Bhagavad Gita · Mahabharata Codex

The Rudras

रुद्र · rudra

The eleven fierce gods of storm and dissolution

Their name means 'the howlers'.

Rudra, 'the howler', is the Vedic god of the storm, feared and prayed to for healing. Later tradition speaks of eleven Rudras with Shiva, called Shankara, as their chief. They stand for the destructive forces that clear the way for renewal. Arjuna sees them among the hosts gazing in amazement at the cosmic form.