Jyotirlinga: Difference between revisions

{{location map~|India|label=[[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleshwar]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=top|lat=23.182778|long=75.768333}}

{{location map~|India|label=[[Baidyanath Temple|Baidyanath]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=wr|lat=24.293337|long=86.420010}}

{{location map~|India|label=[[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankar]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=bottom|lat=19.072076|long=73.535807}}

{{location map~|India|label=[[Ramanathaswamy Temple|Rameshwaram]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=9.287833|long=79.315782}}

VAIJANATH PARLI 18° 50′ 33.98″ N 76° 32′ 7.42″ E - lat=18.842517|long=76.535007

Nageshwar 22.2807344, 68.5882843

A '''Jyotirlinga''' ({{Lang-sa|ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग|lit=lingam of light|translit=Jyotirliṅga}})<ref>{{harvnb|''Wisdom Library''|2019}}</ref> or '''Jyotirlingam''', is a devotional representation of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Shiva]]. The word is a [[Sanskrit]] compound of {{IAST|jyotis}} ('radiance') and {{IAST|[[linga]]}} ('sign'). The [[Shiva Purana|Śiva Mahāpurāṇam]] (also ''Shiva Purana'') mentions 64 original ''jyotirlinga'' shrines in [[India]], 12 of which are most sacred and they are called the '''Maha Jyotirlingam''' (The Great Jyotirlinga.)

According to a [[Shaivism|Shaiva]] legend from the Shiva Purana, once, [[Brahma]] (the god of creation) and [[Vishnu]] (the god of preservation) had an argument over their supremacy.<ref name="R.">{{harvnb|Venugopalam|2003|pp=92–95}}</ref> 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 the 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 (bird)|hamsa]] (swan).<ref>{{harvnb|Pattanaik|2017|p=126}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{harvnb|Kumar|2003|p=1645}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{harvnb|Gangashetty|2019|p=102}}</ref> The ''jyotirlinga'' shrines are regarded to be the temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.<ref>{{harvnb|Eck|1999|p=107}}</ref><ref name="Gwynne">{{harvnb|Gwynne|2009|loc=section on Char Dham}}</ref>

Originally, there were believed to have been 64 ''jyotirlings'' of which twelve are considered to be very auspicious and holy.<ref name="R." /> The twelve ''jyotirlinga'' sites take

| उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥ || ''Ujjayinyāṃ Mahākālam Omkāram Mamaleśwaram'' || Mahakala ([[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleshwara]]) in Ujjain, [[Omkareshwar Temple|Omkareshwara]] in (Khandwa);

|वैद्यनाथम् चिताभूमो च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्। || ''Vaidyanāthaṃ chitha bhumo cha Ḍākinyāṃ Bhīmaśaṅkaram'' || [[Baidyanath Temple|Baidyanath]] in [[Deoghar]] or [[Parli Vaijnath]] and [[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankara]] in Dakinya;

| सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥ || ''Setubandhe tu Rāmeśaṃ Nāgeśaṃ Dārukāvane'' || Ramesham ([[Ramanathaswamy Temple|Rameshwara]]) in Sethubandh, (Nagesham) [[Nageshvara Jyotirlinga|Nageshwara]] or [[Aundha Nagnath Temple|Naganath]] in Daruka-Vana;

| हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥ || ''Himālaye tu Kedāraṃ Ghuśmeśaṃ ca Śivālaye'' || Kedar ([[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath]]) in the Himalayas and Ghushmesh in Shivalay , ([[Grishneshwar]]) at ([[Aurangabad, Maharashtra]]).

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| [[File:Nageshwar_Temple.jpg|110px]]

| [[Gujarat]] / [[Maharashtra]]

|Near [[Dwarka]] / [[Parbhani]]

| 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 and most probably the present day Dwarka region''. Other claims to the Nagesh Jyotirlinga status come from -  Aundha [[Aundha Nagnath Temple|Naganath]] (Hingoli District of [[Maharashtra]]) and [[Jageshwar]] (Almora District of [[Uttarakhand]])

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| [[Baidyanath Temple|Baidyanath]]

| [[File:Baba Dham.jpg|110px]]

| [[Jharkhand]] / [[Maharashtra]]

| [[Deoghar]] / [[Parli Vaijnath]]

| Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga temple, also known as ''Baba Baidyanath dham'' and ''Baidyanath dham'' is one of the twelve jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of [[Shiva]]. It is located in [[Deoghar]] in the [[Jharkhand]]  [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[India]]. It is a temple complex consisting of the main temple of Baba Baidyanath, where the jyotirlinga is installed, and 21 other temples.

According to [[Hindu]] scriptures, the demon king [[Ravana]] worshipped Shiva at the current site of the temple to get the boons that he later used to wreak havoc in the world. Ravana offered his ten heads one after another to Shiva as a sacrifice. Pleased with this, Shiva descended to cure Ravana who was injured. As he acted as a doctor, he is referred to as ''[[Vaidhya]]'' ("doctor"). From this aspect of Shiva, the temple derives its name. Another belief says that Shri Vaijnath Temple located at [[Parli Vaijnath]] in [[Maharashtra]] is a jyotirlinga.

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| [[Grishneshwar Temple|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 Ellora, less than a kilometer from [[Ellora Caves]] in Maharashtra.

*{{commons category inline|Jyotirlingas}}