#Jyotirlinga # Nageswara

Jyotirlingas #Nageshwara

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/Jyothirlingas-somnath.html). The second Jyotirlinga is Mallikarjuna in Srisailam in present day Andhra Pradesh

 (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/06/Jyothirlinga-mallikarjunaswamy-and.html).

We had covered the story of Mahakaaleshwar in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/06/Jyothirlinga-mahakaaleshwar.html).

Omkareshwar is the fourth jyotirlinga (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/06/jyotirlinga-omkareshwar.html).

 Baidyanath is the fifth Jyotirlinga and located in Deogarh, Jharkhand. https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/06/jyothirlinga-baidyanath.html.

Bhima Shankar in Maharashtra is the sixth Jyotirlinga. https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/07/jyotirlinga-bhimashankar.html.

The seventh one is the famous Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameshwaram. https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/07/jyotirlinga-ramanathaswamy.html

The eight one is the one at Nageswara at Dwaraka.

There was once a rakshasi named Darukaa. She and her husband Daruka, who had supreme strength were a terror for all people in their city. Along with the physical might of Daruka, the wife Darukaa had a divine boon from Devi Parvati, which made them arrogant.

The couple destroyed yagnas. The demon couple resided in the forests on the shores of the western ocean. This lush and thick forest extended in all directions. Devi Parvati had directed Darukaa to look after the forest. Unfortunately, the Daruka couple used the forest as their cover for all their wrong deeds. People were afraid to travel anywhere near that region. Sages could not perform their meditation and daily offerings.

In that region, there was a learned sage named Ourva. He was well respected amongst the people. Unable to put up with the demon and his wife, all the common people went to Ourva and said “Oh learned one. We are unable to live a normal life. We and our families live and die every day in fear. Can you please suggest a way out of this?”

Ourva said “The demons may be strong. But if they trouble harmless people on earth, they will lose their lives. They will also lose their lives if they destroy good deeds like yagnas.” The devas who are the beneficiaries of the yagnas and have not had any proper offerings from that place heard about Sage Ourva’s utterance and blessed his words with “Thatastu”. (When divine beings say Thatastu to a human utterance that blessing makes those words real. That is why our elders normally tell us to only say good words and not to speak anything inauspicious.)

Slowly the tide started turning against the demons. True to Ourva’s curse, they started dying whenever they troubled sacred sacrifices or when they killed the innocents. Now it was the turn of the rakshasas to be worried. They were debating what should be done and where they should go.

At that time the rakshasa Darukaa spoke “ Devi Parvati gave me the boon to look after the forest and even named it Darukavana. As per Devi’s blessings, the forest obeys and follows me. If we move the forest to a place where no one can reach, we can be safe.”. Hearing the words of their Queen, the demons were overjoyed. After a lot of debate, they decide to move the forest underwater (or perhaps an island surrounded by water).

The entire clan of demons moved from the land to the middle of the water, taking everything they could. They remained fearless and their life was back to normal and amused themselves in their new city. They were afraid that Ourva’s curse will catch up with them and remained quiet for sometime, But their innate nature caught up with them. They started attacking people who were travelling in the waters on boats. They took them to their city, robbed them and either killed them or imprisoned them.

Slowly, they became convinced that no harm will come to them in this new city which was blessed by Maa Parvati. This confidence turned into arrogance and they started troubling harmless folks again. This continued for some time.

Once, they seized a boat that had a merchant named Supriya. He was a big devotee of Lord Shiva. His day did not start or complete without the worship of Lord Shiva. He was pious and followed whatever was laid down in the sacred texts in every way. He wore the sacred ash and the rudraksha. He did not partake any food till he finished his Shiva worship.

Even in prison, he continued his worship. He create a lingam made of earth (parthivalingam) and a makeshift temple and started doing his daily routine of puja. The other prisoners were at first curious, but later joined him in his prayers. Each of them followed methods that they knew and worshipped Lord Shiva. Even those who had no idea how to conduct a regular puja, kept chanting Ohm Nama Shivaya and were meditating on Shiva. A few months passed thus.

Most of this worship was conducted in secrecy when the guards were not around. But once, a rakshasa saw the Shivalinga created by Supriya and told his king Daruka. An enraged Daruka reached the prison and asked Supriya who he was praying to. Supriya kept quiet. This made Daruka very angry and he tried to kill Supriya while trying to kick the lingam on the floor. Supriya was unafraid. He kept chanting the name of Lord Shiva with full confidence. This infuriated Daruka and his soldiers even more.

At that moment, Lord Shiva emerged from the partivalingam worshipped by Supriya. He handed his Pashupatastra to Supriya and told him to kill Daruka. Shiva’s Ganas killed the soldiers and the other demons with Daruka.

Lord Shiva also blessed Supriya and his fellow citizens that the forest will be the home of learned sages and pious people. He also blessed the people who dwell in that region with non tamasic (Not lethargic or lazy) qualities and the knowledge and thinking about Shiva at all times. Lord Shiva further promised to be present in that forest to bless and guide his devotees.

Darukaa, who saw her husband and relatives killed meditated on Devi Parvati. The Devi appeared in front of her. Darukaa said “Maa, please protect my lineage from extinction.” Devi Parvati promised to do so. Devi was also upset with Lord Shiva for punishing Darukaa’s relatives so severely, knowing fully well that Darukaa was a devotee of Devi Parvati.

Shiva understood the Devi’s mind, but was bound by his blessings and boon. He told Devi Parvati, “Darukaa can live with her rakshasa clan here as per your wish. But she should not trouble innocents.”

Shiva continued “To protect my devotees, I shall remain in this forest and ensure that this place becomes a safe place for the innocents and the learned sages. At the turn of the yuga, in the next Satya Yuga, there will be a king called Virasena who will discover me and become a powerful emperor.” The Lord then remained in that place as Nageswara and Maa Parvati stayed with him there as Nageswari. 

As foretold, many yugas later, king Virasena finds the parthiva lingam in the cave and also the Pasupatastra thanks to Lord Shiva’s blessings. There is story there? Ofcourse. That is for another day.