13th Jyotirlinga?

[Divine Kala]

I know about the traditional 12 jyotirlingas but there is a temple in Sydney, just outside the city which claims to house the 13th. I had never heard of more than 12 but I interested to find out if their claims have any weight?

(Regardless, I will make pilgrimage there next Mahashivratri and hopefully spend the night.)

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam DK: My take is that temples in the west often like to put a tag on their temple. The Flint Kasi Viswanatha temple used to refer to itself as the Kasi of the west, for example. I see no harm in such things but in order to have a world wide acceptance of such thing, I would think there would have to be a long history.

There are sometimes direct connections though. An example is when a temple in India gifts a murthi just to be placed in a new temple. I see this as a psychic extension of the originating temple. Its even stronger if the originating temple provides the priesthood.

This brings up the question: Who decides, or decided which 12 in the first place? Or the Saiva elemental temples, or the 6 Murugan temples of the Arapadaveedu pilgrimage.

I hope you go though, and give us a report on it. Better yet, I hope it has a strong vibration for all to experience.

Aum Namasivaya

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

This brings up the question: Who decides, or decided which 12 in the first place? Or the Saiva elemental temples, or the 6 Murugan temples of the Arapadaveedu pilgrimage.

I am in hopes the question posed is not an academic one , where the choices of which jyotirliṅgaṁ should be picked
is brought to committe for its determination .

The authority and choice of the 12 jyotirliṅgaṁ are found in the śiva mahāpurāṇa, śatarudra saṁhitā. Chapter 42 calls
out the 12 jyotirliṅgaṁ. For each of the 12 the benefits of viewing or being in the presence of jyotirliṅga is articulated by nandīśvara.

praṇām

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Yajvan: Thanks for that. I see on Wikipedia both the sacred lake Grand Bassin in Mauritius and the Sidney one are also referred to. So now I know I only have 11 more to go. Is there a specific pilgrimage route to all 12 in some order?

I've also been to the lake (extinct crater, quite small ... 300 meters across) in Mauritius. I guess its really quite the spectacle on Sivaratri night, as pilgrims from all over the island walk there.

Aum Namasivaya

[yajvan]

Is there a specific pilgrimage route to all 12 in some order?

In my opinion there is, as the śiva mahāpurāṇa, śatarudra saṁhitā calls out the 12 jyotirliṅgaṁ in an order worth reviewing.

Yet would one benefit from visiting any one of them? I think so.

Is it not interesting there are 12 ? Why not an even 10? Or say 16?
Why 12? This is the same as the body of kali-puruṣa we find in jyotish, of 12 parts.

praṇām

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Some pilgrimage that would be! This body is getting old. If there is a next time pilgrimage, we'll do the 5 elemental lingams, which are much more doable in an old body. Besides, I'd really like to sit in one place at least 4 or 5 days. That run in, get quick darshan, run out, isn't my style.

Aum Namasivaya

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast�

The śiva mahāpurāṇa, śatarudra saṁhitā, 42nd chapter calls out the 12 jyotirliṅgaṁ

But what of this notion of a 13th jyotirliṅgaṁ offered in post 1 above ?

If we refer to the śiva mahāpurāṇa yet now look to the koṭirudra saṁhitā, sūta-ji� describes an additional 9 upa-jyotirliṅga-s . I refer the reader to this work so they can engage and read the nine.

praṇām

words

• sūta - the most celebrated sūta was loma-harṣaṇa who was a pupil of vyāsa and he is speaking here in the śiva mahāpurāṇa
  • Let's take note of this name sūta . A sūta is a royal herald or bard , whose purpose is to proclaim the heroic actions of the king and his ancestors;
  • also a sūta has commited to memory the epics and ancient ballads

[Eastern Mind]

But what of this notion of a 13th jyotirliṅgaṁ offered in post 1 above ?

http://www.muktigupteshwar.org/aboutmandir.asp

[Necromancer]

Namaste all. I am looking into this right now, because Lord Shiva has placed me working on a farmstay practically right next door to it (at Ingleburn).

I had no idea that I was going to be moving right next to the temple (my father's friend has owned the farm for 30 years and he and his wife are getting too old to run it now, but cannot afford hired help...it's basically $70 week board and lodgings for a small cottage for both my daughter and I).

I am moving up from The Southern Highlands in NSW and I knew there was a 'Shiva Temple' somewhere in Sydney, but knew absolutely nothing about it. I don't even think I have been there before but if I did, it was many, many years ago.

I honestly and totally don't believe in the 13th Lingam or any more than 12, only because 108 is divisible by 12 and I gotta keep this all mathematical...also, it was donated by the King of Nepal back in the late 90's/early 2000's sometime....yeah...the Crown Prince of Nepal....*eye twitches*

Here's their explanation/blog for it, but it doesn't sound too convincing:
http://www.muktigupteshwar.org/13jyotirlingam.asp
I'll have to go and check it out for myself before I move, even though I am moving in 2 months.

Still, Lord Shiva somehow drew me there and brought me to that place when I prayed for guidance, so something must be there that Lord Shiva wants me to see....I just gotta work out what that is.

Aum Namah Shivaya