Rudra Gīta

The Rudra Gīta is a hymn to Śrī Hari. Bhagavān Śiva (Rudra) sang it himself and taught it to the ten Pracetasas at a sacred lake, as they went to the ocean to perform tapas (austerity). It is told in the Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skanda, Chapter 24.

In it Śiva praises Bhagavān Vāsudeva as Padmanābha, Saṅkarshaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. He praises Him as the antaryāmin (inner ruler) of fire, moon, water, wind, ākāśa (space) and all the elements of the world. He praises Him as the one who rules māyā and is not bound by it, and as the only refuge when Kāla (time) comes. Śiva calls the hymn yogādeśa, the instruction of yoga, and says that Brahmā first taught it to him and the Prajāpatis at the start of creation.

The setting

The ten Pracetasas, sons of King Prācīnabarhish, set out for the western ocean to perform tapas, as their father had told them. On the way they came upon a splendid lake. Its water was clear as the mind of a mahātmā (a great soul). It was full of black, red and white lotuses and rang with the calls of haṃsas (swans) and koels. Trees at its edge trembled with the hum of bees, and the air was sweet with lotus pollen.

While they looked at it in wonder, Bhagavān Śiva himself rose from the lake. He shone like pure gold. His followers were with him and the gandharvas praised him.

The Pracetasas bowed to the ground. Śiva was pleased and said to them: “Bhagavān Vāsudeva is beyond both Prakṛti and the jīva-tattva (the nature of the living being). He is dearer to me than all. One who has taken direct refuge in Him is as dear to me as Bhagavān Vāsudeva Himself. I will now teach you this Gīta. It is a great purifier. It brings every good thing, and it can even give moksha. This stuti (hymn of praise) is the yogādeśa, the instruction of yoga. I received it from Brahmā at the start of creation. When we Prajāpatis said it, our avidyā (ignorance) was destroyed and we were able to make the worlds. Say it without error, with pure hearts.”

The Rudra Gīta

Opening salutation

Śiva bows to Bhagavān Vāsudeva, who shows Himself as the good of all who know the ātmā. He is for ever realised as the ātmā, and all things are held in Him as Sarvātman, the self of all.

Padmanābha and Vāsudeva

Obeisance to Padmanābha, in whose navel-lotus the whole universe appears, floating in the sky of His being. He is Vāsudeva, who fills all beings as their inner ātmā and rules the mind. He watches the movements of Prakṛti and is not touched by them. To Śrī Hari, Śiva’s salutations.

The four vyūha forms

• Obeisance to Saṅkarshaṇa. He is unmanifest and endless, and He draws the world back in at pralaya (dissolution).
• Obeisance to Pradyumna. He lights up all beings with awareness through their different ways of knowing. He is the antaryāmin of all.
• Repeated obeisance to Aniruddha. He is the master of the mind, and no covering or limit holds Him back.

Fire, moon, water, earth and the cosmos

• Obeisance to His agni form (fire). It purifies all and is the base of Vedic karma. Through it the yajña (fire ritual) gives both svarga (heaven) and moksha to those who are fit.
• Obeisance to His soma form (the moon). It feeds the pitṛdevatās and the devas, and it is the master of the Vedic metres.
• Obeisance to His jala form (water). It quenches the thirst of all living beings.
• Obeisance to His Virāḍ form. This is the single body, the earth itself, and the whole body of the universe.
• Obeisance to His vāyu form (wind). It gives life to all beings through the power of prāṇa.
• Obeisance to His ākāśa form (space). It makes all the difference between inside and outside.

All states of existence

Pravṛtti karma (action that goes outward), nivṛtti karma (action that turns back), the pitṛloka, the svargaloka, the pitṛdevatās and the devas themselves are all His forms. The suffering of those who break dharma, which is naraka, is also His form. To Him, obeisance.

The Avatāra and the Gīta

Bhagavān Vāsudeva is the first Mantra itself. He is Svāyambhuva Manu. He is the great Dharma. He is Parabrahman. He is the undying Purusha who set up both Sāṃkhya-yoga and Karma-yoga in the world. He is the Avatārin (the one who takes avatāras) who came down as Śrī Kṛshṇa to teach the Bhagavad Gīta. He is anādi (without beginning), the full antaryāmin of all beings. Obeisance.

Rudra and Brahmā as His forms

• Obeisance to Rudra. In the form of ahaṃkāra (the sense of “I”) he bears the threefold power of doer, means and act, and he showers on devotees the fruits they want.
• Obeisance to Brahmā. He has the knowledge of creation, makes the many creations, and brings forth the fourfold Veda through speech.
• From the power of prāṇa that moves within beings, Bhagavān Vāsudeva shows Himself as parā, paśyantī, madhyamā and vaikharī, the four levels of speech.

His beautiful form

The form of Bhagavān Vāsudeva is dear to His devotees. It is grand enough to please all the senses.

• He has four long arms and a gentle face. His brows, nose, teeth and cheeks are beautiful. His eyes are like lotus petals and His ears are well matched.
• His face shines with the warmth of loving side-glances. It is framed by playful curls and bright kuṇḍalas (earrings).
• He wears clothes as fine as lotus pollen, glowing yellow-gold. His crown, bracelets, necklaces, anklets and waistband all shine.
• He holds the śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma, and wears the vanamālā garland and the kaustubha jewel on His chest.
• His shoulders are like a lion’s mane, decked with gold. The golden line of Lakshmī is on His chest.
• His belly is like a pipal leaf, with three folds that rise and fall with His breath. His deep navel is like a whirlpool, ready to draw the world back at pralaya.
• The pītāmbara (yellow cloth) is at His waist. His feet, calves and thighs are perfect in measure.

“O Father, show us this form! The light of Your lotus feet, clear as autumn lotuses, destroys all fear of saṃsāra in our hearts.”

The rarity of devotion

Bhagavān Vāsudeva is not reached by all. Even Indra wants Him. The jñānins (those who follow knowledge) reach Him in solitude through ātmanishṭhā (steadiness in the ātmā). To His devotees He gives Himself. Those caught up in the world cannot worship Him. Even for great ones, ekānta-bhakti (one-pointed devotion) is rare. One who has such bhakti would want nothing beyond His lotus feet.

Even Yama, so fearful that he could end the worlds, does not dare to show his power over one who has taken refuge at His feet. Half a moment with His devotees is worth more than svarga or moksha. What then of the small longings of mortals?

The path of practice

The sādhaka (seeker) must make a mind that is not ruled by rajas through outward craving, and not ruled by tamas through sinking into dullness. When a pure mind in which sattva rules is fixed, the truth of Bhagavān Vāsudeva is known at once and naturally. In this ātmacaitanya (awareness of the ātmā) the whole jagat (world) appears. That awareness fills the jagat as ākāśa does, shining as sat-cit (being and awareness). That ātmajyoti (light of the ātmā) is He alone.

Māyā and His rule

This māyāśakti has many forms, and it does not deceive Him. Through her He makes, keeps and takes back the jagat, and He is not changed or touched. For the jīva, māyā makes real difference seem to be there, but He stands as ruler above her.

At pralaya, like a wind of time that scatters clouds, He draws back the whole world in reverse order. Ākāśa is taken into vāyu, vāyu into agni, agni into jala, jala into pṛthvī, pṛthvī into ahaṃkāra, ahaṃkāra into mahat, and mahat into the māyopādhi, until all is dissolved in Him.

Kāla and surrender

A person caught in the whirl of wanting and owning is careless. Bhagavān Vāsudeva, as Kālarūpa (the form of time), strikes without warning and swallows him like a hungry snake swallowing a mouse. What wise person, seeing this, would give up His lotus feet?

Even Brahmā, “our father”, worships His feet, fearing that time will waste his life without Him. The fourteen Manus worship Him without desire. “We take refuge in You, our only shelter from the fear of Kālarūpa Rudra and the terror of saṃsāra.”

Śiva’s instruction to the Pracetasas

After teaching the hymn, Śiva commanded: “Say this without error, with pure hearts. Follow your svadharma. Fix your minds on Bhagavān Vāsudeva. May all go well with you! Śrī Hari is the ātmā of all beings. Worship Him without rest through kīrtana (singing His praise), dhyāna (meditation) and pūjā.”

The phalaśruti

Śiva said:

• One who says this hymn with Vāsudeva as the highest aim will quickly reach śreyas (the highest good).
• Ātmajñāna (knowledge of the ātmā) is the highest of all goods. It is the boat that crosses the ocean of suffering.
• Those who say this hymn are set free from all bonds of karma.
• Those who hear it at dawn with folded hands are freed from the bonds of karma.

Sources

• Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skanda, Chapter 24