Jyotirlinga | AtrishvaraTirtha | Mallikarjuna | Dushana | Mahakala | Vindhya | Omkara

AtrishvaraTirtha:

There was a forest named Kamada. It failed to rain there for 100 years. The leaves dried up and also the dwellers of the forest began to suffer.

The sage Atri decided that he would meditate to do and produce the rains. Atri´s wife was Anasuya and she or he thought that she might further perform tapasya along with her husband. Both of them began to pray to Shiva and it absolutely was very difficult to choose whose tapasya was the harder. Fifty-four passed and that they meditated without eating or drinking anything.

Mallikarjuna

What about the second jyotirlingaMallikarjuna?

Goddess Parvati was unhappy that her son had left her on their spots. But Kartikeya wouldn't return. Shiva and Parvati then visited visit Kartikeya themselves, but Kartikeya wouldn't allow them to get too close. Shiva and Parvati began to live at an area that was about six miles faraway from where their son was living. they're always there, so on be near their son. This place is thought as Mallikarjuna.

Dushanaand Mahakala :

The third of the jyotirlingas is Mahakala. the town of Avanti is on the banks of the river Kshipra (Shipra). A brahmana named Vedapriya accustomed lived within the city of Avanti. He wont to worship Shiva everyday and he had observed his four sons to try to to the identical.

Not very far-off, on a hill named Ratnamala, there accustomed live an asura named Dushana. Dushana was evil, he couldn't stand the thought of the Vedas being read and also the religion prescribed in them followed. He went about destroying this righteous religon wherever he could. Dushana have to be compelled to know that within the city of Avanti there lived four brahmanas who followed the righteous religion and worshipped Shiva. These were Devapriya, Priyamedha, Suvrita and Suvrata. Their father Vedapriya had died by then.

Dushana and his cohorts came and attacked the town of Avanti. They threatened to kill the four brahmanas, but the brothers weren't the least bit perturbed. They continued to hope to Shiva. They bowed in obeisance before the linga.

Suddenly an incredible sound was heard and a pit appeared within the ground ahead of the linga. Shiva himself appeared during this pit.

Vindhya and Omkara :

The fourth of the jyotirlingas is Omkara.

Narada had once said i'm filled with all the desirable objects that one can consider.

Perhaps, replied Narada. When Mount Sumeru is superior and trustworthy to you, becaue the gods are always there.

Vindhya has decided to appear and become the equal of Sumeru. He began to hope to Shiva. for 6 months he prayed.

The linga that Vindhya worshipped as called Omkara.

Naranarayanaand Kedara :

The fifth of the jyotirlingas is Kedara. In one in every of Vishnu´s incarnations, he revealed himself because the two sages, Nara and Narayana. These two sages prayed for a protracted time within the hermitage called vadrikashrama.

After the 2 sages had prayed to Shiva for a really while, Shiva appeared and said, I don´t understand why the 2 of you worshipping me. it's you who should be worshipped. But since you have got been praying to me, let me grant you a boon. Nara and Narayana desred that Shiva should be present within the variety of a linga on the height Kedara.

Bhimashankara :

The sixth of the jyotirlingas is Bhimashankara.

You know about Rama and Ravana from the Ramayana and you furthermore may know that Rama killed not only Ravana, but also his brother Kumbahakarna.

A rakshasa woman named Karkati accustomed survive the mountains named Sahya. I wont to be married to the rakshasaViradha. But Rama killed Viradha. But he was killed by Rama and that i never ought to see Lanka. that's the rationale we live here alone. we've got nowhere else to travel.

Bhima was very sorry to listen to this story. For thousand years he prayed to Brahma together with his hands raised up to the sky. the primary target of Bhima´s attention was the king of Kamarupa. The king´s crime was that he was dedicated to Vishnu. He then proceeded to overcome the remainder of the planet.

In their prison, the king and his wife began to pray to Shiva. This news was dropped at Bhima by the rakshasa guards and Bhima decided to kill the king. When Bhima raised his sword to chop off the the king´s head, Shiva appeared from the linga and repelled the sword together with his trident. Whatever weapon was employed by Bhima, Shiva´s trident destroyed all of them. Finally, Shiva killed Bhima and every one his rakshasa cohorts.

The gods were gratified and that they craved that Shiva might always remain within the place within the sort of the linga.

Vishvanathaand Varanasi :

The seventh of the jyotirlingas is known as Vishvanatha and it's located within the cityof Varanasi or Kashi.

Varanasi could be a very sacred place. Brahma himself performed difficult tapasya there. So difficult was the tapasya that Vishnu shook his head in disbelief. The place where the jewel fall is understood as Manikarnika and it's a famous tirtha.

Varanasi isn't destroyed when the remainder of the planet is destroyed. Shiva himself raises it on the purpose of his trident and protects it while destruction rages all around. When the planet is re-created. Shiva replaces Varanasi to its appointed place.

Shiva and Parvati once visited visit Brahma. Brahma started chanting hymns mantra in Shiva´s praise with all of his five mouths. one among the mouths however made mistakes within the pronunciation of the hymns. This angered Shiva and Shiva severed the offending head with a gaze of his sensory receptor. But this effectively amounted to the killing of a brahmana and Shiva committed a criminal offense. The severed head therefore got stuck to Shiva´s back would wouldn't come off, regardless of where Siva went. But when Shiva arrived in Varanasi, the pinnacle fell off his back. Shiva realized and became happy and said that Varanasi was a special destination for me and he resolved that he would always be present there.

Goutama and Trymbaka :

Towards the south side of the country there was a mountain and a hill named as Brahmaparvata. While they were meditating, there have been no rains within the forest for 100 years and there was a shortage of water. Living beings died from the drought. Goutama prayed to Varuna, the god of the ocean and also the rain. Varuna appeared and offered to grant a boon.

Please grant the boon that it would rain, said Goutama. I can´t try this, replied Varuna. that's beyond my powers. elicit something else instead.

Then allow us to have a pond within the forest that may always be stuffed with water, said Goutama. This was within Varuna´s powers and therefore the pond was created. the opposite sages also began to use water from this pond. Normally, Goutama sent his disciples to fetch water. But the disciples complained that the wives of the opposite sages failed to allow them to take the water. So Ahalya herself began to fetch the water. The wives of the opposite sages annoyed and pestered Ahyalya, but she never reacted. They therefore sought to plot a thought in order that these two might punished. They began to hope to Ganesha.

When Ganesha arrived, the sages said, Please grant us the boon that Goutama and Ahalya may well be banished from the hermitage.

Ganesha adopted the shape of a lean and starving cow and started to eat up the crop. Goutama tried to dispel the cow with a blade of grass. As soon as he struck and not survived then the cow with the blade of grass, the cow fell down and died. This was a terrible moment in the history. it had been the killing of a cow.

The other sages exiled Goutama and Ahalyathe two name from the hermitage. that they had to line up an ashrama (hermitage) that was a good distance away. the opposite sages completely disassociated themselves from Goutama and Ahalya. the opposite sages told him that he would first must travel round the world. After that, he would need to pray very hard for a whole month. the following task was to circle Brahmaparvata 100 times and bathe in a very hundred pots of water. this may complete the penance. All this Goutama and Ahalya did. They also prayed for an extended time to lord Shiva.

Ravana and Vaidyanatha :

The ninth of the jyotirlingas is known as Vaidyanatha.

Ravana, the king of the rakshasas, meditated within the Himalayas so on please Shiva. First he prayed on Mount Kailasa, but Shiva didn't appear. He then visited an area named Vrikshakhandaka which was a bit towards the south. He prayed there, but Shiva didn't appear. Ravana next dug a pit within the earth and began to hope inside infernal region. He established a Shiva linga inside perdition. Shiva still not appear.

Ravana therefore decided that he would immolate himself. Ravana, as you recognize, had ten heads. He lit a fireplace and severing his heads, began to supply them one by one to the hearth.

Please grant me the boon that i'll be very strong. And please restore my nine heads, replied Ravana.

These boons Shiva granted and also the place where Ravana prayed is understood as Vaidyanatha.

The gods weren't in any respect happy that Ravana had become so strong.

Boon, exclaimed Narada. Who believes in Shiva? Let me see if you'll lift up Mount Kailasa. If you'll try this, I shall indeed believe that you simply became strong. because the mountain shook, Shiva and Parvati were disturbed. Shiva cursed Ravana that soon a being would turn who would kill Ravana. This being was after all Rama, Vishnu´s incarnation.

Nagesha :

The tenth of the jyotirlingas is called Nagesha.

There accustomed be a rakshasa name Daruka. His wife was named Daruki. They lived in an exceedingly forest on the banks of the western sea.

Using this forest as a base, Daruka and Daruki began to oppress the globe. In desperation, the survivors visited a robust sage named Ourva. They told Ourva that he alone could save the globe from the depredations of those rakshasas.

As soon because the gods ought to realize this curse, they attacked the rakshasas. The demons were during a fix. If they failed to fight with the gods, they'd be slaughtered. But if they fought with the gods, they'd die thanks to Ourva´s curse. They decided that they'd go and board the ocean. because of the boon that Daruki had received from Parvati, the whole forest was also submerged within the ocean and have become the house of the rakshasas.

There the rakshasa lived. They failed to return to earth. But they imprisoned and killed any those who travelled in boats across the ocean.

The vaishya founded a linga within the prison and started to wish to Shiva. When the rakshasas saw this, they attacked him with weapons so on kill him. This vaishya was named Supriya. Shiva gave Supriya a pashupata, a divine weapon related to Shiva. With this the vaishya killed many demons. The remaining rakshasas were saved by Parvati´s intervention.

The linga that Supriya worshipped is Nagesha.

Rama and Rameshvara :

The eleventh of the jyotirlingas is known as Rameshvara.

Ravana had kidnapped Sita and Rama hunted for her everywhere. He was aided in his search by the monkeys.

While Rama was trying to decided the way to cross the ocean, he felt very thirsty. But when the water was brought, Rama realized that he shouldn't drink the water without first praying to Shiva.

Shiva blessed Rama and Rama requested him to remain therein place forever. it's this linga, on the shores of the ocean, that's called Rameshvara.

Ghushna and Ghushnesha :

The twelfth and last of the jyotirlingas is called Ghushnesha.

To the south, there's a mountain named Deva. A brahmana named Sudharma accustomed live there. His wife was called Sudeha. Husband and wife were righteous and often prayed to the gods. that {they had|they'd} only 1 reason for complaint: they had no son. Sudeha was especially disturbed at this. Other women attended insult her because she had no son.

Sudharma decided to conduct an experiment. He plucked two flowers and offered them ahead of a sacred fire. He mentally associated one in every of the flowers with having a son and asked his wife to decide on a flower. Unfortunately, his wife chose the flower that wasn't associated wtih having a son. From this Sudharma concluded that they weren't visiting have a son and he did his best to console Sudeha.

Why don´t you marry again? askedSudeha. Perhaps you'll then have a son. Marry my niece Gushna.

No, replied Sudharma. you're keen on her now because she is your niece. But if she does indeed have a son, you'll become jealous and can come to hate her.

Every day, Ghushna made 100 and one lingas out of clay and worshipped them. When the day´s prayers were over, she immersed the lingas during a pond. Shiva had taken pity on Sudharma and Ghushna.Sudeha convinced her husband that this might never happen. So Sudharma married Ghushna.

As her husband had warned her, she felt jealous. She thought that Gushna got more important and she or he was treated sort of a maid. within the middle of the night, Sudeha slew the boy with a knife and threw the body into the pond. This was the pond where the lingas had been immersed.

As was her wont, Ghushna got up within the morning and started to worship a linga. Blood was discovered on the bed, the boy couldn't be found and everybody raised the alarm. But Ghushna wasn't distracted by this racket and didn't leave her prayers. He also wished to kill the evil Sudeha along with his trident, but Gushna begged for her aunt´s life and Shiva spared Sudeha.

Ghushna desired that Shiva might alwaysbe present in an exceedingly linga near the pond. this can be called Ghushnesha.