Shri Rudram
{{Short description|Vedic chant in praise of Shiva}}
{{About|a stotra (a homage hymn) to Shiva|the Marathi tv series|Rudram (TV series)|the ground attack missile|Rudram (missile)}}
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{{Saivism}}
{{Hindu scriptures}}
Shri Rudram ({{langx|sa|श्रीरुद्रम्}} {{IAST3|śrī-rudram}}), is a Vedic mantra or chant in homage to Rudra (an epithet of Shiva) taken from the Krishna Yajurveda's Taittiriya Samhita (TS 4.5, 4.7). In Shukla Yajurveda, it is found in Chapters 16 and 18. It is composed of two parts: the Namakam and Chamakam. Chamakam ({{langx|sa|चमकम्}}) is added by scriptural tradition to the Shri Rudram.{{Cite web|url=http://www.vedaunion.org/static/pdf/Sri-Rudram-Exposition-EN.pdf|title=Śrī Rudram Exosition}}{{Cite web|url=https://vak1969.com/2013/02/01/introduction-to-rudram/|title=Introduction to rudram|date=February 2013 |at=sec. Chamakam}} The text is important in Shaivism, where Shiva is viewed as the Parabrahman. The hymn is an early example of enumerating the names of a deity.C Fuller (2001), Orality, literacy and memorisation: priestly education in contemporary south India, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 35, Issue 1, pages 14-15 with footnote 6
Shri Rudram is also famous for its mention of the Shaivite holy mantra Namah Shivaya, which appears in the text of the {{IAST|Śatarudrīya}} in the eighth anuvāka of Taittiriya Samhita (TS 4.5.8.1).For notability and text {{IAST|namaḥ śivāya}} see: Sivaramamurti, pp. 1, 24. In Shukla Yajurveda it is found in chapter 16, verse 41. It also contains the mantra Aum namo bhagavate rudraya and the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.{{Cite web|url=http://www.skandagurunatha.org/works/stothras/sri-rudram.pdf|title=sri rudram|pages=4–5}}{{Cite web |title= |url= |at=sec. Mantra}}{{Cite web|url=https://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/ShriRudramChamakam_PRKannan.pdf|title=SRI RUDRAM (with CHAMAKAM)|at=sec. mantra 12 of ANUVAKAM 11, page 87|access-date=2018-02-15|archive-date=2017-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622204954/http://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/ShriRudramChamakam_PRKannan.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.vedaunion.org/static/pdf/Sri-Rudram-Text-Anuvakam-1-11-devanagari-transliteration-translation.pdf|title=Rudram|website=vedic union|page=2}}
The Sri Rudram is commonly chanted during the Pradosha time, which is considered to be a time auspicious for the worship of Shiva.
There are some popular expiatory rites such as rudraikādaśinī, mahārudra and atirudra which employ the Shree Rudra mantra exclusively for pūjā japa and homa.
There are three major commentaries in Sanskrit for the Shree Rudra mantra (śatarudrīya) -those of Sāyaṇa Bhaṭṭabhāskara and Abhinavaśaṅkara.
Contents
Shri Rudram consists of two chapters (praśna) from the fourth kāṇda (book) of Taittiriya Samhita which is a part of Krishna Yajurveda.{{Cite web|url=https://vak1969.com/2013/02/01/introduction-to-rudram/|title=Introduction to Rudram|date=February 2013 |at=sec. What is Rudram ?}} The names of the chapters are Namakam (chapter five) and Chamakam (chapter seven) respectively.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Sri_Rudram|title=Sri Rudram - Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia|website=www.hindupedia.com|date=7 April 2023 }} The Namakam (chapter five) in Shri Rudram describes the names or epithets of Rudra, who is a fear-inducing/destructive aspect of Shiva. The devotee asks for the benevolent and graceful aspect of Shiva to be invoked rather than the terrible and fierce aspect of Rudra and requests for the forgiveness of sins. The Chamakam (chapter seven) asks for the fulfillment of wishes.{{Cite web|url=https://vak1969.com/2013/02/01/introduction-to-rudram/|title=Introduction to Rudram|date=February 2013 |at=sec. Chamakam}} Each chapter consist of eleven anuvākas or hymns.{{Cite web|url=http://www.vedaunion.org/static/pdf/Sri-Rudram-Exposition-EN.pdf|title=Sri rudram Exposition}}{{Cite web|url=https://vak1969.com/2013/02/01/introduction-to-rudram/|title=Introduction to rudram|date=February 2013 |at=sec. What is Rudram ?}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Sri_Rudram|title=Sri rudram|date=7 April 2023 |at=sec. First paragraph}}
- Namakam: The Namakam in particular enumerates the various epithets and names of Rudra. It recognises the violent aspects of Rudra and requests him to be benevolent and peaceful, rather than violent and destructive. It also acknowledges the presence of the deity in those from all walks of life, be they carpenters (TS 4.5.1.2) or thieves (TS 4.5.3.2).
- Chamakam: The Chamakam enumerates the various things one would want in life and requests Rudra to grant them to the devotee. It acknowledges both material and spiritual desires and requests the deity for both. Some verses invoke other deities such as Agni and Vishnu and request them to join in the devotee's prayers to Rudra.
The anuvākas or hymns of Namakam correspond to the eleven hymns of TS 4.5, with the final hymn extended by an additional eight verses, including the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.{{Cite web|title=Si rudram|url=http://www.skandagurunatha.org/works/stothras/sri-rudram.pdf|website=www.skandagurunatha.org|page=5}}{{Cite web|title=Rudram|url=http://www.vedaunion.org/static/pdf/Sri-Rudram-Text-Anuvakam-1-11-devanagari-transliteration-translation.pdf|at=sec. Anuvāka 11 of Namakam (Supplement), page 31}}{{Cite web|title=SRI RUDRAM with meaning|url=http://www.suyajna.org/files/rudram.pdf|at=sec. Mantras}} The mantra Om Namah Shivaya is derived from the Shri Rudram, in which it appears in the verses of TS 4.5.8 though without the syllable Om.{{Cite web|title=Rudram|url=http://www.vedaunion.org/static/pdf/Sri-Rudram-Text-Anuvakam-1-11-devanagari-transliteration-translation.pdf|website=vedaunion|page=anuvaka 8 of Namakam at page-22}}{{Cite web|title=sri rudram exposition (search for "namaḥ śivāya ca śivatarāya ca" in the pdf at page 3)|url=http://www.vedaunion.org/static/pdf/Sri-Rudram-Exposition-EN.pdf|website=vedaunion.org|page=3}}{{Cite web|title=sri-rudram|url=http://www.skandagurunatha.org/works/stothras/sri-rudram.pdf|website=skandagurunatha.org|page=4}} The Chamakam consists of 11 anuvākas or hymns. The 11th anuvāka prayer (of the chamakam), brings out the long list of benedictions asked for in the odd divine number and even human numbering .The anuvākas or hymns of Chamakam correspond to TS 4.7 and they ask God for fulfillment of wishes.{{Cite web|title=Sri Rudram|date=7 April 2023 |url=http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Sri_Rudram|at=sec. Methods of Chanting Rudra}}
The earliest homage hymns to Rudra is the Śatarudrīya found in the Shukla Yajurveda (Vajasaneyi Samhita 16.1-66).{{cite book|author=Stella Kramrisch|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cjqfkgD6YCAC|title=The Presence of Siva|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1988|isbn=978-81-208-0491-3|pages=71–73}}For a full translation of the complete hymn see: Sivaramamurti (1976) C. Fuller maintains that Shri Rudram is based on Śatarudrīya.
See also
Notes
References
- {{cite book |last=Flood |first=Gavin |title=An Introduction to Hinduism |url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontohi0000floo |url-access=registration |year=1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn= 0-521-43878-0|ref=Fl}}
- {{cite book |last=Kramrisch |first=Stella |title=The Presence of Śiva |url=https://archive.org/details/presenceofsiva0000kram |url-access=registration |year=1981 |publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, New Jersey |isbn=0-691-01930-4 |ref=Kr}}
- {{cite book |last=Sivaramamurti |first=C. |title=Śatarudrīya: Vibhūti of Śiva's Iconography |year=1976 |publisher= Abhinav Publications|location=Delhi }}
{{Shaivism}}