In Shaivism in India, the term Jyotirlinga holds a very specific religious value. The Word Jyotirlinga is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis (‘radiance’) and linga (‘symbol’). Thus, a Jyotirlinga is Shiva’s symbol that contains Shiva’s radiance; or the presence of Shiva in form of a Jyoti.
The Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam is a devotional hymn to Lord Shiva composed by Jagathguru Adi Sankara. The hymn is mentioned in the Shiva Purana, at the end of the Shata Rudra Samhita. This hymn talks about the 12 Jyotirlinga. The hymn goes like
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
Shata Rudra Samhita, shiva purana
उज्जयिन्यां महाकाळम् ओङ्कारममलेश्वरम् ॥
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम् ।
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यंबकं गौतमीतटे ।
हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ॥
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः ।
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥
The Shloka talks about names of 12 Jyotirlinga. At first sight, one may not wonder much about the nomenclature. But on closer look, we would realise that the nomenclature actually sums up very interesting factors about the position of Shiva in Hindu mythology.
Most of us know Shiva as one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is “The Destroyer” among the Trimurti. We also associate Shiva as being the Natraja, the patron of dance and acting. He is also the Mahayogi, the one who mastered and gave the world, the art of Yoga. The nomenclature of Jyotirlings project Shiva beyond all these aspects. Let’s take a deep dive into the aspects to understand this.
1. Somnath
In Vedic hymns, the word Soma appears in two references. Soma is a reference to the moon, a celestial body. And also name of a drink made from a plant with the same name. Chandra is a personification of this drink. Scholars state that the plant had an important role in Vedic civilization and thus, the deity was one of the most important gods of the pantheon.
When we refer Shiva as Somnath, we associate him with the moon and other celestial bodies. Shiva’s appearance is described with a crescent moon adorned on his head. The moon sitting there is said to be providing coolness and calmness to Shiva, as relief from the body heat he was experiencing as a result of drinking Halahal during Samudramanthana. The legend about how Shiva came to be known as Somnath appears in Shiva Purana.
Soma/Chandra was married to 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati. These daughters represent the 27 Nakshatras (lunar constellations), with whom Soma was supposed to spend an equal amount of time, moving across the zodiac in his celestial journey. However, Soma became deeply attached to Rohini, one of his favourite wives, and he neglected the others. Despite repeated pleas from his other wives and even warnings from Daksha, Chandra continued favouring Rohini, spending most of his time with her. This disrespect and partiality angered Daksha Prajapati, who felt insulted by Chandra’s behaviour. Out of rage, Daksha cursed Chandra to wither away, leading the moon to gradually lose its luster and fade—symbolising the waning of the moon. As the moon started diminishing, the gods and Chandra’s wives realised that the curse could have disastrous cosmic consequences, disrupting the natural order of time and tides. They asked Soma to appeal to Shiva for help. Soma visited the town of Prabhas Patan, where Shiva resided as a Jyotirlinga. Here, he bathed in the confluence of rivers Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati (not seen now). As result of bathing in the holy confluence, Shiva partially lifted the curse, allowing Chandra to wax and wane in cycles rather than disappear completely.
Monday, the day of the moon, is also said to be day we worship Shiva. Mahahivaratri, the great night of Shiva, is marked by the last visible crescent of the waning Moon in the early hours of the morning. But Shiva’s association with celestial bodies is not limited to only the moon. Shiva’s second son Skanda, is the main Devata for the planet Mars and is associated with Agni or Fire, like Shiva himself. In certain thought processes, he is also the ruler of Rahu and Ketu, the two lunar nodes. Shaivite traditions also refer him to be associated with Shukra (Venus).
2. Mallikarjun
The second Jyotirlinga, located in Andhra Pradesh, is known as Mallikarjuna. Mallika comes from the Telugu word Malegu or Malepuvu, which means Jasmine flower. Arjuna is a Sanskrit word for “super white”. So the name corresponds to white jasmine flowers. Here, Shiva is getting associated with flowers.
There are two legends associated with Shiva’s association with Jasmine flower. One legend talks about an Asura named Tarakasura. The region was suffering because of the deeds by Tarakasura, and the locals asked Shiva for help. Listening to the deeds of Taraksura, Shiva was very angry and he started to perform Samhara Tandava in anguish. Tarakasura, fearing Shiva’s angry form, surrendered himself and Shiva killed him. But Shiva’s rage did not come down, even after slaying Tarakasura. The deities picked up Jasmine flowers (called Mallika in Telugu) from nearby and crushed them. The juice of the Jasmine flowers was then poured on the body of Shiva, to calm him down. Shiva then settled at the place.
There also a folklore about a princess named Chandravathi. Chandravathi was frightened becaue her own father was making advances towards her. She ran away and hid on a hill, to save herself from her father’s advances. While she was hiding here, she noticed a cow pouring milk on a rock. She noticed the cow do this every day. Out of curiosity, she cleaned the rock. And she was shocked to see a Shiva Linga there. She cleaned the Shivalinga and started to worship it. Because she had nothing to offer to the God, she started picking up Jasmine flowers from nearby plants, and would offer the same to shiva. It is also said that the princess built the first temple of Mallikarjuna.
Shiva is an ascetic yogi, who has mastered the art of detachment. However, we often offer flowers to Shiva. In tantric practices, Shiva is only offered ash from the corpse fire. This is to celebrate Shiva’s detachment. But Shiva is not just about detachment and destruction. Shiva is also a household, who has married and started a family. He experienced grief on Sati’s self immolation. He experienced hunger when Parvati left Kailasha out of rage. And out of hunger, Shiva moved to Kashi to beg for food to Annapurna.
Offering flowers to Shiva is celebration of this household side of Shiva. Also, the flowers that are offered to Shiva are the ones that are very commonly available Dhatura, Jasmine and Hibiscus are those, which are very commonly available. Which talks about how easy it is, to please Shiva.
3. Mahakaleshwar
Mahakaleshwar can be translated in two ways. Kala means time as well as death. So Mahakaleshwara is lord of time and lord of death. Here, Shiva is represented as the one who rules over the attributes of physics (time). The concept of Mahakaleshwar probably appears from the Kalantaka form of Shiva, that is widely worshipped southern states, especially Tamilnadu.
The tale of Kalantaka talks about a sage named Markandeya. The sage Mrikandu prayed to Shiva for a son. Shiva offered him a choice: a virtuous son who would live 16 years, or 100 long-lived, foolish sons. Mrikandu chose the former and accordingly had a son, whom he named Markandeya. As Markandeya neared the end of his fifteenth year, he came ot know about his death being near. Markandeya prayed to Shiva, worshipping the lingam.
As per his destiny, the messengers of Yama came to take away Markandeya’s soul, but failed to approach him as he ceaselessly repeated Shiva’s name. Yama came himself to take Markandeya’s soul and told Markandeya to stop his worship and come with him as per his fate. Markandeya refused, warning Yama that he was committing an offence against Shiva. Yama, however, proclaimed that not even Shiva could stop him. The wrathful Yama assumed a fearsome form and threw his noose to capture Markandeya, who hugged the lingam tightly. When the noose touched the lingam, Shiva emerged from it in all his wrath and struck Yama with his Trishula and kicked his chest, killing the Lord of Death.
While worshipping Shiva, one often chants the Mahamrutynjaya Mantra. Literally, Mahamrutyunjay Mantra would mean the great hymn that would win over the death. But death is the unavoidable one. So the Mantra may have power to keep death waiting, avoiding untimely death. The word Kaal can also be used for natural calamity. So Shiva being Mahakaleshwar is also a way of saying that Shiva has a power to save humankind from natural calamities. And when we call Shiva as Mahakal, it is away of saying Shiva being the big disaster himself, for those who are sinners or not abiding by the Dharma. This compliments well to the image of Shiva as a destroyer.
Mahakaleshwar temple has one very unique ritual in the form of Bhasma Aarti. The Aarti takes place every morning, before Sunrise. During the Aarti, Ash is applied to the deity. Thousands of devotees visit the temple daily to witness this magnificent ritual. Legends say that the ash used to be collected from crematorium along the ghats near Shipra river. However, the temple priests don’t agree with these legends. Interestingly, Shiva is also said to be seeker of crematorium (Shamshaan ke Saadhak) and the ash from dead bodies is said to be the shringaar. This tells us about how Shiva is an ascetic who doesn’t need any pricey or fancy Shringaar, and is happy with just the ash.
4. Omkareshwar
The fourth Jyotirlinga is mentioned as ओङ्कारममलेश्वरम् in the shloka. Shiva being called as Omkareshwar, emphasises his association with the sacred symbol Om. Om is the essence of the supreme Absolute, consciousness, Ātman, Brahman, or the cosmic world. Shiva, being Omkareshwar, is the lord of all these.
Omkar recitation is considered to be an important yogic practice. It is very common to start or end a yoga or meditation session with Omkar recitation. All mantras generally begin and often also end with Om. Shiva is very closely associated with Yoga and Yogic traditions. So it is only obvious for Shiva or Mahayogi to be related closely to Omkar.
Mandukya Upnishad talks in detail about the importance of Om. The first verse of Mandukya Upnishad goes like
हरिः ओम् ।
ओमित्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वं तस्योपव्याख्यानं
भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वमोङ्कार एव |
यच्चान्यत्त्रिकालातीतं तदप्योङ्कार एव ॥ १ ॥
Translation : Aum, the word, is all this. A clear explanation of it (is the following). All that is past, present and future is verily Aum. That which is beyond the triple conception of time, is also truly Aum.
In further verses of the Upnishad, the concept of self (Atman) and absolute reality (Brahman) is explained. The verses explain how the Aum helps us in connecting Atman to Brahman.
By associating Shiva with Omkar or Aum, we are essentially emphasizing on Shiva’s role in connecting Atman to Brahman. Which is the central theme of the practice of meditation and yoga as well.
5. Vaidyanath
The fifth Jyotirlinga is mentioned as परल्यां वैद्यनाथं . The name Vaidyanath (also referred as Baidyanath) means “the Master of Medicine”. This name establishes Shiva’s association with the practice of medicine. We all associate Dhanvantari with medicine. However, many tantric sects consider Shiva to be the creator of Ayurveda, the medical practice that focuses on preventive medicare more than curative medicare. During Samudra Manthana, Shiva had drunk the poison Halahal, which could have destroyed whole earth. And he managed to contain in one corner of his throat. This act would require a thorough knowledge of internal circulation system of body. Thus, establishing Shiva’s association with anatomy and medical knowledge. Shiva is also thought to have taught meditation to the world. Meditation plays a very vital role in preventive medicare and Ayurvedic practices.
The legend of Baidyanath is related to the mighty king of Lanka, Ravana. Interestingly, Ravana is known for his contributions to Ayurveda. He wrote several books on medicine and other scientific topics, including: Ravana Samhita: A book on astrology; Arkaprakasha: A book on Siddha medicine and pharmacology; Nadipariksa: A book on pathology and clinical examination; Kaumartantra: A book on pediatrics and Marmavijnana: A book on surgery. The Shivlinga that is associated with Ravana is also called as Vaidyanath, probably owing to Ravana’s contribution to Ayurveda.
6. Bhimashankar
The sixth Jyotirlinga is named Bhimashankar, literally meaning the Shiva with Bhima. Bhima is name of a river that originates from a point very close to the temple. The river flows through parts of Maharashta and merges with Krishna river, near Raichur in Karnataka.
Here, Shiva is getting associated with river Bhima. Most probably because of existence of the river in the vicinity of the temple. Shiva, however, is associated with many rivers in India. In Shiva Purana, we read a detailed narration of how river Ganga appeared on earth because of Bhagirath’s penance, and how Shiva held the river in his matted hair. This tale provided the name Gangadhara to Shiva. There is also mention of how he asked Shiva to make a branch of herself in south west, from the mountain of Brahmagiri near Trimbakeshwar. This branch came to be known as Godavari, the second longest river of India.
Shiv Purana talks about various rivers in details. The Purana says that Shiva himself has established multiple holy shrines and cities, on the banks of holy rivers. One needs to visit these shrines, and take bath in the rivers, in order to attain salvation. The Purana talks about Shiva’s association with the rivers Saraswati, Ganga, Naimisha, Badara, Sundhu, Yamuna, Sonbhadra, Narmada with it tributaries Tamasa and Reva; Tamraparni, Vegavati, Godavari; Tungbhadra, Suvarnamukhari (Swarnamukhi), Kaveri with tributaries Pampa, Kanya and Svetanadi. The Purana also describes different regions based on the river basin. These regions are Brahmaloka, Vishnuloka, Rudraloka, Shivaloka, Indraloka etc.
For any human inhabitation, availability of water is one of the most important factor. Historically, we can see major human settlements around the banks of various rivers. The indus valley civilisation was developed around Sindhu and Ghaggar-Hakra rivers. Later day, in the era of Janapadas, we see various Mahajanapadas having capitals on the banks of rivers. These include Taxila on the shore of Sindhu, Indraprastha (Delhi), Kaushambi and Mathura on Yamuna; Ahichhatra (modern Ramnagar) on Ramganga, Kampilya (near Farukhabad); Varanashi, Rajagriha (Patna) and Champa on Ganga; Shravasti on Rapti; Kushavati (Ayodhya) on Sharayu; Kushinagar and Vaishali on Gandak; Potana (Bodhan) on Godavari; Ujjain on Shipra; Mahishmati (Maheshwar) on Narmada and Shuktimati (either Rewa on Tamsa river or Banda on Ken river).
Rivers have traditionally been considered as not just the source of water, but also the source of life. In many parts of the country, one would find temples dedicated to the river goddesses like Ganga, Yamuna, Kaveri, Godavari, Krishna, Pampa and many others. While Shiva is commonly associated with destruction. But associating him with the rivers, we are also celebrating Shiva as being the creator, the giver of life.
7. Rameshwar
Rameshwara literally means “The deity of Rama”. Rama, the warrior prince mentioned in the epic Ramayana, is an incarnation of Vishnu. The story associated with Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga talks about how Vishnu, as Rama, wanted to atone the sin of killing Ravana; and how he worshipped Shiva for the atonement. When Rama wanted to worship Shiva, he sent Hanumana to meet Shiva on Kailash and bring a Shivlinga from there. When Hanuman did not come back for long time, Sita made one Shivlinga using the sand on sea shore. The same was installed and worshipped by Rama, Lakshmana and Sita. When Hanuman came back and saw another Shivlinga having been installed, he was little disappointed. He placed the secodn Shivlinga close to the sand one. This is why, the Rameshwaram temple contains two Shivlingas.
This story has multiple layers. Ravana, the king of Lanka, was an avid devotee of Shiva. Ram is an incarnation of Vishnu and Sita is manifestation of Shakti. When Ravana kidnaps Sita, it is symbolic of dominance of Shaivism over Shaktism. And Ravana’s killing by Rama is the overpowering of Vaishnavism over Shaivism. But after this war, Vishnu again bows down to Shiva for atonement. This again assets the supremacy of Shiva and Shaivism. Ram then sends Hanuman, an incarnation of Shiva, to bring the Jyotirlinga. And then, he worships another Shivlinga that was created by Sita or Shakti. Thus emphasising that Vishnu listened to Shakti’s actions, and they both worshipped Shiva together. The story asserts how Shaivism is superior to Vaishnavism and Shaktism.
Maybe this is a far fetched observation. Maybe the story just tells us about the cordial relationship between Shiva and Vishnu, talking about how Shaivism and Vaishnavism are expected to co-exist peacefully. This concept of peaceful co-existence is also talked about in different folklores, Puranic stories and sculptures. In Puranas, we get a Shloka as
शिवाय विष्णु रूपाय शिव रूपाय विष्णवे |
शिवस्य हृदयं विष्णुं विष्णोश्च हृदयं शिवः ||
यथा शिवमयो विष्णुरेवं विष्णुमयः शिवः |
यथाsन्तरम् न पश्यामि तथा में स्वस्तिरायुषि|
यथाsन्तरं न भेदा: स्यु: शिवराघवयोस्तथा||
The lines mean the Vishnu is in Shiva’s form and Shiva is in Vishnu’s form. Shiva’s heart contains Vishnu, and Shiva is in Vishnu’s heart. The way Vishnu is full of Shiva, Shiva is also full of Vishnu. One should not try to see or hear about them differently. Only then, one will live happily. These lines try to present them as being one. Same concept is presented in the sculpture of Harihara. The sculpture of Harihara represents both Shiva and Vishnu in one single sculpture. Where the left half is of the deity is Vishnu and right half is Shiva. While the story of Rameshwaram tells about Vishnu bowing down to Shive for atonement, another story in the Braj land talks about Shiva changing his gender, just to be a part of the Raasleela.
By describing Shiva as Rameshwara, an attempt has been made at the unification of Vaishnavas and Shaivas, the two clans that often fought over supremacy of their respective deity.
8. Naganath / Nageshwar
When we call Shiva as Nageshwara, we are celebrating his association with the Nagas. In Hinduism, the term Naga is not limited to just snakes, but is used for a group of all serpent animals. Though, in sculptures, mostly cobra snakes are crafted as Naga. Sage Kashyap, the mind born son of Brahma, married 13 women and gave birth to 13 life forms through them. Among these, Kadru gave birth to Nagas. Thus, Nagas are semi divine life form as per Hinduism.
But the significance of Nagas is not limited to just being the sons of Kashyapa and grandsons of Brahma. Nagas are said to live in Sarpalok, underground. This connects them to the the deities of fertility, that reside inside the soil and provide us with crops. Nagas are said to possess the power to communicate with these deities and pass on our requests to them. Snakes are also associated with immortality. Whenever a snake gets old, the snake sheds old skin, and gets new skin.
But how did Nagas get associated with Shiva? One can witness Naga in almost all forms of Shiva. When Shiva is sitting in meditation, Vasuki, the king of the Nagas, can be seen coiled around his neck. When Shiva is in Nataraja form, performing the cosmic dance of Tandava, the Naga appears in one of his hands. In the Bhikshata form, the Naga appears on his waist. In Kamari, Chandrashekhara, Virbhadra or Pashupati form, he holds the snake in his hands, and the snake locks himself around Damru in some depictions. The position of snake may differ in different depictions, but Naga is always to be found with Shiva.
There is a tale in Shivapurana that talks about how Nagas got associated with Shiva. When Sanudramanthana began, in the pursuit of Amrita, the first thing to emerge from the sea was a deadly poison named Halahal. Some stories mention the poison to have been spewed from Vasuki’s mouth, as a result of the pressure on his body. Some stories mention it to have emerged from the sea. The poison was deadly enough to wipe off whole earth and life on it. At this point, Shiva volunteered to drink the poison, so that it doesn’t spread anywhere else. When Shiva drank the poison and kept it locked inside his throat, he was feeling extreme heat around the throat. This time, Vasuki coiled himself around Shiva’s neck, to provide him coldness in the region.
Shiva’s association with Naga is a symbolic representation of Shiva holding power over the qualities, that are associated with Shiva. Shiva does not just reside in the upper realm, but possess power over the lower realm as well, the one that Nagas have access to. Shiva is not just associated with destruction like depicted in the tales of Trimurti, but also possesses the power of regeneration, like the Nagas do. And being powerful to command or support regeneration, he is also largely associated with the aspect of fertility.
Nagas hold important place not just in Shaivism, but also in Vaishnavism. While the Naga Vasuki finds a place around Shiva’s neck, Vishnu reclines on the coils of massive snake named Shesha. Lakshmana in Ramayana and Balrama in Bhagavata are said to be incarnations of Sheshnaga.
9. Vishweshwar
The 9th Jyotirlinga is Vishweshwar or Vishwanath, situated at Kashi. This one is considered to be among the most prominent one, in all 12 Jyotirlings. The word Vishwa refers to the world and the universe. In broader term, universe could mean everything around us, that we can experience with one of the 5 senses. By calling Shiva as Vishweashwar, we are terming him to be the ruler of each and everything around us.
Shiva is believed to have destroyed the universe at the end of each cycle, and then recreated it in a new form. This cycle of destruction and recreation is denoted by the Tandava, cosmic dance of Shiva, and it is said to symbolize the perpetual cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Because Shiva is the ruler of the universe, he knows well when it is time for Tandava, and he executes it well.
The word Nath or Ishwar is not just used as “ruler”. It also means “protector”. So when we talk about Vishweshwar, we are terming Shiva as protector of the universe. The word Vishwa encompasses entire cosmos. So by calling Shiva as Vishweshwar, we are making Shiva the ruler of not just the earth, but the whole cosmos.
10. Trimbakeshwar
The word Trimbakeshwar is made of three words as Tri + Ambika + Ishwar. The word Ambika has two meanings. It can be used for Goddess, or eye. So the literal translation of the name would be “Lord of three goddesses” or “Lord of three eyes”.
The Shivlinga at Trimbakeshwar has three faces. The faces are said to be embodying Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva; as per local folklores. However, the name talks of Ambika, which means Shakti or Goddess. So does it mean the three faces of the Shivlinga may also be the embodiment of Brahmani, Vaishnavi and Maheshwari; the feminine energies of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva respectively. Might be.
The word also refers to Shiva’s third eye. Shiva’s third eye has a deep spiritual meaning associated to it. Our eyes can see what is physically present around us. With eyes, we can see our hand because the hand reflects light and it reaches the eyes. The third eye can see and sense the things that are not in physical form. They may include things like knowledge, emotions, feelings etc. When we refer to the “third eye”, we are symbolically talking about seeing something that the two sensory eyes cannot see.
When you want to see something that is not physical in nature, the only way to look is inward. The two sensory eyes are outward bound, seeing the things around us. The third eye is inward bound, seeing the things inside our heart and mind. The concept of third eye also talks about subjectivity and objectivity. When we look at someone or talk about someone, we create an image based on our perceptions and experiences about the person. These opinions are always subjective. But the third eye provides us objectivity, and the ability to look at things and people as they are.
Shiva is said to awakened his third eye, thereby gaining the power to look at things objectively, free of subjective biases. The awakening of third eye is the result of the Yogic powers and practises. But this third eye is not just the eye of enlightenment, but also the eye of wrath. Once when Shiva was busy in penance, Kama appeared there to generate desires in Shiva’s mind, on request of Parvati. But Shiva did not appreciate this gesture and he opened his third eye, to burn Kama to ashes. This metaphorical opening of third eye is expressing knowledge and enlightenment to destroy the ignorance and attachment expressed by Kama.
By calling Shiva as Trimbakeshwar, we are talking about the third eye of enlightenment, that Shiva possesses, and that all of us are expected to work towards. The name Trimbakeshwar also tells about how Shiva is the most enlightened one.
11. Kedarnath
The name Kedarnath means “lord of the plain lands”. Kedar is a sanskrit word for plain land, and also proper noun referring to one particular hill in the Himalayas, where the Kedarnath Jyotirlinga is situated.
According to the Kashi Kedara Mahatmya the Kedara is the territory where crops of liberation grow; therefore, Kedara has been replicated in all the important holy places of India. The Mahatmya says “just as Kashi is the holiest place in the universe, Kedar is holiest place in Kashi.”
The name Kedarnath was probably given to Shiva, because he had disappeared in the ground, to stay away from the Pandavas. The different parts of the bull, whose form Shiva had taken, emerged from 5 different places. The five places got the name of Panchkedar, with Kedarnath being the most important of them.
If we think deeply, there is another philosophical meaning. The temple of Kedarnath is situated on a small plain, within high rising Himalayan hill ranges. And as the name Kedarnath translates to “Lord of the plain lands”, Shive provides much required plain land to our minds, to relax. amidst the high rising hills of stress and anxiety.
12. Grishneshwar
The Sanskrit word Grishna means warmth. So Grishneshwar is the “Lord of Warmth”. The warmth may mean the phenomenon of heat from physics, or the compassionate component of feelings. Among all the deities, Shiva is the one who is mostly depicted showing human like emotions. The emotions of anger, hunger, love and compassion is often showcased with Shiva.
Sati, after being insulted by her father Daksha during a yagna (sacrificial ceremony), committed self-immolation, causing Shiva to become enraged and grief-stricken. In a state of grief and distraction, Shiva carried Sati’s body and wandered through the universe. He also started to perform Sanhara Tandava with Sati’s body in his hands. Fearing destruction of whole universe because of Shiva’s Sanhara Tandava, Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut Sati’s body in pieces. The body was cut in 51 pieces, and these 51 pieces fell at different places on earth. All these 51 places became the 51 Shakti Peethas. This story talks about the love Shiva had towards his wife Sati.
The Kalantaka story also talks about the compassionate side of Shiva. The story talks of a sage named Markandeya, who was destined to die at the age of 16. The sage was a devotee of Shiva. On the day of his destined death, he was busy in performing Shiva’s worship as usual. When the messengers of Yama arrived to take his life, they could not proceed because of presence of Shiva there. When Yama himself came down, and tried to take his life, Markandeya embraced Shivlingam. When Yama threw his noose to take life, the noose got circled around Lingam. Enraged by this action of Yama, Shiva emerged from the lingam and defeated Yama in a war. This granted some additional years of life to Markandeya. This story also talks about the compassion Shiva showed towards his devotees. So much so that he even doesn’t blink an eye before deciding the change the destiny for his followers.
In many cultures, Shiva is also called as “Bhole Baba”. Bhole in Hindi would mean innocent. Shiva is termed as Bhole baba because he doesn’t think of the future consequences before granting a boon to his devotees, or before fulfilling wishes of his devotees. There are countless stories in Puranas that talk of various Asuras receiving boons from Shiva, and then trying to overpower Devloka. Bhasmasura received a boon that anyone touched by him would turn to ashes. Jarasandha received strength that made him almost invincible. Andhaka was given a boon that he will be immortal, unless Shiva himself kills Andhaka.
All these tales talk about the compassion showcased by Shiva. The compassion was similar to the love and affection showed by parents towards their children. It is said that Shiva loves every living creature equally, and doesn’t differentiate between Devas and Asuras. And when we call Shiva as Ghrishneshwara, we are talking of this compassionate side of Shiva.
Dr Janki Thaker