Jyotirlinga

[sarabhanga]

लँ
लक्ष = लग्न = लिङ्ग = शिव

In the Mahabharata, it is said that Brahma commissioned Shiva for the task of Creation. Shiva sank into the dark Void, where his creative seed was secreted. He meditated for such a long time that Brahma grew impatient and appointed Prajapati; and when Shiva finally emerged, he became indignant that the work had been completed by another and in fury severed his own organ. He planted it in the earth.

The phallus has always been Shiva’s most potent emblem. Simple earthen or stone Linga were common in Sindhu-Sarasvati culture, and the Rig-Veda refers to the indigenous Shishnadevas (those to whom the Linga is God). The Neolithic tribes of northern India anciently used a stone digging-stick (Lak or Lang) in their primitive agriculture; and a stone phallus planted in or emerging from the earth, which is the Yoni (Bhaga) of the World, is the æternal aniconic form of Shiva-Shakti. Shiva is Mahashepha (Great Phallus) and Bhagesha (Womb Lord); and Shiva is Sthanu (Standing), rising from the quiet focus of Brahma’s creative vortex as Evidence that promises both Life and After-Life (i.e. Fruitful Æternity).

The Puranas relate that, while Brahma and Vishnu were quarrelling, Shiva displayed his Jyotirlinga. That Shaft of Light was pure Rajas, comprising the entire spectrum of creative radiation, and arose directly from the dark Flood of the Void. As Hamsa, Brahma flew upwards; and as Varaha, Vishnu plumbed the depths; but neither could fathom the extent of Shiva’s mighty Linga.

The arched extent of Arjuna’s Shaft is cognate with the ‘Aaron (Ark) of the Rod’: the ever-fertile standard of the First Priest, who is One of Twelve; the emblematic Arc of an æternal Covenant between God and Man.

Maheshvara declares that He will always be present within the bounds marked by His Jyotirlinga. The multifarious jewels of this legendary ‘Lost Ark’ are yet found in Bharata, where they shine resplendent as the Twelve Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva

Shiva is: Somanatha in Saurastra [Somnath, Gujarat]; Mallikarjuna on Shrishaila [Srisailam, Andhra-Pradesh]; Mahakala at Ujjayini [Ujjain, Madhya-Pradesh]; Omkara at Amareshvara [island in Narmada River, near Mandhatta, M.P.]; Kedara in Himalaya [source of Mandakini River, Uttaranchal]; Bhimashankara at Dakini [source of Bhima River, Maharastra]; Vishveshvara at Varanasi [Uttar-Pradesh]; Tryambaka on Gautami [source of Godavari River, Maharastra]; Vaidyanatha at Citabhumi [Deoghar, Jharkhand]; Nagesha at Dvarakavana [near Dwarka, Gujarat]; Rameshvara at Setubandha [Ramesvaram, Tamil Nadu]; and Ghushnesha at Shivalaya [Ellora, Maharastra].

[satay]

Maheshvara declares that He will always be present within the bounds marked by His Jyotirlinga. The multifarious jewels of this legendary ‘Lost Ark’ are yet found in Bharata, where they shine resplendent as the Twelve Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva

namaste,

Why lord chose to leave all jyotirlinga in the land known as Bharata and not anywhere else? or is that we just haven't looked for it anywhere else on the planet?

[Sudarshan]

namaste,

Why lord chose to leave all jyotirlinga in the land known as Bharata and not anywhere else? or is that we just haven't looked for it anywhere else on the planet?

Perhaps Bharat is not this land at all? And Jyothirlingas do not pertain to this world at all? Perhaps they have two meanings- an inner and outer? I saw TruthSeeker-ji giving different meanings. I agree with the fact that Bharat cannot India, else Hinduism must give up its claim of "Sanatana Dharama" and call itself "Bharat Dharma", a way of salvation for Indians only. To Bhava Dasa I asked for an explanation of the geographical explanations for the description of Bharatvarsha and the Jambudvipa given in Srimad Bhagavatam, and he did not give any explanation. There is something more than history and geography in our scripture.

Stalapuranas are the most absurd things you will ever find.

[ramkish42]

namaste,

Why lord chose to leave all jyotirlinga in the land known as Bharata and not anywhere else? or is that we just haven't looked for it anywhere else on the planet?

We have lost a huge set of vedic teachings over time and many greater perceptions of great saints and scholars.

Lord would had showered his benevolance to all places, but those places has lost the track to recall those teachings and unable to identify such benevolance over a period of time.

Probably, those missing parts of veda could be dealing with such showers, as for India, it was not relevant much, our ancestors would not had given much importance to it for crossing himalayas would had been a huge task to visit such places. Over a period of time, I suspect, we had lost them.

Jai shree krishna

[Singhi Kaya]

namaste,

Why lord chose to leave all jyotirlinga in the land known as Bharata and not anywhere else? or is that we just haven't looked for it anywhere else on the planet?

Because bharata is the bed where humans found the keys to breaking the shakels of bondage of jiva and a chance to evolve further. It also means if bharata completely looses this key, humanity will have to make a fresh start or perhaves perish. It also shows why anything outside the sanatan hindu dharma fold doesn't work in the land called bharata. shiva is the supreme god in this land and maa durga is his power. Try anything else, we will perish.

I believe it is as straight forward as that. And this straight forward conclusion seems to me more profound than any 'internal' / 'spiritual' meaning that can be given to the jotirlingas.

IMHO

[sarabhanga]

The first Jyotirlinga is Somanatha, and the primary expression of Soma is the Moon.

Surya is the principal Aditya (bright light), and Soma is the principal Daitya (dark light).

The ancient Shaiva perspective began (of course) with an understanding of only 5 Jyotirlinga , and the idea of 12 Jyotirlinga actually relates to the later (imported) system of dividing the Lagnamandala (Zodiac) into 12 segments.

The Heavens are the Lagnamandala or Lakshamandala (i.e. Amrityuloka); and the Earth is the Alakshamandala (i.e. Mrityuloka).

The original Shiva Lingamandala (above) is reflected below as the Lingamandala of 12 distinguished Jyotirlinga displayed on the very body of Sati (i.e. the Earth, and particularly Bharatavarsha, where Sati and her ultimate sacrifice is remembered as the Mother of earthly existence).

An elaborated system of Jyotirlingas and Shaktipithas has been explicitly revealed ONLY in Bharata, although the total of all the natural (and thus virtually eternal) sacred sites of all the indigenous cultures across the world is the best approximation to the global reality of this divine revelation.

[sarabhanga]

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गस्मरणम्
|| dvādaśajyotirliṅgasmaraṇam ||



सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम् ॥१॥
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम् ।
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥२॥
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे ।
हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ॥३॥
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः ।
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥४॥

॥ इति द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गस्मरणं सम्पूर्णम् ॥




saurāṣṭre somanāthaṁ ca śrīśaile mallikārjunam |
ujjayinyāṁ mahākālam oṅkāram amaleśvaram ||1||

paralyāṁ vaidyanāthaṁ ca ḍākinyāṁ bhīmaśaṅkaram |
setubandhe tu rāmeśaṁ nāgeśaṁ dārukāvane ||2||

vārāṇasyāṁ tu viśveśaṁ tryambakaṁ gautamītaṭe |
himālaye tu kedāraṁ ghuśmeśaṁ ca śivālaye ||3||

etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṁ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ |
saptajanmakṛtaṁ pāpaṁ smaraṇena vinaśyati ||4||


|| iti dvādaśajyotirliṅgasmaraṇaṁ sampūrṇam ||

[sarabhanga]

The 12 Jyotirlinga considered as equal divisions of the whole derives from the original vedic ideal of 11 rays from a single source ~ i.e. 12 indicates 11 + 1 (just as 4 indicates 3 + 1). And the ancient Lord of these 11 rays is the Kashyapa who reigns from Kashi (Varanasi) as Shri Vishvesha (the Lord of All).

ekādaśivandanā

हे जिह्वे भज विश्वनाथं बद्रीकेदारभस्मेश्वराः ।
भीमाशङ्करबैजनाथहृदये नागेश्वरारामेश्वराः ॥
ओङ्कारेममलेश्वरं स्मरहरं महाकालं मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
ध्यायेत्त्र्यंबकसोमनाथमनिशं एकादशि ॐ नमः ॥

he jihve bhaja viśvanāthaṁ badrīkedārabhasmeśvarāḥ |
bhīmāśaṅkarabaijanāthahṛdaye nāgeśvarārāmeśvarāḥ ||
oṅkāremamaleśvaraṁ smaraharaṁ mahākālaṁ mallikārjunam |
dhyāyettryaṁbakasomanāthamaniśaṁ ekādaśi om namaḥ ||

[sarabhanga]

हर हर महादेव शम्भु कशी विश्वनाथ गङ्गे
hara hara mahādeva śambhu kaśī viśvanātha gaṅge

[sarabhanga]

Shri Kedara Natha Ji ~ Nirvana Darshana