Elements of Hindu Iconography v2.c16.7

v2.c16.7

The birth of Rudra is given in the Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa as follows: “Prajāpati (the lord of beings), who is identified with the Sun and also the year, (the beings of whom he is lord being the seasons), desired to have a son; he consorted, for that purpose, with Ushas and a son (Kumāra) was born. As soon as he was born the boy wept. The father asked why he wept. He replied he had got no name to take away the evil from him. Prajāpati gave him the name Rudra. Inasmuch as he gave him the name, Agni became his form, for Rudra is Agni; he was Rudra because he wept (arōdit, from rud, to weep). The boy said ‘I am greater than one who does not exist, give me another name’. Prajāpati replied ‘thou art Śarva’. Thus he obtained from Prajāpati the names Rudra, Śarva, Paśupati, Ugra, Aśani, Bhava, Mahāndēva, and Īśāna—eight names which are associated respectively with the *tattvas* of *agni*, (the fire), *jala* (the water), the plants, *vāyu* (the winds), *vidyut* (the lightning), *parjanya* (the rain), *chandramas* (the moon) and *āditya* (the sun). These are the eights forms of Agni and Kumāra is the ninth. This is the threefoldness (*trivṛitta*) of Agni. Since there are eight forms of Agni and the Gāyatrī metre has eight syllables, men say ‘Agni pertains to Gāyatrī’. This boy Kumāra entered into the forms. Men do not see Agni as a boy : it is these forms that they see: for he entered into these forms.” The same story is found in the *Sāṅkhāyana* and the *Kaushītaki-Brāhmaṇas*. This story forms the foundation for all the later accounts given in the *Purāṇas* of the birth of Rudra, as also of the *Aṣṭa-mūrtīśvaras* of the *Śaivāgamas*.