A Jyotirlinga (Sanskrit: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग, romanized: Jyotirliṅga, lit. 'lingam of light')[1] or Jyotirlingam, is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis ('radiance') and linga ('sign'). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also Shiva Purana) mentions 64 original jyotirlinga shrines in India
According to a Shaiva legend from the Shiva Purana, once, Brahma (the god of creation) and Vishnu (the god of preservation) had an argument over their supremacy.[2] To settle the debate, Shiva pierced the three worlds, appearing as a huge, infinite pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Brahma and Vishnu decided to ascend and descend across a pillar of light respectively, to find the end of the light in either direction. According to some iterations, Vishnu assumed his Varaha avatar to achieve this task, while Brahma rode a hamsa (swan).[3] Brahma lied that he had discovered the end of the light, producing a ketakī flower as proof, while Vishnu admitted that he could not find the end of the light from his journey.[4] The dishonesty of Brahma angered Shiva, causing him to curse the creator deity that he would not be worshipped; he also declared that Vishnu would be eternally worshipped for his honesty.[5] The jyotirlinga shrines are regarded to be the temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.[6][7]
Original 64edit
Originally, there were believed to have been 64 jyotirlingas of which twelve are considered to be very auspicious and holy.[2] The twelve jyotirlinga sites take the names of their respective presiding deity, and each is considered a different manifestation of Shiva.[8] At all these sites, the primary image is lingam, representing the beginningless and endless stambha pillar, symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva.[8][9][10]
Sanskrit shlokasedit
The following shloka (द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम् Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram) describes the 12 jyotirlingas:[11]
One who recites these jyotirlingas every evening and morning
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥
saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati
is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives.
एतेषां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति।
eteṣāṃ darśanādeva pātakaṃ naiva tiṣṭhati
One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled
कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥:
karmakṣayo bhavettasya yasya tuṣṭo maheśvarāḥ
and one's karma gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship.
Twelve most sacred sitesedit
The names and the locations of 12 jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana (Śatarudra Saṁhitā, Ch.42/2-4). The detailed stories are given in Kotirudra Saṁhitā, chapters 14 to 33. These temples (not in order) are:
Somnath is traditionally considered the first pilgrimage site: the Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple. The temple, that was destroyed and re-built sixteen times, is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in western India.
Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south and also the temple to have a Shree Rudra Yantra perched upside down at the ceiling of the Garbhagriha (where the Shiv Lingam sits). It is a place where Shakti Peetha and jyotirlingam are together.
Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is revered as the northernmost and the closest jyotirlinga to Lord Shiva's eternal abode of Mount Kailash. Kedarnath forms a part of the smaller Char Dham pilgrimage circuit of Hinduism. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only for six months a year. It is also one of the Paadal Petra Sthalam of Vada Naadu mentioned in Thevaaram. Shiva assumed the form of wild boar and dived into the earth at Kedarnath to emerge at Doleshwor in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Pure ghee is applied at Kedarnath lingam as the boar was injured.
The Kashi Vishwanath (Vishweshwar) Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga shrine, which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu shrines. It is also one of the Padal petra stalam of Vada Naadu mentioned in Thevaaram. The temple is situated in Varanasi, the holiest city for Hindus, where a Hindu is expected to make a pilgrimage at least once in his life, and if possible, also pour the remains of cremated ancestors on the River Ganges. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganges, and is one of the twelve jyotirlingas. In fact, it is a place where Shakti peeta and jyotirlingam are together. It is the holiest of all Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishwanath or Vishweshwara meaning Ruler of the universe. The temple town, is considered the oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history, is also called Kashi.
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana and the Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram, says one of the jyotirlinga namely Nagesh is situated in Daruka-Vana. The Nagesh Jyotirlinga status come from - Aundha Naganath
According to Hindu scriptures, the demon king Ravana began the journey homeward carrying the Shivaling. On the way, he had to perform Sandhyavandanam, so He bid a cowherd boy to hold the Linga (It is Lord Ganesha disguised as this little boy). The boy accepts to hold the linga with a condition that he will do so, for a very brief time and will shout out three times and then, put it down on the earth. In less than two minutes boy shots out Ravana's name 3 times and places the linga on Earth. Shiva Linga placed there, stayed as Lord Shiva already ordained and came to be known as Vaidyanatheswar. Another belief says that Baba Vaidyanath dham Temple located in Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand, India is a jyotirlinga.
Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameśvara (God of Rama) pillar.[12] It is also one of the Padal petra stalam of Pandya Naadu mentioned in Tevaram.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, referred to as the Grishneshwar temple in Shiva Purana, is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. According to Shiv Puran, Grishneshwar is one of the Shiva Jyotirlinga which is situated near Ellora village, less than a kilometer from UNESCO site Ellora Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.
13
Audha Nagnath
Maharashtra
Hingoli
14
Parli Vaijyanath
Maharashtra
Beed
15
Pashupatinath
Nepal
Kathmandu
See alsoedit
Ardhanarishvara – Composite form of the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati
Harihara – Fused Hindu deity of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara)
Chaturvedi, B. K. (2006). Shiv Purana (First ed.). New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. ISBN81-7182-721-7.
Eck, Diana L. (1999). Banaras, city of light (First ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN0-231-11447-8.
Gangashetty, Ramesh (30 October 2019). Thirtha Yatra: A Guide to Holy Temples and Thirtha Kshetras in India. Notion Press. ISBN978-1-68466-134-3.
Gwynne, Paul (2009). World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publication. ISBN978-1-4051-6702-4.
Harding, Elizabeth U. (1998). "God, the Father". Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 156–157. ISBN978-81-208-1450-9.
Kumar, Naresh (2003). Encyclopaedia of Folklore and Folktales of South Asia. Anmol Publications. ISBN978-81-261-1400-9.
Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 122. ISBN0-8239-3179-X.
Pattanaik, Devdutt (7 May 2017). Devlok 2: 2. Random House Publishers India Pvt. Limited. ISBN978-93-86495-15-0.
"Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotram". Vaidika Vignanam (in Sanskrit). n.d.
Venugopalam, R. (2003). Meditation: Any Time Any Where (First ed.). Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd. ISBN81-8056-373-1.
Vivekananda, Swami. "The Paris Congress of the History of Religions". The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Vol. 4.
"Jyotirlinga, Jyotirliṅga, Jyotis-linga, Jyotirlimga: 5 definitions". Wisdom Library. 28 December 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
External linksedit
Jyotirlingas on Google Maps
Jyotirlingas in India
Media related to Jyotirlingas at Wikimedia Commons
November 29, 2023
jyotirlinga, sanskrit, romanized, jyotirliṅga, lingam, light, devotional, representation, hindu, shiva, word, sanskrit, compound, jyotis, radiance, linga, sign, Śiva, mahāpurāṇam, also, shiva, purana, mentions, original, jyotirlinga, shrines, indianageshwarsom. A Jyotirlinga Sanskrit ज य त र ल ङ ग romanized Jyotirliṅga lit lingam of light 1 or Jyotirlingam is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva The word is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis radiance and linga sign The Siva Mahapuraṇam also Shiva Purana mentions 64 original jyotirlinga shrines in IndiaNageshwarSomnathMallikarjunaMahakaleshwarOmkareshwarBaidyanathBhimashankarRameswaramKashi VishwanathTrimbakKedarnathGrishneshwarclass notpageimage Location of jyotirlinga Temples with name of jyotirlinga as label Contents 1 Hinduism 1 1 Legend 1 2 Original 64 1 3 Sanskrit shlokas 1 4 Twelve most sacred sites 2 See also 3 References 3 1 Citations 3 2 Works cited 4 External linksHinduism editLegend edit According to a Shaiva legend from the Shiva Purana once Brahma the god of creation and Vishnu the god of preservation had an argument over their supremacy 2 To settle the debate Shiva pierced the three worlds appearing as a huge infinite pillar of light the jyotirlinga Brahma and Vishnu decided to ascend and descend across a pillar of light respectively to find the end of the light in either direction According to some iterations Vishnu assumed his Varaha avatar to achieve this task while Brahma rode a hamsa swan 3 Brahma lied that he had discovered the end of the light producing a ketaki flower as proof while Vishnu admitted that he could not find the end of the light from his journey 4 The dishonesty of Brahma angered Shiva causing him to curse the creator deity that he would not be worshipped he also declared that Vishnu would be eternally worshipped for his honesty 5 The jyotirlinga shrines are regarded to be the temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light 6 7 Original 64 edit Originally there were believed to have been 64 jyotirlingas of which twelve are considered to be very auspicious and holy 2 The twelve jyotirlinga sites take the names of their respective presiding deity and each is considered a different manifestation of Shiva 8 At all these sites the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless stambha pillar symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva 8 9 10 Sanskrit shlokas edit The following shloka द व दश ज य त र ल ग स त त रम Dvadasa Jyotirliṅga Stotram describes the 12 jyotirlingas 11 Sanskrit transliteration translationस र ष ट र स मन थ च श र श ल मल ल क र ज नम Sauraṣṭre Somanathaṃ cha Srisaile Mallikarjunam Somnath in Saurashtra and Sri Mallikarjuna in Srisailam उज जय न य मह क लम ङ क रममल श वरम Ujjayinyaṃ Mahakalam Omkaram Amaleswaram Mahakala Mahakaleshwara in Ujjain Omkareshwara in Khandwa व द यन थ च त भ म परल य व द यन थ च ड क न य भ मशङ करम Vaidyanathaṃ chitha bhumau Ḍakinyaṃ Bhimasaṅkaram Baidyanath in Chitha Bhumi and Bhimashankara in Dakinya स त बन ध त र म श न ग श द र क वन Setubandhe tu Ramesaṃ Nagesaṃ Darukavane Ramesham Rameshwara in Sethubandh Nagesham and Nageshwar Jyotirling Dwarka or Naganath in Daruka Vana व र णस य त व श व श त र यम बक ग तम तट Varaṇasyaṃ tu Visvesaṃ Tryambakaṃ Gautamitaṭe Vishwesham Vishweshwara in Varanasi Tryambakam Trayambakeshwara at bank of the river Gautami Godavari ह म लय त क द र घ श म श च श व लय Himalaye tu Kedaraṃ Ghusmesaṃ ca Sivalaye Kedar Kedarnath in the Himalayas and Ghushmesh in Shivalay Grishneshwar Ghushmeshwar एत न ज य त र ल ङ ग न स य प र त पठ न नर etani jyotirliṅgani sayaṃ prataḥ paṭhennaraḥ One who recites these jyotirlingas every evening and morningसप तजन मक त प प स मरण न व नश यत saptajanmakṛtaṃ papaṃ smaraṇena vinasyati is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives एत ष दर शन द व प तक न व त ष ठत eteṣaṃ darsanadeva patakaṃ naiva tiṣṭhati One who visits these gets all his wishes fulfilledकर मक षय भव त तस य यस य त ष ट मह श वर karmakṣayo bhavettasya yasya tuṣṭo mahesvaraḥ and one s karma gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship Twelve most sacred sites edit The names and the locations of 12 jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana Satarudra Saṁhita Ch 42 2 4 The detailed stories are given in Kotirudra Saṁhita chapters 14 to 33 These temples not in order are Jyotirlinga Image State Location Description1 Somnath nbsp Gujarat Veraval Saurashtra Somnath is traditionally considered the first pilgrimage site the Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple The temple that was destroyed and re built sixteen times is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend tradition and history It is located at Prabhas Patan Veraval in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in western India 2 Mallikarjuna nbsp Andhra Pradesh Srisailam Mallikarjuna also called Srisaila is located on a mountain in Kurnool District in Rayalaseema 12 It enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich It is a place where Shakti Peetha and jyotirlingam are together Adi Shankara composed his Shivananda Lahari here citation needed 3 Mahakaleshwar nbsp Madhya Pradesh Ujjain Mahakal Ujjain or Avanti in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu the only one of the 12 jyotirlingams to be so It is also the only one facing south and also the temple to have a Shree Rudra Yantra perched upside down at the ceiling of the Garbhagriha where the Shiv Lingam sits It is a place where Shakti Peetha and jyotirlingam are together 4 Omkareshwar nbsp Madhya Pradesh Khandwa Omkareshwar is in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada River and home to a jyotirlinga shrine and the Mamaleshwar temple 5 Kedarnath nbsp Uttarakhand Kedarnath Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is revered as the northernmost and the closest jyotirlinga to Lord Shiva s eternal abode of Mount Kailash Kedarnath forms a part of the smaller Char Dham pilgrimage circuit of Hinduism Kedarnath nestled in the snow clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine rich in legend and tradition It is accessible only for six months a year It is also one of the Paadal Petra Sthalam of Vada Naadu mentioned in Thevaaram Shiva assumed the form of wild boar and dived into the earth at Kedarnath to emerge at Doleshwor in Kathmandu Valley Nepal Pure ghee is applied at Kedarnath lingam as the boar was injured 6 Bhimashankar nbsp Maharashtra Khed taluka Pune Khed taluka is also referred to as the Daakini country hence this temple is also called Daakini temple 7 Vishwanath nbsp Uttar Pradesh Varanasi The Kashi Vishwanath Vishweshwar Temple in Varanasi Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga shrine which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu shrines It is also one of the Padal petra stalam of Vada Naadu mentioned in Thevaaram The temple is situated in Varanasi the holiest city for Hindus where a Hindu is expected to make a pilgrimage at least once in his life and if possible also pour the remains of cremated ancestors on the River Ganges The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganges and is one of the twelve jyotirlingas In fact it is a place where Shakti peeta and jyotirlingam are together It is the holiest of all Shiva temples The main deity is known by the name Vishwanath or Vishweshwara meaning Ruler of the universe The temple town is considered the oldest living city in the world with 3500 years of documented history is also called Kashi 8 Trimbakeshwar nbsp Maharashtra Trimbak near Nashik The Trimbakeshwar Temple near Nashik in Maharashtra is a jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari River 9 Nageshwar Maharashtra Aundha Nagnath in Hingoli Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana and the Dvadasa Jyotirliṅga Stotram says one of the jyotirlinga namely Nagesh is situated in Daruka Vana The Nagesh Jyotirlinga status come from Aundha Naganath10 Baidyanath nbsp Jharkhand Deoghar According to Hindu scriptures the demon king Ravana began the journey homeward carrying the Shivaling On the way he had to perform Sandhyavandanam so He bid a cowherd boy to hold the Linga It is Lord Ganesha disguised as this little boy The boy accepts to hold the linga with a condition that he will do so for a very brief time and will shout out three times and then put it down on the earth In less than two minutes boy shots out Ravana s name 3 times and places the linga on Earth Shiva Linga placed there stayed as Lord Shiva already ordained and came to be known as Vaidyanatheswar Another belief says that Baba Vaidyanath dham Temple located in Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand India is a jyotirlinga 11 Rameshwaram nbsp Tamil Nadu Rameswaram Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of India It enshrines the Ramesvara God of Rama pillar 12 It is also one of the Padal petra stalam of Pandya Naadu mentioned in Tevaram 12 Grishneshwar nbsp Maharashtra Aurangabad Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple referred to as the Grishneshwar temple in Shiva Purana is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana According to Shiv Puran Grishneshwar is one of the Shiva Jyotirlinga which is situated near Ellora village less than a kilometer from UNESCO site Ellora Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra 13 Audha Nagnath Maharashtra Hingoli14 Parli Vaijyanath Maharashtra Beed15 Pashupatinath Nepal KathmanduSee also editArdhanarishvara Composite form of the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati Harihara Fused Hindu deity of Vishnu Hari and Shiva Hara Parikrama Religious practice Tridevi Trinity of chief goddesses in Hinduism Trimurti Hinduism s supreme triumvirate or triple deity of supreme divinity Vaikuntha Kamalaja Composite of Hindu deity couple Vishnu and Lakshmi Yatra Pilgrimage in Indian religionsReferences editCitations edit Wisdom Library 2019 a b Venugopalam 2003 pp 92 95 Pattanaik 2017 p 126 Kumar 2003 p 1645 Gangashetty 2019 p 102 Eck 1999 p 107 Gwynne 2009 section on Char Dham a b Lochtefeld 2002 pp 324 325 Harding 1998 pp 158 158 Vivekananda v 4 Vaidika Vignanam n d a b Chakravarti 1994 p 140 Works cited edit Chakravarti Mahadev 1994 The Concept of Rudra Siva Through The Ages Second Revised ed Delhi Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 81 208 0053 2 Chaturvedi B K 2006 Shiv Purana First ed New Delhi Diamond Pocket Books P Ltd ISBN 81 7182 721 7 Eck Diana L 1999 Banaras city of light First ed New York Columbia University Press ISBN 0 231 11447 8 Gangashetty Ramesh 30 October 2019 Thirtha Yatra A Guide to Holy Temples and Thirtha Kshetras in India Notion Press ISBN 978 1 68466 134 3 Gwynne Paul 2009 World Religions in Practice A Comparative Introduction Oxford Blackwell Publication ISBN 978 1 4051 6702 4 Harding Elizabeth U 1998 God the Father Kali The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar Motilal Banarsidass pp 156 157 ISBN 978 81 208 1450 9 Kumar Naresh 2003 Encyclopaedia of Folklore and Folktales of South Asia Anmol Publications ISBN 978 81 261 1400 9 Lochtefeld James G 2002 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism A M Rosen Publishing Group p 122 ISBN 0 8239 3179 X Pattanaik Devdutt 7 May 2017 Devlok 2 2 Random House Publishers India Pvt Limited ISBN 978 93 86495 15 0 Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotram Vaidika Vignanam in Sanskrit n d Venugopalam R 2003 Meditation Any Time Any Where First ed Delhi B Jain Publishers P Ltd ISBN 81 8056 373 1 Vivekananda Swami The Paris Congress of the History of Religions The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Vol 4 Jyotirlinga Jyotirliṅga Jyotis linga Jyotirlimga 5 definitions Wisdom Library 28 December 2019 Retrieved 13 November 2022 External links editJyotirlingas on Google Maps Jyotirlingas in India nbsp Media related to Jyotirlingas at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jyotirlinga amp oldid 1186594125, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
