Mahārudra (Slayer of Hirbu)

Mahārudra · mahā-rudra, “the great Rudra”

The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells of the Mahārudra who destroyed the daitya Hirbu and was made king of the Śaśimaṇḍala, the disc of the moon. Bṛhaspati speaks of him.

Hirbu, born in the line of Nikumbha, won from Brahmā the vara that no living thing or object in the universe could slay him, and he drove the devas from svarga. Nārada told the devas to take up the upāsanā of Bhagavān Śaṅkara. When eleven years of their pārthiva pūjā had passed, Bhagavān Śiva, who does good to the worlds, was pleased. He became jyotirliṅga-maya and began to burn all the asuras, leaving out those who were bhaktas of the devas. Brahmā, together with Bhagavān Vishṇu, pleased Mahārudra with Sāma sūktas.

When the Sun stood in Mithuna rāśi, Mahārudra, destroyer of the daitya Hirbu, was made king of the Śaśimaṇḍala for the good of the devas, and he became intent on the work of the devas.

Afterwards this same Mahārudra was born on the beautiful Himālaya mountain as the son of Sādhakarmā, and later became famous as Bhāratīśa, knower of the kalās. He conquered the assembly of scholars, came to Kāśī and became a śishya of Śaṅkarācārya.

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 12