Lessons from Shatarudreeyam of the Yajurveda

Shiva has been referenced multiple times as Rudra in the Vedas. Let’s learn about how Rudra is described in our core Vedic texts through the Bhāshyams of Sāyanachārya and Bhattabhāskara.

But first, what is a Bhāshyam? Who are Sāyanachārya and Bhattabhāskara?

A Bhāshyam is an explanation or commentary of another text. It is the traditional method for scholars to analyse and critique knowledge systems developed before them.
Now, let’s learn a little about our Bhāshyakārās and the turbulent times in which they have contributed such great works that have helped keep Indian Knowledge paramparās alive to this day.

Bhattabhāskara

Bhattabhāskara is speculated to have lived in Ujjain around 900 CE (~956 Samvatsara according to Vikram Samvat. It is the year 2081 in Vikram Samvat at the time of this article ) and has authored ‘Bhagavadgitatika‘, a commentary on the Bhagavadgita and written many Bhāshyams on the Vedas. He most likely lived in the kingdom of Gurjara Pratihāra or Rāshtrakutā as this was the period of ‘Tripartite Struggle’ from 790-1162 CE when territories were exchanged frequently to control the cosmopolitan region of Kannauj. [Note that these dates are speculative] He is believed to have been a Telugu speaking Shiva Upāsaka of the Kaushika lineage.

Sayanāchārya

Sayanāchārya was born around 1270 CE (~1326 Samvatsara according to Vikram Samvat). He lived in the region of Pampa (modern day Hampi in Karnataka) and belonged to the Bhāradwāja lineage, of Krishna Yajurveda Taittiriya Shākha.
The Vijayanagara Empire did not exist at the time of his birth but was founded within his lifetime with his elder brother Vidyāranya, the Jagadguru of the Sringeri Matha, beccoming the royal advisor of the Vijayanagara Empire that became a bulwark against further Islamic invasions into South India.

The Shatarudreeyam, also known as the Rudrādhyāya

Shatarudreeyam or Rudrādhyāya is a section from the Yajurveda with 1000+ stuti (praise) of Lord Rudra. Studying these stutis with commentaries from our Indian ancestors as opposed to foreign or colonial translations comes with a number of benefits. Firstly, with a strong base in Samskritam and Vedic fundamentals, one is able to understand the core stanzas directly without need for a third party explanation. Additionally, the Bhāshyams help give additional context in terms of a Bhāratiya drishtikon that cannot be fully obtained through an English translation. While, we cannot cover all lines one by one, we will analyse some of the stanzas today and reflect on the implications.

The Shatarudreeyam or Rudrādhyāya is divided into 10 Anuvāks with each Anuvāka having about 10+ Mruchas. Let’s begin!

Note: ‘ = Udāta & _ = Anudāta are necessary for right ucchārana while chanting Vedic mantras. These tonal inflections are not used in modern samskritam, but tonality can change the meaning of words in Vedic Samskritam. Such Tonal languages can still be seen in modern languages such as Mandarin spoken in China.
In many other places, Sāyanachārya and Bhattabhāskara deviate in their interpretations for the same verse. This is precisely why it is beneficial to read multiple Bhāshyams or stick to the Paramparā prescribed according to your Guru/traditions.

॥ तत्र प्रथमानुवाके प्रथमामृचमाह ॥

नम॑स्ते॒ रुद्र मन्यव॑ उ॒तो त॒ इष॑वे॒ नमः । 
नम॑स्ते अ॑स्तु॒ धन्व॑ने बा॒हुभ्या॑मु॒त ते॒ नमः॑  इति ॥१॥
 
नम॑ ते॒ रु॒द्र॒ म॒न्यवे॑ उ॒तोइति॑ ते॒ इष॑वे॒ नम॑: । नम॑ ते॒ अ॒स्तु॒ धन्व॑ने बा॒हुभ्या॒मति॑ बा॒हुऽभ्या॒॒म् उ॒त ते॒ नम॑: ॥ १ ॥

Translation: O Rudra, the one with the Bow. Salutations to you, to your righteous wrath (against wrongdoers), to your arrow (इषु), to your bow and to your mighty arms that carry them.

॥ चतुर्थीमृचमाह ॥
यामिषुं॑ गिरिशन्त॒ हस्ते॒ बिभ॒र्ष्यस्त॑वे ।
शि॒वां गि॑रित्र॒ तां कुरु मा हिंꣳसीः॒ पुरु॑षं॒ जग॑त् इति ॥४॥

Translation: गिरित्र means one who protects the mountain. Here the allusion is to Rudra as the lord and protector of the mountain. Indirect reference to Kailāsa. Prayer is made that he protects all moving creatures and not to show his wrath towards the world.

॥ षष्ठीमृचमाह ॥
अध्य॑वोचदधिव॒क्ता प्र॑थ॒मो दैव्यों भिषक् ।
अही॑ꣳश्च॒ सर्वा॑ज॒म्भय॒न्स॑र्व॒श्व यातुधा॒न्यः॑ इति ॥ ६ ॥

Translation: भिषक् means physician or Vaidya. Here Rudra is being describes as the Vaidya of the Devatās. He is described as the guide for our speech (अधिवक्ता ie advocate for our speech) and destroyer/doctor for all inner and external diseases or problems that ail us.

॥ सप्तमीमृचमाह ॥
अ॒सौ यस्ता॒म्रो अ॑रुण उ॒त ब॒भ्रुः सु॑म॒ङ्गलः॑ । 
ये चे॒माꣳरु॒द्रा अ॒भितो॑ दि॒क्षु श्रि॒ताः स॑हस्र॒शो वै॑षा॒ꣳहेड॑ ईमहे इति ॥ ७ ॥

Translation: Rudra is described as Tāmra or the colour of Copper. Babhru is also brown-black colour. Here Rudra is implied to be none other than the auspicious rising Sun, Surya himself. The Ekādasha Rudra or the 11 Rudrās are also linked as the sons of Kāshyapa Maharishi.

॥ अथाऽष्टमीमृचमाह ॥
अ॒सौ यो॑ऽव॒स॑र्पति॒ नील॑ग्रीवो॒ विलो॑हितः । 
उ॒तैनं॑ गो॒पा अ॑दृश॒न्नदृ॑शन्नुदहा॒र्यः॑ ।
उ॒तैनं॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॒ सदृ॒ष्टो मृ॑डयाति नः इति ॥ ८ ॥

Translation: Rudra is described as नील॑ग्रीवो॒ or dark/blue necked. Even the Gopālās, cowherds know this truth that he is none none other than Aditya, since they worship him when he rises everyday. May such a Surya continue to delight us and bring us happiness.

Takeaways from the First Anuvāk of Shatarudreeyam

Rudra is described as being a fierce hunter who uses a bow. He is the first/best physician. He is the lord of the mountains and its protector. He is the one who guides our speech, he is the Sun and his rays that nourish us. Just as even the Sun’s harshness can harm us, Rudra can also be harsh, hence the frequent requests in the Stutis that he should calm his anger.

Samples from the 2nd Anuvāk of Yajurveda Shatarudreeyam

॥ प्रथमं यजुराह ॥ 
नमो हिर॑ण्यबाहवे सेनान्यें
दि॒शां च॒ पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ इति ॥ १ ॥
नमः॑ हिर॑ण्यबाहव॒ इति॒हर॑ण्यऽबह सेना॒न्य॑र्तसेनाऽन्ये॑ दि॒शां च॒ पत॑ये नमः॑ ॥ १ ॥

Translation: Salutation to the leader of the armies wearing his armour of Gold, and to the lord of the cardinal directions.

॥ पंचमं यजुराह ॥
नमो॒ हरि॑केशायोपवी॒तिने॑
पु॒ष्टानां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ इति ॥ ५॥

Translation: harikesha here could mean green-haired or bleached hair. Upaveetine means one who has had his Upanayana ceremony and wears the sacred thread. He is praised as the lord of nourishment.

॥ षष्ठं यजुराह ॥
नमो भवस्य हेत्ये
जग॑तां पतये नमः इति ॥ ६ ॥

Translation: heti is associated with flame/fire. Rudra here is praised as the destroyed of the world as well as the lord/protector of the Jagat (world).

॥ अष्टमं यजुराह ॥ 
नमः॑ सूतायाऽऽहिं॑त्याय॒
व॒ना॑नां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ इति ॥ ८ ॥
नमः॑ सू॒ताय॑ अह॑न्त्याय वना॑नाम् पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ ॥ ८ ॥

Translation: Rudra is the Soota or the charioteer. अह॑न्त्या means one who is capable of destroying enemies. Rudra is also hailed as the lord of the forests (connects with the fact that he is a hunter, physician and protector of mountains).

॥ नवमं यजुराह ॥
नमो॒ रोहि॑ताय स्थ॒पत॑ये
वृ॒क्षाणां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ इति ॥ ९ ॥
नमः॑ रोहि॑ताय स्छ॒पत॑ये वृक्षाणा॑म् पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ ॥ ९ ॥

Translation: In Vyakarana there is a rule – raloyo abheda which means, ra sounds can become la sounds. This can also be seen in languages such as Japanese. So here, Rohita is to be taken as Lohita which is once again describing the dark-coloured skin of Rudra. He is the lord and protectors of the trees.

Key Takeaways from 2nd Anuvāk of Shatarudreeyam

Rudra is not only the leader of the Devata army, he is also the charioteer, just as he guides our speech, he guides the divine army towards victory because he is capable of smiting foes of any kinds. He is after all, the destroyer of the world as well as its protector. He is green haired (or perhaps bleached hair) just like the leaves of the trees that he protects, lives in and hunts in. He is a nourisher just as the Sun or the fire and his golden armour shines in splendour just as the rays of the Sun.

Other honourable mentions from Shatarudreeyam

॥ तृतीयं यजुराह ॥ 3rd Anuvāk
नमो॑ निष॒ङ्गिण॑ इषुधि॒मते॒ तस्क॑राणां॒ पत॑ये॒ नमः॑ इति ॥ ३ ॥

This is a very interesting verse. Nishanga (निष॒ङ्ग) is sword and Ishudhi (इषुधि॒) is the quiver of arrows. First it praises Rudra’s weapons that are at his disposal. Then, it goes on to praise Rudra as the lord of the thieves! (taskara or तस्कर). This is because Rudra is the lord of everything in Jagat, both the good and the bad. He bestows his blessings even to a thief who turns towards him! And this fact leads us very beautifully to the origin story for Shivarātri.

12th verse of the 7th Anuvāk
नमो॒ वर्ष्या॑य चाव॒र्ष्याय॑ च इति ॥ १२ ॥

Here, Rudra is praised as the rain. But he represents both the presence and absence of it, just as he protects the people from bad but is also the lord of the bad such as the thieves. Thus, the verse says – salutation to him of the rain and to him of water in oceans and other sources not from rains.

15th verse of the 7th Anuvāk
नमो॒ वात्याय॑ च॒ रेष्मि॑याय च इति ॥ १५ ॥

The verse translates as follows – Salutation to him of the rain with heavy winds and to him of gentle drizzle. Again, bringing attention to the contrast of how the same manifestation in both extremes are none other than Rudra.

3rd verse of the 9th Anuvāk
नमः॑ क​प॒र्दिने॑ च पुल॒स्तये॑ च इति ॥ ३ ॥

kapardina (क​प॒र्दिन) means one with braided hair in the way yogis even today typically tie their hair. The verse goes – Salutation to him of braided hair, and to him of wavy hair (पुल॒स्त).

In different verses, not included here, Rudra is also praised as the lord of the Ashva (horses) and of the animals in general (Pashupati). Rudra Devatā, is named so because he is one who cries ( be it a war cry as well as sorrow) but it can also be interpreted as he who makes his enemies cry (in fear).

What can we conclude from learning all these stutis from the Yajurveda?

1. We learn that there are nuances to the “All Gods are one” philosophy. There is an inherent logic in the metaphors of why certain Gods are manifested as other Gods. Without studying our core texts with the right Drishtikon, we will incorrectly embrace Gods or belief systems that are misaligned with the characteristics of the likes of Rudra Devatā. Not all religions profess a God, who can like Rudra, represent both the Sajjan (good men) and the Taskara (thief), the forest and the animals, the rains and its absence, the fertile lands and the bad lands. Rudra is the hunter who kills as well as the doctor who heals – this has profound philosophical bearings on how a Bhāratiya views the world.
2. We learn that Vedic Rudra is mentioned with descriptors that match the deity Shiva. Hence, from the Indian Bhāshyakāra perspective, both are the same deity. We do not need non-Indian translators to tell us otherwise with colonial and post-colonial English translations.
3. Rudra is dark skinned, dispelling any myths of white skinned invaders imposing a foreign culture on dark skinned native Indians.

A Gurukul style education would keep one connected with such concepts through the study of such texts. If you are curious about the other verses from Shatarudreeyam of Yajurveda, you can read more here – Archive.org view.
Alternatively, you can purchase the book with the Samskritam Bhāshyams of Sāyanachārya and Bhattabhāskara here (external link not affiliated with Vediconcepts).