Talk:Rudragayatri
Rudragāyatrī (‘Gayatrimantra of Rudra)
The Gāyatrīmantra of the Rgveda (3.62.10)—which has been repeated in other Vedas also—has become so famous and popular that similar mantras in the same gāyatrī meter on other deities of the Hindu pantheon, have appeared in many later works. In the Mahānārāyana Upanisad (1.22-33) several such Gāyatrīmantras have been given. One such is the Rudra- gāyatri (1.23) It runs as follows: tatpurusāya vidmahe, mahādevāya dhimahi, tanno rudrah pracodayāt II [‘May we know or realise the Supreme Person. For that, may we meditate upon Mahādeva and to that meditation may Rudra impel us’.] The mantra previous to this (1.22) is also, sometimes, called by the same name since the second and the third lines of this are similar to the Rudragāyatrī. This mantra also, like the other gāyatrīmantras, is used for meditation and japa. The Prapañcasāratantra (27.41) at¬tributed to Śañkarācārya (A. D. 788-820) gives a dhyānaśloka (verse describing the form of the deity for meditation) beginning with the words ‘bibhrad-dorbhih’ and end¬ing with ‘kalottuṅgamaulih’ for this Rudra¬gāyatrī. It describes Rudra as holding an axe and a deer in two hands and the other two showing the abhaya and the varada mudrās (handposes expressing protection and granting boons). He is sitting on a lotus, wearing the tiger-skin. His body is well-decorated. He has five faces (each with three eyes) and is shining like a mountain of precious stones.