Talk:Rudragāyatrī (‘Gayatrimantra of Rudra)
By Swami Harshananda</small
Rudragāyatrī literally means ‘Gayatrimantra of Rudra.
Rudragāyatrī[edit]
Origin of Rudragāyatrī[edit]
The Gāyatrīmantra of the Rgveda[1] has been repeated in other Vedas also. It has become so famous and popular that similar mantras in the same gāyatrī meter on other deities have appeared in many later works. In the Mahānārāyana Upanisad[2] several such Gāyatrīmantras have been given. One such is the Rudra-gāyatri[3]
Contents of Rudragāyatrī[edit]
The contents of this is as follows:
Tatpurusāya vidmahe, mahādevāya dhimahi, tanno rudrah pracodayāt II
‘May we know or realize the Supreme Person. For that, may we meditate upon Mahādeva and to that meditation may Rudra impel us’.
Usage of Rudragāyatrī[edit]
The mantra previous to this[4] is also sometimes called by the same name since the second and the third lines of this are similar to the Rudragāyatrī. This mantra like the other gāyatrīmantras is used for meditation and japa.
The Prapañcasāratantra[5] attributed to Śañkarācārya[6] gives a dhyānaśloka[7] beginning with the words ‘bibhrad-dorbhih’ and ending with ‘kalottuṅgamaulih’ for the Rudragāyatrī.
Description of Rudra in Rudragāyatrī[edit]
It describes Rudra as holding an axe and a deer in two hands and the other two showing the abhaya and the varada mudrās.[8] He is sitting on a lotus, wearing the tiger-skin. His body is well-decorated. He has five faces[9] It shines like a mountain of precious stones.
Rudragītā[edit]
Significance of Rudragītā[edit]
The Bhagavadgītā, the finest jewel among the secondary scriptures of the religion generally called as the smṛtis, has been responsible for the appearance of several gītās in the later religious literature indirectly. The Rudragita is one of the minor gītās that occur in the Bhāgavata.[10]
Origin of Rudragītā[edit]
Prācīnabarhi was a great king. He had ten sons, all of whom were known as Pracetas. He commanded them to beget worthy sons after performing severe austerities. As they were proceeding, searching for a suitable place, they saw Rudra, the great god, emerging out of a vast and beautiful lake. The Pracetas then went towards him and offered their obeisance with great devotion. Pleased with this, god Rudra taught them a wonderful hymn by which they were advised to pray to Bhagavān Vāsudeva. This part comprising of 47 ślokas or verses that has come to be known as the Rudragita.
Content of Rudragītā[edit]
The following is a brief summary of the same:
- Victory unto the Supreme Lord who protects the knowers of the ātman, the Self.
- He is everything and everybody.
- He is the creator and controller of the world.
- He manifests himself through the four vyuhas or emanations.
- He is in the form of the deity Soma, the food of gods, the lord of yajñas[11] and also the Virātpuruṣa.[12]
- He is karma[13] as well as its fruits.
- He is Rudra and Brahmā also.
- He is the origin of speech.
- O Lord! Grant us the vision of your extremely elegant form.[14]
- One who wants to purify himself should meditate on this form.
- He is easy of attainment for those who are deeply devoted to him.
- One who has succeeded in pleasing him does not desire for anything else.
- None, including Yama,[15] can exercise any control over such a devotee.
- The company of such devotees is far superior even to svarga[16] or mokṣa.[17]
- Hence none should waste his time and life, but worship him, the origin of the world as also its destroyer as kāla or time.
- Anyone who sings or chants this Rudragītā, especially in the early hours of morning, will be liberated from all bonds.
References[edit]
- ↑ Rgveda 3.62.10
- ↑ Mahānārāyana Upanisad 1.22-33
- ↑ Rudra-gāyatri 1.23.
- ↑ Rudragāyatrī 1.22
- ↑ Prapañcasāratantra 27.41
- ↑ He lived in A. D. 788-820.
- ↑ Dhyānaśloka means the verse describing the form of the deity for meditation.
- ↑ These are the hand poses expressing protection and granting boons.
- ↑ Each face has three eyes.
- ↑ Bhāgavata 4.24.33-79
- ↑ Yajñas means sacrifices.
- ↑ Virātpuruṣa means Cosmic Being.
- ↑ Karma means action.
- ↑ The next eight verses from 45-52 give a highly poetical description of the well-known Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva form to facilitate meditation.
- ↑ Yama means the god of death.
- ↑ Svarga means heaven.
- ↑ Mokṣa means liberation.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore