunk in personalistic cognitions and perceptions but the right vision of those who
are absorbed in Reality. Ethical concepts stand transfigured in the Absolute. These mantras of the Veda
are to help the seeker in recognising God through the medium of all creation.
namaḥ sṛkāvibhyo jighāgïsadbhyo muṣṇatāṁ pataye namo
namo'simadbhyo nakta ṁcaradbhyaḥ prakṛntānāṁ pataye namo
nama u ṣṇīṣiṇe giricarāya kuluñcānāṁ pataye namaḥ.
Prostration to the Chief of the self-protecting animals and of the retaliating thieves ever ready to strike
people to death; prostration to the Chief of dacoits, armed with swords and prowling in the night for
booty; prostration to the roving Chief with helmet and turban, wandering through the mountains, who
steals away people ’s belongings in houses and fields.
nama iṣumadbhyo dhanvāvibhyaśca vo namo
nama ātanvānebhyaḥ pratidadhānebhyaśca vo namo
nama āyacchadbhyo visṛjadbhyaśca vo namo
namo'syadbhyo viddhyadbhya śca vo namo namaḥ.
Prostration to Him who is in the forms of those that move about holding bows and using arrows;
prostration to Him who is in those that string their bows and discharge the arrows; prostration to Him who
is in those that stretch the bows and send arrows again; prostration to Him who is in those that shoot the
arrows and make them hit the targets.
Note: —The great commentator Sayana makes a suggestive hint that the forms are all ‘Rudras’, which
implies the startling truth that the contents of the world are all God Himself—not that He is merely
present in them.
nama āsīnebhyaśaśāyānebhyaśca vo namo
nama ḥsvapadbhyo jāgradbhyaśca vo namo
namasti ṣṭhadbhyo dhāvadbhyaśca vo namo
nama ḥsabhābhyaḥ sabhāpatibhyaśca vo namo
namo a śvebhyo'śvapatibhyaśca vo namaḥ.
Prostration to Thee who art the sitting and the reclining; prostration to Thee who art the sleeping and the
waking; prostration to Thee who art the standing (static) and the running (dynamic); prostration to Thee
who art the assemblies and the assembly chiefs; prostration to Thee who art the horses and the horse
riders.
nama āvyadhinībhyo vividhyantībhyaśca vo namo
nama uga ṇābhyastṛgïhatībhyaśca vo namo
namo g ṛtsebhyo gṛtsapatibhyaśca vo namo
namo vr ātebhyo vrātapatibhyaśca vo namo namaḥ.
Prostration to Thee who art (in the form of) the Saktis competent to strike all round in various ways;
prostration to Thee who art the gentle higher Saktis as well as the violent lower Saktis; prostration to
Thee who art those that run after sense-pleasures as also their leaders; prostration to Thee who art the
hosts of (living and non-living) beings as well as their chiefs.
Note: —The word ‘Sakti’ does not occur in the original, but is used in the translation to bring out the
significance of the feminine gender of the words in the mantra, which indicate the various Saktis or
Powers of the Lord. Sayana states that the gentle ones are the seven Matrikas, etc, while the violent ones
are Durga, etc.
namo gaṇebhyo gaṇapatibhyaśca vo namo
namo vir ūpebhyo viśvarūpebhyaśca vo namo
namo mahadbhya ḥkṣullakebhyaśca vo namo
namo rathibhyo'rathebhya śca vo namo
namo rathebhyo rathapatibhya śca vo namaḥ.
Prostration to Thee who art (in the form of) the hosts of celestial attendants and their chiefs; prostration
to Thee who art the formless and the universal-formed; prostration to Thee who art the great as well as
the small; prostration to Thee who art those that ride in chariots and those that do not; prostration to
Thee who art the chariots as well as the chariot owners.
namaḥ senābhyaḥ senanibhyaśca vo namo
nama ḥkṣattṛbhyaḥ saṁgrahītṛbhyaśca vo namo
namastakṣabhyo rathakārebhyaśca vo namo
nama ḥkulālebhyaḥ kamārebhyaśca vo namo
nama ḥpuñjiṣṭebhyo niṣādebhyaśca vo namaḥ.
Prostration to Thee who art (in the form of) armies and army chiefs; prostration to Thee who art the
trained charioteers and apprentices in chariot driving; prostration to Thee who art the carpenters and
the chariot makers; prostration to Thee who art the potters and blacksmiths; prostration to Thee who
art the fowlers and the fishermen.
nama iṣukṛdbhyo dhanvakṛdbhyaśca vo namo
namo mrugayubhya ḥśvanibhyaśca vo namo
nama ḥśvabhyaḥ śvapatibhyaśca vo namaḥ.
Prostration to Thee who art (in the form of) the artisans who make arrows and bows; prostration to
Thee who art the hunters and the huntsmen; prostration to Thee who art the hounds and the keepers
of hounds.
namo bhavāya ca rudrāya ca namaḥ śarvāya ca
pa śupataye ca namo nīlagrīvāya ca śitikaṇṭhāya ca
nama ḥkapardine ca vyuptakeśāya ca namaḥ
sahasr ākṣāya ca śatadhanvane ca.
Prostration to the Creator and Destroyer of the Universe; prostration to the Remover of sins and the
Protector of all beings; prostration to the blue-necked One and the fair-necked One; prostration to the
matted-locked One and the clean-shaven One; prostration to the thousand-eyed One and Him who
wields multiple bows.
Note:—“In the form of an austere mendicant, Siva is matted-locked; as a sannyasin, He is cleanshaven;
as Indra, He is thousand-eyed; in His multiformed manifestation, He holds numberless bows,”
says Sayana.
namo giriśāya ca śipiviṣṭāya ca namo mīḍhuṣṭamāya
ce ṣumate ca namo hrasvāya ca vāmanāya ca namo
b ṛhate ca varṣīyase ca namo vṛddhāya ca saṁvṛddhvane ca.
Prostration to the Resident of the mountains (as Siva) and the Immanent One in all beings (as
Vishnu); prostration to the One who wields arrows and rains heavily through the clouds; prostration to
the One who is dwarfed in size and small in limbs; prostration to the One who is huge in size and
multi-formed in limbs; prostration to the Ancient One who is glorified through eternity.
namo agriyāya ca prathamāya ca nama āśave cājirāya
ca nama ḥśīghriyāya ca śībhyāya ca nama ūrmyāya
c āvasvanyāya ca namaḥ srotasyāya ca dvīpyāya ca.
Prostration to the Primeval One and the Chief of beings; prostration to the Omnipresent One and the
agile among things; prostration to the One in the quick and the flowing; prostration to the One in the
roaring waves and the still water; prostration to the One in the swift rivers and the islands.
namo jyeṣṭhāya ca kaniṣṭhāya ca namaḥ pūrvajāya
c āparajāya ca namo madhyamāya cāpagalbhāya ca
namo jaghany āya ca budhniyāya ca namaḥ
sobhy āya ca pratisaryāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is the eldest as well as the youngest; prostration to Him who is the Ancient
Being as well as all that emanates from It; prostration to Him who is the middling creation (such as
the celestials, etc.) as well as the infant; prostration to Him who is the last in creation (e.g. the
animals, birds, etc.) as well as the trees and plants with their branches and foliage; prostration to Him
who is mixed in character (e.g. virtue and vice, representing the human beings), as well as all that is
moving.
namo yāmyāya ca kṣemyāya ca nama urvaryāya ca
khaly āya ca namaḥ ślokyāya cāvasānyāya ca namo
vany āya ca kakśyāya ca namaḥ śravāya ca
prati śravāya ca.
Prostration to Him who dispenses justice as Yama (Lord of Death) and bestows the beatitude of
salvation to beings; prostration to Him who reigns over the green earth rich with harvest and is in the
farm yards; prostration to Him who is in the (mantras of the) Vedas and the (meditations of the)
Upanishads; prostration to Him who is in the form of trees in forests and in creepers and plants;
prostration to Him who is in sound and its echo.
nama āśuṣeṇāya cāśurathāya ca namaḥ śūrāya
cāvabhindate ca namo varmiṇe ca varūthine ca
namo bilmine ca kavacine ca nama ḥśrutāya ca śrutasenāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is in armies moving fast and in chariots rattling forth; prostration to Him who
is valiant and destroys enemies; prostration to Him who wields a shield and leads the hosts (to
success); prostration to Him who is helmeted and armoured; prostration to Him who is renowned
(Ancient One) and whose forces are reputed (in all creation.)
namo dundubhyāya cāhananyāya ca namo dhṛṣṇave
ca pramṛśāya ca namo dūtāya ca prahitāya ca namo
niṣaṅgiṇe ceṣudhimate ca.
Prostration to Him who is immanent in the sound of the drum and in the sound of the tabour;
prostration to Him who is in those that never retreat in war and in the ablest reconnoitres; prostration
to Him who is in the spies and in military messengers; prostration to Him who is in the wielders of
swords and in the operators of the quiver.
namastīkṣṇeṣave cāyudhine ca namaḥ svāyudhāya ca sudhanvane ca
namaḥ srutyāya ca pathyāya ca namaḥ kāṭyāya ca nīpyāya ca.
Prostration to Him who uses sharp arrows and countless weapons; prostration to Him who wields the
auspicious missile (trident) and the blessed bow (called Pinaka); prostration to Him who is in narrow
lanes and in broad highways; prostration to Him who is in dribbling streams and in mountain torrents
of water.
namaḥ sūdyāya ca sarasyāya ca namo nādyāya ca
vaiśantāya ca namaḥ kūpyāya cāvaṭyāya ca
namo varṣyāya cāvarṣyāya ca namo meghyāya ca vidyutyāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is in marshes and lakes; prostration to Him who is in rivers and reservoirs;
prostration to Him who is in wells and pits; prostration to Him who is in rain and in oceans; prostration
to Him who is in the clouds and in lightning.
nama īdhriyāya cātapyāya ca namo vātyāya ca
reṣmiyāya ca namo vāstavyāya ca vāstupāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is in the autumnal clouds and in the heating sun; prostration to Him who is in
the winds and in the stormy downpour of the deluge; prostration to Him who is in the wealth of cattle
and of land.
namaḥ somāya ca rudrāya ca namastāmrāya
cāruṇāya ca namaḥ śaṅgāya ca paśupataye ca nama
ugrāya ca bhīmāya ca.
Prostration to Him who has Uma as His consort and who causes to flee all sorrows (of samsara);
prostration to Him who is crimson-coloured (as the rising sun) and is reddish (as the sun risen above
the horizon); prostration to Him who brings about the peace (and happiness) of beings and protects
all creatures; prostration to Him who is terrible (to foes) and fearful (to those who oppose Him).
namo agrevadhāya ca dūrevadhāya ca namo hantre ca
hanīyase ca namo vṛkṣebhyo harikeśebhyo namastārāya.
Prostration to Him who destroys enemies in front and who destroys them from behind; prostration to
Him who is the Destroyer of things here and the Destroyer of everything in the end; prostration to
Him who is in the form of trees filled with green leaves; prostration to Him who is embodied in Om
(Pranava).
namaśśaṁbhave ca mayobhave ca namaḥ śaṁkarāya
ca mayaskarāya ca namaḥ śivāya ca śivatarāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is the source of bliss, spiritual as well as temporal; prostration to Him who
dispenses all happiness, heavenly as well as earthly; prostration to Him who is the Auspicious One,
and is more auspicious than anything else.
namastīrthyāya ca kūlyāya ca namaḥ pāryāya
cāvāryāya ca namaḥ prataraṇāya cottaraṇāya ca nama
ātāryāya cālādyāya ca namaḥ śaṣpyāya ca phenyāya
ca namaḥ sikatyāya ca pravāhyāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is in the holy waters of shrines and in emblems erected on their banks;
prostration to Him who is on this shore (as the bestower of prosperity) and on the other shore (as the
blessedness beyond mortality); prostration to Him who is the means to cross over sin by ritual as well
as by knowledge; prostration to Him who is the cause of rebirths and the fact behind the experiences
of the fruits of karma; prostration to Him who is in the tender grass and in the fleeting foam;
prostration to Him who is in the sands and the flowing waters (of rivers).
nama iriṇyāya ca prapathyāya ca namaḥ kigïśilāya ca
kṣayaṇāya ca namaḥ kapardine ca pulastaye ca namo goṣṭhyāya ca
gṛhyāya ca namastalpyāya ca gehyāya ca namaḥ kāṭyāya ca
gahvareṣṭhāya ca namo hṛdayyāya ca niveṣpyāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is in fertile lands and in broad highroads; prostration to Him who is in rocky
ground and in habitable places; prostration to Him who has matted locks and who reveals Himself to
devotees; prostration to Him who is in cowsheds and in homes of people; prostration to Him who is in
bedsteads and in palaces; prostration to Him who is in thorny jungles and in mountain caves;
prostration to Him who is in whirlpools and in dewdrops.
namaḥ pāgïsavyāya ca rajasyāya ca namaḥ
śuṣkyāya ca harityāya ca namo lopyāya
colapyāya ca nama ūrvyāya ca sūrmyāya ca.
Prostration to Him who is in atoms and in dust; prostration to Him who is in what is dry and what is
green; prostration to Him who is in rugged terrain and in the green grass; prostration to Him who is in
the earth and in the gallant-waved rivers.
namaḥ parṇyāya ca parṇaśadyāya ca
namo'paguramāṇāya cābhighnate ca
nama ākhkhidate ca prakhkhidate ca.
Prostration to Him who is in fresh leaves and in heaps of dry leaves; prostration to Him who is with
uplifted weapons and who strikes (the sinful); prostration to Him who afflicts (enemies) mildly as well
as severely.
namo vaḥ kirikebhyo devānāgïhṛdayebhyo
namo vikṣīṇakebhyo namo vicinvatkebhyo
nama ānirhatebhyo nama āmīvatkebhyaḥ.
Prostration to You all who are the hearts of the gods, bestowing on devotees wealth (material as well
as spiritual); prostration to You who are undecaying; prostration to You who grants the wishes of
everyone; prostration to You who destroys evil from all sides; prostration to You who manifests
Yourself abundantly.
drāpe andhasaspate daridrannīlalohita,
eṣāṁ puruṣāṇāmeṣāṁ paśūnāṁ mā
bhermā'ro mo eṣāṁ kiṁ canāmamat.
O Wielder of the rod of justice (Punisher)! O Lord of food! O Unattached Independent One (possessing
nothing)! O Blue and Red One in hue! May there not be fear in these people and these cattle (of ours)!
May not any one of them stray away (or perish)! May not any one of them be diseased!
yā te rudra śivā tanūh śivā viśvāha bheṣajī,
śivā rudrasya bheṣajī tayā no mṛḍa jīvase.
Rudra! That which is your auspicious form, auspicious as the universal panacea for all ills, auspicious
as the bestower of (knowledge and realisation of) Your Rudra form—with that make us live in
happiness.
imāgïrudrāya tavase kapardine kṣayadvīrāya prabharāmahe matim,
yathā naḥ śamasaddvipade catuṣpade viśvaṁ puṣṭaṁ grāme āsmin anāturam.
We dedicate this mind of ours to Rudra, the powerful, with matted hair, causing the waning (and
destruction) of enemies, so that in this our locality (village, land or country) happiness may prevail on
humankind and cattle, and all living beings may remain robust and free from troubles of any kind.
mṛḍā no rudrota no mayaskṛdhi kṣayadvīrāya namasā vidhema tey,
yacchaṁ ca yośca manurāyaje pitā tadaśyāma tava rudra praṇītau.
Rudra! Render us happy (both) here (with material prosperity) and in the hereafter (with spiritual
blessedness); with our obeisance we propitiate You, the Destroyer of our enemies (internal and
external); may we attain, Rudra, with Your loving Grace, all that happiness and freedom from sorrow
which our father, Manu, acquired.
mā no mahāntamuta mā no arbhakaṁ mā na ukṣanta-muta mā na ukṣitam,
mā no'vadhīḥ pitaraṁ mota mātaraṁ priyā mā nastanuvaḥ rudrarīriṣaḥ.
Rudra! Destroy not our aged ones or our young ones, our infants or our babes in the womb; kill not
our father or our mother, or our dear bodies.
mā nastoke tanaye mā na āyuṣi mā no goṣu mā no aśveṣu rīriṣaḥ,
vīrānmā no rudra bhāmito'vadhīr-haviṣmanto namasā vidhema te.
Rudra! Do not, in Your anger, bring trouble on our children, our sons, our lifespan, our cattle, our
horses; destroy not our brave (useful) servants; we propitiate You with (our) prostrations, offering
oblations (to You).
ārātte goghna uta pūruṣaghne kṣayadvīrāya sumnamasme te astu,
rakṣā ca no adhi ca deva brūhyathā ca naḥ śarma yacchadvibarhāḥ.
God! Let Thy gentle form, meant for our good, which spells destruction on cattle and human beings in
the enemy’s fighting forces, be near us; protect us, exalt us (among all things) and confer grace on
us—Thou the glory of here and hereafter.
stuhi śrutaṁ gartasadaṁ yuvānaṁ mṛganna bhīma-mupahatnumugram,
mruḍā jaritre rudra stavāno anyante asmannivapantu senāḥ.
Praise the celebrated One; the Dweller in the cave (of the heart); ever young (new and fresh); terrible
at the time of destruction (of enemies and of the universe in the end), like a ferocious lion. O Rudra,
make us, praying through this mortal frame, happy. Let Thy forces (armies) wipe out what is different
from us (our foes).
Note:—This is a prayer for the success of oneself over one’s enemies, external as well as internal.
What is different from us is what is other than the true Self or Atman.
pariṇo rudrasya hetirvṛṇaktu pari tveṣasya durmatiraghāyoḥ,
ava sthirā maghavadbhyastanuṣva mīḍhvastokāya tanayāya mruḍaya.
May the destructive weapon of Rudra, as also His burning angry will risen against sinners, keep away
from us (not harm us). O Granter of boons to those who surrender themselves with offerings! Turn
away Your wrath from us, who are prostrate before You. Bestow happiness on our children and
grandchildren.
mīḍhuṣṭama śivatama śivo naḥ sumanā bhava,
parame vrukśa āyudhaṁ nidhāya kṛttiṁ vasāna ācara pinākaṁ bibhradāgahi.
O Supreme Bestower of blessings (on devotees)! O Supremely Auspicious One! Be propitious and
graceful towards us. Leaving Thy destructive weapons behind on the top of a high tree, descend and
appear before us wearing the tiger skin and wielding Thy Pinaka bow (merely as Thy insignia).
vikirida vilohita namaste astu bhagavaḥ,
yāste sahasragïhetayo'nyamasmannivapantu tāḥ.
O Profuse Granter of boons! O White-hued One! Prostration be to You, O Lord! May Your countless
weapons, all of them, destroy what is different from us.
Note:—The above is a mantra to ward off anything that is contrary to self—disease, poverty,
ignorance, enemies and, finally, the sense of separateness in Pure Being.
sahasrāṇi sahasradhā bāhuvostava hetayaḥ,
tāsāmīśāno bhagavaḥ parācīnā mukhā kṛdhi.
Lord! In Your hands are myriad weapons of diverse types; You are master over them all. Condescend
to turn their faces away from us.
sahasrāṇi sahasraśo ye rudrā adhi bhūmyām,
teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.
We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those myriad forms of the countless
manifestations of Rudra, who range over this earth.
asmin mahatyarṇave'ntarikṣe bhavā adhi,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi).
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) forms of Rudra who are spread
over this vast ocean of space.
Note:—The part of the mantra given within brackets does not actually occur here in the original, it
being recited only once after nine half-verses beginning with the present one. We shall, however,
insert the same with every half-verse to make the sentence complete and the sense clear.
nīlagrīvāśitikaṇṭhāḥ śarvā adhaḥ kṣamācarāḥ,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) forms characterised by blue necks
and also fair necks, the Sarvas (manifestations of Rudra) who wander in the nether regions (as their
lords).
nīlagrīvāśśitikaṇṭhā divagïrudrā upaśritāḥ,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) forms characterised by blue necks
and also fair necks, the Rudras who reign over the heavenly regions (as their lords).
ye vṛkśeṣu saspiṁjarā nīlagrīvā vilohitāḥ,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) forms who, with yellow hues, like
tender grass, and with blue necks, also sometimes with reddish colour, reside in trees (as their lords).
ye bhūtānāmadhipatayo viśikhāsaḥ kapardinaḥ,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) lords of ghostly spirits, some of
whom are shaven-headed and some of whom have matted hair.
ye anneṣu vividhyanti pātreṣu pibato janān,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) forms of Rudra who afflict
(people) through food (by way of imbalance of the humours, etc.) and (afflict) those who drink in
vessels (by sips and excesses, etc.)
ye pathāṁ pathirakśaya ailabṛdā yavyudhaḥ,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) who are the protectors of all the
paths (of the soul, both here and hereafter), who control the supply of foodstuffs (to all beings), who
fight with and drive away enemies (who stand in our way).
ye tīrthāni pracaranti sṛkāvanto niṣaṅgiṇaḥ,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
(We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of those) who stalk about (in holy places to
protect them) with sharp swords and fierce instruments (in their hands).
ya etāvantaśca bhūyāgïsaśca diśo rudrā vitasthire,
(teṣāgïsahasrayojane'vadhanvāni tanmasi.)
We keep unstringed, a thousand leagues away, the bows of all these forms of Rudra, and many more
(than already mentioned), who exist filling the quarters.
namo rudrebhyo ye pṛthivyāṁ ye'ntarikśe ye divi yeṣāmannaṁ vāto varṣamiṣavastebhyo daśa
prācīrdaśa dakṣiṇā daśa pratīcīrdaśodīcīrdaśordhvāstebhyo namaste no
mṛḍayantu te yaṁ dviṣmo yaśca no dveṣṭi taṁ vo jambhe dadhāmi.
Prostration to the Rudras (in myriad forms) who exist in earth atmosphere and heaven, and whose
arrows (weapons) are food, wind and rain (respectively); prostration to these with folded hands, all
the ten fingers joined forward in submission to the east, ten fingers thus to the south, ten fingers to
the west, ten fingers to the north, ten fingers upwards; prostration to them. May they render us
happy. Whomsoever we hate and whoever hates us, him we, having thus resorted, consign (O
Rudras!) into your wide open mouths.
tryaṁbakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭivardhanam,
urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyor-mukśīya mā'mṛtāt.
We worship the Three-Eyed One, fragrant (with energy), increasing strength and prosperity (of those
who adore Him); may I (we) be freed from death for (the sake of) immortality, as a cucumber is freed
from its hold (of bondage to the creeper).
yo rudro'agnau yo'apsu ya oṣadhīṣu yo rudro
viśvā bhuvanā viveśa tasmai rudrāya namo astu.
That Rudra who is in fire, who is in water, who is in (medical) herbs, that Rudra who has entered all
the worlds—to that Rudra be prostration.
tamu ṣṭuhi yaḥ sviṣuḥ sudhanvā yo viśvasya kśayati bheṣajasya,
yakśvāmahe saumanasāya rudraṁ namhobhirdevamasuraṁ duvasya.
Resort to Him, who is armed with excellent arrows and a good bow, who is the source of all remedies
for worldly ills; we worship (that) God, Rudra, the Destroyer of pains, with (our) salutations, for
(attaining) peace of mind.
ayaṁ me hasto bhagavānayaṁ me bhagavattaraḥ,
ayaṁ me viśva-bheṣajo'yagïśivābhimarśanaḥ.
This hand of mine is blessed; this, mine, is twice blessed; this, mine, is the remedy for the ills of all
the world—this, which has touched Siva (in the shrine of worship).
ye te sahasramayutaṁ pāśā mṛtyo martyāya hantave,
tān yajñasya māyayā sarvānava yajāmahe.
O Destroyer (Death of death)! What thousands and tens of thousands of binding forces wielded by You
there are, (which are) meant for the ruin of the mortal individual; those all we set aside with the
power of sacrifice.
mṛtyave svāhā mṛtyave svāhā,
ōṁ namo bhagavate rudrāya viṣṇave mṛtyurme pāhi.
May this offering be to the Death Supreme (Death of death, or Destroyer of all evil, sin and sorrow)!
May this offering be to the Death Supreme! Om, Prostration to the All-Pervading, Blessed Lord Rudra!
Save me from death (mortal existence)!
prāṇā______________nāṁ granthirasi rudro mā viśāntakaḥ
tenānnenāpyāyasva. ōṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
Thou, Rudra, art the centre of the vital forces; enter not (therefore) as the destroyer. With this
sustaining element (of Thy Grace), make us grow into abundance and fullness! Om. May there be
Peace, Peace, Peace.
ōṁ tatpuruṣhaya vidmahe
mahādevāya dhīmahi,
tanno rudraḥ prachodayāt.
We commune ourselves with that great Purusha, and meditate on Mahadeva (Great God). May that
Rudra (Siva) direct us (to the Great Goal).
ōṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ.
Om. May there be Peace, Peace, Peace.
YV 5.5.9 The Rudra in the fire, in the waters, in the plants, the Rudra that hath entered all beings, to that Rudra be homage.
AV 7.86 To Rudra in the fire, to him who dwells in floods, to Rudra who hath entered into herbs and plants, To him who formed and fashioned all these worlds, to him this Rudra, yea, to Agni, reverence be paid!
Atharvana veda -paippalāda saṃhitā (sūkta 3 of kāṇḍa 14).
2. Fierce he came down from the sky, he stood facing me on the earth as its lord,—the people behold a mass of strength, azure-throated, scarlet-hued.
4. Salutation to thee who bringeth the world into being, salutation to thee, the passionate with mighty wrath. Salutation be to thy arms of might, salutation be to thy angry shaft
8. That thy body, O Terrible One, which is fair and full of kindness and destroyeth sin, not thy shape of terrors, in that thy body full of peace, O mountaineer, thou art wont to be seen among our folk.
Five mantras of Shiva, corresponding to five letters of Panchakshari, are found in Taittiriya-aranyaka (17.1-5); Sayanacharya, a famous Rigveda commentator, regards that the first words of these mantras are the names of the five Shiva’s faces.
Vedas identify Rudra with Rigvedic (X.90) primal Purusha: Taittiriya-aranyaka (X.14) calls Purusha as Bhutanamadhipati, i.e. Rudra; Yajurveda (Taittiriya-samhita, IV.5.1) describes Him in a same manner as a Virat-Purusha.
Rudra is called Bhagavan in the first Anuvaka of Sri Rudram-Om Namo Bhagavate Rudraya.Yajurveda Taittiriya Aranyaka (10:24:1) clearly states - “purusho vai rudrah |”, which means, “Lord Rudra is the Purusha”. And Satapatha Brahmana (9:1:1:6) of Yajurveda says, “so 'yaṃ śataśīrṣā rudraḥ sahasrākṣaḥ śateṣudhiradhijyadhanvā pratihitāyī bhīṣayamāṇo 'tiṣṭhadannamicamānastasmāddevā abibhayuḥ |”, which again conveys the same and means, “That hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, hundred-quivered Rudra, with his bow strung, and his arrow fitted to the string, was inspiring fear, being in quest of food. The gods were afraid of him”. Also, Kaushitaki Brahmana (6:1:13) of Rig Veda calls Lord Rudra as“tata.udatiṣṭhat.sahasra.akṣaḥ.sahasra.pāt |”, which clearly says Rudra has a thousand heads and thousand limbs. Therefore it should be clear now that the Purusha of Vedas is Rudra (Shiva).
It is Shiva from whom, sprang Hiranyagarbha. Shiva is the overlord of Hiranyagarbha. Yajurveda Taittariya Aranyaka (10:21:1) says "brahmadhipatirbrahmano'dhipatirbrahma shivo me astu sadashivom |", which means, "the preserver of the Vedas and the one overlord of Hiranyagarbha, be benign to me. That Sadasiva is described thus and denoted by Pranava (OM)". Also, Atharva Veda’s hymn (Atharva veda X:7:28) to Shiva’s Agni-Linga states the same as follows. "hiraṇyagarbhám paramám anatyudyáṃ jánā viduḥ | skambhás tád ágre prā́siñcad dhíraṇyaṃ loké antarā́|" which clearly means that From Shiva manifested the Hiranyagarbha, "Men know Hiranyagarbha as supreme and inexpressible: In the beginning, in the midst of the world, Skambha (Linga) poured (i.e., gave birth) that Hiranyagarbha”.
The central Shaivite mantra, Aum Namah Sivaya is also derived from the Shri Rudram, it appears in TS 4.5.8.l
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