"Howler" is the literal meaning of Rudra.
A fearsome deity who emerges late in the Vedas, the earliest
Hindu holy books, and is eventually linked to the god Shiva.
Rudra is mentioned in many hymns in the Rig Veda, where he is
linked to the storm deity Indra and the fire god Agni.
The Shvetashvatara Upanishad, one of the later theoretical
books known as the Upanishads, provides a more detailed portrayal of Rudra.
Rudra is designated as the universe's controlling force, as
well as the genesis and origin of the gods themselves, in the third chapter (adhyaya)
of this scripture.
Rudra's portrayal in this upanishad is ambiguous,
referencing both his destructive arrows and urging him to manifest in a form
that is auspicious (shivam) and tranquil.
This ambivalence may mirror the theological tensions surrounding
Shiva, a god who originated outside of the Vedic sacrifice cult but was
eventually integrated into established religion and is today one of the most
important Hindu deities.
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