shaiva mUrti vaibhavam

By admin on Mar 12, 2009 | In Srividya

[This post was prepared by shrI Harshaji to be posted during mahAshivarAtri but
this missed our attention]
kalpadrumaM praNamatAM kamalAruNAbhaM
skandaM bhujadvayamanAmayamekavaktram |
kAtyAyanIsutamahaM kaTibaddhavAmahasta~ncha daNDadharadakShiNahastamIDe ||
The shaivAgamas are filled with auspicious descriptions of various svarUpa, lIlA and
svecChA mUrtis of Lord mahAdeva.
aShTa-mUrtayaH
bhavashsharvastatheshAnaH pashupatyugrakau tathA |
rudro bhImo mahAdevaH kIrtitAstvaShTamUrtayaH ||
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bhavaH: shuklavarNaH
sharvaH: shyAmavarNaH
IshAnaH: raktavarNaH
pashupatiH: kR^iShNavarNaH
ugraH: gokShIravarNaH
rudraH: kAshmIravarNaH
bhImaH: vidrumavarNaH
mahAdevaH: nIlavarNaH

The names of the wives and sons of these rudras are also seen the Agamas, and
this detail is used during the rudrAShTaka dAna vidhi.
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rudraH: sauvarchalA (bhAryA), shanaishcharaH (putraH)

bhavaH: dAvA, shukraH
sharvaH: vikeshI, lohitA~NgaH
IshAnaH: shivA, manojavaH
pashupatiH: svAhA, vasantaH
bhImaH: dishA, svargaH
ugraH: dIkShA, santAnakaH
mahAdevaH: rohiNI, budhaH

ekAdasha rudrAH:
shambhuH pinAkI girishaH sthANurbhargaH sadAshivaH |
shivo harastathA sharvaH kapAlI bhava eva cha |
ekAdashaite kathitA rudrA lokahite ratAH ||

1. shambhu
2. pinAkapANi
3. girisha
4. sthANu
5. bharga
6. sadAshiva
7. shiva
8. hara
9. sharva
10. kapAlI
11. bhava
An alternate list is seen elsewhere:
1. mR^igavyAdha: shoNavarNaH
2. sharva: harita varNaH
3. nirR^iti: nIla varNaH
4. dhvaja: shveta varNaH
5. ekapAt: shyAmala varNaH
6. ahirbudhniya: mechaka varNaH
7. pinAki: pIta varNaH
8. dhavaLa(Sha): kAla varNaH
9. sthANu: babhru varNaH
10. bhava: pATala varNaH
11. kapAlI: sita varNaH
The list of shatarudra-s can be seen in viveka chintAmaNi, a dvandvAgama, and in
vIrashaivakaustubha:
kapAlIsho hyajo buddhaH vajradehaH pravardhanaH |
prabhUtiravyayashshAstA pinAkI tridashAdhipaH || etc.
pa~nchaviMshati lIlA mUrtayaH
While several different lists with slight variations is seen in the case of lIlA mUrtis,
kAraNa and vAtula Agamas seem to be the standards accepted across Southern
India in matters of worship and pratiShThA. The following list is derived from these
two Agamas:
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chandrashekhara
umAmaheshvara
vR^iShabhArUDha mUrti
naTesha
vaivAhika mUrti
bhikShATana mUrti
kAmadahana mUrti

8. kAlahara mUrti
9. tripurAri
10. jalandhara
11. brahmashiracChedana mUrti
12. gajAsura saMhAramUrti
13. haryardha mUrti
14. ardhanArIshvara mUrti
15. kIrAtArjuna mUrti
16. ka~NkAla mUrti
17. chaNDeshAnugraha mUrti
18. viShApahara mUrti
19. chakradAna mUrti
20. vighneshvara-prasanna mUrti
21. somAskanda mUrti
22. ekapAda mUrti
23. sukhAsIna mUrti
24. dakShiNAmUrti
25. mahAli~Ngodbhava mUrti
A R^ishi named shivAgama, who represents the gamut of shaivAgamas is
represented as worshipping the lilA mUrtis through the recitation of the
shatarudrIya hymn. The dhyAna of shivAgama is as below:
shaivAgamaH shaivadIkShAvahaH pa~nchAkSharo R^iShiH |
shuddhasphaTikasa~NkAshastripuNDrA~nchitamastakaH ||
tryakShashcharmaparIdhAno vaiyAghrAjinasaMsthitaH |
baddhapadmAsano dvyaShTabhujaiH khaTvA~NgashUlake ||
shaktidaNDau chApabANau varAbhItigadA~Nkushe |
chinmudrikAM chAkShamAlAM pustakaM cha kamaNDalum |
khaDgakheTau dadhAno.ayaM pAyAcChaivAgamo.anvaham ||