What Is Rudra Yaga And How Can It Help The World

Rudra normally refers to Lord Shiva, who according to popular belief, is the God of Destruction. In the Vedic tradition. However, Rudra has another meaning as Rudra is the Divine Being whose eyes are filled with tears of compassion. When Rudra sees people suffering these tears spontaneously drop from his eyes and manifest in the form of the Scriptures which embody the techniques for overcoming pain and misery. Those same tears also manifest in the form of Saints and Sages and Herbs and the Healing Sciences. That is why not only the Scriptures but also the Science of Ayurveda, Physicians, Saints, Sages and Herbs are said to be living forms of Rudra.

Eight different aspects of nature are the direct manifestations of Rudra, and they are Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space, The Sun, The Moon and the Life-Giving Force. Gaining Knowledge of Rudra and cultivating proper respect for all of his manifestations and serving Rudra by serving these manifestations is called Rudra Yaga. Anything Good and Auspicious and anything that keeps us Healthy and Happy and anything that helps us attain freedom from pain and misery is Rudra and worshipping that Rudra is called Rudra Yaga.

Here worship does not mean just performing rituals or participating in some sort of ceremony., In Sanskrit, Yaga means' to give, to serve, to contribute, to share, to sacrifice, to become a part of. Therefore Rudra Yaga means that you contribute to the well-being of nature which is the direct manifestation of Rudra. By serving natural forces you serve yourself, and you serve creation, and you serve the creator. This requires self-sacrifice, and that is why Rudra Yaga and other highly evolved practices are called 'Sacrifices'.
By Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
Yoga International April-May.