Tattva

Last month we celebrated Mahashivaratri. There was a whole night of prayers in homes and at Shiva temples. As we reflect on the prayers, let us learn more about jyotir lingas. The Jyotir lingas are self born (svayambhu) and are regarded as most sacred. There are twelve in the whole country. The following shlokas sum up these:

Suarashtre tu Somanatham, Shri shaile Mallikarjunam
Ujjayinyaam Mahakaalam Omkaare Mamaleshwaram

1. In Saurashtra Somanatha
2. In Shrishailam Mallikarjunam
3. Mahaa kaala in Ujjain
4. Mamaleshwara in Omkareshwar

Himalaye tu Kedaaram, Dakinyaam Bhima Shankaram
Vaaranasyam tu Vishvesham Tryambakam Gautamitate

5. Kedaranath in the Himalayas
6. Bhimashankara in Dakini
7. Vishveshwara in Vaaraanashi
8. Tryambaka in Gautami tata

Paralyam Vaidhyanatham Nagesham cha Daruka vane
Setubandhe tu Ramesham Ghrishnesham cha shivalaye

9. Vaidyanatha in Parali
10. Naagehswar in Daruka forest
11. Rameshwar in Setubandam
12. and Ghrishneshwara are the shiva (Jyotir lingas) temples.

The locations are as follows:

Somanatha in Saurashtra Gujarat;
Mallikarjuna in Shrisailam Andhra Pradesh;
Mahakaaleshwar in Ujjain MP;
Mamaleshwara in Omkareshwar an island in Narmada shaped like OM;
Kedarnath in the Himalayas;
Bhima Shankar in the Dakin (Dakshin?) Maharashtra
Vishveshwara in Vaaraanashi (Kashi in UP)
Tryambakeshwara in Gautami sthala (near Nashik, Mahaaraashtra)
Vaidyanatha in Parali (Mahaaraashtra)
Nageshwara in Mahaaraashtraa.
Rameshwara in Setu Banda (Tamil Nadu)
Ghrshneshwar in Mahaaraashtraa.

Dr. S.K. Balasubramanian completed his Ph.D. from IIS Bangalore. He went to business in Pune manufacturing fine chemicals. You can contact him at smanian@sancharnet.in.

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