Upanishads · Rudrahṛdaya 4
॥
Devanāgarī
सर्वदेवात्मको रुद्रः सर्वे देवाः शिवात्मकाः । रुद्रस्य दक्षिणे पार्श्वे रविर्ब्रह्मा त्रयोऽग्नयः
Transliteration (IAST)
sarvadevātmako rudraḥ sarve devāḥ śivātmakāḥ | rudrasya dakṣiṇe pārśve ravirbrahmā trayo'gnayaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सर्व-देव-आत्मकः रुद्रःsarva-deva-ātmakaḥ rudraḥRudra, consisting of all gods
सर्वे देवाः शिव-आत्मकाःsarve devāḥ śiva-ātmakāḥall gods consist of Śiva
रुद्रस्य दक्षिणे पार्श्वेrudrasya dakṣiṇe pārśveon Rudra's right side
रविः ब्रह्मा त्रयः अग्नयःraviḥ brahmā trayaḥ agnayaḥthe sun, Brahmā, the three fires
Translation
"Rudra consists of all gods; all gods consist of Śiva. On Rudra's right side — the sun, Brahmā, and the three fires."
Version
832674c58a35 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The answer is given, and given as one would expect in a Śaiva book: sarva-devātmako rudraḥ, "Rudra consists of all gods." It is worth examining the word ātmaka itself, however, for the sense depends on it. It means "having as one's essence, consisting of"; and it is used constantly in compounds — prakṛti-puruṣa-ātmaka, "consisting of nature and spirit" (Devī 1).
That is, it is said not "Rudra is above all gods" and not "the other gods are false," but that all of them enter into him, as limbs enter into a body. The likeness of a body was discussed when reading the Adhyātma (1.2) and the Tripurā-tāpanī (45). It is worth noting also the construction of the second half of the verse. Sides are named: on the right — the sun, Brahmā, the three fires; on the left (in the next verse) — Umā, Viṣṇu, the moon. That is, before us is a description of a form, not a theological assertion of seniority: those standing right and left are simply listed.
The Vaiṣṇava side is not surprised by such a mode of exposition: she too describes the Lord's retinue in similar terms, and those standing at His sides are not counted parts of His body in the proper sense. But this reading will have to be set aside here, for the next line will say something more direct and sharper — and say what one would never expect from a Śaiva book.