10 - The Creation by Rudra

Creation of Rudra is another topic common to many Puranas such as VP. I.8.14 ff, Bh. P. III.12.7-20, VA. P. I. 27.1-60 but KP. shares more verses common with VP. (such as Rudra's names, places, the names of bis spouses, etc.) cf. KP.I. 10,24-30 and VP. I. 8.6-12.

Lord Kurma said: 

1. When Maheshvara departed, god Brahma, the grand sire of the world, once again resorted to the self-same lotus growing out of the umbilical region of Lord Vishnu. 

2. After a long time, the two great Asura brothers Madhu and Kaitabha, of unequalled valour, happened to come there. 

3. They were born out of the ear-cavities of god Vishnu2 the wielder of the Sharnga bow, the Lord of Devas. They had bodies as huge as a great mountain and they were over-powered with great fury.

2. The birth of demons Madhu and Kaitabha is from Vishnu's ears here (and from the car-wax oozing out of Vishnu's cars in the DeviBhagavata). KP. gives the credit of killing Madhu to Jishnu and Kaitabha to Vishnu (both creations of Narayana). The more popular version of the story 15 that Vishnu got a boon from them for killing and killed them on his lap (vide the Devi Bhagavata Skandha I) is not accepted in KP.

4. On seeing them arrived, the un-born Lord Brahma requested Narayana, "It behoves you to slay these Asuras, the thorns in the three worlds." 

5. On hearing his words, Lord Hari who abides in the cosmic waters (Narayana) ordered two persons to kill those two Asuras. 

6. At his behest, O Brahmanas, great battle of those two persons with the two Asuras ensued, Jishnu conquered Kaitabha while Vishnu vanquished Madhu. 

7. Then Hari the Lord of the universe, with his mind overwhelmed with affection, spoke these sweet words to god Brahma, the grand-sire of the worlds, who was seated in the lotus.

8. "O Lord, you are being borne by me; you are brilliant and weighty; I am unable to bear you. Hence, please get down from this lotus." 

9. Then the soul of the universe, (god Brahma) got down and entered the person of Vishnu, the wielder of the discus (Sudarshana). He became united with Vishnu and was overcome with the special type of slumber of Vishnu. 

10. God Brahma, designated as Narayana, and wielding a conch, a discus and a mace (Gada), becoming possessed of him that way, slumbered within the watery expanse. (v.l. possessed of a thousand heads and eyes.) 

11. For a long time, he enjoyed the bliss of identity with that great soul, devoid of beginning and end and having no second. It was his own Atman. 

12. Then in the morning, the Yogic soul termed as Brahman, became the four-faced deity. Resorting to the disposition of Vishnu, he created beings of the same type. 

13. The Lord created at the outset Sananda and Sanaka, Rubhu, Sanatkumara and the elder one Sanatana. 

14. They were free from delusion and mutually clashing opposites such as pleasure and pain. They possessed the greatest detachment. Having realised the highest reality, they directed their attention towards knowledge. (v.l. na srushtau dadhire matim "They did not take interest in creation.”) 

15. When they were thus indifferent towards the creation of the worlds, god Brahma, the grandfather of the world became despaired due to the Maya of Parameshthin. 

16. Then the ancient Purusha, the eternal, the embodiment of the universe, spoke to his son, the lotus-born god in order to destroy his delusion. 

God Vishnu said: 

17. "Has this been forgotten that the trident-bearing eternal Lord, Shambhu was requested by you formerly "O Shankara, do you be my son.” 

18. Shankara had urged his mind in the guise of his son. The lotus-born god the grand-sire of the world, regained enlightenment through Govinda. 

19. As he was inclined to create beings, he performed a very difficult penance. But even though he performed that penance nothing transpired. 

20. Then after the lapse of a long time, his grief created wrath in him. From both of his eyes overwhelmed with anger. drops of tears fell down. 

21. From them goblins and ghosts cropped up. On seeing all of them in front of him, Brahma сensured himself. 

22. Lord Prajapati (Brahma) overcome with wrath gave up his life. Then Rudra, of the nature of Prana (vital air), manifested himself from the mouth of the Lord (god Brahma). 

23. Lord Shiva, the god of gods, with the brilliance of a thousand suns and comparable to the cosmic fire ablaze at the end of the Yugas, cried out loudly and terribly. 

24. Brahma spoke to him as he cried, "O don't cry. You will become well-known in the world as 'Rudra', because of your crying." 

25. The grand-father of the world gave him seven other names. He gave him wives and eternal sons. To those eight persons, the grand-sire of the world gave abodes as well.1

1. VV. 24-30 are practically the same as VP. I.8.6-12.

26. Those seven names are-(1) Bhava, (2) Sarva, (3) Ishana (4) Paśhunampati (5) Bhima, (6) Ugra and (7) Mahadeva. 

27. The eight Murtis (cosmic forms of this god) are as follows: - (1) sun, (2) water, (3) earth, (4) fire, (5) wind, (6) ether, (7) initiated Brahmanas and (8) moon. 

28. The lord endowed with eight bodies bestows the highest region (Moksha) on those who meditate on him, and bow down to Rudras in these bodies. 

29. The eight wives are: -Suvarchala, Uma, Vikeshi, Shiva, Svaha, Diśhah, Diksha and Rohini. 

30. The sons of these are Shanaishchara. (the Saturn), Shukra (the Venus), Lohitanga (the Mars), Manojava, Skanda Sarga, Santana and Budha (the Mercury).

31. Lord Maheshvara, Lord of Devas, who was of this nature, eschewed his duty of procreation and desire, and resorted to renunciation. 

32. Fixing his individual soul into the Supreme Soul and having drunk deep the eternal Supreme Nectar called the imperishable Brahman, he established himself in the divine nature. 

33. When Shiva, the god of blue-red complexion, was commanded by Brahma to procreate progeny, he mentally created Rudras, equal and similar to himself. 

34-35. They were with matted hair, free from distress, blue-necked, wielding the Pinaka bow, holding the trident in their hands, of ever blissful nature and having three eyes, free from old age and death. They had great bulls as their vehicles. "They were devoid of passions, and were omniscient. The Lord thus, created crores and hundreds of crores of such beings. 

36. On seeing those various Rudras, pure, blue-red in complexion, immune from death and old age, the preceptor Brahma spoke to Hara. 

37. O god, do not create such progeny devoid of death. O Lord of goblins, create other types of subjects susceptible to births and deaths. 

38. Then the god with matted hair, the chastiser of Kama, replied, "I don't have such creation. You create such various types of creation." (v.l. Such inauspicious progeny). 

39. Thereafter, this God does not create auspicious progeny. He remains with his mind withdrawn from activities of procreation, and stays with his own sons. 

40-42a. Hence the attribute of Sthanu (immoveable like a branchless tree) was applied to the trident-bearing god who is the god of Devas. 

The following ten undiminishing attributes always abide in Shankara: -Jnana (perfect knowledge), Vairagya (detachment), Aishvarya (divine faculties of omnipotence, omnipresence etc.), Tapas (penance), Satyam (truth), Kshama (forbearance), Dhruti (courage), Drashtrutva (state of being the seer), Atma-sambodha (Soul-enlightenment) and Adhishthatrutva (presiding-ness). 

42b-44. Thus is Shankara, the Pinaka-bearing Parameshvara. Thereafter, on seeing the three-eyed lord along with the Rudras, his mental creations, lord Brahma was highly delighted. Due pleasure, his eyes became enlarged. After knowing his lord. nature by means of his vision of knowledge, he eulogised the lord of the worlds with the hands reverentially placed on the head. 

Brahma said: 

Obeisance be to you, O great god, salute to you, O Supreme Lord. 

45. Bow to god Shiva. Obeisance to you, the embodiment of Brahman, to Lord Mahesha, to the quiescent, to the cause of the universe. 

46. Salutations to the Lord of Prakruti and Purusha, to the chief of Yoga, to Kala (time or god of death), to Rudra, to the bearer of the trident and to one making a huge mouthful of the universe. 

47. Obeisance to the wielder of Pinaka bow in the hand. Salutations again and again to the three-eyed god with three-fold forms. Bow to you Brahman, the father of god Brahma. 

48. Obeisance to the master of the knowledge of Brahman and to one imparter of the knowledge of Brahman. Salutation to the secret of the Vedas (or the knower of the secret of the Vedas) and to the destroyer of Kala. 

49. Obeisance to the essential substance of Vedanta, to the embodiment of Vedas (v.l. the Vedanta incarnate.) Bow to the enlightened Rudra, the preceptor of Yogins. 

50. Obeisance to you who are surrounded by goblins, or beings of various kinds, devoid of sorrows. Salutations to the deity favourable to Brahmanas and to the lord of Brahma. 

51. Obeisance to the three-eyed primordial deity, to Parameshthin, the quarter-clad (naked), to the staff-bearing recluse. 

52. Salutations to you untouched by the beginning-less impurity of Avidya, to one knowable through perfect enlightenment. Bow to the saviour, the sanctifier, to the cause of the progress of Yoga. 

53. Salutations to one knowable through Dharma (Piety) etc. Obeisance to you approachable through Yogic meditation, to one devoid of diversity or illusion; bow to you, bereft of reflection and semblance. 

54. Obeisance to Brahman, the embodiment of the universe to you the supreme Atman. Everything in the universe has been created by you alone and everything abides in you only. 

55. O deity identical with the universe, the universe beginning with Prakruti is withdrawn by you. You are the controller (of the world), the great god, the Supreme Brahman, the great Ruler of the world. 

56. You are the Parameshthin, the auspicious, the quiescent, the perfect being, Hara. You are the great imperishable spiritual light; you are Kala and Parameshvara. 

57. You alone are the infinite person, the Pradhana and the Prakruti as well. You are the earth, the waters, the fire, the wind, the ether and the ego.1

1. Cr. BG, VII.4.

58-60a. I bow unto that Bhava whose form is termed as Brahman. I bow unto that Cosmic Person, whose head is the heaven, feet the earth, arms the quarters, and abdomen the firmament. I bow unto him who always imparts heat by illuminating the quarters with his own brilliant lustre. Obeisance to him, the embodiment of the sun, full of the brilliance of Brahman. 

60b-61a. Salutation to him who being the fire incarnate and having Rudra-like terrific body full of light and energy, carries oblations offered to gods and those offered to manes. 

61b-62a. Bow to him, the embodiment of the moon who gives delight to the whole of the world by his own radiance and who is being drunk by groups of gods. 

62b-63a. Obeisance to him of the Vayu (wind) -form which is the energy of the great god, which always moves about within all living beings (as vital airs) and sustains them. 

63b-64a. Obeisance to that form of four-faced deity2 who is abiding within the Atman and who creates everything according to one's previous Karmans.

2. The one-ness of the Trinity of gods (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and its identification with the Brahman is, as usual, emphasized in these Verses.

64b-65a. Obeisance to the all-pervading Lord Vishnu1 who, enveloping and deluding the universe by Maya, reposes on the couch of Serpent Shesha and experiences the bliss of his soul through Yoga.

1. The v.l. Vishvatmane noted in Ft. Note 1 (of the Venk, Ed.) is equally good. For Vishva is one of the thousand names of Vishnu. 

The Vishnu sahasranama in the Mbh. Anushasana 149.14 begins with it: 

Vishvam Vishnur Vashatkaro bhuta-bhavya-bhavat-prabhuh |

65b-66a. Obeisance to that form of Shesha, who is the support of all and who always holds on his head the whole of the universe consisting of fourteen worlds. 

66b-67. Salutations to him who, embodied as Rudra of infinite greatness, dances at the end of the world, drinking deeply the Supreme joy with the goddess Parvati as the only witness. The god abides within all beings and is their Controller. 

68. Obeisance to him, the embodiment of waters whose tresses contained the clouds and in whose limb joints are the rivers and in whose belly are the four oceans. 

69-70a. I salute to that deity, who having bodies all round (that is eight forms) is witness unto all. Bow to the soul of Yoga whom Yogins who are devoid of (i.e., have mastery over) their sleep, who have conquered (i.e., controlled) their breath, who are contented and who cherish an impartial outlook visualise as the spiritual light. 

70b-71a. Obeisance to him the embodiment of spiritual knowledge whereby, a Yogin, with his sins exhausted, crosses the ocean in the form of Maya, which is (boundless and hence) uncrossable and unfathomable. 

71b-72a. I resort to that great Reality, to that form of the Supreme Lord by whose lustre the sun shines, the lustre which lies beyond darkness. 

72b-73a. I resort to you, the great Shiva the unsullied, the perfect eternal bliss and one who is not supported by others. I resort to you, O Supreme Lord, the great Atman. 

73b-74a. After eulogising Mahadeva thus, god Brahma became sanctified by meditating on him. He joined his palms in reverence and stood there praying the eternal Brahman. 

74b-75a. Thereafter, the great god Hara granted unto him the divine and excellent Yoga and the divine state of being in communion with Brahman as well as the Vairagya (detachment). 

75b-77. The remover of the distress of those who bow down to him, stroked Brahma the grand-sire of the world, with his tender hands and blessed him. Smilingly he spoke thus: "O Brahma, I have been requested by you to become your son. I have made all arrangements for that. You create the world of diverse nature. O Brahma, I have divided myself in the three forms under the name Brahma, Vishnu and Hara. 

78. Though I am the perfect Supreme Ruler, I have divided myself unto three with the attributes (i.e., functions) of creation, protection and annihilation. You are my eldest son created for the purpose of carrying on the activity of creation. 

79-80. You have been produced from the right side of my body, while Purushottama (Vishnu) is created from the left. Rudra was born from the region of the heart of Shambhu, the over-Lord of the gods. I am his great person or body. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are respectively the causes of creation, sustenance and dissolution of the universe, O Brahma. 

81. Though Shankara stays as the absolute one, it is out of his own will that he had divided himself. I have other forms as well effected by my Maya. 

82. By nature, the great God Shiva is formless, absolute, abiding in his own state or soul. The god who is transcendental to these is the Tri-murti, the triple-formed one, which is the Supreme Person of the Lord. 

83. O grand-sire of the world, know me to be that great form, that special personality of Maheshvara with three eyes which always bestow peace unto the Yogins. 

84-85a. Endowed with eternal rulership (prosperity), enlightenment and possessed of divine lustre and Yoga (Yogic power), I swallow everything (i.e., the whole of the universe) by presiding over the quality called Tamas and by becoming Kala. Nobody else can dare to confront me even mentally. 

85b-86a. O Lotus-born god, whenever you remember of me, O sinless one, you will have (the privilege of) my presence then and there. 

86b-87a. After speaking this much to god Brahma and bowing to the preceptor (Brahma), Hara vanished in a moment along with his mind-born sons. 

87b-88a. Brahma too resorted to Yoga and created the world of different varieties. The worshipful creator, known as Narayana, resorted to Yogic meditation and created the diverse world as before. 

88b-89. He created by means of Yogic lore and power the progenitors (of the world viz.) Marichi, Bhrugu, Angiras Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu Daksha, Atri, and Vasishtha. They are decisively regarded in the Puranas as nine Brahmas. All of them are equal to god Brahma, are householders and expounders of Brahman or the Veda.1

1. The same is Supra 2.23b-25a.

90. I have already narrated to you the resolution (sankalpa), Dharma, various duties special to different Yugas and the deities identifying themselves with the abodes (sthanas).