श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र ११

अवतत्य धनुस्त्वग्ं सहस्त्राक्ष शतेषुधे |
निशिर्य शल्यानां मुखा शिवो न: सुमना भव || ११||


O Lord! You, having innumerable eyes and innumerable quivers, after unstringing your bow, keep your arrows in the quiver with their sharp metallic points facing down. Please be propitious and kind to us. अवतत्य  - after unstringing, इशुधे - quiver, शतेषुधे - O You with innumerable quivers, निशिर्य  - having made the arrows ineffective by keep them in the quiver with their sharp points facing downwards, शल्य - sharp points of the arrow, शिव - calm, benign, सुमना - propitious.

Abhinava Shankara says: Rudra can see with innumerable eyes and has inexhaustible arrows. It is not possible to escape Him. So the devotee prays that the Lord Himself should withdraw the arrows. Even then he is not satisfied. So he asks Him to become propitious and compassionate. Lord is addressed twice and this is justified only if the above extended explanation is given.

Vishnusuri: इशुधि is taken to mean the repository of karmas. After unstringing the bow i.e. after destroying ego (अहड्ंकार which is the bow string that keeps the bow taut) . शल्य  different vrittis (modifications of the mind). Keeping the arrows with the face down is negating the vrittis, making them ineffective, appear to us as benign and blissful. This is an elaboration of what has been explained in the previous mantra.

श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र १०

प्रमुन्च धन्वनस्त्वमुभयोरार्त्नीयो र्ज्याम्! |
याश्च ते हस्त इषव: पराता भगवो वप ||१०||


Lord! - release the string of Thy bow from both the ends. Drop the arrows from your hand. प्रमुन्च  - release, ज्याम् - the bow-string, धन्वन: - of the bow, उभयोरार्त्नीयो: - from both sides of the bow. परा  ... वप - drop, take away. भगव - vocative of Bhagwaan (worshipful).


These mantras ask directly and indirectly the Lord to keep aside the dreadful arrows of His and make the bow infective by releasing the string (unstringing the bow).


Abhinava Sankara says: The six mantras starting from the tenth pray for His withdrawing the weapons. Even though a similar prayer was made in the fourth mantra, the devotee is not completely free from fear as long as the weapons are seen in the hands of the Lord. So this is not to be treated as a repetition. Even when the bow is unstrung the arrows are seen. So take them away from us. Put them back in the quiver so that they do us no harm.


Skanda Swami says: O Lord! You are a learned, powerful, famous, full of wealth, spiritual knowledge and renunciation. (The qualities which entitle you to be addressed as Bhagvaan). So it is not proper for you to direct your anger towards us. You are the embodiment of courtesy and compassion (दाक्षिण्यैकतनु:, दयामयतनु:).


Vishnusuri: You may ask, "Who am I? Who are these Jivas to whom I am offering my salutations?" The reply is: We differentiate between Jiva and Ishwara. This is caused by the two powers आवरण and विक्षेपशक्ती . So the prayer in this mantra is to get free from the two powers.


O Lord! Please release the string in the form of ego (अहन्कार) from both the ends (in form of the avaran and vikshepa shaktis) of the bow (in the form of pranava wrought by maya). Drop the arrows in your hands. That is, drop the jivas who are in your control. Giving up the Jivahood manifest bliss which is your essential nature.

श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र ९

नमो अस्तु नीलग्रीवाय सहस्त्राक्षाय मीढुषे |
अथो ये अस्य सत्वानोpहं तेभ्योpकरं नम: ||९||


My salutations to the Nilagriva who is in form of Indra, who gives us rains. Also my salutations to the workers (servants) of Rudra.


मीढुषे  - to Him who gives rains सहस्त्राक्ष - one with many eyes (Indra) सत्वान: - workers (servants), the ganas of great valour. He gives rains that causes the vegetation to grow similar to Purusha who furthers creation.


Abhinava Shankara gives more meanings to Nilagriva and सत्त्वानां पति. Rudra as Nilagriva is the one adorned by this mantra. सहस्त्राक्ष is not taken as Indra by him. It means one who has infinite number of eyes and therefore sees everything. Nothing can escape His notice. Therefore the devotee is confident that his salutations do receive the attention of Rudra even though He is seated high up on the Kailash mountain. मीढुषे is taken to mean one who grants the desires of devotees. He simply pours blessings for fulfilment of there desires. My salutations have immediate effect. As Nilagriva the Lord shows his partiality for goodness. He places even a digit of the moon on His head in appreciation of moon's qualities but takes in the whole lot of our sins like kalakuta poison, contains them to see that the world is not harmed by it. He is seen as seated with Uma on the throne with a benign smile on His face. His servants or attendants are spoken of in various ways in the scriptures. They are a group called pramatha ganas and are very powerful. They are blissful, free from jealousy, and have control over speech. They have attained all powers but they are not conscious of them. They are in the company of the Lord always. I salute such attendants of the Lord.


The Lord is to be thought of as one seated on the throne with Uma and like the moon cools and soothes the minds of the devotees.


Vishnusuri: I salute Nilagriva, one who has preponderant vikshepa Shakti (no avaran for Him) _ - is here taken to mean reflected chaitanya i.e. jiva. There are innumerable ( सहस्त्र ) such jivas whose desires are fulfilled according to their prarabdha karma. There are many servants who are His own parts and (as reflections of Himself) they are jivas. My salutations to them. (नम:) सत्वानोpहं तेभ्योpकरं .

श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र ८

असौ योवसर्पती नीलग्रीवो विलोहित: |
उतैनं गोपा अद्रुशन्नद्रुशन्नुदहार्य:
उतैनं विश्वा भुतानि स द्रुश्टो म्रुदयाति न: ||८||




Rudra is Nilagriva (blue throated: caused by his containing the poison in His throat). The same Rudra assumes deep red colour appearing as the solar orb. By appearing thus He causes dawn and dusk (by the rising and setting of the Sun). The Lord appears in the solar orb so that the simple cowherds who are uneducated in the shastras may have His vision. The maids carrying water (in the morning and evening) easily have his vision. Even the animals too can see Him. May such Rudra make us all happy. असौ who is in the form of the Sun, विलोहित: assumes a deep red colour अवसर्पति rises and sets गोपा cowherds उतएनं अद्रुशन् behold Him well. उतहार्य: अद्रुशन् the women carrying water also behold. विश्वानि भूतानि उत अद्रुशन्  all creatures behold. न: म्रुदयाति May he make us happy.


The accessibility of the Lord in assuming the form of the sun so that all lay people may have a chance to behold Him is described here. Water is to be brought before the sun sets. Men and animals return before the sun sets. Ritualists wait for the setting of the sun to round off the rituals. So none can miss the sight of the rising and setting sun. Rudra therefore compassionately appears as the Sun. Now Bhatta Bhaskara adds quoting a shruti saying one should not see the rising and setting Sun, Even then, may the Lord forgive us for this and make us happy. Abhinava Shankara quotes the shruti to say that people rejoice at the sunrise.  So every one, the learned and the lay, rejoice at the sight of the rising Sun. May Rudra who is easily accessible thus make us happy. It should be noted that Rudra as Sun is seen by everyone, Rudra as the Lord of Kailash can be seen only by Upasakas. Rudra as Satchidananda is realized only by the gyanis.


Vishnusuri: The sakshi chaitanya with maya as upadhi is Ishwara. The same with अन्त:करण as upadhi is jiva (who has the ego). Pure chaitanya with no upadhi is Paramatman. The Vedantas seek to establish this. Bondage and liberation are for the jiva who is chaitanya with अन्त:करण as उपाधि. साक्षी चैतन्य is one like Akash but with the superimposition of अन्त:करण on it can be spoken of as being born and dying (coming and going). Now death i.e. leaving this body is being described in the present mantra. (That is the setting sun is described).


Jiva while leaving the body is helpless. He takes up a different body in due course. He feels miserable while leaving and again miserable when taking birth in a new body as he has to spend a long time in the womb. Now when this sakshi goes from body to body he becomes Nilagriva - black throated - due to tamoguna which covers and then assumes deep red colour due to rajoguna. गोपा is explained as gods, those who preside over the sense organs (गो:). They see this sakshi chaitanya with अन्त:करणोपधि i.e. jiva after getting the body (उतैनं गोपा अद्रुशन्). Gods can preside over the sense organs only after they are formed in the gross body. Now उद means शम (control). उतहार्य means vrittis like desire etc which destroy शम. So उतहार्य: अद्रुशन्  means even the vrittis like desire etc saw him (jiva). Sakshi chaitanya has even the external objects in its purview. Or the simple water carriers also saw this external witness assuming a body. What to say of this. All beings in the world saw him (jiva). Rudra (Paramatman) in the form of jiva was seen like this. (Jiva and Ishwara are in essence one as chaitanya. Only upadhis differ). This Rudra is to be attained by following the  discipline of shravana, manana and nidhidhyasana. May this Rudra grant happiness to us. Without realizing this Rudra (Paramatman) there is no eternal and pure happiness.

श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र ७

असौ यस्ताम्रो अरुण उत बभ्रु: सुमङ्गल: |
ये चे माग्ंरुद्रा अभितो दिक्षु श्री ता: सहस्त्रशो वै शाग्ंहेड ईम्हे ||७||




The same Rudra is seen in the Solar orb. He is red while rising. He becomes slightly less red. He acquires golden hue (or white according to some) later. He is highly auspicious as he assumes different colours and removes darkness. There are again many little Rudras who can be compared to the rays of the Sun surrounding the Earth in all directions. We are propitiating them with our prostrations so that their anger at us for our mistakes may be lightened. ताम्र deep red, copper red. अरुण light red or rosy colour. बभ्रु:- golden hued. हेड their angry moods अवईमहे - अवेमहे ward off. बभ्रु may also mean one who sustains the world by giving knowledge just as Sun wakes up people in the morning by His rising. Giving knowledge and waking up are compared.


The thousands and thousands of little Rudras with similar appearances and powers surround us from all sides to give us the fruits of our actions. They become either angry or indifferent when we do things that ought not to be done or do not do things that ought to be done. Their anger or indifference is intended to be mollified by our prayers and prostrations.


Vishnusuri: Prakriti originally has sattwa guna. It has two shaktis, Rajas and Tamas which cause vikshepa and avritti (projecting and concealing powers). The projecting power is responsible for creation and the concealing power conceals the difference between the seer and the seen internally and Brahman and the creation externally. ( द्रुग्ट्ट्श्ययोर्भेद: and ब्रह्मसर्गयोर्भेद:). Therefore rajas and tamas have to be subdued only by sattwa which is Prakriti in original form ( मूलप्रक्रुति: ). The same maya which has preponderance of pure sattwa ( विशुद्धसत्व ) is responsible for projection and concealment in case of one who wants to enjoy the world and is also responsible for completely destroying rajas and tamas and its own disappearing for one who seeks liberation. The point to be seen here is that the Supreme Being with maya Shakti which has pure sattwa appears red due to rajas thrown up by maya. Then He is associated with the creation as its soul and becomes auspicious. ( बभ्रु is used in this sense, one who maintains or sustains). The thousands of Rudras are the jivas. We try to remove their अविद्या ( हेड तीक्ष्ण्त्वं - अविद्यायुतत्त्वं ) by instructing them in the meaning of the Vedic dicta tattwamasi etc. The thousands of Rudras spoken of here are the jivas because jiva is essentially non-different from Rudra. Liberation is from many to one.

श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र ६

अध्यवोचदधिवक्ता प्रथमो दैव्यो भिशक् |
अहिग्ंस्च! सर्वाजम्भयन्सर्वाश्च यातुधान्य: ||६||


Rudra is the greatest God and controls and protects every one. Let Him say that I am great in the presence of other gods. By merely contemplating on Him all the diseases vanish.. May He destroy all the Rakshasas and wild animals like tigers, snakes etc. प्रथम: among gods, the greatest Gods are protected by Rudram so दैव्यो भिशक् - physician. अधिवक्ता - May he be partial to me and declare my greatness (I am a devotee of His). अध्यवोचत् - may He speak like this. जम्भयन् - killing यातुधान्य: - Rakshasas. अधिवचनम् - to speak in favour of some one out of partiality or declaration to this effect by one who is great. अधिवक्ता one who is habituated to speak like that. If one who is not great speaks like that, he will be laughed at. So I seek this partial treatment from Shiva alone who is great देव: may mean one who sports. Both Skanda Swami and Bhatta Bhaskara dilate on this. दिव् means to play. He is the goal of all sports. He is the joy in sports, victory in our desire to win. He is detached in activities. He is the soul of his devotee. Light in illumination. In praise He is the object of praise. He is the destination in journeys. Even though He is one He appears as may like air.


देव may also mean one who is spiritually illumined. He is the foremost among such (दैव्य:). He is the mouth of gods as Fire including that of Brahma, ( vide Skanda Swami's देवनामपी य: स्वयं मुखमभूद्- ब्रम्हादिकानां प्रभु:  based on the shruti अग्निमुखा वै देवा: and रुद्रो वा एश यदग्नि:)


The term अधिवक्ता may also mean one who can issue commands (to various gods) to do their duties properly. Rudra has full authority and compels obedience from other gods.


So the prayer is, "May Rudra destroy all my enemies seen and unseen such as snakes, tigers etc. which are seen and tribes of Rakshasas who are unseen. May He appear before me and grant me fearlessness and say that He would save me".


This mantra when repeated ensures long life and wealth to the devotees.


The word भिशक् which means a physician may be made to yield other meanings also such as: 1) He is the physician of the physicians in the sense He destroys the seed of samsara, by prescribing the medicine which is devotion to Him. 2) He grants fearlessness 3)one who is approached by the fear-stricken. Now  a few words about the devotee's seeking Rudra's intercession. There are gods who have seen me erring and are authorized to deal with me. But Rudra can intercede and say 'no'. He is fit to do it as He is above all gods. This is not partiality strictly as the devotee has earned this intercession with his devotion.
Is He not cruel to Rakshasas whom he kills to protect his devotees? No, it is like a surgeon causing pain but prompted only by kindness. So omnipotence and compassion of the Lord are indicated in this mantra.
He is also inner controller of all gods. This mantra is our armour कवचम् according to Bodhayana.


Hitherto we had direct prayer addressing Him. This mantra indirectly refers to Him.


Vishnusuri: देव is Ishwara according to Shruti. Rudra is दैव्य:. He, by good counsel, removes diseases of samsara. So He is भिशक्  physician. He is the foremost amongst physicians प्रथमो भिशक्   . अहि here means desires etc. यातुधानी - avidya vrittis. These are obstacles to self realization. अधिवक्ता - omniscient as everything is derived from Him. Such Rudra instructs in self knowledge by helping us to negate our imagined jivahood. This is the meaning of अध्यवोचत्. He destroys desires (अहि) and avidya vrittis. Such Rudra addressed me, who is a jiva, as Brahman. So I should realize that I am Brahman non-different from Parasiva. The Veda Purusha realized this and through this mantra instructs others.

श्री रुद्र - अनुवाक १ - मन्त्र ५

शिवेन वचसा त्वा गिरिशाच्छा वदामसि |
यथा न: सर्वमिज्जदयक्ष्मग्ंसुमना असत् ||५||




शिवेन वचसा with auspicious words त्वा - you, गिरिश - dweller. In the Kailasa Mountain अच्छ - to attain you  वदामसि - we utter, pray, सर्वम् इत् जगत् - all this world of men and animals, अयक्ष्मं without any disease, सुमना असत् - may live in harmony.


O! Dweller on the Kailash Mountain! We pray to you with auspicious words so that we may attain you. By this prayer may all that belongs to us in this world be free from disease and live in harmony.


गिरि - mountain, mountain - like (high) Vedas. One who is the soul of the Vedas and is to be known only through the Vedas is गिरिश.
अच्छा - pure, one who is praised by the Vedas to Him we pray with pure auspicious words. The prayer us for making our relations, animals etc. in this world free from disease. Now if we take अच्छ  (vocative case) to mean pure; the meaning if the first line of the mantra would be: I am impure, The Lord is pure and is therefore praised by the Vedas with auspicious words. My words are not so pure or auspicious. But when they are addressed to the Lord they become pure and attain the status of the Vedas as drain water which falls into the ever pure Ganga gets mixed with it and becomes indistinguishable and one with Ganga. This is the interpretation of Abhinava Sankara.


The fourth and the fifth mantras together form one mantra. The mantras are chanted to ward off untimely death etc. The Lord is to be thought if as one who created terror in the Tripuras by his loud laughter and as one who is holding the bow which is meru mountain and is seated in the chariot. This is the description by Skanda Swami who hastens to add that we should think of the Lord as non-different from the Supreme Brahman though imagined to be with a body.


अच्छ is taken to mean the Lord who has appeared before us, according to Bhatta Bhaskara. So we praise the Lord standing before Him and directly addressing Him.


We pray to one who is capable of granting our prayers. So Shiva is the repository of all wealth, powers and the auspicious qualities and we pray to Him for granting us all auspiciousness. We praise His divine sports in the world. This is the extended meaning suggested by Bhatta Bhaskara and Skanda Swami.


Vishnusuri after a long discussion comes to the conclusion that jivatwa is imagined. Jiva is none other than Brahman. The Shruti with the help of mahavakyas  तत्त्वमसि etc reminds the jiva of this fact and wakes him up. Jiva in truth is untouched by the world.


The Vedas like the bards (vandi) praise the Lord Parameshwara to wake Him up from the imagined jivahood which is compared to sleep caused by avidya. So the Vedas like the servants who wake up the king by praising his valor and other qualities praise the Lord, saying, "You are the self of everything and if you go to sleep caused by avidya all this wold of jivas which is a reflection or image of yours cannot be free from the disease of samsara (transmigration) and will suffer from lack of harmony. Therefore may this world of jivas and objects after knowing its true nature and thus freeing itself from all sins not fall into samsara again. May it enjoy supreme bliss - this is our prayer. This is found to be elaborated in the next mantra.


The Lord has the अन्त:करण of maya. But here there is preponderance of sattva. Even as witness  He has this anthahkaran and rules the  world. The prayer is for revealing His pure Self by getting rid of self-imposed bondage maya thereby enabling the jiva to get the knowledge of pure Atman. This is done by the Vedic dicta like tattwamasi. This is referred to as शिवेन वचसा - by auspicious words.