Word

RudraNamaka

Sanskrit

रुद्रनमक

IAST

rudranamaka

In General

The entire 11 anuvakas of 5th prapataka of Kanda 4 of TS is a salutation to Rudra and is called Rudra Namaka or Sri Rudram or Shatarudriya.

Most of these verses are repeated in Nilarudra Upanishad and is praised in SB , Athervashirsha Upanishad, Jabala Upanishad and Kaivalya Upanishad. A version of it is found in Vachaseneya Madhyandina Samhita.

The famous Om Nama Sivaya mantra consists of the five letters Na,Ma,Shi,Va,Ya, is from this prapataka

Veda

Rudra is the Mighty one of Heaven; He is the violent one who lead the upward evolution of the conscious being. He is the violent one who take care of our development on earth in five planes of existence. He cause pain to the foes (nivyadhina), creator of wealth

The first Anuvaka is a pacification of Rudra, the dweller in the mountain. He is with bow and arrow and is nilagriva. The next seven anuvakas offer homage to Rudra with a hundred epithets. He is Sahamanaya (one who easily forgives transgressions); He is stena (the thief who steals the heart of the devotee) , the taksha (carpenter), punajishta (bird). He is with thousand eyes and hundred bows.

Rudra begins his work upon earth and give effect to the sacrifice on the five planes of our spiritual development. He is the violent one who leads the upward evolution of the conscious being; his force battles against all evil, smites the sinner and the enemy. He is supreme healer, he heals all wounds and suffering. The force that battles is his gift, but also the final peace and joy.

Purana

Rudra was born from Brahma, the creator. Brahma asked fearsome figure to divide and create the progeny. It divided into two, a male and a female. The male part again divided into eleven parts. These eleven figures are the eleven Rudras.

Rudra is the angry god which take care of the evolution. When Rudra was born He was crying aloud. Because he was crying (doing rodana), Brahma named him Rudra