Re: brahma-pratinidhis--brahman's deputees, in the shruti--vedas and upanishads
The Hindu Trinity in the Vedas
The Vedic prototypes and originals of the Hindu trimUrti--Trinity, brahmA--viShNu--shiva, are the brahmaNaspati--viShNu--rudra-shiva. While the Vedic gods indra, agni, varuNa and others seem to hold the primary place in the Vedas instead of the Trinity, in the Hindu theogony of the purANas, the Trinity is given their due prominence and authority as the firstline Gods.
shrI kapAli shAstri of the SAKSI--shrI aurobindo kapAli shAstri Institute, has published a series of introductory books that teach the proper way of reading and understanding the Vedas. In one of those booklets titled 'Explaining the Gods', he explains the trimUrtis as below:
• Brahmanaspati is the creator by the Word; he calls light and visible cosmos out of the darkness of the inconscient ocean and speeds the formations of conscious being upward to their supreme goal. It is from this creative aspect of Brahmanaspati that the later conception of Brahma the Creator arose.
• For the upward movement of Brahmanaspati’s formations Rudra supplies the force. He is named in the Veda the Mighty One of Heaven, but he begins his work upon the earth and gives effect to the sacrifice on the five planes of our ascent. He is the Violent One who leads the upward evolution of the conscious being; his force battles against all evil, smites the sinner and the enemy; intolerant of defect and stumbling he is the most terrible of the gods, the one of whom alone the Vedic Rishis have any real fear.
Agni, the Kumara, prototype of the Puranic Skanda, is on earth the child of this force of Rudra. The Maruts, vital powers which make fight for themselves by violence, are Rudra's children. Agni and the Maruts are the leaders of the fierce struggle upward from Rudra's first earthly, obscure creation to the heavens of thought, the luminous worlds.
But this violent and mighty Rudra who breaks down all defective formations and groupings of outward and inward life, has also a benigner aspect. He is the supreme healer. Opposed, he destroys; called on for aid and propitiated he heals all wounds and all evil and all sufferings. Tile force that battles is his gift, but also the final peace and joy. In these aspects of the Vedic god are all the primitive materials necessary for the evolution of the Puranic Shiva-Rudra, the destroyer and healer, the auspicious and terrible, the Master of the force that acts in the worlds and the Yogin who enjoys the supreme liberty and peace.
• For the formations of Brahmanaspati's word, for the actions of Rudra's force Vishnu supplies the necessary static elements, - Space, the ordered movements of the worlds, the ascending levels, the highest goal. He has taken three strides and in the space created by the three strides has established all the worlds. In these worlds he the all-pervading dwells and gives less or greater room to the action and movements of the gods. When Indra would slay Vritra, he first prays to Vishnu, his friend and comrade in the great struggle (1.22.19), "O Vishnu, pace out in thy movement with an utter wideness", (4.18.11), and in that wideness he destroys Vritra who limits, Vritra who covers.
The supreme step of Vishnu, his highest seat, is the triple world of bliss and light, paramam padam, which the wise ones see extended in heaven like a shining eye of vision (1.22.20); it is this highest seat of Vishnu that is the goal of the Vedic journey. Here again the Vedic Vishnu is the natural precursor and sufficient origin of the Puranic Narayana, Preserver and Lord of Love.
With this background, let us proceed to collect the primary references to rudra-shiva, in the Rig Veda.
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rudra-shiva in the Rig Veda: mukhya--primary references
In the Rig Veda, in some maNDalas, whole sUktas--hymns comprising a series of riks--verses are devoted to the praise of rudra.
RV 1.43
In this sUkta--hymn, rudra (contrary to his popular image as the howler who makes us weep, and the destroyer) is identified as a beneficient deity, presiding over everything, specially medicinal plants. (This healing aspect of rudra is later expounded in 'shrI rudraprashnam' of the kRShNa yajur veda, which is said to contain secret codes for preparation of ayurvedic drugs, during which time the Rudram is sung. More on the Rudram later.)
Here is the transliterated text of this sUkta:
kadrudrAya prachetase mILhuShTamAya tavyase |
vochema shaMtamaM hR^ide ||1.043.01||
yathA no aditiH karatpashve nR^ibhyo yathA gave |
yathA tokAya rudriyam ||1.043.02||
yathA no mitro varuNo yathA rudrashchiketati |
yathA vishve sajoShasaH ||1.043.03||
gAthapatiM medhapatiM rudraM jalAShabheShajam |
tachChaMyoH sumnamImahe ||1.043.04||
yaH shukra iva sUryo hiraNyamiva rochate |
shreShTho devAnAM vasuH ||1.043.05||
shaM naH karatyarvate sugaM meShAya meShye |
nR^ibhyo nAribhyo gave ||1.043.06||
asme soma shriyamadhi ni dhehi shatasya nR^iNAm |
mahi shravastuvinR^imNam ||1.043.07||
mA naH somaparibAdho mArAtayo juhuranta |
A na indo vAje bhaja ||1.043.08||
yAste prajA amR^itasya parasmindhAmannR^itasya |
mUrdhA nAbhA soma vena AbhUShantIH soma vedaH ||1.043.09||
Here is the translation by HH Wilson, with the commentary of sAyaNa:
01. When may we repeat a most graceful hymn to the wise, the most bountiful and mighty Rudra, who is (cherished) in our hearts?
02. By which earth may (be induced to) grant the gifts of Rudra to our cattle, our people, our cows, and our progeny.
aditiH is here said to mean the earth, who, it is wished, may so act (karat) that RudrIya may be obtained. The meaning of RudrIya, according to the Scholiast, is, rudra saMbandhi bheShajam--medicament in relation to or presided overing the Rudra, conformably to the (shrI rudram) text, ya te rudra shiva tanuH, bheShaji shiva, rudrasya bheShajiti--whatever are your auspicious forms, O Rudra, they are all auspicious; auspicious are medicaments, the medicaments of Rudra.
03. By which Mitra and VaruNa and Rudra, and all the gods, being gratified, may show lus (favour).
04. We ask the felicity of ShaMyu, from Rudra, the encourager of hymns, the protector of sacrifices, possessed of medicaments that confer delight.
ShaMyu is said to be the son of BRhaspati, nothing more is related of him.
jalAShabheShajam, he who has medicament conferring delight; from ja, one born, and laSha, happiness; an unusual word except in a compound form, as abhilAShA, which is of current use; or it may mean, sprung from water (jala), all vegetables depending over water for their growth.
05. Who is so brilliant as Shanyu (SUrya), who gratifies like gold, the best of the gods, the provider of habitations?
06. Who bestows easily-obtained happiness on our steeds, our rams, our ewes, our men, our women and our cows?
07. Soma, grant us prosperity more than (sufficient for) a hundred men, and much strength-engendering food.
08. Let not the adversaries of Soma, let not our enemies, harm us: cherish us, Indra, with (abundant) food.
09. Soma, who are immortal, and abide in an excellent dwelling, have regard for your subjects, when at their head in the hall of sacrifice you observe them (engaged in) decorating you.
Apparently there is some confusion of objects in this place, Soma, the moon being confounded with Soma, libation.
RV 1.114
imA rudrAya tavase kapardine kShayadvIrAya pra bharAmahe matIH |
yathA shamasaddvipade chatuShpade vishvaM puShTaM grAme asminnanAturam ||1.114.01||
mR^iLA no rudrota no mayaskR^idhi kShayadvIrAya namasA vidhema te |
yachChaM cha yoshcha manurAyeje pitA tadashyAma tava rudra praNItiShu ||1.114.02||
ashyAma te sumatiM devayajyayA kShayadvIrasya tava rudra mIDhvaH |
sumnAyannidvisho asmAkamA charAriShTavIrA juhavAma te haviH ||1.114.03||
tveShaM vayaM rudraM yaj~nasAdhaM va~NkuM kavimavase ni hvayAmahe |
Are asmaddaivyaM heLo asyatu sumatimidvayamasyA vR^iNImahe ||1.114.04||
divo varAhamaruShaM kapardinaM tveShaM rUpaM namasA ni hvayAmahe |
haste bibhradbheShajA vAryANi sharma varma chChardirasmabhyaM yaMsat ||1.114.05||
idaM pitre marutAmuchyate vachaH svAdoH svAdIyo rudrAya vardhanam |
rAsvA cha no amR^ita martabhojanaM tmane tokAya tanayAya mR^iLa ||1.114.06||
mA no mahAntamuta mA no arbhakaM mA na ukShantamuta mA na ukShitam |
mA no vadhIH pitaraM mota mAtaraM mA naH priyAstanvo rudra rIriShaH ||1.114.07||
mA nastoke tanaye mA na Ayau mA no goShu mA no ashveShu rIriShaH |
vIrAnmA no rudra bhAmito vadhIrhaviShmantaH sadamittvA havAmahe ||1.114.08||
upa te stomAnpashupA ivAkaraM rAsvA pitarmarutAM sumnamasme |
bhadrA hi te sumatirmR^iLayattamAthA vayamava itte vR^iNImahe ||1.114.09||
Are te goghnamuta pUruShaghnaM kShayadvIra sumnamasme te astu |
mR^iLA cha no adhi cha brUhi devAdhA cha naH sharma yachCha dvibarhAH ||1.114.10||
avochAma namo asmA avasyavaH shR^iNotu no havaM rudro marutvAn |
tanno mitro varuNo mAmahantAmaditiH sindhuH pR^ithivI uta dyauH ||1.114.11||
01. We offer these praises to the mighty Rudra, with the braided hair, the destroyer of heroes, in order that health may be enjoyed by bipeds and quadrupeds, and that all beings in this village may be (well) nourished and exempt from disease.
We have a repetition here of the usual etymologies of Rudra, with some additions:
• He causes all to weep (rodayati) at the end of the world;
• or 'rut' may signify 'pain',--the pain of living, which he drives away (dravayati);
• or 'rut' may mean 'word' or 'text', or the UpaniShads of the Vedas, by which he is approached, or propiated (druyate);
• or 'rut' may mean 'holy or divine speech', or 'wisdom', which he confers (rati) upon his worshippers;
• or 'rut' may 'darkness', that which invests or obstructs (RNaddhi) all things, and which he dissipates (vRNAti);
• or again, it is said, that while the gods were engaged in battle with the Asuras, Rudra, identified with Agni, came and stole their treasure; after conquering the enemy, the gods searched for the stolen wealth, and recovered it from the thief, who wept (arudat), and Agni was thence called Rudra. (taittirIya samhitA, 1.5.1.1)
with braided hair--kapardine, from kaparda, which has a meaning 'jaTa', or 'braided hair' of Shiva, whence the Scholiast gives, as its equivalent, 'jaTilaya'. This identifies Rudra as Shiva; it is not easy to suggest any other interpretation, unless the term be an interpolation.
the destroyer of heroes--kShayadvIrAya, in whom heroes (vIra) perish (vinashyanti); or it may mean, of whom the imperial (kShayantaH prAptaiShvaryaH) heroes, (that is, the Maruts) are the sons. The epithet is repeated in the following verses.
02. Be gracious to us, Rudra; grant us happiness, for we worship the destroyer of heroes with oblations; and, by your directions, Rudra, may we obtain that freedom from disease and exemption from dangers which our progenitor, Manu, bestowed upon us, (having obtained them from the gods).
03. Rudra, showerer (of benefits), may we obtain, through our worship of the gods, the favour of you, who are the destroyer of heroes; come to our posterity, purposing to promote their happiness, while we, having our sons in safety, offer you oblations.
04. We invoke for our preservation the illustrious Rudra, the accomplisher of sacrifices, the tortuous, the wise; may he remove far from us his celestial wrath, for we earnestly solicit his favour.
the accomplisher of sacrifice--yaj~nasAdhaM, i.e., sAdhayitaram, he who makes the sacrifice well-desired, or perfect (sviShTam, or su iShTam).
the tortuous--va~NkuM, he who goes crookedly, what is meant by this is not explained.
05. We invoke, from heaven, with reverence, him who has excellent food, who is radiant, and has braided hair, who is brilliant, and is to be ascertained (by sacred study), holding in his hands excellent medicaments; may he grant us health, defensive armour, and a (secure) dwelling.
he who has excellent food--the phrase is 'varAha', literally a boar, and one who has a hard body, like a boar's, may be intended; but the Scholiast prefers considering it as an abbreviation of 'varAhAra', from 'vara', good, 'AhAra', food.
06. 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.
07. Injure not, Rudra, those amongst us who are old or young, who are capable of begetting, or who are begotton, nor a father, nor a mother, nor afflict our precious persons.
08. Harm us not, Rudra, in our sons or grandsons, or other male descendants, nor in our cattle, nor in our horses; inflamed with anger, kill not our valient men, for we, presenting clarified butter perpetually invoke you.
09. I restore to you the praises (derived from you), as a shepherd (returns the sheep to their owner); father of the Maruts, bestow happiness upon me; your auspicious benignity is the cause of successive delight, therefore we especially solicit your protection.
10. Destroyer of heroes, may your cow-killing or man-slaying (weapen) be far away, and let the felicity granted by you be ours; favour us; speak, brilliant hero, in our behalf, and grant us, you who are mighty over the two (realms of heaven and earth), prosperity.
11. Desirious of protection, we have said: reverence be to him; may Rudra, with the Maruts, hear our invocation; and may Mitra, VaruNa, Aditi--ocean, earth and heaven, be favourable to this (our prayer).
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To continue with the rudra pArAyaNam in the other Rig Veda MaNDalas...
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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