Question
Is it true that Lord Shiva’s description is different in Vedas?
Answer
।। Shiva in Vedas ।। vs ।। Shiva in Puranas।।
First of all I would like to suggest to read this post:
It's because citing the same thing here would make answer extremely long. In it you can already see attributes like Nilagriva (blue necked one), Tryambakam (Three eyed one), Kapardin (Who has matted hair), etc...
Similarly Lord Shiva is Tripurantaka as described in Vedas:
Similarly Lord Shiva is also destroyer of Yajna (Makhantaka):
Did the destruction of Daksha's sacrifice also happen in present Vaivasvata Manvantara?
It's also told in Gopatha Brahamana of AtharvaVeda.
Lord Shiva also lives in Kailasha as told in RigVeda:
कैलासशिखरे रम्ये शंकरस्य शुभे गृहे ।
देवतास्तत्र मोदन्ति तन्मे मनः शिवसंकल्पमस्तु ।।
On the charming peak of Kailasha mountain is the home temple of the Peace-creator Shiva; gods rejoice in that. May such my mind be of beautiful and divine resolves, filled with Shiva-thoughts.
He takes Eight forms and becomes all this universe:
He punishes Lord Prajapati also.
Above all links contains the required references for the below finalised points:
1) Names of Shiva:
Suppose that I want to say that I know only Vedas and I want to chant Lord Shivas name as described in Vedas only, I would chant as:
Shiva, Shankara, Nilalohita, Ishana, Bhava, Rudra, Sarva, Pashupati, Ugra, Nilagriva, Sitikantha, Pinakapani, Krritivasa, Tryambaka, Kapardin, Hara, Mahadeva, Maheswara, Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Sahasraksha, Vyuptakesha... etc..
A reader of Puranas will also chant all the above names along with additional names like:
Gangadhara, Chandrashekhara, etc...
2) Form of Shiva:
Suppose that I want to say that I know only Vedas and I want to meditate upon Lord Shiva as described in Vedas only, I would meditate as:
Along with his consort Uma (Umapati) I meditate upon Shiva who is three eyed (Tryambakam), who has matted hair (Kapardin), who is riding in bull (Vabhlusaaya bi vyadhine), who has blue neck (Nilagriva), who is holding Pinaka bow (Pinakam vibhradaagahi), who wears animal hide (Krittivasa), who is bright as gold, who lives in Kailash Mountain (Kailasha Shikhara Rammye) ....
And the reader of Puranas will also tell the exact above description with few additions like:
who wears Ganga on his head, snakes on his neck.
So, it's not that form of Shiva of Vedas and form of Shiva of Puranas are different, It's only that Puranas contains additional forms.
3) Deeds of Shiva:
Reader of Vedas only would describe deeds of Shiva as:
He who took the Eight forms and became the world (AshtaMurti), He who destroyed the Tripuras making Gods as bows, arrows and chariots (Tripurantaka), who is the destroyer of sacrifice (Makhantak), who punished Prajapati, who is present as form of Lord Agni..
Reader of Puranas will also recall the above all deeds along with many additional deeds like:
manifestation in various Jyotirlingas, Kirata form, helping Ashwatthama etc...
4) Shiva Tatwam:
Reader of Veda only would describe Shiva Tatwam as:
Lord Shiva is the one who is one without second (Eko Hi Rudro Na Dwitiyaya), who himself becomes the eight (AshtaMurti), who is Antaryami of everything, who saw Hiranyagarbha being born, who himself is everything of universe (Sri Rudram), who is Lord of all things (Pashunam Pati, Anna Pati, Jagat Pati, Bhuta Pati, Kshetra Pati etc.. of Sri Rudram), who is all (Sarvo Vai Rudras tasmai)....
Reader of Puranas will also recall all the above philosophy along with some additional details like:
concept of 36 Tatwas, kãla nirnaya etc.. and so on.
5) Worship of Shiva:
A reader of Vedas would worship Lord Shiva as:
Doing Homam of Sri Rudram, Japam of names of Sri Rudram, Chanting Panchakshara Mantra (Namaha Shivaya), chanting of Tryambakam and PanchaBrahman mantras, remembering of Linga form, Pashupata Vrata, Surrender, etc...
Reader of Puranas would also worship Lord Shiva in the above way with some additional details like:
chanting Shiva Sahasranama, chanting various stotras etc...
Thus it's only that Puranas contain additional information. It is not necessary that Vedas would make every reference, Vedas only make eternal references.
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