Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.1520

c9.1520

Having made up his mind like this, Rudra descended to the state of the old Sannyāsin. He infused life and vitality into the dead body of the sannyāsin that was there. The Sannyāsin remembered his old illusions and hallucinations. He had attained Rudrahood after crossing various stages from being Jīvaṭa. Then both of them together came to the Jīvaṭa stage, awoke the ‘dream-person’ by giving him mind and vitality. Afterwards the three of them, who assumed single form by the composition of different personalities, attained various stages like brahmin etc., awoke them too and added them to themselves (the three). Thus there came about to be hundred persons formed from aspects or fractions of Rudra, and at the instance of the real Rudra they returned to their homes and lived there happily with their sons, relations etc. Those hundred persons are the Śatarudras. (Jñānavāsiṣṭha, Śatarudropākhyāna). In Verse 13, Chapter 150 of Anuśāsana Parva, Mahābhārata also is found references to the Śatarudras.