#Jyotirlinga - Mahakaaleshwar
# Mahakaleshwar and Gadkalika
The Jyotirlingas have a
significant religious, spiritual, historical and religious importance in
Bharat. In addition to being a must do in the pilgrim circuit, the Jyotirlingas
have a story to tell. Let us understand and appreciate the puranic stories
behind these places, the history and the societal significance in the present
context.
Somnath is the oldest
Jyotirlinga. The temple is located in Veraval in Gujarat. (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/06/jyotirlingas-somnath.html). The second Jyotirlinga is Mallikarjuna
in Srisailam in present day AndhraPradesh
(https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/06/jyotirlinga-mallikarjunaswamy-and.html).
Let us see the story of the third
Jyotirlinga at Mahakaleshwar temple. Mahakaleshwar is situated in Ujjain in the
state of Madhya Pradesh. Ujjain as a city is well endowed with many places of
interest and worship. Although, the entire city revolves around the Mahakaal
mandir, Ujjain is also the home of the Gadkalika temple which is a Shaktipeet.
This is where the upper lip of the Devi is supposed to be. Gadkalika temple is
famous as the Goddess who gave the boon of knowledge to Kalidasa. Ujjain also
houses the Harsiddi Ma temple – the Devi who was worshipped by King Vikramaditya.
Let us see the story behind the
Mahakaleshwar temple. In Puranic times, the city of Ujjain was known as
Avantika. The city was an important centre in Bharatavarsha and was known for
its beautiful buildings and sculptures. Like Kashi, it was also a seat of
learning where people sent their young ones for studies.
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| Avantika |
Once the city was ruled by a
king by the name of Chandrasena. The king was an ardent devotee of Mahadeva
(Shiva). Once a boy called Shrikar, from the poorer section, heard the king chanting
the names of Shiva while walking around the palace. Shrikar had the desire to
do a Shiva puja. He went to the temple and chanted the names of Shiva that he
heard King Chandrasena chanting in the palace grounds.
Unfortunately, the guards in the
temple mistook him for a mischief maker and were not kind to him. They threw
him out of the temple and banished him to outside the city limits. Disheartened,
the boy went to the outskirts of the city near the river Kshipra.
Around the time when this boy
was wandering around the outskirts, he saw the soldiers of the armies of King
Ripudamana and King Singhaditya. They were waiting on the outskirts of Avantika,
biding their time to attack the city. They wanted to capture the prosperous
kingdom and take over the wealth.
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Although punished by the King’s
guards, Shrikar did not want an enemy attack on his country. He started praying
fervently. The news of a young boy praying to Shiva for the sake of his king
and kingdom soon spread. A priest named Vridhi was one of the people who heard
about this incident and about Shrikar.
Vridhi had four sons. Vridhi and
his sons started a prayer for the safety of their country and their king. These
prayers and offerings were being carried out on the banks of the river Kshipra.
The kings Ripudamana and
Sighaditya, meanwhile launched an attack on Avantika. In addition to their powerful
armies, they had the help of a powerful demon Dushan. Dushan had a boon from
Lord Brahma that made him invisible. The cloak of invisibility of Dushan gave
them an additional advantage. They were able to attack at will and plunder the
city. The demon singled out the devotees of Lord Shiva for his attacks.
There was chaos and doom all
around. People were being killed, property destroyed and women and children rendered
helpless. Unfortunately, the enemy was not even visible. The people of the city,
who were ardent devotees of Shiva called to him for deliverance.
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| Mahakaaleshwar |
Hearing the helpless please of
his devotees, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Mahakala. He destroyed the vast
armies of the two attacking kings. He also destroyed the invisible demon
Dushan. The city heaved a sigh of relief. They did not want to be without their
protector Lord Shiva in case of any future attacks.
At the request of the priest Vridhi
and Shipra, Shiva agreed to stay in Avantika as the presiding deity of the city
and of King Chandrasena. Shiva granted the blessing that he would protect the
city from future perils.
From then on, Shiva has resided
in Avantika (now called Ujjain) as a (swayambu) lingam and is known by the name
Mahakaaleshwar. He is the presiding God of the city and is also its protector.
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