Rudra

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(Tagged June 2005)

In Hinduism, Rudra ("howler") is a storm, the hunt, death, wild nature and a wind god. He has arrows which cause disease in whomever they hit, god, human or animal. With Diti, he is the father of the Maruts. Rudra is also another name of Lord Shiva, the lord of destruction, according to Hinduism. The famous hymn, Shri Rudram is a Vedic chant that is still chanted today.

According to Adi Sankara's commentary on the Vishnu sahasranama, Rudra means "One who makes all beings cry at the time of cosmic dissolution." Alternatively, Rudra means "One who gives speech." Finally, Rudra means "one who drives away sorrows."

The word Rudraksha is a tatpurusha compound meaning "the eye of Rudra".

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References

Vishnu Sahasranama, commentary by Shankaracharya, translated by Swami Tapasyananda:
sriramakrishnamath.org
vedanta.com
[1] Website for upcoming Vedic metal band from Singapore
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0500510881) by Anna Dhallapiccola

Topics in Hinduism

Shruti (that which is heard):	Vedas \| Upanishads
Smriti (that which is remembered):	Itihasa (Ramayana and Mahabharata including Bhagavad Gita) \| Puranas \| Sutras \| Agama (Tantra & Yantra) \| Vedanta
Concepts:	Avatar \| Brahman \| Kosas \| Dharma \| Karma \| Moksha \| Maya \| Ishta-deva \| Murti \| Reincarnation \| Samsara \| Trimurti \| Turiya \| Guru-shishya tradition
Schools & systems:	Schools of Hinduism \| Early Hinduism \| Samkhya \| Nyaya \| Vaisheshika \| Yoga \| Mimamsa \| Vedanta \| Tantra \| Bhakti \| Carvakas
Traditional practices:	Jyotish \| Ayurveda
Rituals:	Aarti \| Bhajans \| Darshan \| Diksha \| Mantras \| Puja \| Satsang \| Stotras \| Wedding \| Yajna
Gurus and saints:	Shankara \| Ramanuja \| Madhvacharya \| Madhavacharya \| Ramakrishna \| Vivekananda \| Sree Narayana Guru \| Aurobindo \| Ramana Maharshi \| Sivananda \| Chinmayananda \| Sivaya Subramuniyaswami \| Swaminarayan \| A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada\|Lokenath
Denominations:	Vaishnavism \| Shaivism \| Shaktism \| Smartism \| Agama Hindu Dharma \| Contemporary Hindu movements \| Survey of Hindu organisations
Hindu deities:	List of Hindu deities \| Hindu mythology
Yugas:	Satya Yuga \| Treta Yuga \| Dwapar Yuga \| Kali Yuga
Castes:	Brahmin \| Kshatriya \| Vaishya \| Shudra