Rudra - the outlaw god of Vedas:

Rudra's name means howler or crier, he is the god of destruction, thunder, disease, medicine, chaos, wildness, anger and hunting.

He is the father of the Maruts and is the most terrifying god in the Rig-Veda.

Contrary to popular belief his main weapon wasn't the trident/trishul, they are the bow- Pinaka and arrow with the trishul/trident and the Vajra as secondary weapons.

Rudra as the god of hunting is known as Mrgavyadha which means beast hunter.

He is known as Triambaka for he has three eyes with the third on his forehead.

He is known as Pinaki or Pinaka-Pani for wields the bow Pinaka.

In most of the praises for Rudra in the Rig-Veda he’s been asked to calm down, show mercy and not get angry… this shows his terrifying destructive aspect.

Rudra was an extremely powerful god and it is evident form the phrases in the Vedas..

Rig-Veda, mandala 2, Hymn 33:

आ ते॑ पितर्मरुतां सु॒म्नमे॑तु॒ मा नः॒ सूर्य॑स्य सं॒दृशो॑ युयोथाः ।

अ॒भि नो॑ वी॒रो अर्व॑ति क्षमेत॒ प्र जा॑येमहि रुद्र प्र॒जाभिः॑ ॥ २.०३३.०१

त्वाद॑त्तेभी रुद्र॒ शंत॑मेभिः श॒तं हिमा॑ अशीय भेष॒जेभिः॑ ।

व्य१॒॑स्मद्द्वेषो॑ वित॒रं व्यंहो॒ व्यमी॑वाश्चातयस्वा॒ विषू॑चीः ॥ २.०३३.०२

श्रेष्ठो॑ जा॒तस्य॑ रुद्र श्रि॒यासि॑ त॒वस्त॑मस्त॒वसां॑ वज्रबाहो ।

पर्षि॑ णः पा॒रमंह॑सः स्व॒स्ति विश्वा॑ अ॒भी॑ती॒ रप॑सो युयोधि ॥ २.०३३.०३

मा त्वा॑ रुद्र चुक्रुधामा॒ नमो॑भि॒र्मा दुष्टु॑ती वृषभ॒ मा सहू॑ती ।

उन्नो॑ वी॒राँ अ॑र्पय भेष॒जेभि॑र्भि॒षक्त॑मं त्वा भि॒षजां॑ शृणोमि ॥ २.०३३.०४

हवी॑मभि॒र्हव॑ते॒ यो ह॒विर्भि॒रव॒ स्तोमे॑भी रु॒द्रं दि॑षीय ।

ऋ॒दू॒दरः॑ सु॒हवो॒ मा नो॑ अ॒स्यै ब॒भ्रुः सु॒शिप्रो॑ रीरधन्म॒नायै॑ ॥ २.०३३.०५

उन्मा॑ ममन्द वृष॒भो म॒रुत्वा॒न्त्वक्षी॑यसा॒ वय॑सा॒ नाध॑मानम् ।

घृणी॑व च्छा॒याम॑र॒पा अ॑शी॒या वि॑वासेयं रु॒द्रस्य॑ सु॒म्नम् ॥ २.०३३.०६

क्व१॒॑ स्य ते॑ रुद्र मृळ॒याकु॒र्हस्तो॒ यो अस्ति॑ भेष॒जो जला॑षः ।

अ॒प॒भ॒र्ता रप॑सो॒ दैव्य॑स्या॒भी नु मा॑ वृषभ चक्षमीथाः ॥ २.०३३.०७

प्र ब॒भ्रवे॑ वृष॒भाय॑ श्विती॒चे म॒हो म॒हीं सु॑ष्टु॒तिमी॑रयामि ।

न॒म॒स्या क॑ल्मली॒किनं॒ नमो॑भिर्गृणी॒मसि॑ त्वे॒षं रु॒द्रस्य॒ नाम॑ ॥ २.०३३.०८

स्थि॒रेभि॒रङ्गैः॑ पुरु॒रूप॑ उ॒ग्रो ब॒भ्रुः शु॒क्रेभिः॑ पिपिशे॒ हिर॑ण्यैः ।

ईशा॑नाद॒स्य भुव॑नस्य॒ भूरे॒र्न वा उ॑ योषद्रु॒द्राद॑सु॒र्य॑म् ॥ २.०३३.०९

अर्ह॑न्बिभर्षि॒ साय॑कानि॒ धन्वार्ह॑न्नि॒ष्कं य॑ज॒तं वि॒श्वरू॑पम् ।

अर्ह॑न्नि॒दं द॑यसे॒ विश्व॒मभ्वं॒ न वा ओजी॑यो रुद्र॒ त्वद॑स्ति ॥ २.०३३.१०

स्तु॒हि श्रु॒तं ग॑र्त॒सदं॒ युवा॑नं मृ॒गं न भी॒ममु॑पह॒त्नुमु॒ग्रम् ।

मृ॒ळा ज॑रि॒त्रे रु॑द्र॒ स्तवा॑नो॒ऽन्यं ते॑ अ॒स्मन्नि व॑पन्तु॒ सेनाः॑ ॥ २.०३३.११

कु॒मा॒रश्चि॑त्पि॒तरं॒ वन्द॑मानं॒ प्रति॑ नानाम रुद्रोप॒यन्त॑म् ।

भूरे॑र्दा॒तारं॒ सत्प॑तिं गृणीषे स्तु॒तस्त्वं भे॑ष॒जा रा॑स्य॒स्मे ॥ २.०३३.१२

या वो॑ भेष॒जा म॑रुतः॒ शुची॑नि॒ या शंत॑मा वृषणो॒ या म॑यो॒भु ।

यानि॒ मनु॒रवृ॑णीता पि॒ता न॒स्ता शं च॒ योश्च॑ रु॒द्रस्य॑ वश्मि ॥ २.०३३.१३

परि॑ णो हे॒ती रु॒द्रस्य॑ वृज्याः॒ परि॑ त्वे॒षस्य॑ दुर्म॒तिर्म॒ही गा॑त् ।

अव॑ स्थि॒रा म॒घव॑द्भ्यस्तनुष्व॒ मीढ्व॑स्तो॒काय॒ तन॑याय मृळ ॥ २.०३३.१४

ए॒वा ब॑भ्रो वृषभ चेकितान॒ यथा॑ देव॒ न हृ॑णी॒षे न हंसि॑ ।

ह॒व॒न॒श्रुन्नो॑ रुद्रे॒ह बो॑धि बृ॒हद्व॑देम वि॒दथे॑ सु॒वीराः॑ ॥ २.०३३.१५

ā te̍ pitarmarutāṃ su̱mname̍tu̱ mā na̱ḥ sūrya̍sya sa̱ṃdṛśo̍ yuyothāḥ .

a̱bhi no̍ vī̱ro arva̍ti kṣameta̱ pra jā̍yemahi rudra pra̱jābhi̍ḥ .. 2.033.01

tvāda̍ttebhī rudra̱ śaṃta̍mebhiḥ śa̱taṃ himā̍ aśīya bheṣa̱jebhi̍ḥ .

vya1̱̍smaddveṣo̍ vita̱raṃ vyaṃho̱ vyamī̍vāścātayasvā̱ viṣū̍cīḥ .. 2.033.02

śreṣṭho̍ jā̱tasya̍ rudra śri̱yāsi̍ ta̱vasta̍masta̱vasā̍ṃ vajrabāho .

parṣi̍ ṇaḥ pā̱ramaṃha̍saḥ sva̱sti viśvā̍ a̱bhī̍tī̱ rapa̍so yuyodhi .. 2.033.03

mā tvā̍ rudra cukrudhāmā̱ namo̍bhi̱rmā duṣṭu̍tī vṛṣabha̱ mā sahū̍tī .

unno̍ vī̱rām̐ a̍rpaya bheṣa̱jebhi̍rbhi̱ṣakta̍maṃ tvā bhi̱ṣajā̍ṃ śṛṇomi .. 2.033.04

havī̍mabhi̱rhava̍te̱ yo ha̱virbhi̱rava̱ stome̍bhī ru̱draṃ di̍ṣīya .

ṛ̱dū̱dara̍ḥ su̱havo̱ mā no̍ a̱syai ba̱bhruḥ su̱śipro̍ rīradhanma̱nāyai̍ .. 2.033.05

unmā̍ mamanda vṛṣa̱bho ma̱rutvā̱ntvakṣī̍yasā̱ vaya̍sā̱ nādha̍mānam .

ghṛṇī̍va cchā̱yāma̍ra̱pā a̍śī̱yā vi̍vāseyaṃ ru̱drasya̍ su̱mnam .. 2.033.06

kva1̱̍ sya te̍ rudra mṛl̤a̱yāku̱rhasto̱ yo asti̍ bheṣa̱jo jalā̍ṣaḥ .

a̱pa̱bha̱rtā rapa̍so̱ daivya̍syā̱bhī nu mā̍ vṛṣabha cakṣamīthāḥ .. 2.033.07

pra ba̱bhrave̍ vṛṣa̱bhāya̍ śvitī̱ce ma̱ho ma̱hīṃ su̍ṣṭu̱timī̍rayāmi .

na̱ma̱syā ka̍lmalī̱kina̱ṃ namo̍bhirgṛṇī̱masi̍ tve̱ṣaṃ ru̱drasya̱ nāma̍ .. 2.033.08

sthi̱rebhi̱raṅgai̍ḥ puru̱rūpa̍ u̱gro ba̱bhruḥ śu̱krebhi̍ḥ pipiśe̱ hira̍ṇyaiḥ .

īśā̍nāda̱sya bhuva̍nasya̱ bhūre̱rna vā u̍ yoṣadru̱drāda̍su̱rya̍m .. 2.033.09

arha̍nbibharṣi̱ sāya̍kāni̱ dhanvārha̍nni̱ṣkaṃ ya̍ja̱taṃ vi̱śvarū̍pam .

arha̍nni̱daṃ da̍yase̱ viśva̱mabhva̱ṃ na vā ojī̍yo rudra̱ tvada̍sti .. 2.033.10

stu̱hi śru̱taṃ ga̍rta̱sada̱ṃ yuvā̍naṃ mṛ̱gaṃ na bhī̱mamu̍paha̱tnumu̱gram .

mṛ̱l̤ā ja̍ri̱tre ru̍dra̱ stavā̍no̱'nyaṃ te̍ a̱smanni va̍pantu̱ senā̍ḥ .. 2.033.11

ku̱mā̱raści̍tpi̱tara̱ṃ vanda̍māna̱ṃ prati̍ nānāma rudropa̱yanta̍m .

bhūre̍rdā̱tāra̱ṃ satpa̍tiṃ gṛṇīṣe stu̱tastvaṃ bhe̍ṣa̱jā rā̍sya̱sme .. 2.033.12

yā vo̍ bheṣa̱jā ma̍ruta̱ḥ śucī̍ni̱ yā śaṃta̍mā vṛṣaṇo̱ yā ma̍yo̱bhu .

yāni̱ manu̱ravṛ̍ṇītā pi̱tā na̱stā śaṃ ca̱ yośca̍ ru̱drasya̍ vaśmi .. 2.033.13

pari̍ ṇo he̱tī ru̱drasya̍ vṛjyā̱ḥ pari̍ tve̱ṣasya̍ durma̱tirma̱hī gā̍t .

ava̍ sthi̱rā ma̱ghava̍dbhyastanuṣva̱ mīḍhva̍sto̱kāya̱ tana̍yāya mṛl̤a .. 2.033.14

e̱vā ba̍bhro vṛṣabha cekitāna̱ yathā̍ deva̱ na hṛ̍ṇī̱ṣe na haṃsi̍ .

ha̱va̱na̱śrunno̍ rudre̱ha bo̍dhi bṛ̱hadva̍dema vi̱dathe̍ su̱vīrā̍ḥ .. 2.033.15

1. FATHER of Maruts, let thy bliss approach us: exclude us not from looking on the sunlight.

Gracious to our fleet courser be the Hero may we transplant us, Rudra, in our children.

2 With the most saving medicines which thou givest, Rudra, may I attain a hundred winters.

Far from us banish enmity and hatred, and to all quarters maladies and trouble.

3 Chief of all born art thou in glory, Rudra, armed with the thunder, mightiest of the mighty.

Transport us over trouble to well-being repel thou from us all assaults of mischief.

4 Let us not anger thee with worship, Rudra, ill praise, Strong God! or mingled invocation.

Do thou with strengthening balms incite our heroes: I hear thee famed as best of all physicians.

5 May I with praise-songs win that Rudra's favour who is adored with gifts and invocations.

Ne’er may the tawny God, fair-checked, and gracious, swifthearing, yield us to this evil purpose.

6 The Strong, begirt by Maruts, hath refreshed me, with most invigorating food, imploring.

As he who finds a shade in fervent sunlight may I, uninjured, win the bliss of Rudra.

7 Where is that gracious hand of thine, O Rudra, the hand that giveth health and bringeth comfort,

Remover of the woe that Gods have sent us? O Strong One, look thou on me with compassion.

8 To him the strong, great, tawny, fair-complexioned, I utter forth a mighty hymn of praises.

We serve the brilliant God with adorations, we glorify, the splendid name of Rudra.

9 With firm limbs, multiform, the strong, the tawny adorns himself with bright gold decorations:

The strength of Godhead ne’er departs from Rudra, him who is Sovran of this world, the mighty.

10 Worthy, thou carriest thy bow and arrows, worthy, thy manyhued and honoured necklace.

Worthy, thou cuttest here each fiend to pieces: a mightier than thou there is not, Rudra.

11 Praise him the chariot-borne, the young, the famous, fierce, slaying like a dread beast of the forest.

O Rudra, praised, be gracious to the singer; let thy hosts spare us and smite down another.

12 I bend to thee as thou approachest, Rudra, even as a boy before the sire who greets him.

I praise thee Bounteous Giver, Lord of heroes: give medicines to us as thou art lauded.

13 Of your pure medicines, O potent Maruts, those that are wholesomest and health-bestowing,

Those which our father Manu hath selected, I crave from. Rudra for our gain and welfare.

14 May Rudra's missile turn aside and spare us, the great wrath of the impetuous One avoid us.

Turn, Bounteous God, thy strong bow from our princes, and be thou gracious to our seed and offspring.

15 O tawny Bull, thus showing forth thy nature, as neither to be wroth, O God, nor slay us.

Here, Rudra, listen to our invocation. Loud may we speak, with heroes, in assembly.

🙏 Namo Rudraya 🙏

🙏 Namo Narasimha 🙏