Both Kapardin and Vyōmakēśa indicate a deep spiritual meaning. It indicates a DIVINE Illumination that pervades everything through rays of light.
Both contain the word with a meaning hair.
——
Vyōmakēśa translates to "one who has the sky/space as his hair" (व्योमन् = sky/Heaven, केश = hair).
Kapardin means wearing braided and knotted hair
——
Kapardin is first used in Rig Veda.
Contrary to popular perception, Kapardin was used not only for Rudra, but for Pūṣan and Indra also.
—-
For Rudra
दिवो वराहमरुषं कपर्दिनं त्वेषं रूपं नमसा नि ह्वयामहे । हस्ते बिभ्रद्भेषजा वार्याणि शर्म वर्म च्छर्दिरस्मभ्यं यंसत् ॥
divo varāham aruṣaṃ kapardinaṃ tveṣaṃ rūpaṃ namasā ni
hvayāmahe | haste bibhrad bheṣajā vāryāṇi śarma varma cchardir asmabhyaṃ yaṃsat
||
——-
For Pūṣan
अयं सोमः कपर्दिने घृतं न पवते मधु । आ भक्षत्कन्यासु नः ॥
ayaṃ somaḥ kapardine ghṛtaṃ na pavate madhu | ā bhakṣat
kanyāsu naḥ ||
——
For Indra
शुनमष्ट्राव्यचरत्कपर्दी वरत्रायां दार्वानह्यमानः । नृम्णानि कृण्वन्बहवे जनाय गाः पस्पशानस्तविषीरधत्त ॥
śunam aṣṭrāvy acarat kapardī varatrāyāṃ dārv ānahyamānaḥ |
nṛmṇāni kṛṇvan bahave janāya gāḥ paspaśānas taviṣīr adhatta ||
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If we carefully observe expression - divo varāham aruṣaṃ kapardinaṃ - in Rig Veda 1.114.5, we can understand that kapardinaṃ was used with divo varāham (divinity which assist the spiritual practitioner with positive thoughts).
Hence, the divinity is not a physical figure having hair, but a divinity that spreads everywhere through streams of lights.
The streams/rays of lights was mentioned in Rig Veda, esoterically, as matted hair or kapardinaṃ.
—-
Rudra,or Pūṣan or Indra are epithets to the same formless ENERGY or BRAHMAN.
Kapardin or Vyōmakēśa indicates the DIVINITY that pervades everywhere through streams/rays of lights.
