Some Unknown Facts about Lord Shiva (Rudra) - MahaShivratri Special

Here are some interesting facts that were mailed to me by Mr.Pranesh of Delhi Madhvasangha. This is a forwarded message from Shri NarasimhAchar

Chintana krama of Maharudra Devaru -

·       Rudra devaru has five faces – the colour of body look like spatika;

·       He has Chandra in his Jate ;

·       He is sarpabhooshana;

·       Always Parvati Devi will be there with him;

·       He has Ganga, the Vishnu paadodaka on his head (to prove Harisarvottamatva);

·       He has three eyes on all his five faces

·       He always has Urdwapundra, shanka Chakra symbol,

·       Has Padmakshi Tulasimaale;

·       In his four hands he has shoola, varamudre, abhayamudre, and deer.

I.                  Different Shivanama with meanings –

Ashutosha; Andhakasurahara; Chandrashekara; Damarugapani; Doorjati; Gangadhara; Kaamaari; Kruthivaasa; Kailasavaasa; Gajacharmambara dhara; Mano niyamaka; Maheshwara; Mrutyunjaya; Nandivaahana; Nataraja; Nagabharana; Nagabhushana; Neelakanta; Paarvateesha; Pinaki;  Rudra; Sadyojaata; Sarangapani;  Shambhu; Shankara;  Sharva; Shiva; Somashekara; Vamadeva; Virinchiputra; Vrushadhwaja; Vishakanta; Trishulapaani; Trinetra;  Trilochana; Tripuraari; Ugra; Ugratapas, etc.. are some of the names of Shiva.

1.               Andhakasura hara – as he killed Andhakasura named daitya

2.               Ashutosha – As he gives the boon very early

3.               Chandrashekara/somashekara – as he has Chandra on his head

4.               Damarugapani – As he has Damaruga in one of his hands swhile dancing

5.               Doorjati – As he has JaTaa

6.               Gajacharmambaradhara – As he has killed a daithya named Gajasura

7.               Nandi Vahana – As he has Nandi as his vehicle

8.               Gangadhara – As he always has Ganga on his head.  Some poets, novelists have called Ganga as the wife of Shiva.  But it is wrong.  Ganga was never the wife of Shiva. Ganga is the wife of Varuna.  Shiva was holding her as she requested him to give some place in him and Ganga had vishesha sannidhana of Srihari, as she is Vishnu paadodaka. 

9.               Kaamaari – As he burnt alive Kaama/Manmatha -  When Gods sent Manmatha to break the penance of Shiva, he throwed his kaama arrow on Shiva, which made Shiva angry and he opened his third eye and Manmatha was burnt to ashes.

10.         Kailasavaasa – As he is kailasavaasi

11.         Kruthivaasa – as he wears charma or animal skin as his dress – he is also called as Charmambaradara

12.         Manoniyamaka – As he controls the chitta of all

13.         Maheshwara – As he is superior to Indradi sakala devategalu

14.         Mrutyunjaya – As he has more power than the so called Mrutyu devate Yama

15.         Nataraja – As he is an expert in Dancing – Naatya

16.         Nagabharana – As he has Naga(snake) as one of his ornaments

17.         Nagabhushana – As he has Snake to his neck

18.         Neelakanta – As his throat colour turned blue after drinking hala hala visha.

19.         Paarvateesha – As he is the Isha of Parvathi

20.         Pinaki – As he has pinaka as his weapon

21.         Rudra – “Rodanaath Rudra:”  -   As soon as he was born he was crying continuously.  That is why he is called as Rudra.

22.         Sadyojata – As he was born all of a sudden from Chaturmukha

23.         Sarangapani – As he has in his hands Saranga (deer)

24.         Shambhu – As he is the source of Sukha, he is termed as Shambhu

25.         Shankara – As he gives “Sukha”

26.         Sharva – As he is laya kartha with the blessings of Srihari.

27.         Shiva – As he is mangalakara – he is termed as “Shiva”

28.         Vamadeva -  “vaama” means handsome/beautiful/sundara.   Leaving Hari Vayu Brahma, Garuda shesha, he is ati-sundara very handsome.   That is why he is called as Vamadeva.

29.         Vamadeva – He is called  as Vamadeva as he has Srihari to his left always

30.         Virinchiputra – As he is the son of Brahma

31.         Vrushadhwaja – as he has Vrushabha Dwaja

32.         Vishakanta – As he drunk the left over of halahala visha after majority of it was drunken by Vayudevaru.

33.         Trishulapaani – As he has Trishula in one of his arms

34.         Tripuraari – As he killed tripurasuras with the blessings of Srihari

35.         Trinetra/trilochana/mukkanna – As he has three eyes

36.         Ugra – As he is shatru bhayankara

37.         Ugratapas – As he has done tapas for Kalpadi paryanta

II.               Avataaraas/Amshaas of Rudra Devaru – Shukacharya, Durvasa, Ashwattama

III.           How he got the name Chandrashekara?

Shiva became Chandrashekara –

Daksha Prajapathi got married his 27 daughters Ashwini, Bharani, Kruttika, Rohini, Revathi etc., to Chandra.  But Chandra showed special care to Rohini amongst 27 wives.  (He did so because in this Nakshatra that Krishna would be born in Dwaparayuga.  So he showed special affection to Rohini).  On seeing this other wives complained to his father Dakshaprajapathi that Chandra is not looking after all his wives equally.  Daksha, got angry, and cursed Chandra to have  ”kshaya” disease.  As such, Chandra affected by the disease, started losing his quality and deteriorated to a very very tiny size.  Chandra went to Shiva and sought his assistance, who kept him on his head, so he became “Chandrashekara” and told him never to go out of his head. Chandra’s wives not finding Chandra anywhere, again pleaded his father, to search for their husband.  Not able to trace him, Daksha, came to know that Chandra was given refuge in Shiva’s head.  He asked Shiva to leave Chandra.  But Shiva refused saying that once he gives protection, he can’t leave him.  They went to Srihari, who came in the disguise of a brahmachari and gave the pratibimba of Chandra to his wives.   The original Chandra was there on the head of Shiva only, the Chandra, which we are seeing on the sky, is the pratibimba (amsha of Chandra) which Srihari gave to us taking out of Shiva.

Gods have amshamshibhava.  So, one amsha of Chandra was taken out from Shiva and gave to Daksha prajapati.  Then only Chandra decided to do samsara with his 27 wives equally.  That is why we have one month called as Nakshatra Maasa.

(Source Brahma Vaivarthya Purana by Sri Vedavyasa Devaru)

IV.            Why lingaroopa for Shiva?

Once Brugu Rushigalu went to Kailasa to test who is The Supreme among Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara.   When he came to Ishwara, he saw that Iswara did not even noticed him.  He was sitting with Parvathi  privately.   Shiva ignored Brugu Rushigalu.  Getting angry at him, he cursed him that Shiva be worshipped in the form of Linga only.  That is why throughout the world, only Shiva Linga is worshipped and not his idol.

Here one must notice that Brugu Rushigalu is very much inferior to Shiva.  Just to respect the orders of Srihari that he ignored Brugu Rushigalu and accepted the Curse.

V.              Harisarvottama pratipadane by Shiva –

ವೈಷ್ಣವಾನಾಂ ಯಥಾ ಶಂಭು:

a)   When Brugu Rushigalu came to test, he ignored Brugu Rushigalu and got the curse which enabled Brugu Rushigalu to declare the supreme.

b)  When he was Doorvasa Maharshi, he established the supremacy of Ekadashi by just testing Ambareesha Chakravarthi.   Here also one must notice that Ambareesha is very much inferior to Doorvasa.  Just he pretended to show the bhakthi of Ambareesha and importance of Ekadashi.

c)   Rudradevaru is the parama vaishnavaru.When he was born as Shukacharya, he did the prachara of Srimadbhagavatha and Harisarvottamatva.

d)  He has done the stotra of Srihari’s sankarshana roopa which is available in Panchama Skanda Bhagavatha.

e)   He preached Rudra Geetha to Prachetasaru, which is nothing but Harisarvottamatva.

f)    When he was born as Ashwathamacharya, he tried to kill Pareekshit Maharaja before his birth itself, but failed, which proves the supremacy of Srihari.

g)  He preached Umadevi (Parvathi) that Sri Rama Naama is equal to Vishnu Sahasra Nama.

h)  When Daksha prajapathi (his father in law), came, he ignored him in the Sabha.  Even at that time he was doing the smarana of Srihari.

i)     Shiva blesses many daithyas with great boons, which were all defeated by Srihari.

j)     When Shiva’s parama bhaktha Ganta Gosha did the penance to Shiva to give him Moksha, Shiva declared him that he can’t give Moksha, it is Srihari only who can give the Moksha.

k)  When Rudra came to Srihari to have a look of Mohini roopa, he could not control himself on seeing the mohini roopa, there also he accepted his defeat.

VI.           SHIVA AND THREE

1.  Shiva has three eyes  trinetra

2.  Shiva has three eyes in all his five faces

3.  Shiva has trishoola

4.  He destroyed Tripura

5.  He killed Tripurasuraas

VII.        Shivaratri’s  Background

1.   It is on this day that Rudra Devaru went to Devaloka in the roopa of Linga.

2.   During Samudra Mathana, Haalahala Visha came out.  When the entire world was not able to sustain the poison which came out of that, Vayudevaru drunk the haalahala visha (Keshi sooktha).  When Shiva also asked Vayudevaru to give him some halahala visha, Vayudevaryu took the major portion himself, out of the remaining rubbed it to see that the effect of poison does not affect Rudra Devaru and gave him.  Shiva drunk the left over of hala hala visha and was called as Nanjunda.  In order to sustain or reduce the power of halahala visha, he held Chandra and snake.  Even after that he could not control it..  So, throughout the night he did the stotra of Srihari, did the jagarana and did not take any food.  That is why people are celebrating Jagarana and upavasa on this day.  That is why some section of people are doing Jagarana and upavasa on this day.

3.   But please note those who are doing jagarana must do the same with haridhyana  upasana.  Then only Rudra devaru will be pleased.  Otherwise if you do jagarana and watching films, songs in TVs and theatres you will not get any punya at all.

But as per Madhwa Sampradaya, we need not do upavasa, jagarane etc on this day.  We have to celebrate the same with chitranna, payasa, holige oota, etc.  Harikathamruthasara says, even if Vishnupanchaka falls on Shivaratri day, we need not follow Vishnu panchaka as it is against the wishes of Srihari to do fasting on Shivarathri.

VIII.    Shiva removed Brahma’s fifth face :

Every body knows that Brahma has Chaturmukha. 

But Bhagavatha says Brahma had panchmukha.    Then what happened to the fifth face?   Initially Brahma Devaru had five faces.  Brahmadevaru was chanting Vedas from all the five faces.  From one of his faces he was chanting the Vedas incorrectly with some apaswara.  He was doing it as per the orders of Srihari only.

Rudra Devaru was not aware that it is due to the Hari’s order that the Brahma is chanting incorrectly from one of his faces.  He got angry and removed one of the faces and got Brahma Hatya Dosha.  This episode enabled that many think that Rudra is more powerful and higher than Brahmadevaru.  Actually Rudra devaru is lower than Brahma in Kakshya.

This Brahma Hatya dosha was removed when Sriramachandra installed Shivalinga @ Rameshwara.  But people thought that Sri Ramachandra installed Shivalinga in order to be free from his brahma hatya, but to remove the brahma hatya dosha of Rudra only, he did it.  Shiva is a paramabhakta of Raama nama.  According to Madhwa Philosophy, Shiva is done pooja as parama vaishnava – He preached his wife parvathideviyaru the importance of Raamanama and he was regularly chanting Ramanama japa.   That is why Bhaktaparadhina Sri Ramachandra did the pratistapane of Shivalinga.

Shiva is called is “Kapali“ as he he got brahma hatya dosha with the removal of the fifth head of Brahma, which came in the kapala roopa. That is why he is called as Kapali.

IX.           HARA SAAHASA “ಹರಸಾಹಸ”

We are often using the word “ಹರಸಾಹಸ” in our day to day life without actually knowing the exact meaning of that word.  It is like this.:-

After getting Brahma Hatya dosha, Shiva was worried.  He tried his best to get rid of Brahma hatya dosha.   The efforts by Shiva is termed as   “ಹರಸಾಹಸ”.   The various steps he undertook to get rid of Brahmahatya dosha is as follows :-

a)   Shiva went to all the ten directions and preached that Harismarane is the ultimate for every paapa prayaschitta.

b)  When he went to Badari, there he could not get the darshana of Srimannaarayana.  When he has removed the head of Brahma how Srihari will be pleased on him.

c)   Then he went to Yamune but the entire water was dried there; Then he went to plakshma dweepa, but it was invisible for him.

d)  Then he went to Pushkara, which rejected to remove his brahma hatya, so is naimisharanya.

e)   He went to Saindhavaranya, and Dharmaranya, there was also not possible.

f)    Then he went to Kurukshetra. There he could see Vishnu.  Rudra devaru did the stotra of Srihari and Srihari with his keshava roopa was pleased and removed his brahmahatya dosha.

That is why people are calling shiva’s tour as “Hara Sahasa”

X.               Shiva & Srihari’s Mohini roopa

Shiva after Samudra Mathana,  heard that Srihari took the Mohini roopa to cheat the daithyaas and distributed the Amrutha among devategalu.  He also heard that the roopa of Srihari as Mohini was so attracting that no one in the past had ever seen such a roopa.   He wanted to have the darshan of such a roopa of Srihari again.  So, he went to Vaikunta and asked Srihari to show the roopa.  Srihari told him that Shiva could not sustain the roopa.  But Rudra demanded and pleaded again and again.  So Srihari told him to come the next morning..

Next morning Rudra was sitting alongwith Parvati Devi.  There he saw a beautiful and most attractive sundari who was playing with a ball.  Rudra was so attracted by her that he tried to pull her hands leaving aside Parvathi.   Srihari played with him for some time.  Rudra had forgotton that he had asked Srihari to give the darshana of his Mohini Roopa.  After some time, Mohini Roopa’s Srihari turned and showed his Shanka Chakra and now he got to know that it is Srihari.   Then he did sastanga namaskara to Srihari and went to Kailasa..   This can be seen in Sripadaraja Devaranama “Vrushabaverida vishadharanaare peLammayya”

XI.            Shiva, Bhasmasura and Mohini roopa

In another occasion, Shiva had the darshana of Mohini Roopa.    Once Shiva gave a boon to one of daitya, that on whoever he touches his hand, he will be burnt.    But that daithya wanted to test the boon on Shiva himself.  So he tried to to test the book by keeping his hand with boon given by Shiva on Shiva’s head.   Shiva did the smarana of Srihari.  Then Srihari came in front of that daithya and with his maaye, he made that daithya to keep his hand on his own head and he was burnt alive.   That daithya was called as Bhasmasura.   Then Shiva repented for having given such a boon to the daithya.   Here also Srihari has saved him.

XII.       Shiva blessed Chiranjeevitva to Markandeya

Once Markandeya did the araadhana of Srihari and asked him to show how the “Pralaya” will be.    Srihari agreed and showed him the Pralaya, wherein he saw the roudranartana of the pralaya.  Then Parvathi told Parameshwara that the bhakthaas will ask for boon of  “Never to die”.  But Shiva told that the bhakthaas will not ask such a boon.   To test him both Parvati-Parameshwara came in front of Markandeya and asked him as to what boon he wanted?   Bhakta Markandeya told “bhagavatyuchyutaam bhaktim tatparEShu tathaa tvayi”  i.e.,  Always give me pure bhakthi in you and Srihari.   Pleased with his bhakthi, he gave him a boon that he will be Charanjeevi.  So, Markandeya got the boon as Chiranjeevi.

XIII.    Udupi Ananteshwara =  Anantha + Eshwara

In Udupi, just opposite to Sri Krishna Mutt, one can see the Anantheshwara Temple.   In this temple, there is sannidhya of both Shiva and Srihari. Here Srihari is in the roopa of Linga, wherein both Anantha and Shiva are in lingaroopa. That is why the kshetra is called as Anantheshwara kshetra.

XIV.   Dharmastha Manjunatheshwara Temple :-

Once Vadirajaru was on his way and entered Dharmasthala.    The people of that place approached Vadirajaru and asked him to do the pooja there itself.  As that place was having lot of bhoota-preta hindrances, Sri Vadirajaru refused to do the pooja there.    Then the people pleaded him and asked them to make them free from the clutches of bhoota-preta.  So, he brought the idol which was in Kadri and did the prathistapane in Dharmasthale and renamed him as Manjunatheshwara.  Even today, the idol of Shiva is being worshipped by Madhwas only.

XV.        Shiva and Bheemasenadevaru -

Vyagreshwara Linga - Once Bheemasenadavaru was doing the pooja of Vishnu in Hastinavathi.   Then Gange tried to prevent him from doing the pooja, but Bheema pushed her and she went a long distance.  Then Shiva in order to test the Vishnu Bhakthi of Bheemasenadevaru, came in the roopa of Tiger (Vyagra) and he was chasing go-roopi (cow roopi) parvathi.    Then Bheema hit him by his Gadha, the weapon and Shiva was unconscious and was hidden in a linga, there.  The same linga is called as  “Vyagreshwara”.

Shardoola linga -  Once again near Himavatparvatha, in Gomathi River basin, there was a fight between Shiva and Bheema, here also Shiva was defeated and another linga named Shardoola linga was created.

Kedara Linga -  Once in Kedara, In another instance Shiva came in the roopa of a brahmana and tried to fight with Bheema, here also as usual defeated and was hidden in another linga, Kedara Linga.   He also cursed Bheemasena and all vaishnavaas that whoever vaishnavaas visiting Kedara Kshetra will loose Jnaana.  That is why Vaishnaas are not visiting Kedara Kshetra.   (source MBTN adhyaya 20, shloka 21-24)

XVI.   Jyothirlingagalu 12 -

a)   Somanatheshwara (Sourashtra)

b)  Mallikarjuna (Srishaila)

c)   Mahakaala (Ujjaini)

d)  Omkaram (Amaleshwara)

e)   Vaidyanatheshwara (Parali)

f)    Bheemasankara (South)

g)  Rameshwara (Ramasethu)

h)  Nageshwara (Dharukaranya – Dwaraka)

i)     Vishweshwara (Varanasi)

j)     Trayambakeshwara(Godavari)

k)  Kedareshwara (Kedara)

l)     Ghushmesha (Shivalaya)

XVII.            Some other Shaiva kshetras :

1.   Kumbhakona – Kumbeshwara

2.   Srishaila – Mallikarjuna

3.   Nanjanagud – Nanjundeshwara

4.   Tanjore -  Bruhadeeshwara

5.   Gokarna – Gokarneshwara

6.   Hastinavati – Vyagreshwara linga

7.   Tiruvannamalai  – Arunachaleshwara

8.   Dharmasthala – Manjunatheswara (Vaishna + Shaiva kshetra)

9.   Bangalore – Gavi Gangadhareshwara

XVIII.        Some of the Madhwa Poojitha/puratana Rudra Devara sannidhana -

a)    Hyderabad - Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt – Shalibanda

b)   Motampalli - Sri Balabheemasena Swamy Temple – Motampalli – Gudmitkal, Gulbarga.

c)    Hyderabad - Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple – Chevella, 60 Kms from Hyderabad. (Infact a big festival is performed to Lord Venkateshwara on Maha Shivaratri. Temple is managed by Madhvas for past hundreds of years).

d)   Kurnool - Sri Anjaneyaswamy Temple – Kurnool Main market (Temple is run by Madhva’s there and a beautiful Shiva Linga is there.  When Sri Satyatma Teertharu was in Kurnool performing his Chaturmasya, the  Hari Bhaktas had arranged Sri Ramadevara Pooja at this place by Satyatmaru).

e)    Hyderabad - Sri Krishna Mutt – Kondapur Hyderabad (One can find Pranadevaru / Rudra Devaru / Parvati / Saraswati / Ganapati /Rayaru here).

f)     Hyderabad - Sri Rudra Devara gudi by name RAMESHWARAM is very famous near SHAMSHABAD (near Hyderabad Airport) which is again managed by Madhvas.

g)    Mysore – Sri Subbaraya Dasara Gudi, where you can see Srinivasa devaru, Mukyapranaru and Ishwara also run by Maadhwas.  Sri Venkata Subbadasaru is looking after the pooja of all these idols.

h)   Bangalore- Sri Vyasaraja Mutt - Benne Govindappa Road, Gandhibazar -  Here one can see Srinivasadevaru, Gopalakrishna Devaru, Vyasaraja Vrundavana, Raghavendra Vrundavana, and Ishwara, and Navagraha idols.  Usually Sri Vyasaraja Mutt Seer does the pooja of Spatika Linga which was given by Basava Bhatta, a shaiva pandit when he was defeated by Sri Vyasarajaru. 

i)      Hyderabad - Uttaradi Mutt, Hyderabad

j)      Hyderabad - Bag Lingampally Rayara Mutt

k)   Bangalore - Ananteswara Gudi -  Chennammanakere Rayara Mutt – in between Vidyapeeta and Indira Nursing Home, Bangalore

l)      Bangalore -  Sri Raghavendra Swamigala Mutt, Phalimaru Mutt, in Vidyamanya Nagara, Magadi Main Road

m) Dharmasthala – Manjunateswara Temple pratistapane by Vadirajaru.

n)   Mantralaya – Just adjacent to Pranadevara Sannidhana

o)   Bangalore – Tyagarajanagar Rayara Mutt

p)   Anantapura (A.P) – Rayara Mutt

q)   Bangalore - Sreepadaraja Mutt, Raghavendra Colony,

r)     Bellary - Sri Satyanarayana Temple, Satyanarayanapet, Bellary

s)     Bangalore – Vittala Mandira, Sri Raghavendra Swamigala Mutt, Rajajinagar, Near Ramamandira.

t)      Balagaru -  (Shimoga District) You can see a linga on the bank of Tunga river which was thrown by Hanumanthadevaru (one end Jwala narasima and other end Rudra devaru)

u)   Bangalore - There is a Sri Rudra devara sannidhana at Subramanya nagara Vyasarajara Matha, 5th Main, A Block, Rajajinagar Second Stage, Bangalore

v)   Chyavaneshwara – There is an old Eshwara Temple called Shri Chyavaneshwara at Sri Ashwatha Laxmi Narasimha Temple on the Bank of River Malaprabha which was established by Chyavana Rishi in olden Days.   

w) Honnali - Sri  KAILASESWARA which was shifted from our village DODDENAHALLI in Tumkur dist to Honnali town on the bank of Tungabhadra river was installed by H H. Satyama Tirtharu of Uttaradimutt is being worshipped by one Sri Bidarahalli  Krishnacharya, the main priest of Rayara mutt HONNALI

x)   Chennai - Paanduranga Ashrama in Vadapalani Chennai has MahaRudra devaru too in its premises. This is run by Pejawara Samsthana.

(Source – various puranaas, books, articles, Pravachanaas)