Lord Shiva - A basic introduction (Part 5)

 In his angry form lord Shiva is known as rudra. But when we describe a shivling the side facing south is lord Shiva and the side facing north is lord Rudra. Are they both same or different ?

Actually they both are same only.

It depends on which philosophy you believe.

Like in Shaiva Siddhanta, Lord Shiva is same and different from Rudra/MahaBhairava. It follows a madhyasta philosophy between adwaita and vishista adwaita onthe same time it even touches the philosophy of dwaita. This is Mahrishi Meykandar’s sampradaya or also called as Sanatkumara sampradaya or Kailasa Parampara.

But if you see according Kashmir Shaivism and Natha Shaivism, Rudra/Shiva/Sadashiva/MahaBhairava is the same and equal and have no difference. It follows suddha adwaita and rejects the philosophy of shaiva siddhanta of twoness in oneness and believes absolute oneness. Same can be observed in Nandinatha Shaiva Sampradaya.

However even Shaiva Siddhanta is not only based on philosophy of Meykandar Sampradaya. It also have the philosophy of Maharishi Tirumular and Maharishi Patanjali which teaches Suddha Adwaita. It even accepts the theories of Natha Shaivism and Kashmir Shaivism. The combine philosophy of these two Sampradayas are called as Suddha Adwaita Shaiva Siddhanta.

Shiva Purana mentions that Rudra is purna avatara of Lord Shiva and according to Agamas, purnavatara means that particular Lord himself is there. This again proves that Shiva and Rudra is same only. Now in Vedas, Lord Shiva is worshiped as Rudra only. Rudripaath we do at the time of Rudra Abhisek (Laghu rudra)of Shivalinga.

In Krishna Yajurveda’s Namakam Chamakam part, word Shiva is used first time for Rudra. Its name also is Sri Rudram. Here is that shloka, Anuvaka 1 :-

Namakam – Yajur Veda Chapter 16

Om Namo Bhagavate Rudraya !

Namaste Rudramanyavautota Ishhave Namah
Namaste Astu Dhanvane Bahubhyamuta Te Namah

Yata Ishhuh Shivatama Shivam Babhuva Te Dhanuh
Shiva Sharavya Ya Tava Taya No Rudra Mridaya

Yaa Te Rudra Shiva Tanu Raghoraapapakashini

When you will read the full verse it even says some more names like Sadashiva, Trayambaka, Shriman Mahadeva, etc.

You know namaskara mantra ? It is also a part of Shri Rudram in Anuvaka 8 Here is it :-

Namah somaya Cha rudraya

Cha namastamraya charunaya Cha nama shangaya

Cha pashupataye Cha nama ugraya cha bhimaya

Cha namo agrevadhaya Cha dure vadhaya cha namo hantre
Cha haniyase Cha, namo vrukshebhyo harikeshebhyo

Nama staraya namash shambhave Cha mayo bhave cha namah shankaraya

Cha mayaskaraya cha namah shivaya Cha shivataraya cha !!!!

Even the line from Yajurveda :- Eko Rudra dwitiyo naasti is the main line for Shaivas which comes from Swetashwara Upanishad.

Rudrashtakam in Ramcharitamanas is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is praising Lord Shiva as the supreme Lord.

Lord Shiva divides himself into Vishnu and Bramha and he himself then becomes Rudra to complete the trinity. That’s why most of we Shaivities follow Adwaita as our philosophy (not only Sankaracharya’s Adwaita but many others) as we consider Lord Shiva = Lord Vishnu = Lord Bramha. No difference.

The difference can be only felt in Prakriti Maaya. For us Maaya is not an illusion but leela of the divine Shiva Shakti (Ardhanarishwara).

Their are thousands of proof from Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, Itihasas, Puranas, etc. See in Kurma Purana also. Its both Vaishnava and Shaiva Purana. See Linga Purana also for reference. There also Lord Shiva is mentioned as both Rudra and Shiva.

Rudra is the name given to the fierce form of Lord Shiva. That's it.

So finally I conclude that they are same and one only, its just 2 names of Lord Mahadeva Shiva !!!!!!!

At the end I would like to say :-

Ohm ...
Sarva Rudraya, Maha Rudraya, Kaala Rudraya, Kalpaandha Rudraya
Veera Rudraya, Rudha Rudraya, Ghora Rudraya, Agora Rudhraya
Marthaanda Rudhraya, Anda Rudhraya, Brahmaanda Rudhraya
Chanda Rudraya, Prachanda Rudraya, Ganda Rudraya
Soora Rudraya, Veera Rudraya, Bhava Rudraya, Bheema Rudraya
Athala Rudraya, Vitthala Rudraya, Sudhala Rudraya
Maha Thala Rudraya, Bajaa Thala Rudraya
Thalaa Thala Rudraya, Paathaala Rudraya ... Namo Namahaa ...

OM NAMO PARVATI PATAYE HAR HAR MAHADEV !!!!!

Thank you