The Legends of Shiva

Story of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

2020-07-19T14:00:00.018+05:30

||त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे||

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is the 10th Jyotirlinga temple dedicated to the Hindu Deity Lord Shiva according to the Dwadash Jyotirlinga Strotam. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is situated in the town of Trimbak in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, 28 km from the city of Nashik and 40 km from the Nashik road. The origin of the sacred river Godavari (which is the second-longest river after the Ganges) is near to the temple. The temple is situated between three hills named Bhramagiri, Nilagiri and Kalagiri.

A Hindu Genealogy Register at Haridwar

In Trimbakeshwar the Hindu genealogy registers are kept. Genealogy is the study of families and family trees. The tradition of keeping these genealogy records has been in practice since centuries. These records played a crucial role during the Partition of India in 1947 by tracing the families based on their Gotra, marriages, family trees etc. These records in many cases can trace the family back to twenty generations spread over centuries! In several cases, the present descendants are Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. (Another proof that only Sanatan Dharma existed in ancient India.)

Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb)

The present temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb). The Kusavarta kund in the temple premises was built by Shrimant Sardar Raosaheb Parnerkar, the Fadnavis of Indore. The temple is constructed in Hemadpanthi style of architecture which was native to the 13th century Maharashtra.

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

Legend of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga:

Maharishi Dirghatamas, Father of Maharishi Gautama

The legend of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga has a life-lesson for us all. The legend pertains to the second age- the Treta Yuga (about 21,65,121 years ago). There lived a rishi named Gautama. He was the son of Dirghatamas and belonged to the lineage of Maharishi Angira. Rishi Gautama and his wife Ahalya both were great devotees of Lord Shiva.

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple Entrance.

Once there was a severe famine in Trimbak. Everyone, the animals, humans, birds, insects were suffering because of this famine. Gautam Rishi was very kind so he did penance to please Varuna Deva (God of water element). Impressed by his penance the never ageing Lord Varuna appeared before him. He said, “Open your eyes Rishi Gautama! Your penance is now complete. Ask for a boon!” Rishi Gautama said, “Lord! The famine here in Trimbak has made everyone perish. Please give me the Akshaya Jal so that I may help everyone in this region and save their lives.” Lord Varun granted him his boon. Rishi Gautam constructed a pond and the Akshaya Jal was released into it.

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Deepmala

Now things began returning to normal. Due to the efforts of Rishi Gautama, he became very popular among the villagers. This made the other ascetics jealous of him. They plotted to tarnish his image and throw him out of the ashram. The other ascetics poisoned the Akshay Jal and bought a very frail cow which was in a half-dead state and tied it to Rishi Gautama’s ashram.

Trimbakeshwar Temple

The ever kind and pure soul Rishi Gautama when saw the cow, he immediately gave her rice to eat. But to his dismay, the cow died in front of him. Rishi Gautama was perplexed and shocked. “What have I done!? I have committed a sin of killing mother cow.” The conspirators were looking at the happenings. They condemned Rishi Gautama and drove him and his wife Ahalya from the ashram by hurling abuses and throwing stones at them.

Panch-Mukhi Trimbakraj Mukut of Lord Shiva

Rishi Gautama pleaded them to tell him a solution so that he could wash away his sin. The rishis said, “Only a bath in the waters of River Ganga will absolve you of your sins!” Hearing this, he went to the peak of Bhramagiri Mountain and began his penance to please Goddess Ganga.

The Scenic beauty of Trimbakeshwar Temple

Ganga appeared before him, “Rishi Gautama! I am pleased by your devotion to me. Ask for a boon, O sage!” Rishi Gautama was ecstatic. He prayed, “Devi! I have committed the sin of killing a cow. Please establish yourself her so that I can wash off myself of my sins and all the people here face no problems.” Ganga said, “I will establish myself here only if Lord Shiva agrees to stay here too. Do a penance to please Lord Shiva.” Saying this Devi Ganga faded away. Rishi Gautama now began to pray to Lord Shiva.

Goddess Ganga doing Abhishek of Lord Shiva at Trimbak

After years of penance, Lord Shiva appeared before him. Rishi Gautam was pleased and relieved to see him before his own eyes. Lord Shiva with his ever-smiling face, said, “Gautam! I am deeply influenced and moved by your devotion to me. Ask for your boon!” Rishi Gautam’s tears were flowing down seeing Mahadev. He was ecstatic and deeply calm. Inhaling a deep breath, he said, “Lord! I have committed the sin of killing a cow. I want to wash off my sins as well as liberate this land from the famine. Therefore, I request you to please seat yourself here and let Devi Ganga herself do your Jalabhishek. After this may she flow here in the form of a river and I can wash off my sins as well as Trimbak will never face famine again.”

Kusavarta Kund, the origin point of River Godavari.

Lord Shiva declared, “So be it! I will be seated here and this tirtha isthaan will be known as Trimbakeshwar. Pilgrims coming here will be washed off their sins and I will always stay here in order to guide my devotees.” He established himself in the form of Trimbakeshwar and Devi Ganga began her course from the present Kusavarta kund in the form of Godavari.

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

Hence Maharishi Gautam was washed off his sin and attained moksha at Trimbakeshwar. The life-lesson for all of us from this legend is that no matter what we should always stand by Dharma. Even if it is the whole world v/s you alone. A person’s ethics and character are not tested in good times. It is only in bad times that a person shows how steadfast he is to his dharma.

Statue of Devi Godavari in Trimbak

Darshan and Aarti Timings at Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga:

Divya Shringaar of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

5:30 AM to 9:00 PM- Darshan

7:00 AM to 9:00 AM- Special Pooja

1:00 PM to 1:30 PM- Mid-day Pooja and Bhog Aarti

4:00 PM to 5:00 PM- Golden Crown Shirngaar

It is currently not possible to see Trimbakeshwar live darshan as the temple has not made arrangements for it.

How to reach Trimbkeshwar Jyotirlinga:

By Air:

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai

The nearest international airport from Trimbakeshwar shiva temple is Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai which is 200 km away from Nashik. The nearest domestic airport is in Ozar which is 65 km from the temple. If you are travelling by air it is better to land in Mumbai because of its easy access to other cities.

By Train:

Nashik Road Railway Station

The nearest station to reach Trimbakeshwar is Nashik which is about 36 km away from the temple. Many trains ply from Pune, Mumbai and other big cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai etc. Nashik is a prominent station under central railways.

By Road:

Bhramagiri Hills, Nashik

The distance between Nashik and Trimbakeshwar is 36 km by road. Pune to Trimbakeshwar distance is about 250 km. Taxis, buses etc are available from Mumbai, Pune and other major cities to reach Trimbakeshwar.

Story of Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga

2020-07-05T12:14:00.007+05:30

||वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं||

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Kashi Vishwanath is the 9th Jyotirlinga of the supreme Lord Shiva. Kashi Vishwanath is situated in the ancient holy city of Varanasi, also known as Benaras in the state of Uttar Pradesh. I have personally been to Varanasi in 2018 and had the darshan of Baba Vishwanath. I also got the chance to do the Rudra-Abhishek and obtain the blessings of Lord Shiva. It is also known as the golden temple of Varanasi.

Remains of the destroyed ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Varanasi is the oldest surviving city of India and also its cultural capital. This city is situated on the western banks of the holiest river Ganga. In the heart of the city stands the temple of Kashi Vishwanath in its full glory. The old temple was destroyed by Aurangzeb who built the Gyanvyapi Mosque in its place. The old wall of the original Vishwanath temple can be seen clearly at the site.

Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore

The present structure was built by Maratha ruler Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is also known as the Golden Temple because 1-tonne gold was donated by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the first Sikh ruler for flaming temple dome.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first Sikh Ruler

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Gali

The Kashi Viswanath Gali is also a major attraction in Varanasi. The temple is reached through a series of narrow lanes. Local markets are set-up in the lanes and you get to see many more small and ancient temples here. The vendors have many facilities like locker rooms, puja thalis etc. Locker rooms are a necessity because taking anything other than worship material inside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is strictly prohibited.

Nandi Statue at Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The other attractions in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises are the Nandi statue and the Gyanvyapi well. When I visited the temple I was also surprised to see that the Nandi statue was not facing Lord Shiva. On researching a bit I came to know that from the point of the Nandi statue one could see the jyotirlinga directly. Hence, it is proved that the original temple stood where the Gyanvyapi mosque now stands.

Gyanvyapi Well in Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The second attraction is Gyanvyapi well. ‘Gyanvyapi’ means “well of knowledge.” This well is special because the original Jyotirlinga is hidden in the well. When the Muslim invader, Aurangzeb destroyed the Kashi Vishwanath temple, the chief priest uprooted the Shivling and jumped into the Gyanvyapi well to protect it from getting it into the hands of Aurangzeb. The devotees pay their respects to this well and drink water from this well that is offered by the priest.

Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

The most famous ghat of Varanasi is the Dasaswamedh Ghat which is located a mere 600 meters from the Temple. This ghat is famous because it is the main ghat of Varanasi. The Ganga aarti at this ghat is really mesmerising and peace-giving. You can also hire boats at Dashashwamedh ghat to take you to the centre of the river where you can take a dip. It is not recommended to swim as the water current is very strong and you can be carried away by it.

The priest performing Ganga Aarti

Legend of Kashi Vishwanath:

Kashi is very dear to Mahadev. It is said that anyone who dies in Kashi attains Moksha. Manikarnika Ghat which is situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga is a Shaktipeetha of Devi Sati.

The city of Kashi

Vishwanath means “lord of the universe.” Lord Bhrama was very proud of his creation. But the human that he created was miserable. There was misery, sadness, anarchy everywhere. Once Lord Shiva decided to see the creation of Lord Bhrama. When he saw the creation he became so upset and enraged at the same time. Looking at the creation, his eyes welled up with tears and when they fell on the ground, Rudraksha beads came into being. He was shocked and grief-stricken.

Lord Kal- Bhairav with Brahma's 5th Head

Lord Shiva assumed the form of deadly Bhairava- the furious one. With his sharp claws, Bhairava attacked Bhrama. He snatched out his fifth head with his sharp claws. Brahma shrieked in agony and begged for mercy, but there was none in the infuriated Bhairava’s eyes.

Plan of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Brahma pleaded to Shiva. He said, “I created the world, not the misery! The world is neither happy nor sad, neither beautiful nor ugly. It just is! Everything else is just the perception of the mind.” “But you created the mind too!” Bhairava interrupted Brahma. Who controls the mind? Can the mind be enlightened by truth or can it be deluded by perceptions? The questions were interesting.

Murti of Goddess Ganga at Dashashwamedh Ghat

Lord Shiva, with the severed head of Brahma, came to Avimukta, Kashi. There he sought the answers as to how to control the mind. Finally, he found the way: YOGA. Since Lord Shiva found all his answers here at Kashi and also got liberated from the sin of Bhram-hatya, Kashi became dear to him.

Lord Shiva teaching Yoga to the Saptrishis

After a day of Bhrama(8,64,00,00,000 human years to be precise! Yes, that is huge) is completed, Pralay starts. During this time Lord Shiva holds the city of Kashi on his Trishul and saves it from destruction. After the Pralay, he again establishes Kashi on the earth. Hence, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is of great significance for Shaivites.

Preparation of the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Timings:

Saptrishi Aarti of Baba Vishwanath

02:30 AM- Temple opening hours.

03:00 AM- 04:00 AM- Mangala Aarti.

04:00 AM- 06:00 PM- Rudrabhishek

06:00 AM- 06:00 PM- Sugam Darshan( VIP Darshan with Shastri)

11:15 AM- 12:20 PM- Bhog Aarti.

07:00 PM- 08:15 PM- Sandhya Aarti.

09:15 PM- 10:15 PM- Shringaar Aarti.

10:30 PM- 11:00 PM- Shayan Aarti.

11:00 PM- Temple closing hours.

How to reach Kashi Vishwanath/ Varanasi:

By Road:

Varanasi Bypass Road, Varanasi.

I chose this method to travel to Varanasi because it is flexible as well as more enjoyable tan train or aeroplane. If you live in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or Bihar I would personally suggest travelling by road. Varanasi has excellent connectivity with the major cities of India. It is around 300 km from Lucknow and takes around 5 to 6 hours to reach. The roads are also well maintained although you may encounter some rough terrain depending on the route.

By Train:

Kashi - Mahakal Express.

Varanasi is well connected to all the major cities of India. The Varanasi Railway Junction and Kashi railway station are the two major railheads. The Indian railways also started a private special train ‘Kashi- Mahakaal Humsafar Express’ which travels from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Indore Indore in Madhya Pradesh via Lucknow. The train is operated with 84201/84202 train numbers twice in a week.

By Air:

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi

Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or the Varanasi Airport is well linked to major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai etc. Flights are available from Kathmandu also. One can hire a prepaid taxi to reach the city centre. Domestic carriers like Indigo, Air India operate flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Khajuraho, Goa etc.

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Story of Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

2020-06-14T14:00:00.018+05:30

||नागेशं दारुकावने||

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is the eighth jyotirlinga of the supreme God Shiva. The meaning of the word “Nageshwar” is “The Lord of the Serpents”. The Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is located on the route between Dwarka and Byet Dwarka island on the coast of Saurashtra in the coastal state of Gujarat. The Shivling in Nageshwar is one of the swyambhu Shivlings in the world located in an underground sanctum.

Lord Shiva is worshipped here in the form of Nageshwar and Devi Parvati as Nageshwari. The temple is built in the same Chaulukya style of architecture as the Somnath Jyotirlinga. The temple complex also has a 25m tall statue of Lord Shiva sitting in meditation. The Nageshwar Shivling has grooves on it which make it look like 3-Mukhi rudraksha.

LEGEND:

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Shikhar

The legend of this Jyotirlinga starts with the demoness Daruka, who, with her intense penance obtained the boon from Devi Parvati that she would become the mistress (स्वामिनी) of the forest where she did the penance. Devi Parvati blessed Daruka and named the forest as Darukavana. Since Daruka was an asura, she began to do Tamsic practices.

She declared, “I hate those persons who always show laziness by worshipping Gods but never do any hard-work. I will hold such persons, captive and make them do work.” Saying this, she ordered her soldiers to capture any person they find sitting and doing nothing or just praying to God. The soldiers captured many people and forced them into labour. She prohibited anyone from worshipping God as she perceived it as laziness.

Nageshwar Town

Meanwhile, being the mistress of the Daruka Forest, the demoness Daruka moved the entire forest and re-established it in the ocean. Her soldiers bought the peasants to Darukavana and the demoness Daruka ordered them to construct a town in the forest. The peasants in fear began chanting Lord Shiva’s name. They were flogged, humiliated, beaten, and even tortured.

But there was a Vaishya named Supriya who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He applied Bhasma over his body, wore Rudraksha beads, and would eat only after worshipping his Aaradhaya, Lord Shiva. He challenged Daruka’s reputation by defying her orders. He sat there and began chanting Lord Shiva’s name. He was brutally beaten by Daruka’s soldiers but did not stop chanting Lord Shiva’s name. Seeing his devotion, the others also joined him.

25 m Tall Statue of Lord Shiva at Nageshwar

The demoness Daruka could not bear this. She ordered her soldiers, “Burn these foolish people alive! They have dared to disobey the mighty Daruka.” The soldiers obeyed her mistress and gathered the peasants in a circle and lit the fire. But the fire could not even touch them. Seeing this Daruka’s furiousness knew no bounds. She unsheathed her sword and rushed towards the innocent peasants to behead them.

Just as she moved forward with her unsheathed sword, the skies began to thunder as if something terrible is going to happen. Her sword just vanished in thin air. Just as she was contemplating what just happened, Lord Shiva appeared before her and the innocent peasants. Daruka was stunned. She straightaway thundered, “Mahadev! Your intervention like this is not justified. All that is happening is due to the boon of your wife, Devi Parvati.”

Scenic View of Nagehswar Jyotirlinga

Her comment infuriated Mahadev. He thundered, “Nothing is happening according to the boon. All this is happening due to the misuse of the boon that Parvati gave you! Release all the peasants right now or else the results will be destructive for you!” Daruka, trying to justify her actions, said “Mahadev! I accept that I have tortured these people, but you only tell that people now waste all their time in worship whereas the target of life is doing your Karma. Due to this, they become lazy. I am only trying to remove their laziness.”

Daruka marched forward. Lord Shiva threw a ball of fire as a warning to Daruka. Seeing this, Daruka began to call out Devi Parvati, pleading for help. Devi Parvati appeared, listening to her devotee’s call for help. Daruka began to rant about how Mahadev is obstructing her path for the welfare of the world. Devi Parvati was enraged. She said, “My boon has not been insulted by Mahadev but by you! You have used my boon as a means of exploitation. You have used it as a means of establishing your supremacy.”

Lord Nageshwar Aarti

Hearing this, Daruka realized her folly. She was at a loss of words. She apologized to Devi Parvati and Mahadev for her acts. Mahadev smiled and said, “Hard work is only for filling your tummies and it should be limited to that only. The entire goal of life is not to fill your tummies but to come closer to God which is possible only with the development of one’s soul. The soul’s development is possible only through Chintan (concern for others), madad(helping others), Sangeet(singing songs of God) and Satsang(spiritual discourse). This development of soul salvages humanity and leads the person towards Godhood.”

The Lord continued “How did you forget that to become powerful and obtain the boon from Parvati you also did a penance doing nothing but only sitting. Will you assume your penance as an example of laziness? The efforts we put into hard-work are less as compared to the mental and spiritual upliftment of a soul. For advancing spiritually one has to concentrate fully on his/her Aaradhaya.”

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

Lord Shiva also gave an important life lesson to Supriya. “There are four pillars of life. They are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. All these four pillars play an equal and important role in the life of a human being. Sticking only to dharma and neglecting the other three pillars is not acceptable and even the Gods do not accept it. God only helps those who have the courage to help themselves first.”

Lord Shiva declared, “This region (Darukavan) came into existence because of Parvati. Therefore I will also stay here in the form of Nageshwar. I will guide and inspire people to do their best in life.” Lord Shiva is worshipped here in the form of Nageshwar and Devi Parvati in the form of Nageshwari.

Lord Nageshwar and Devi Nageshwari

DARSHAN AND AARTI TIMINGS:

05:00 AM- Temple opening Hours

05:30 AM- Morning Aarti

06:00 AM to 12:00 Noon- Abhishek Timings

12:00 Noon- Bhog Aarti

12:30 PM- Temple Closing Hours

03:00 PM- Temple Reopens

04:00 PM- Shringaar Darshan

07:00 PM- Shringaar Aarti

09:00 PM- Shayan Aarti

09:30 PM- Temple Closing Hours

How to Reach:

How to reach Dwarka by Air

Jamnagar Airport

Jamnagar airport is the nearest domestic airport, which links Dwarka with all the main cities of the country. It is situated at a distance of 137 km from this holy city. One can get frequent flights for different destinations from here. International travellers can come down to Dwarka through the Mumbai International Airport. From Jamnagar, one can take a cab and can arrive at the enchanting city of Dwarka.

How to reach Dwarka by Rail

Dwarka Railway Station

How to reach Dwarka by Road

Dwarka Expressway

Dwarka railway station located in the Ahmedabad - Okha rail route and is linked to other main railheads of the regions. One can easily reach the city without facing any kind of difficulty. The tourists can get full information regarding how to reach Vishakhapatnam from many other sources as well.

Story of Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga

2020-05-30T11:12:00.011+05:30

||सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं||

Rameshwaram Jtotirlinga Temple, Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is the seventh Jyotirlinga dedicated to the supreme God Shiva. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is situated on the Rameshwaram Island, district-Ramnathpuram, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. the word Rameshwaram means “the god of Lord Ram”. This temple was consecrated by Lord Ram and is, therefore, one of the holiest shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple has the longest corridor amongst all the Indian temples. This Jyotirlinga is one of the most revered shrines for both the Shaivites(followers of Lord Shiva) and the Vaishnavites(followers of Lord Vishnu).

Majestic Gopurams of Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga Temple

The temple has been built according to the South Indian temple architecture. The temple was not built by one or two kings but a number of them across centuries. The main eastern Gopuram was built in the 17th century by Dalai Setupati. The world-famous third corridor was constructed by Muthuramalinga Setupati. This corridor was called “Chokkatam Mandapam”.

Legend:

Lord Ram at Rameshwaram

The Jyotirlinga of Rameshwaram was consecrated by the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ram in Treta Yuga(the third Yuga). After the demon King Raavan had abducted Lady Sita and Lord Hanuman found her on the island of Lanka, Shri Ram, Vanar Raj Sugreev(King of the Vanaras), King Jambhvanth( King of bears), Lord Hanuman and the entire Vanar-Sena reached Danushkodi.

Lord Ram prayed to Lord Varuna( Lord of the water element) and took his help to build a bridge on the sea. But when the construction of the bridge started, Lord Ram decided to pray to Lord Shiva to get his blessings before the war. Lord Ram made a Parthiv Linga out of the sand and called on the Sapthrishi Mandal to do the ‘Pran Pratishta’ and the puja.

Ram Setu, Danushkodi, Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

Lord Siva appeared at the spot and asked Lord Ram for his wish. Lord Ram said, “Lord! Please bless me and help me to win over Raavan. He is also your devotee. He is invincible but because of your boon, he has turned boastful. He has won over all the three worlds. I am your servant. Bless me so that I can defeat Adharma.” Lord Shiva was delighted and said, “Thatastu!”

Lord Ram requested him to stay at Rameshwaram for purifying the souls in the future and for the welfare of others. Hearing this Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a jyotirlinga and established himself there.

Darshan and Aarti timings:

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga

05:00 A.M.- Temple opens

05:00 A.M -Palliyarai Deepa Aradhana

05:10 A.M -Spadigalinga Deepa Aradhana

05:45 A.M -Thiruvananthal Deepa Aradhana

07:00 A.M -Vila Pooja

10:00 A.M -Kalasanthi Pooja

12:00 NOON -Uchikala Pooja

01:00 P.M to 03:00 P.M.- Temple Closes

3:00 P.M.-Temple Opens

06:00 P.M- Sayaratcha Pooja

08.30 P.M -Arthajama Pooja

08:45 P.M -Palliyarai Pooja

09:00 P.M. - Temple closing time.

World's Longest Corridor is at Rameshwaram Temple

How To Reach:

By Air:

Danushkodi Airel View

The nearest airport is at Madurai, about 175 km from Rameshwaram. The airport is well connected to major cities like Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Prepaid Taxis are available from the airport.

By Train:

Pamban Railway Bridge, Rameshwaram

The Rameshwaram railway station is the main railhead. Trains are available from Chennai, Madurai, Bengaluru which stop at this station. Taxis are available from the station.

By Road:

Road Bridge to the island of Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram is well connected to the major cities of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation buses ply regularly from Chennai, Kanyakumari, Madurai and other cities to Rameshwaram. Buses also ply from Tirupati to Rameshwaram.

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Namaste Dear Readers!

Story of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

2020-05-10T14:09:00.014+05:30

डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्।

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is the sixth Jyotirlinga in the Dwadash Jyotirlinga Strotam. Bhimashankar is situated in Sahyadri Hills, 125 km away from Pune, Maharastra. The locals call it by the name Shivtirth Bhimashankar. At this place, a great war took place between Lord Shiva and the demon Bheem, son of Kumbhkarana and Vajravala. The Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga has gained immense popularity after it has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary. This sanctuary is a part of The Western Ghats and has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. A rare animal, known as the Malabar Giant Squirrel which the locals call “Shekaru” can be found deep in the woods.

Malabar Giant Squirrel

The Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is a mix of old and new structures in the Nagra style of architecture. The temple dates back to the 13th century and the sabha mandap was built in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis. Historic kings like the great Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rajaram Maharaj have been known to visit this shrine and contribute to its development. Bhimashankar is also the source of the river Bhima which merges with the river Krishna near Raichur. The Bhimashar Jyotirlinga is also a swyambhu Shivling like the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.

Nana Phadnavis, the builder of Sabhamandap in Bhimashankar

Story of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga:

After the battle between Lord Ram and the demon king Raavan in Treta Yuga, everything was returning to normal. Kumbhakaran, the younger brother of Raavan had a wife named Vajravala. When Bhima (son of Kumbhkarana, not to be confused with Bheema of Mahabharat) was born, he always asked about his father. Vajravala said, “Your father was the great Kumbhakaran, the younger brother of Raavan. He was killed along with his brothers by Lord Ram in a fierce battle.”

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Garbh Grih Entrance

She continued, “My father’s name was Karkat and my mother was Pushkasi. Viradh was my husband who was also killed by Lord Ram in the past. After his death, I went to my parent’s house. One day they attempted to kill Rishi Sutikshan for food. But Sutikshan was a tapasvi. Angered he burned them both to ashes. Since then I am living here on this mountain.”

Hearing this, Bhima developed hatred towards Lord Vishnu. He went to the forests to do a strict penance. After a thousand years of penance, Lord Brahma appeared before him. Bhima said, “Lord! Give me a boon to become the strongest person in the entire universe.” Lord Brahma agreed and gave him the boon.

Obtaining the boon of invincibility, Bhima attacked the Devas. He defeated everyone, even Lord Vishnu and began conquering the earth. He captured King Sudakshin who was a devotee of Lord Shiva and captured his kingdom. He imprisoned King Sudakshin. The king, being an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva made a Parthiv Linga and began his rituals.

The scenic nature view of Bhimashankar

Meanwhile, the Rishis and the defeated Devas went to the banks of River Kosi to pray to Lord Shiva to put an end to the atrocities committed by the demon Bhima. Lord Shiva appeared before them and declared, “I will appear soon in the form of Bhimashankar and re-establish Dharma.” The Devtas and the Rishis were relieved hearing this.

Lord Shiva, along with his army appeared on the Sahyadri Mountain and hid there. King Sudakshin was routinely praying to Lord Shiva when the demon Bhima appeared with his naked sword, ready to behead him. But as soon as he swooshed his sword towards Sudakshin, Lord Shiva appeared along with his bow, Pinaka and broke Bhima’s sword like a blade of grass.

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

Bhima hurled his Trishul towards him but Lord Shiva shattered his Trishul into bits and pieces. Then started a fierce battle between Mahadev and the demon Bhima. At one time it seemed that Lord Shiva was gaining an upper hand and on the other hand it seemed that Bhima was winning. Suddenly in the blink of an eye, Lord Shiva opened his third eye and burned all the demons to ashes.

King Sudakshin, who was an eye-witness to this whole battle fell at Lord Shiva’s feet and prayed to him to stay here forever to destroy Adharma and protect his devotees. Lord Shiva blessed him and manifested himself in the form of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.

Darshan and Aarti Timings:

4:30 AM- Kakda Aarti.

5:00 AM- Nijrup Darshan and Abhishek starts.

12:00 PM- Naivedya Puja(No Abhishek at this time in the Garbh Grih).

12:30 PM- Regular Puja, Abhishek starts.

3:00 PM- Madhyan Aarti(no Darshan till aarti is over, about 45 mins).

4:00 PM to 9:30 PM- Shringar Darshan(no Abhishek inside).

7:30 PM- Sandhya Aarti.

9:30 PM- Mandir Closing Time.

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Shringaar Darshan

How to Reach:

By Air:

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj International Airport in Pune

The nearest airport is Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj International Airport in Pune, Maharastra. The Bhimashanakr Jyotirlinga is situated at a distance of 105kms, around two and a half-hour drive from Pune. The airport is well connected to the major cities of India.

By Rail:

Pune Junction Railway Station

Pune Railway station is the closest railway station. The station is well connected to all the major cities of India. You can hire a taxi to Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.

By Road:

Road to Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

There are buses available from Kalyan and Ghatkopar to travel to Bhimashankar. You can also hire a private Cab/Taxi to reach Bhimashankar.

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Namaste Dear Readers!

Story of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga

2020-04-19T12:09:00.012+05:30

Baidyanath Temple Premises

||परल्यां वैद्यनाथं||

Baidyanath Jyotirlingam is the fifth Jyotirlinga of the supreme god Lord Shiva. Here he resides in the form of a ‘वैद्य’ (Doctor) and therefore he is known as Baidyanath. The Jyotirlinga is situated in the town of Deogarh, Jharkhand. The temple complex consists of 22 temples in total. The main temple is of Lord Shiva who is seated there in the form of Vaidyanath. Just opposite to Baidyanath temple is the temple of Devi Parvati. The Maa Parvati temple is tied up with the main temple, with huge red sacred threads which are unique and worthy of reverence, showing the unity of Shiva and Shakti. According to the stories narrated in the Shiva Purana, the holy Baidyanath temple resembles the unity of souls and thus fits marriage for Hindus.

The mention of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga is found in the Shiv Maha Puran and the Padma Puran(Pataal Khand). The present temple of Baba Baidyanath was built by King Puran Mal who was the Rajput ruler of Amber. The Baidyanath Dham is also known as Baba Dham. Unlike Somnath or Rameshwaram or Srisailam, here the devotees can get satisfaction by offering Abhishek themselves on the Jyotirlinga. The pandas who perform different poojas for devotees are very important persons. They have a union called Dharmarakshini Sabha founded by revolutionary Pandit Shivram Jha. The devotee can also buy Peda as prasad from Babadham. Peda is a local specialty of Deoghar. Babadham has a regular and well-maintained office to accept offerings and donations.

Story of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga:

When Raavan offered his head to Lord Shiva

The story of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga starts with Raavan. Raavan was the demon king of Lanka but the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva. He always observed penances to please his Lord. This time too he did the same. But this time there was a twist. Even after the passage of many kalpas, Lord Shiva was not happy with his penance. Therefore Raavan decided to do a stricter penance. What he did this time was that he dug up a big pit in the earth and started a Yagya to please his Lord. In the summer months, he used to do Yagya, in the Monsoon season, he stood on one leg in open fields, meditating while in the winter months he did penance underwater. Still, Lord Shiva was not moved by his penance.

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

After trying and trying and trying, Raavan finally decided to sacrifice all his ten heads to Lord Shiva. Each time he used to worship Lord Shiva according to the rituals, chop off his head and offer it to Lord Shiva. This went on till he had offered his nine heads to him. He was bleeding heavily and was in great pain. Just as he was about to chop off his tenth head, Lord Shiva appeared before him. Raavan was very happy to see him. Lord Shiva took the form of Baidyanath and cured the injured Raavan back to health. When Lord Shiva asked Raavan for making his wish, Raavan said, “Lord! Come with me to Lanka. Provide me with the opportunity to worship and serve you all my life.” Hearing this Lord Shiva said, “So be it! I will take the form of a linga and come with you. But be warned, if you ever put me on the ground I will be seated then and there only and then you will not be able to carry me any further.” So Raavan began his Journey from Kailash to his city, Lanka with the shivling in his hands.

Ravan's penance to Please Lord Shiva

But after some time because of the ‘Maya’ of Lord Shiva, Raavan felt the need to answer nature’s call. Raavan tried to control it but failed. Since he could not put the shivling on the ground, he began to look for someone who could hold it for him. He spotted a shepherd and prayed to him to hold the shivling until he comes back. Saying this he gave the shivling to the shepherd and hurried to answer nature’s call. No sooner did he give it to the shepherd, the shivling began to become heavier. Now it became unbearable for the shepherd to hold any longer. He put the shivling on the ground. That’s it! The shivling was now established on the ground.

Meanwhile, Raavan came back. He was shocked to see the linga on the ground and tried to lift it to take it to Lanka. Then he remembered Lord Shiva’s words. Dejected, he again sat there to pray to him. Lord Shiva gave him the boon of limitless strength. Contented, Raavan went back to Lanka.

Darshan and Aarti timings:

Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga

On a normal day, the worshipping of Baidyanath Jyotirlingam begins at 4 AM The temple doors open at this time. The Head priest worships with Shodashopachar. Then the devotees begin their worship of the lingam.

The most interesting tradition is that priests of the temple pour kuchcha Jal upon the lingam first, later on, other pilgrims pour water and offer flowers and Vilva leaf upon the lingam. The Puja rituals continue till 3.30 PM After this, the temple doors are closed.

In the evening at 6 PM the doors are opened again for devotees/ pilgrims and the process of worshipping begins. At this time Shringar Puja takes place.

Scent is spread over the lingam. Again a stream of water is poured over the lingam. Sandal paste of Malayagiri is also pasted on the head of the lingam. There is an interesting tradition that a snake-like throne of flowers (Jata Mukut) is also placed on the lingam which comes regularly from the Deoghar Jail since the British time

Normally, at 9 PM the temple doors are closed.

During various religious occasions, the darshan timings are extended depending on the decision taken by the mandir committee.

How to reach Baidyanath:

By Train:

Deoghar is well connected to the rest of India via railways as well. Regular rail services, both passenger and express trains, operate daily to and fro Deoghar. Baidyanath Dham Junction is the principal railway station that serves the city of Deoghar.

By Flight:

There is no direct flight connectivity to Deoghar. Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport (Patna Airport) is the nearest airport available from Deoghar.

By Road:

Regular bus services ply to and fro the city of Deoghar. They operate daily, through a well-connected roadways network, whether day or night, from places like Patna, Ranchi, etc. You can also take shared taxis or cabs for the same route.

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What is the meaning and significance of 'OM' ?

2020-04-05T12:00:00.025+05:30

The Holy Symbol of 'OM'

Om is one of the holiest symbols of Sanatan Dharma. Everyone must have heard and uttered ‘Om’ at the starting of every mantra. Those who do yoga must have uttered ‘Om’ before the starting and after finishing your Yoga class. So, what is this mysterious symbol ‘ॐ’? Om is the sacred sound of the universe. It represents the ultimate consciousness of the soul or what we call as ‘Atman’ and 'Bhraman’ meaning the ultimate reality. The syllable ‘Om’ is recited before the beginning and at the end of each chapter in the Vedas, the Upanishads and almost all other holy texts. ‘Om’ is also recited in meditative states and also during Yoga.

ORIGIN OF OM:

No one knows about the origin of Om. Om was there before the beginning and it will be present even after the end of the cosmos. We always have to remember that ‘Om’ is not a word but a syllable. The syllable ‘Om’ has no meaning. Everyone is made from the cosmos and in the cosmos and only those can tell the meaning of ‘Om’ who are in the cosmos. But the entire cosmos is in ‘Om’. The meaning of ‘Om’ can never be understood. It can only be felt. It is possible only when the mind is in a deep meditative state i.e. when there is no thought, desire, dream or expectation in the mind of the person, when the mind is completely still. ‘Om’ can never be constructed, nor it has ever been because the entire cosmos is made from the sound of ‘Om’.

It is true that in the beginning of the cosmos there was only the Holy Trinity (TRIDEV). Here we must understand that ‘Om’ and the Holy Trinity are not different but the recitation of ‘Om’ is the recitation of the Holy Trinity. When a seeker/ devotee recites ‘Om’ with full concentration and stillness, he can listen to the cosmic sound of ‘Om’ around him and also feel the presence of the Holy Trinity at one place and at the same time.

Why ॐ occurs before every mantra and not anywhere else?

‘Om’ is the sound of cosmos. It is a form of energy. Reciting ‘Om’ before any mantra cleanses the body of any impurities and focuses one’s mind. Chanting ‘Om’ has many benefits. Firstly it synchronizes the body’s energy with the cosmic energy. This synchronization brings about an unusual kind of bliss in the person. Second, chanting ‘Om’ has been believed to summon all the Gods before yourself and asking them to become a part of and accept the sacrifice of the devotee.

If you want to know about the Science behind "Om" 2.0 : Body and Brain , click on the blue link.

SECTIONS OF OM (ॐ):

Sections of 'OM'

ॐ has three and a half sections viz. आ-३-म्. The first section is ‘आ’. The vibrations of ‘आ’ pulsate with Lord Brahma. While reciting the sound of ‘आ’, you will feel vibrations just above your belly button. This point is the ‘Brahmisthaan’( seat of Lord Brahma). According to chakra system, at this point the Swadishthan/ Sacral chakra is situated. From the sound of ‘आ’ springs the creation. Now you can relate that Lord Brahma is the creator and why the sound of ‘आ’ pulsates with him.

OM Ashram in Pali, Rajasthan

The next section is ‘३’. The vibrations of ‘३’ pulsate with Lord Vishnu/Narayana. While reciting the sound of ‘३’ you will feel vibrations from your belly button upto your lower chest, just below your heart. This point is the ‘Vishnuisthaan’( seat of Lord Vishnu). According to chakra system, at this point the Manipura/ Solar Plexus chakra is situated. The sound of ‘३’ nourishes us. It is a complement. Similarly you can relate here too that why the sound of ‘३’ pulsates with Lord Vishnu.

The next section is ‘म्’. The vibrations of ‘म्’ pulsate with Lord Shiva. While reciting the sound of ‘म्’ you will feel vibrations from your belly button to your throat. This point is the ‘Neelkanth’( seat of Lord Shiva). According to chakra system, at this point the Vishuddhi/ Throat chakra is situated. Same is the case with the sound of ‘म्’. It is a ‘shuddhikaarak’.

The last and the half section is where all three sections are present but this section cannot be pronounced. This is ‘shunya’, ‘shanti’ or the ultimate bilss/ pleasure.

You can experience these three sections too. Just follow the steps below and you will be astonished with the results:

Sit in a cross legged posture with back erect, palms facing upward and the head slightly tilted backward.
Keeping your body relaxed, inhale deeply, recite ‘आ…..’ until you exhale completely. You will feel vibrations just above your belly button.
Now again keeping your back straight, inhale, recite ‘३…..’ until you exhale completely. You will feel vibrations from your belly button to just below your heart.
Repeat this with ‘म् ……’ until you exhale completely. You will feel vibrations in your throat.
Do this exercise and tell about your experience in the comments below.

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Story of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga

2020-03-29T13:11:00.017+05:30

उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥

Omkareshwar Town
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is the fourth holy shrine of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. The island is shaped like the holy symbol of ॐ. It is situated in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. state in India. It is about 12 km from Mortakka in Madhya Pradesh. Omkareshwar is formed by the sacred river Narmada. This is one of the most sacred of rivers in India and is now home to one of the world's biggest dam projects. The temple is situated on Mandatha island on the banks of river Narmada and river Kaveri (a tributary of Narmada). The island is 2.6 km² (2,600,000 m²) in the area and can be approached by boats or by foot-over bridges. There is no way a motorised vehicle can enter the Island. The temple is situated on a mountain and one has to climb several stairs to reach the Garbgrih. The crowd is very much on special days like Sundays(being a holiday), Mondays(because it is the day of Lord Shiva) and on other special days in the Hindu calendar.

Story of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga:

Once upon a time, there was a man named Vindhya. He had the desire to become the tallest human being in the whole world. One day Narad Muni was on an excursion. Seeing Vindhya he stopped to talk to him. Vindhya, after paying respect to him said, “Devrishi Narad! I want to become the tallest of all the humans on this earth. No one should be taller than me.” Hearing this Narad Muni said “If you want this then pray to Lord Shiva. He will grant you this boon for sure.”

Lord Omkareshwar Shringar

Hearing this Vindhya began to pray to Lord Shiva. After years of Tapasya Lord Shiva appeared before him. Seeing him before his eyes, Vindhya’s happiness knew no bounds. Lord Shiva asked him for his boon. Vindhya replied, “Lord! I want to become the tallest of all in the world. No one should be taller than me.” Hearing this Lord Shiva said, “I will give you this boon but always remember my words, with this boon do not do anything that creates a problem for you or for the world." Vindhya having promised Lord Shiva got the boon and began to increase his size. Soon he became the tallest on the entire earth. But he feared that his rival Meru may also have asked for the same boon. Therefore he began to increase his size even more. At this stage, he became so big that his weight was becoming unbearable for Devi Prithvi(Hindi name of the earth).

View of river Narmada from Mandhata Island

All the gods along with Goddess Prithvi went to Lord Shiva. Everyone put their problems before him. Lord Chandra(moon) and Lord Surya(sun) said, " Lord! Vindhya is increasing his size without stopping. We are in fear that we may crash with Vindhya." Hearing their pleas, Lord Shiva said," Vindhya will have to grow even more." The gods were in for a shock. Dev Rishi Narad having understood Mahadev's plan instantly went to Vindhya. Vindhya, on seeing him said with arrogance," See! Devrishi I have become the tallest of all." Devrishi Narad muffled a laugh and said," No doubt Vindhya that you have become the tallest of all on the earth. Your Shikhar(Head/peak) is the tallest on earth but since you are now in Aakash(sky) the competition has changed. Look at the Planets and Nakshatras they are Bigger and taller than you and look at Tridev and in tridev especially Mahadev. No one is taller than Mahadev." Hearing his words, Vindhya thundered and declared," I will become the tallest! I will become taller than even Mahadev!" Devrishi Narad hearing this realised that his work has been done and went away from there.

Mandhata Island

Meanwhile, Vindhya continued to grow. After some time he began to hear the sound of "OM". Just as he began to realize what was happening around him, he saw Lord Shiva meditating. Vindhya was awestruck at Lord Shiva's size. Compared to him, Vindhya was only a grain of rice. Vindhya realized his folly and pleaded, "Forgive me, Lord! Forgive me! I have realized my grave foolishness. Please take back your boon. I have realized that I became blind because of arrogance." Mahadev smiled and closed his eyes. In a flash, Vindhya became as he was earlier.

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

Mahadev appeared before him and said," Your size can never become your source for happiness. Always remember, if you are small there must be something that is, even more, smaller than you. Similarly, there will be something that will be bigger/taller than you. Comparing yourself with someone and wishing that you were more than him is foolishness. Everyone's size is decided by the work that he has to perform." After this Mahadev explained the significance of OM to Vindhya. [UPDATE] The meaning of Om the article about the significance and meaning of Om. For now, we go back to the legend of Omkareshwar. After explaining the significance of OM to Vindhya, Vindhya requested Lord Shiva to establish a shivling and guide his devotees. Lord Shiva established two shivlings at Omkareshwar. The first one came to be known as Omkareshwar while the second one was known by the name, Mamleshwar. The reason behind this was that the Omkareshwar Shivling was so powerful that no grihsta person could bear its power. The establishment of a second shivling struck a balance between both the Lingas, thereby making it possible for a normal person to bear its power.

DARSHAN AND AARTI TIMINGS:

5:00 AM - Temple Opening Hours & Naivedya Bhog

5:30 AM - Darshan Starts

12:00 Noon to 1:10 PM- Midday Bhog

1:15 PM - Darshan Start

4:00 PM - Shringar Darshan of Lord Omkareshwar(No Jal Abhishek allowed after 4 pm)

8:30 PM to 9:00 PM- Shayan Aarti

9:00 PM to 9:35 PM- Shayan Darshan

10:00 PM- Closing

Omkareshwar Mandir Gali

HOW TO REACH OMKARESHWAR:

By Flight:
There is no airport in Omkareshwar. However, air passengers can take the flight to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore which is located 77 KM from Omkareshwar. Another closest airport is in Bhopal. Private cabs and radio taxis are easily available from the airports to reach the desired destination.

By Road:
The nearest bus stand is at Mhow which is located 48 KM from Omkareshwar. The next major bus stop is at Khandwa at a distance of 73 KM. Tourists can also board direct buses from Ujjain, Indore, Bhopal and other cities. Seats in Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (MPRTC) buses and private buses can be booked online.

By Train:
Omkareshwar, fortunately, has its own railhead. Many trains ply from different cities to reach Omkareshwar Road. The station is on the Akola-Ratlam railway line.

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Story of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

2020-03-22T11:59:00.020+05:30

उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

Mahakaleshwar or simply 'Mahakal' is one of the most powerful forms of Lord Shiva. 'Kala' means time and 'Mahakal' means the controller of time. Lord Shiva is the master of time. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is situated in the ancient City of Ujjain on the banks of river Narmada. Lord Shiva resides here as the master of time. The shivling at Mahakaleshwar is a swyambhu shivling meaning "self created". The shivling has emerged naturally form the earth. The temple consists of 3 levels. In the basement Lord Mahakal is seated. On the Ground floor Lord Omkareshwar is seated and on the first floor Lord Nagchandreshwar is seated. the doors of Lord Nagchandreshwar open only on the day of 'Nag Panchmi' for the public. The shivling of Lord Mahakal faces south in this temple. Lord Shiva is also known as 'Dakshinamurti' meaning the teacher who faces south. It is believed that Lord Shiva revealed and taught the science of yoga to his 7 disciples who later came to be known as 'Saptrishis', who are credited with spreading this science all over the world.

The life of the people of the city of Ujjain revolves around their deity Lord Mahakaal. He is considered as the king of the city of Ujjain and the protector of its people. Ujjain is one of the four places where drops of ‘Amrit’ the holy nectar fell when Lord Garuda was protecting it from the asuras. A Kumbha Mela is held here after every 12 years. No VIP or VVIP stays at Ujjain at night because Lord Mahakaal is the king here.

Another uniqueness of The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is that a unique Aarti known as the “Bhasmaarti” is conducted here every-day at Bhramuhuratam i.e. 4:00AM. Lord Mahakal is worshipped with ash made from cow dung,beltas, amaltas etc.

Story of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga:

Mahakaleshwar Temple Premises

According to the Puranas, the city of Ujjain was called Avantika and was famous for its beauty and its status as a devotional epicenter. It was also one of the primary cities where students went to study holy scriptures. According to legend, there was a ruler of Ujjain called Chandrasena, who was a pious devotee of Lord Shiva and worshiped him all the time. One day, a farmer's boy named Shrikhar was walking on the grounds of the palace and heard the King chant the Lord's name and rushed to the temple to start praying with him. However, the guards removed him by force and sent him to the outskirts of the city near the river Kshipra.

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

Rivals of Ujjain, primarily King Ripudamana and King Singhaditya of the neighboring kingdoms decided to attack the Kingdom and take over its treasures around this time. Hearing this, Shrikhar started to pray and the news spread to a priest named Vridhi. He was shocked to hear this and upon the urgent pleas of his sons, started to pray to Lord Shiva at the river Kshipra. The Kings chose to attack and were successful; with the help of the powerful demon Dushan, who was blessed by Lord Bhramato be invisible, they plundered the city and attacked all the devotees of Lord Shiva.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Morning Shringaar

Upon hearing the pleas of His helpless devotees, Lord Shiva appeared in his Mahakala form and destroyed the enemies of King Chandrasena. Upon the request of his devotees Shrikhar and Vridhi, Lord Shiva agreed to reside in the city and become the chief deity of the Kingdom and take care of it against its enemies and to protect all His devotees. From that day on, Lord Shiva resided in His light form as Mahakala in a Lingam that was formed on its own from the powers of the Lord and His consort, Parvati. The Lord also blessed his devotees and declared that people who worshipped Him in this form would be free from the fear of death and diseases. Also, they would be granted worldly treasures and be under the protection of the Lord himself.

DARSHAN AND AARTI TIMINGS:

4:00AM- Temple opening hours.

4:00 AM to 6:00 AM- Bhasmarti of Mahakaal

7:30 AM TO 8:15 AM- Navedh Aarti (7 AM to 7:45 AM in summer months)

8:15 AM to 10:00 AM- Darshan

10:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Bhog Aarti

10:30 AM to 5:00 PM – Darshan

5:00 PM to 6:30 PM- Jal Abhishek

6:30 PM to 7:00 PM – Sandhya Aarti (7 PM to 7:30 PM in summer months)

7:00 PM to 10:30 PM –Darshan

10:30 PM to 11:00 PM- Shayan Aarti

11:00 PM- Closing

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Bhavya Shringaar on Mahashivratri

HOW TO REACH:

Reaching by air
Located in Ujjain, the temple is very well-connected with the rest of India. It lies in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and can be reached by domestic flights from anywhere in India. The nearest airport is Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport in Indore which is 58 kms from the temple.

Reaching by train
Ujjain Junction is well-connected with all Indian cities, and both long and short distance trains ply to and from the city’s main railway station.

Reaching by road
Ujjain is connected by roads with major cities; a road trip from Delhi to Ujjain covers 776 km far, while from Mumbai it is 648 km away. Ujjain is only 188 km away from Madhya Pradesh’s capital city Bhopal.
The best time to visit the Mahakaleshwar Temple is during Mahashivratri, which falls between the months of February and March.

You can also watch the live darshan here: http://dic.mp.nic.in/ujjain/mahakal/common_forms/live_darshan.aspx

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Story of Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga

2020-03-15T12:49:00.011+05:30

The second shrine/Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh It is also believed to be the first place where Lord Shiva appeared as an infinite column of fire, thus illuminating the world. This temple is dedicated to two deities Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati. This temple holds significance both for the Shaivam and the shaktam sect of hindus. Shaivam means followers of Lord Shiva whereas Shaktam means the followers of goddess Adiparashakti. Goddess Parvati is the reincarnation of Goddess Adiparashakti, Goddess Sati being the first. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped as Mallikarjuna and Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Brahmaramba.

Mallikarjuna Temple

Story of Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga:

The story behind this Jyotirlinga is that once Lord Shiva decided to test both his sons, Kumar Kartikeya and Lord Ganesh. So the test was that whosoever will go around the universe 7 times will be the winner and would be married first. Kumar Kartikeya got on his vehicle, the peacock and flew into the skies above thinking how will Ganesh go around the world on his mushak. After Kartikeya had departed Ganesh started going around his parents i.e. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. When he completed the 7th round Lord Shiva asked him, “What was that?” Lord Ganesh replied, “ Father, you said to go around the universe 7 times so I went around you both because you are the universe for me.” Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati hugged him with love. Meanwhile Kumar Kartikeya also came back. He asked, “how did Ganesh reach before me?” Lord Shiva said, “ Ganesh circled around us and also became the winner. Today I declare that whosoever will worship Ganesh will gain knowledge whereas who will worship Kartikeya will gain strength.”

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

Hearing this Kumar Kartikeya felt cheated and in his anger left Kailash and came to the Kronch hills. He began to live there by the name Kumarbrahmachari. On seeing his father coming to pacify him he tried to move away from there but on the request of devas stayed. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati also came to stay near their son. They named themselves Arjun and Mallika respectively. Therefore the Jyotirlinga came to be known as Mallikarjuna and the village came to be known as Srisailam.

Mallikarjuna Lingam

Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a lingam and goddess Parvati in the form of a Shakti peetha. The main festivals of the temple are Mahashivratri and Navratri festival. The temple complex covers 2 hectares and houses four gateway towers known as gopurams. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the Mukha Mandapa built during the Vijayanagar period. The temple is situated facing East. The center mandapam has several pillars, with a huge idol of Nadikeshwara. The temple is enclosed by tall walls measuring 183 m (600 ft) by 152 m (499 ft) and 8.5 m (28 ft) tall. There are a number of sculptures in the precinct each rising above another. The Mukamandapa, the hall leading to the sanctum, has intricately sculpted pillars. The shrine where Mallikarjuna is housed is considered the oldest in the temple, dating back to the 7th century. There is a Sahasra linga (1000 linga), believed to have been commissioned by Rama and five other lingams believed to have been commissioned by Pandavas.

Gold plated Gopuram of Mallikarjuna Temple.

How to Reach:

By bus and train:

Srisailam is about 212 km from Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana and there are buses connecting the town with Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur and Kurnool. For service from Hyderabad to Srisailam, tickets and reservations can be made at the Central Bus station Hyderabad. The approximate travel time from Hyderabad to Srisailam is 4 hours. From Kurnool it will take around 5 hours via Atmakur and Doranala. You can get Express buses every one hour from 5.00 am to 11.30 pm from Kurnool. There is no railway station in Srisailam. There are frequent buses from Tirupathi as well and they pass through Nellore. So you can always catch a bus to Srisailam from Nellore too.

By private vehicle/taxi:

If hiring a private taxi, ensure that the driver has experience driving in ghat sections and doesn't have the habit of drinking alcohol. Mannanur, which is around 120 km from Hyderabad, is the place where the Nallamala hills start. After 60-70 km of drive through the forest you'll reach Eegalapenta. From there, it becomes difficult to drive as there are numerous hairpin bends and a kilometer of the stretch has lot of potholes. You can have a good look at the Srisailam Dam from there.

DARSHAN AND AARTI TIMINGS:

Darshan:

6:00AM TO 3:30PM and 6:00PM TO 10:00PM

Aarti:

Pratahkalapuja, Gopuja and Maha Mangala Harathi 5.15 AM to 6.30 AM

Susandhyam and Maha Mangala Harathi. 5.20 PM to 6.00 PM

Rajopachara puja (Parakulu) to Bhramaramba Devi.5.50 PM to 6.20 PM

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Legend of Somnath Jyotirlinga

2020-03-06T19:17:00.027+05:30

Somnath Temple at dawn

In the first part I gave an introduction about the Jyotirlingas, their names and the Dwadash Jyotirlinga Shloka. In this article I will tell you all about the first Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva i.e. Somnath. Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga has a strategic location on the west coast. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The old temple was made entirely of pure gold but the Mahmood of Ghazni plundered and looted the temple and broke the jyotirlinga. The present temple was constructed on the orders of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1951. The temple is built in Chaulukya style of temple architecture. The temple located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat.

Ruined Somnath Temple.

Story of Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga:

Chandra, the moon god married 27 daughters of Prajapati Daksha. But he loved and favoured his one wife i.e. Rohini. The other daughters felt neglected and complained to Prajapati Daksha. Hearing this, Prajapati Daksha cursed the moon that it would lose all its lusture and shine. Due to the curse Chandra became sick. He prayed to Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma asked him to pray to Lord Shiva.

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

Chandra prayed to Lord Shiva at Somnath. Shiva being pleased appeared before him and said that he cannot undo the curse of Prajapati but can reduce the ill effects of it. Therefore he adorned Chandra on top of his head and thus saved him from death. The waxing and waning of the moon is because of the effect of this curse. After this incident Lord Shiva came to be known as Chandrashekhar.

Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga

The research based on ancient Indian classical texts show that first Somnath Jyotirling Pran-Pratistha was done on the auspicious third day of brighter half of Shravan month during the tenth Treta yug of Vaivswat Manvantar. Swami Shri Gajananand Saraswatiji, Chairman of Shrimad Aadhya Jagadguru Shankaracharya Vedic Shodh Sansthan, Varanasi suggested that the said first temple was built 7,99,25,105 years ago as derived from the traditions of Prabhas Khand of Skand Puran. Thus, this temple is a perennial source of inspiration for millions of Hindus since time immemorial.

The main festivals of Somnath are:

1. Shravan Month

2. Shivratri

3. Golokdham Utsav

4. Kartik Purnima Fair (5 Days).

5. Somnath Sthapana Divas

How to reach Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga:

By air:

The nearest airport to reach Somnath is located in Diu, which is nearly 65 km away. It’s not a typical commercial airport but a civilian aerodrome serving bordering regions of the state, such as Veraval and Jafrabad. You will find regular taxis and commuter buses, which you can opt to reach Somnath. Besides, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad is the closest international airport.

By road:
Somnath is well-connected by buses to nearby cities as multiple options are available. Luxury buses, non-AC and AC buses are available, which you can opt as per your budget. Air-conditioned buses from Diu to Somnath costs less than INR 500 per person. In addition, regular private buses run on a daily basis from cities like Rajkot, Porbandar and Ahmedabad.

By train:
Veraval Railway Station is the closest railway station to Somnath which is barely 5 km away. This railway station is well linked to major Indian cities including Mumbai and Ahmedabad. A number of trains run on these routes on a daily basis. From the railway station, you can hire a taxi or cab to reach Somnath.

Darshan and Aarti timings:

Darshan Timing is from 6 AM to 9.30PM.
Aarti Timings :

Morning : 7:00 AM

Afternoon:12:00 Noon

Evening: 7:00PM.

You can also see the live darshan of Lord Shiva in the form of the Somnath Jyotirlinga here: https://somnath.org/Home/Live-Darshan

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Jyotirlinga - An Introduction

2020-02-23T13:55:00.024+05:30

Jyotirlingas are his various manifestations

We all are aware of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.These are the places where Lord Shiva resides in some form or the other protecting and blessing his devotees. Originally it was believed that there are 64 Jyotirligas but there are only 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva which are considered to be the purest/ perfect manifestations of Lord Shiva. This will be a series of 13 articles, first one being the introduction and the rest 12 about the story of each jyotirlinga.

The word Jyotirlinga is made up of two words “Jyoti” and “Linga”. ‘Jyoti’ means Light and ‘Linga’ means the representation of Shiva. Here I want to clear a point that the word Lingam has nothing to do with the union of phallus (male sex organ) and the yoni (the female sex organ), it is simply the form/symbol in which Lord Shiva is worshipped. To make things more clear here is the story which will tell you why Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Lingam.

When Shiva snatched away the 5th head of Brahma

When Lord Brahma emerged from the Lotus, which emerged from the belly button of Lord Vishnu, he started the process of creation. He began with the creation of the sun, the planets, stars and created everything that we see in today’s world. Lord Shiva decided to see the creation done by Brahma. But when he saw the world, he was aghast to see the misery, unhappiness, frustration, sadness and what not. He became so sad that he began to cry. His tears fell on the earth and from them emerged the Rudraksh beads. As his anger grew whilst watching the world which was inflicted with pain, agony,disease etc, he took his fierce from, the Bhairav. He went to Brahma Lok and confronted Brahma. But Brahma was so proud of himself that he was in no mood to listen to Lord Shiva. Seeing Brahma ignoring his words made Lord Bhairav more infuriated. Therefore in order to break Brahma’s ego, Lord Bhairav with his huge sword like nails snatched the fifth head of Brahma. Brahma cried in pain and cursed Shiva that he will never be worshipped in his human form but in the form of a Lingam.

Since Lord Shiva and goddess Adi Parashakti, also known as Adishakti are the supreme representation of the union of the Purusha and the Prakriti(the Ardhanareshwar form of Lord shiva) it has been wrongly interpreted to represent the union of the sex organs of the male and the female.

Jyotirlinga is the devotional representation of shiva, the supreme God. The Jyotirlinga is believed to contain the soul of Lord Shiva himself.There is a shloka which recites the names of all the 12 jyotirlingas. It is known as the Dwadash Jyotirlinga Strotam.( द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्). It describes the 12 Jyotirlingas as follows:

द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्।

उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्।

सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे।

हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः।

सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥
एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति।

कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥:

English Translation(Literal) of the Strotam:
Somanath in Saurashtra and Mallikarjunam in Shri-Shailam. (सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्).
Mahakaal in Ujjain and Amleshwar in Omkareshwar. (उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्).
Vaidyanath in Paralya and Bhimashankaram in Dakniya. (परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्).
Rameshem (Rameshwaram) in Sethubandh andNageshem (Nageshwar) in Darauka-Vana. (सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने).
Vishwa-Isham (Vishvanath) in Vanarasi and Triambakam at bank of Gautami River. (वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतट).
Kedar (Kedarnath) in Himalayas and Gushmesh (Gushmeshwar) in Shivalaya (Shiwar). (। हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये).
One who recites these Jyotirlingas every evening and morning. (एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः।).
He is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives.(सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति)
One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled (एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति)
and one’s karma gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship:(कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः)

Locations of Various Jyotirlingas in India

The list of the 12 Jyotirlingas are as follows:

1. Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gujarat.

2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Andhra Pradesh.

3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh.

4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh.

5. Baidyanath Jyotirlinga, Jharkhand.

6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra.

7. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga, Tamil Nadu.

8. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Gujarat.

9. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, Varanasi.

10. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Nasik.

11. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Uttarakhand.

12. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Aurangabad.

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Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva - Part 3

2020-02-04T12:00:00.008+05:30

This is the third and the concluding part of the series titled- MOST POWERFUL WEAPONS OF LORD SHIVA.

1.KHATVANGA:

Khatvanga, the staff of Shiva

The khaṭvāṅga is quite a beautiful object, which looks kind of like a walking stick with three upward-pointing prongs. It is a long, studded club originally created as a weapon. It was adopted as a religious symbol in Indian religions such as Shaivism and Vajrayana Buddhism. This word is often pronounced ‘khatamka’by Tibetans.

The khatvāṅga was adopted by some lineages of historical tantra though it preceded such traditions. Shiva carried the khatvāṅga as a staff-weapon and are thus referred to as khatvāṅgīs. Originally, the khatvāṅga was made of bones, especially, the long bones of forearm or the leg of human beings or animals. Later, wood and metal were used. The khatvāṅga is a long club with skulls engraved on the body. A khatvāṅga represents the vajra.

1. PASHUPATI ASTRA:

Lord Shiva destroying the city of Tripura with the Pashupatastra.

The Pashupatastra is the most powerful, most destructible and the personal weapon of Lord Shiva, goddess Bhadrakali and goddess Adi Para Shakti. Pashupatastra means –“the power of the Pashupati” which in turn translates into “the power of the whole animal kingdom combined together”. This weapon can be discharged by the mind, the eyes, words or a bow. The weapon is so powerful that it can destroy all of creation if used against a lesser enemy. Whenever the Pashupatastra is summoned its head is never the same. When it is unleashed, the pashupatastra summons several monsters and a huge spirit which personifies the weapon. Capable of destroying the entire multiverse in the blink of an eye, this weapon is strictly prohibited for use against a lesser or an inferior enemy.

There is a legend showing the might of the Pashupatastra. After the death of Tarkasur, the king of the asuras his three sons did a strict penance to please Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma appeared before them and asked for a boon. The three brothers asked for 3 cities each of gold, silver and iron. Lord Brahma granted the boons and disappeared. The three cities collectively came to be known as Tripura.

For sometime the 3 brothers ruled justly. But slowly their demonic nature began to rise. The three brothers began plundering, murders and all kind of evil activities. The gods went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu advised them to go to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva agreed to fight the war. A chariot was made for him by Lord Vishwakarma with Lord Brahma as its driver. Lord Shiva,loaded with the Pashuptastra waited for the 3 cities to align themselves vertically above each other. The moment the three cities aligned themselves Lord Shiva fired the Pashupatastra on the gold city. The gold city fell on the silver city and both toppled on the iron city. The three cities were completely destroyed and so were the demon brothers. Peace once again returned to the earth.

Only two humans are known to have possessed the pashupatastra- Arjun in Mahabharat and Indrajeet/ Meghnadh in Ramayana. Arjun obtained the weapon before the Mahabharat war by a severe penance. Arjuna’s penance generated so much heat that it became difficult for other creatures to live on the planet thereby forcing Lord Shiva to appear before him. Lord Shiva took the form of a hunter and challenged Arjuna to a fight. Arjuna was defeated 8 times by the 8 different avatars of Lord Shiva. After getting defeated for 8 times continuously he prayed to Lord Shiva asking who was this great hunter and offered flowers to the lingam. He saw that the flowers that were put on the lingam were on Lord Shiva’s forehead. He bowed down to him in respect and Lord Shiva blessed Arjuna with the Pashupatastra. Lord Shiva lectured Arjuna on the abilities of the weapon and the judgement that he must exercise wielding it.

2. TEEN BAAN:

Teen Baan, the powerful 3 arrows of Lord Shiva

Teen Baan is also a weapon of Lord Shiva which was given to Barbarika, the grandson of Bhima and son of Ghatotkacha. Teen Baan is a powerful weapon which consists of only 3 arrows and is infailable. The first arrow marks all the targets that are to be destroyed in the battle. The second arrow is used to mark all the things targets the weilder wants to save. The third arrow is used to destroy all the targets which were marked by the first arrow and save those which were marked by the second one.

Barbarika was made to promise by his mother that he would join the side which would be losing in the Battle of Kurushetra. Krishna, disguised as a Brahmin challenged Barbarika to tie all the leaves of the Peepal tree under which he was standing, using his arrows. Barbarika accepts the challenge and starts meditating to release his arrow by closing his eyes. As Barbarika starts meditating, Krishna quietly plucks a leaf from the tree and hides it under his foot. When Barbarika releases his first arrow, it marks all the leaves of the tree and finally started hovering around the leg of Krishna. Krishna asks Barbarika why the arrow was hovering over his foot. Barbarika replies that there must be a leaf under his foot and the arrow was targeting his foot to mark the leaf that is hidden underneath. Barbarika advises Krishna to lift his leg , otherwise the arrow would mark the leaf by piercing Krishna's foot. Krishna then lifts his foot and the first arrow also marks the hidden leaf. The third arrow then collects all the leaves (including the hidden leaf ) and ties them together. By this Krishna concludes that the arrows are so powerful and infallible, that even if Barbarika is unaware of the whereabouts of his targets, his arrows can still navigate and trace his intended targets. Thus Krishna gets a deeper insight about Barbarika's phenomenal power.

Krishna then asks him whom he would favour in the war. Barbarika reveals that he intends to fight for the side whichever is weak. Krishna tells that whichever side he supports will end up making the other side weaker due to his power. Nobody will be able to defeat him. Hence, he will be forced switch sides to support the other side that has become weaker (due to his word to his mother). Thus, in an actual war, he will keep oscillating between two sides, thereby destroying the entire army of both sides and eventually only he would remain. Subsequently, none of the sides would become victorious and he would be the lone survivor. Hence, Krishna avoids his participation in the war by seeking his head in charity. Barbarika readily agrees and gives his head but requests Krishna that he wanted to see the war with his eyes. Therefore Krishna keeps his head alive so that he can witness the battle.

Barbarika came to be known as Khatushyamji meaning the valiant warrior who sacrificed his head for the greater good. Krishna granted him a boon that he would always be remembered as a great warrior. There is a temple dedicated to him in Rajasthan.

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Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva - Part 2

2020-01-31T12:00:00.010+05:30

Har Har Mahadev!
This is the second part of the series titled-“Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva”. As we all know that Lord Shiva is Bholenath therefore he is also known for giving powerful weapons to his devotees. But some of them struck to their Dharma even in the hardest of times but some resorted to the unjust and adharmic means in order to fulfil their evil plans and desires. In this article I bring you the next 3 powerful weapons of Lord Shiva. They are as follows:

1. PINAKA AJAGAVA:

Pinaka, the Bow of Lord Shiva

Pinaka-Ajagava is the bow of Lord Shiva used for the total destruction or ‘pralaya’. There were two bows that were made by Lord Vishwakarma, the cosmic architect- the Sharanga and the Pinaka. The Sharanga was given to Lord Vishnu and the Pinaka was given to Lord Shiva. To know which bow was more powerful, a war was proposed between Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. But just before the battle an akaashvani occurred warning the two gods about the destruction that would follow if any of the two bows were used. Therefore the idea of war was abandoned.

Lord Shiva also destroyed the city of Tripura with the Pinaka. The city of Tripura was a boon that was given by Lord Brahma to the three sons of Tarkasur. Tripura consisted of three cities of gold, silver and iron. For some-time the brothers ruled justly. But the three brothers’ demonic nature surfaced again and the started plundering and looting people. The gods requested Mahadev to put an end to the sufferings of the people. In the battle that followed Lord Shiva destroyed the three cities with a single arrow which was shot from the Pinaka.

Pinaka was presented to Lord Parshuram by Lord Shiva himself after the completion of his training. Lord Parshuram was trained in warfare by Lord Shiva. He was the greatest warrior the world has ever known. Lord Parshuram passed on this bow to Janaka, the father of Lady Sita and the King of Mithila. This was the same bow that was later broken by Lord Ram in Lady Sita’s Swaymwara.

2. PARSHU:

Parshu, the divine axe of Lord Shiva

Parshu is the divine axe of Lord Shiva. This parshu of Lord Shiva was known by the name of ‘Vidyudabhi’. Parshu was given to Lord Parshuram, the sixth Vishnu by Lord Shiva who personally trained him in martial arts, scriptures and warfare. Parshuram’s weapon had supernatural powers. It had four cutting edges, one on each end of the blade head and one on each end of the shaft.

Parshu was the most lethal weapon in terms of inflicting maximum damage to the victims. The axe blade was so sharp that in one blow it would cut off the head of an enemy as neatly as it has been sliced by a machine. Lord Parshuram killed 21 generations of Kshatriyas with this weapon.

After the massive killings Lord Parshuram retired to the Mahendragiri mountain where he is believed to have been doing penance to this day. It is said that Lord Parshuram will appear at the end of Kaliyug as the spiritual Guru of Lord Kalki, the final avatar of Lord Vishnu.

3. CHANDRAHASA:

Chandrahasa, the Sword of Shiva.

Not many of you would be aware of the fact that Lord Shiva also possessed a sword. Yes you read it right. Lord Shiva possessed a sword which was known as the Chandrahasa. Chandrahasa literally means “the laughter of the moon”. The sword got its name because of its shape. The Chandrahasa was shaped like a crescent moon which is symbolic of the smile of the moon.

The Chandrahasa was gifted to Ravana, the king of Lanka by Lord Shiva. To know how, read on.

As we all are aware of the fact that Raavan was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and also had the boon that he will be known as the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva in the world. Raavan used to go from his city of Lanka to mount Kailash to worship Lord Shiva. But he soon began to get tired from the daily trips to and from mount Kailash. Therefore he wanted to take Lord Shiva with him to Lanka so that he could spend his life worshipping him.

In order to get his desire fulfilled lifted the entire Kailash mountain on his shoulders and was just about to take it to mount Kailash when he was crushed under the mountain. Lord Shiva had just touched his toe on the ground and Raavan was struck under the massive mountain. As Raavan was struggling to get out of the mountain, Lord Shiva sat there smiling.

Now tired of the efforts to free himself from the clutches of the mighty mountain, Raavan realised that now only Lord Shiva could take him out. Therefore he began to sing the “SHIV TANDAV STROTAM” which he had composed for his Lord, his Mahadev. As he began singing Lord Shiva also started enjoying the divine music. Seeing Ravaan’s immense devotion towards him, Lord Shiva rescued him and blessed him with the indestructible sword, Chandrahasa. But Lord Shiva warned Raavan that if this sword was used for any injustice or any wrong purpose then the sword will automatically return to Lord Shiva and Raavan’s days would be numbered.

Although we do not know what exactly happened with the Chandrahasa but it is widely believed that Raavan used the Chandrahasa to clip off Jatayuji’s wings when the latter tried saving Lady Sita from being kidnapped. If this was the case then the Chandrahasa would have undoubtedly returned to Lord Shiva and after this Raavan was killed by Lord Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The second part ends here. The third part of the series will be out soon. Please like, share and comment.

TO BE CONTINUED….

UPDATE: Part 3 of this series is out now! Click on the link: Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva- Part 3

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Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva - Part 1

2020-01-28T12:00:00.019+05:30

Lord Shiva is called Mahadev for a reason. It is because there is no one who is as great as him nor there is anyone who is as powerful as him. On one hand he is Shambhu and on the other hand, Maharudra. Lord Shiva is the first yogi due to which he is also known as Adiyogi.

Lord Shiva is also known for his powerful and deadly weapons. Lord Shiva possesses many deadly “Daivi Astras”.
He possesses some of the most powerful weapons and some of them are as follows:

1. TRISHUL:

Trishul, his primary weapon.

Trishul is the primary weapon of Lord Shiva. Goddess Durga also holds a Trishul, as one of her many weapons. The three points of the Trishul have various meanings and significance, and, common to the Hindu religion, have many stories behind them. The three pointed heads of the Trishul signify the three gunas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. This shows that Lord Shiva is above the gunas yet upholds them.The story behind the making of the Trishul is intresting.

The sun god was married to Sanjna the daughter of the cosmic architect Lord Vishwakarma. But she soon became unhappy with her married life as the temperature of the sun god was very high which made it impossible for her to even sit beside him. When Lord Vishwakarma, the cosmic architect came to know about this he devised a method the remove the excess heat from the sun so that the sun god can accommodate Sanjana. The excess sun matter fell on the earth and the sun god’s heat was reduced by 1/8.

After this the cosmic architect made 3 articles from the sun matter. They were the Trishul, Sudarshana Chakra, and the Pushpak Vimana. The Trishul and the Sudarshana Chakra was taken by Lord Shiva and the Pushpak Vimana was given to Lord Kuber which was later stolen by Ravana, his half-brother.

The Trishul has the capacity to destroy all creation or the 16 realms mentioned in the hindu mythology. Once released, the Trishul can only be stopped by Lord Shiva himself and no one else. It is the personal weapon of Lord Shiva.

1. SUDARSHANA CHAKRA:

Sudarshan Chakra, Lord Vishnu's primary weapon.

The Sudarshan Chakra (सुदर्शन चक्र) is a spinning, disk-like weapon, literally meaning "disk of auspicious vision," having 108 serrated edges used by the Hindu god Vishnu. The Sudarshan Chakra is generally portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu. Sudarshan chakra was taken by Lord Shiva when it was made by the cosmic architect Vishwakarma. It was gifted to Lord Vishnu by Lord Shiva.

Once Vishnu decided to worship Lord Shiva by offering 1000 Lotuses. But he could find only 999. Even after searching the whole cosmos he couldn’t find the 1000^th lotus. Suddenly it dawned upon him that Lord Shiva himself said that Narayana’s Eyes are like the auspicious and pure lotus. Remembering this he immidately gouged out his one eye and placed it on the shivling. Lord Shiva was so please with his devotion that he gifted him the Sudarshan chakra.

Sudarshan Chakra is the most powerful weapon in the cosmos rivalled only by the Trishul of Lord Shiva. It has 108 serrated cuts which can travel several Yojans in the blink of an eye(1yojan=8kms).It was the first of its kind weapon which could be powered and driven by the willpower and the mind. Another feature of the chakra was that it would spin at unbelievable speed and would chase the enemy and the only way to stop it is to completely surrender to Lord Vishnu.
TO BE CONTINUED.....

UPDATE: Part 2 of this series is out now! Click on the link: Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva- Part 2

UPDATE: Part 3 of this series is out now! Click on the link: Most Powerful Weapons of Lord Shiva- Part 3

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The Art of Living and Significance of Lord Shiva's Attire

2020-01-21T17:13:00.013+05:30

Lord Shiva is also known for his attire. He is shown wearing a tiger skin, Rudraksha Beads and ash smeared all over his body, a serpent over his neck, Chandrama on his forehead, river Ganga flowing from his hairs also known as ‘Jatayein’, a blue throat which gave him the name of Neelkanth- “the blue-throated one”, a third eye which is symbolic of the fact that he is ‘Trikaaldarshi’ meaning the one who can see the past, present and the future. Trishul is the primary weapon of Lord Shiva on which a musical instrument is dangling. That musical Instrument is the ‘damaru’.

The significance of his attire is as follows:

1. MATTED HAIR:

His matted hair symbolises the union of mind, body and soul

Lord Shiva’s matted hair symbolises the union of mind, body and the soul which helps to focus better and in a more clear way. The union of these three things also increases a person’s immunity as there is no conflict between the mind, body and soul. This unison also keeps diseases and ailments at bay as the body is relieved of the stress that arises when these three things go haywire or when they are not synced to each other. Shiv is also known as Jatadhar.

The matted hairs of Lord Shiva are home to river Ganga due to which he is also called by the name of Gangadhar.

2. THIRD EYE:

His third eye symbolises his fully developed Ajna Chakra

Lord Shiva’s third eye is symbolic of the facts that he is the viewer of all the three periods i.e. the past, the present and the future. This eye is also symbolic of the fact of seeing a problem beyond what it is and overcoming the impossible. Most of us lose our cool and become stressed whenever a problem arises and we are not able to look at beyond the problem and understand how to overcome it rather we only look at it from one side. Thus simplest problems take us for a roller coaster ride.

3. TRISHUL:

Trishul symbolises control over ego and never lose control

Trishul is the primary weapon of Lord Shiva and also the most powerful among all the mystical weapons of the Hindu gods. Trishul has its own significance. The three heads of the Trishul symbolise the three main nadis(pathways or channels of energy flow in the system) Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. The other 72000(seventy-two thousand) Nadis spring from these three fundamental ones.

The Trishul also represents the three gunas- Sattva, Rajas and Tamasic. This also shows that Shiva is above all these three states. Divinity is above these gunas but holds these gunas together.

Trishul also helps in controlling the mind, intellect and ego thereby allowing you to work better and never lose control.

4. ASH/VIBHUT:

Ash smeared on his body shows the temporariness of this world.

The ash smeared on the body of Lord Shiva is symbolic of the fact that everything is temporary in this world and not controlling your obsessions will definitely lead to your downfall. Commitment should never be confused with obsession. These two are very different things.

The ash smeared on the body of Lord Shiva also symbolises that everything on earth will one day turn into ash. Ash has been said to be purest and dearest to him.

5. BLUE THROAT:

His blue throat symbolises control over anger and channelling it constructively.

The Neel-Kanth / the blue throat of Lord Shiva is symbolic of the control of anger. It is a natural human tendency to get angry even at the smallest of things and venting out that anger in a destructive way. The bluethroat symbolises the suppression of anger and channelling it in a constructive manner instead of venting it out or hurting someone.

6. DAMARU:

Damaru, his favourite musical instrument symbolises calmness of the mind.

Lord Shiva’s damaru symbolises ridding the body of all your desires and making it clean and disease-free. Damaru also attributed to Shiva’s most famous dancing posture “The Nataraja”. When a Damaroo is vibrated, it produces dissimilar sounds which are fused together by resonance to create one sound. The sound thus produced symbolizes Naad, the cosmic sound of Aum, which can be heard during deep meditation.

7. SERPENT AROUND THE NECK:

Wearing snakes symbolises his fearlessness.

Lord Shiva shows us that he controls fear and death by wearing a snake as an ornament. It is also said that the snake three rounds around Lord Shiva's neck depict future, present and past. That states that Lord Shiva is Independent of Time and controls time. The serpent also symbolises letting go of one’s ego so that we are free both mentally and physically.

8. KAMANDALAM:

Kamandal, his water bag.

Lord Shiva being an ascetic carries a kamandalam with him. His kamandalam signifies the removal of all evil from the body, getting rid of negativity and retaining only the good or sattva values and an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires to experience the bliss of the Self.

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Life Lessons to learn from Lord Shiva

2020-01-18T11:42:00.016+05:30

Lord Shiva is the third God in the Holy Trinity also known as the God of Destruction. He is the supreme God who has many names and forms and also the only god who is said to reside on the earth itself on Mount Kailash in Tibet. He is also known as Bholenath which means “The Innocent One”. Even if a devotee accidently worships Lord Shiva with betel leaves and water is blessed by him. Some of the life lessons that we can learn from Lord Shiva are:

1. NEVER EVER TOLERATE EVIL:

The first life lesson from Lord Shiva is that you must never tolerate any evil which is taking place with or around you. Evil must never be tolerated whatever the consequences. Standing by and doing nothing while an evil deed/sin is being committed is as bad as committing the evil deed/sin itself.

2. SELF CONTROL:

Lord Shiva’s meditative pose symbolises the attainment of the power of self-control. Mind always wanders from one place to another and because of this habit we fall prey to many negative emotions like lusting for a woman, crimes, hatred, and many other ‘Tamsic’ practices. The solution to this is meditation. Meditation helps in calming an unstable mind and helps the person think more clearly. Therefore one should practice meditation in order to calm and clear the mind of negative thoughts and emotions.

3. DETACHMENT:

The third life lesson from the life of Lord Shiva is the practice of detachment. The root cause of all our misery and sadness is the attachment to the material things that the human mind tends to cling on in spite of the sorrows it brings with itself. The practice of detachment also helps to make your decisions more precise and clear without attachment to a material thing.

4. EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY:

The fourth lesson to learn from Lord Shiva is that everything is temporary in this world. Anything which comes into this world has to finish one day and we have to learn to move on from them. Clinging on to the past does more harm than good. We tend to blame god and curse him if something is taken away from us. But what we do not realise is that god has a better plan for us and we should trust him even in our lowest phases.

5. CONTROL OF ONE’S EGO:

The fifth lesson from Lord Shiva is the a person must control his/her ego and should not brag about the things that he has. Ego is forever known to destroy the lives of persons. Lord Shiva’s weapon Trishul signifies the control of ego. A person should never let his emotions take over him or otherwise he would face terrible consequences. Take the example of Prajapati Daksh. His ego was the reason for Sati’s immolation and his death by the hands of Veerbhadra, a form of Maharudra/ Lord Shiva.

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