Characteristics In the
Ahirbudhnya Samhita,
Vishnu emanated in 39 different forms. The Samhita is characteristic for its concept of
Sudarshana. It provides mantras for
Shakti and Sudarshana, and details the method of worship of the multi-armed Sudarshana. Its chapters include explanations on the origin of
astras (weapons),
anga (mantras),
Vyuhas, sounds, and diseases, how to make Sudarshana Purusha appear, how to resist divine weapons and black magic, and provides method for making and worshipping the Sudarshana Yantra. The
Ahirbudhnya Samhita is the source of Taraka Mantra,
Narasimhanustubha Mantra, three occult alphabets,
Sashtitantra and select astra mantras. It also mentions the
Purusha Sukta. The four Vyuhas in this samhita are
Vasudeva,
Samkarshana,
Pradyumna and
Aniruddha. As with other samhitas,
Ahirbudhnya provides its views on creation,
siddhantas, senses, bondage and liberation, and rationale of
avatars. There are compositions on rakshas,
yantras and
yoga. It mentions castes and periods of life, interdependence of two higher castes, and provides its characterization of the ideal purohita, the
Mahashanti Karman. Besides the story of
Madhu and Kaitabha, the
Ahirbudhnya details stories of nine personages, namely, Manishekhara, Kasiraja, Shrutakirti, Kushadhvaja, Muktapida, Vishala, Sunanda, Chitrashekhara, and Kirtimalin. The Sashtitantra of
Ahirbudhnya is close to the
Samkhya representation of
brahman as the ultimate principle,
shakti as synonym for
prakriti, with a prominent description of
kala (time). The
Ahirbudhnya recognizes one of the eleven
Rudras; that is
Shiva himself in his Satvik form, in the form of a teacher. In the Veda
ahi budhna (serpent of the bottom) is an atmospheric god who Schrader says merged with
Rudra-Siva (Pashupati); with Ahi Budhanya in later vedic texts connected to Agni Grahapatya, suggesting this was a benevolent being and not the malevolent Ahi
Vritra. Ahirbudhnya and Aja-
Ekapada had their share of allocated ghriya (Grihyasutra) rituals. In later puranic literature, Ahirbudhnaya becomes one of the 11
Rudras. The Ahirbudhnya Samhita is one of the Pancaratra samhitas with the most coverage of yoga. The text contains inconsistent teachings on kuṇḍalinī. In some sections kuṇḍalinī is described as a blockage that prevents prāṇa from entering the suṣumnā and rising. This is consistent with the teachings of T. Krishnamacharya, the 20th century yoga teacher. However, in other sections kuṇḍalinī is described as rising to the throat in the production of sounds. ==Extinct samhitas==