(ˈrʊdrə; Sanskrit: ) is a Rigvedic deity, associated with wind or storm and the hunt. One translation of the name is the roarer. In the Rigveda, Rudra has been praised as the mightiest of the mighty. Rudra is the personification of terror. Depending up on the poetic situation, Rudra can be meant as the most severe roarer/howler (could be a hurricane or tempest) or the most frightening one. The Shri Rudram hymn from the Yajurveda is dedicated to Rudra, and is important in the Saivism sect. In it Rudra is referred as God of Gods.The Hindu god Shiva shares several features with the Rudra: the theonym Shiva originated as an epithet of Rudra, the adjective shiva (kind) being used euphemistically of Rudra, who also carries the epithet Aghora, Abhayankar ( non terrifying). Usage of the epithet came to exceed the original theonym by the post-Vedic period (in the Sanskrit Epics), and the name Rudra has been taken as a synonym for the god Shiva and the two names are used interchangeably.
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