Editing Rudras (section)

==Birth and names==
The ''[[Ramayana]]'' tells they are eleven of the 33 children of the sage [[Kashyapa]] and his wife [[Aditi]], along with the 12 [[Adityas]], 8 [[Vasu|Vasus]] and 2 Ashvins, constituting the [[Thirty-three gods]].<ref name = "Mani">Mani pp. 654–5</ref> The ''[[Vamana Purana]]'' describes the Rudras as the sons of Kashyapa and Aditi.<ref name = "alain"/> The ''[[Matsya Purana]]'' notes that [[Kamadhenu|Surabhi]] – the mother of all cows and the "cow of plenty" – was the consort of Brahma and their union produced the eleven Rudras. Here they are named<ref name = "Matsya">{{cite book|last=A Taluqdar of Oudh|title=The Matsya Puranam|series=The Sacred books of the Hindus|volume=2|year=2008|publisher=Cosmo Publications for Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd.|isbn=978-81-307-0533-0|pages=74–5, 137}}</ref> 
:

#[[Nirṛti]]
#Śambhu
#Aparājita
#Mṛgavyādha
#Kapardin
#Dahana
#Khara
#Manas
#Ahirbudhnya
#Kapālin
#Piṅgala
#Senāni

The ''[[Harivaṃśa|Harivamsa]]'', an appendix of the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', makes Kashyapa and Surabhi – here, portrayed as his wife – the parents of the Rudras.<ref name = "alain"/><ref>Hopkins p. 173</ref> In another instance in the Mahabharata, it is [[Dharma]] (possibly identified with [[Yama]]) who is the father of the Rudras and the Maruts.<ref name = "hopkins"/>

[[File:Bangalore Shiva.jpg|thumb|Rudra, identified with the Puranic Shiva (pictured) is associated with the Rudras.]]

The ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' narrates that Rudra – here identified as [[Shiva]] . The furious Rudra was in [[Ardhanarishvara|Ardhanari]] form, half his body was male and other half female. He divided himself into two: the male and female. The male form then split itself into eleven, forming the eleven Rudras. Some of them were white and gentle; while others were dark and fierce. They are called:

#[[Manyu (deity)|Manyu]]
#Manu 
#Mahmasa 
#Mahan 
#[[Shiva]]
#Ṛtudhvaja
#Ugraretas
#Bhava
#Kāma
#Vāmadeva
#Dhrtavrata

From the woman were born the eleven Rudranis who became wives of the Rudras. They are:
 
#Dhi 
#Vrtti 
#Usana 
#Urna 
#Niyuta 
#Sarpis 
#Ila 
#[[Ambika (goddess)|Ambika]] 
#Iravatl 
#Svadha
#Diksa

Brahma allotted to the Rudras the eleven positions of the heart and the five [[Sense|sensory organs]], the five organs of action and the mind.<ref name = "Mani"/><ref name = "alain"/> Other Puranas call them Aja, [[Ekapada]], Ahirbudhnya, Tvasta, Rudra, Hara, Shambhu, Tryambaka, Aparajita, Ishana, Tribhuvana.<ref name = "Mani"/><ref name = "alain"/>

{{Hinduism}}

In one instance in the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the Rudras are eleven in number and are named:

#Mrgavyadha
#Sarpa 
#[[Nirṛti|Nirriti]]
#Ajaikapad 
#Ahi
#Ahirbudhnya
#Pinakin 
#Dahana 
#[[Ishvara]] 
#Kapāli
#[[Shiva|Sthanu]] 
#Bhaga

While Kapālin is described the foremost of Rudras here,<ref name = "hopkins"/> in the [[Bhagavad Gita]], it is Śankara who is considered the greatest of the Rudras.<ref>{{cite book|last=Radhakrishan|first=S.|author-link=Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan|title=The Bhagavadgita|year=1977|publisher=Blackie & Son (India) Ltd.|page=263|chapter=Verse 10.23}}</ref> Both Kapalin and Śankara are epithets of Shiva.<ref name = "hopkins"/> In another instance, they are described as sons of [[Tvashtr]] and named:<ref name = "hopkins"/>

#Vishvarupa 
#Ekapada
#Ahirbudhnya
#Virupaksa 
#Raivata 
#[[Shiva|Hara]] 
#Bahurupa 
#Tryambaka 
#Savitra 
#Jayanta
#Pinakin

While usually the Rudras are described to eleven, in one instance in the ''Mahabharata''; they are said to be eleven thousand and surrounding Shiva, which is another name for Rudra. <ref name = "hopkins"/><ref name = "alain"/> The eleven groups of hundred are named:<ref name = "hopkins"/>

#Ekapada
#Ahirbudhnya
#Pinakin 
#Rta 
#Pitrupa
#Tryamabaka 
#[[Shiva|Maheshvara]]
#Vrishakapi
#Shambhu
#Havana
#[[Ishvara]]

The [http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/3/12 Bhagavata Purana Canto 3 Chapter 3] mentions that Rudra is born from the anger of Lord Brahma. The names are mentioned in [http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/3/12/12 Canto 3 Chapter 3 and Verse 12] as follows:
# Manyu
# Manu
# Mahinasa
# Mahān
# Śiva
# Ṛtadhvaja
# Ugraretā
# Bhava
# Kāla
# Vāmadeva
# Dhṛtavrata
In [http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/6/6 Bhagavata Purana Canto 6 Chapter 6] the eleven Rudras are said to be the children of Sarūpā and Bhūta. Sarūpā was a daughter of Daksa. The names of the eleven Rudras given in [http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/6/6/17-18 Canto 6 Chapter 6 Verse 17-18] are:
# Raivata
# Aja
# Bhava
# Bhīma
# Vāma
# Ugra
# Vṛṣākapi
# Ajaikapāt
# Ahirbradhna
# Bahurūpa
# Mahān
The ''[[Matsya Purana]]'' mentions the ferocious eleven Rudras – named:

#Kapāli
#Pingala 
#Bhima 
#Virupaksha
#Vilohita 
#Ajapada
#Ahirbhudhnya
#Shasta 
#Shambhu 
#Chanda 
#Bhava

Aiding the god [[Vishnu]] in his fight against the demons and killing all of them along with him. They wear lion-skins, matted-hairs and serpents around their necks. They have yellow throats, hold tridents and skulls and have the crescent moons on their foreheads. Together headed by Kapali, they slay the elephant demon [[Gajasurasamhara|Gajasura]].<ref name = "Matsya"/>