Rudras and Their Divine Consorts
Creation - Chapter 8
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Creation - Chapter 8
Explore the creation of Rudra and the cosmic duality of Śrī and Vishnu in this Vedic epic. Discover how these divine beings embody all aspects of existence, from rituals to nature.
Parāśara said, "Oh great Muni, I have described to you the creation of Brahma, which was dominated by darkness. Now, I will explain the creation of Rudra.
At the beginning of the Kalpa (a cosmic cycle), Brahma wanted to create a son like himself. Suddenly, a purple-complexioned youth appeared. He was crying softly and running about.
Brahma saw the youth's distress and asked, "Why do you weep?"
The boy replied simply, "Give me a name."
"Your name shall be Rudra," Brahma declared. He then added, "Be calm now. Stop your tears."
Despite Brahma's words, the boy wept seven more times. In response, Brahma gave him seven additional names. These eight beings were each given their own regions, wives, and offspring.
The eight manifestations are:
Rudra
Bhava
Sarva
Iśāna
Paśupati
Bhima
Ugra
Mahādeva
Brahma, their great progenitor, assigned each of them a specific domain:
The sun
Water
Earth
Air
Fire
Ether
The ministrant Brahman
The moon
These elements represent their individual forms.
The wives of these manifestations were, respectively:
Suvercalā
Umā
Vikeśī
Śivā
Svāhā
Diśā
Dikșā
Rohiņī
Now, let me tell you about their children. These offspring, through successive generations, populated our world. Their sons were:
Sanaiśocara (Saturn)
Sukra (Venus)
The fiery-bodied Mars
Manojava (Hanumān)
Skanda
Swarga
Santāna
Budha (Mercury)
This version of Rudra married Sati. However, Sati later gave up her physical form due to her father Dakşa's displeasure. She was then reborn as the daughter of Himavān (the snowy mountains) and Mena. In this new life, as the one and only Uma, she again married the mighty Bhava.
The god Bhrgu and his wife Khyāti had three children: two sons named Dhâti and Vidhātā, and a daughter named Śrī. Śrī became the wife of Nārāyana, the god of gods.
At this point, Maitreya interrupted with a question: "It's commonly believed that the goddess Śri was born from the sea of milk when it was churned for ambrosia. How can you say she was the daughter of Bhrgu and Khyāti?"
Parāśara responded, explaining the nature of Śrī:
"Śrī, who is Vișņu's bride and the mother of the world, is eternal and imperishable. Just as Vishnu is present everywhere, so is she, oh best of Brāhmaņas.
Śrī and Vishnu represent different aspects of existence:
Vișņu is meaning; Śrī is speech.
Hari (another name for Vishnu) represents polity (Nyaya); Śrī embodies prudence (Nīti).
Vișņu is understanding; Śrī is intellect.
He is righteousness; she is devotion.
He is the creator; she is creation.
Sri is the earth; Hari is its support.
The deity is content; the eternal Lakşmī (another name for Śrī) is resignation.
He is desire; Śrī is wish.
He is sacrifice; she is the sacrificial donation (Dakşiņā).
The goddess is the invocation accompanying the oblation; Janārddana (another name for Vishnu) is the oblation itself."
Parāśara continued his explanation of the relationship between Śrī (also known as Lakşmī) and Vișņu (also called Hari):
"Lakşmī and Vișņu are present in various aspects of life and ritual:
Lakşmī is the chamber where females gather during religious ceremonies.
Madhusūdana (another name for Vishnu) is the space for the male family members.
Lakşmī represents the altar, while Hari is the sacrificial stake.
Śrī embodies the fuel for the sacred fire, and Hari is the holy Kuśa grass used in rituals.
He personifies the Sāma-veda (one of the four Vedas), while the lotus-throned goddess represents its chanting tone.
Lakşmī is the prayer of oblation (Svāhā), and Vasudeva (another name for Vishnu) is the sacrificial fire itself.
Their presence extends to other deities and natural phenomena:
Sauri (Vişņu) is equivalent to Śankara (Śiva), and Śrī is like Gaurī (Śiva's consort).
Keśava (Vişņu) represents the sun, and his radiance is manifested as the lotus-seated goddess.
Vişnu embodies the ancestors (Pitrgana), while Pādma (another name for Lakshmi) is Svadhā, the offering that nourishes them.
Śrī symbolizes the heavens, and Vişņu, who is one with all things, represents the vast space.
The lord of Śrī is likened to the moon, and she is his unfading light.
She is known as the moving principle of the world, while he is the all-pervading wind.
Their manifestations continue in various forms:
Govinda (Vishnu) is the ocean, and Lakşmī is its shore.
Lakşmī is Indrāņī (consort of Indra), and Madhusūdana is Devendra (Indra).
The discus-holder (Vişņu) represents Yama (god of death), while the lotus-throned goddess is Dhūmornā (Yama's dusky spouse).
Śrī embodies wealth, and Śridhara (Vişņu) is Kuvera (god of riches) himself.
Lakşmī is Gauri, and Kesava is Varuna (god of the ocean).
Śrī represents Devasena (the celestial army), and Hari is the god of war.
They also represent opposing forces and measures of time:
The mace-wielder (Vishnu) signifies resistance, while Śrī Lakşmī is the power to oppose.
Lakşmī embodies the Kāşţhā and Kalā (units of time), while Hari represents the Nimeşa and Muhūrtta (smaller time units).
Lakşmī is light, and Hari, the lord of all, is the lamp.
She, the world's mother, is like a creeping vine, and Vişņu is the tree she clings to.
She is the night, and the god armed with mace and discus is the day.
In relationships and nature:
He, the blessing-giver, is the bridegroom, and the lotus-throned goddess is the bride.
The god represents all male rivers, while the goddess embodies all female rivers.
The lotus-eyed deity is the standard, and the lotus-seated goddess is the banner.
In human emotions and behavior:
Lakşmī personifies cupidity, and Nārāyaņa, the world's master, represents covetousness.
Govinda embodies love, and Lakşmī, his gentle spouse, represents pleasure.
To summarize: in gods, animals, and humans, Hari represents all that is called male, and Lakşmī all that is termed female. There is nothing else beyond them."
Thus concludes the eighth chapter of the first part of the Vishnu Purana.