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AJyotirlinga (Sanskrit:ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग,romanized: Jyotirliṅga,lit. 'lingam of light')[1] orJyotirlingam is a devotional representation of theHindu godShiva. The word is aSanskrit compound ofjyotis ('radiance') andlinga ('sign'). TheŚiva Mahāpurāṇam (alsoShiva Purana) mentions 64 originaljyotirlinga shrines inIndia.
According to aShiva legend from the Shiva Purana, once,Brahma (the god of creation) andVishnu (the god of preservation) had an argument over their supremacy.[2] To settle the debate,Shiva pierced the three worlds, appearing as a huge, infinite pillar of light, thejyotirlinga. Brahma and Vishnu decided to ascend and descend across a pillar of light respectively, to find the end of the light in either direction. According to some iterations, Vishnu assumed hisVaraha avatar to achieve this task, while Brahma rode ahamsa (swan).[3] Brahma lied that he had discovered the end of the light, producing a ketakī flower as proof, while Vishnu admitted that he could not find the end of the light from his journey.[4] The dishonesty of Brahma angered Shiva, causing him to curse the creator deity that he would not be worshipped; he also declared that Vishnu would be eternally worshipped for his honesty.[5] Thejyotirlinga shrines are regarded to be the temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.[6][7]
While the origin of thejyotirlinga as an infinite pillar of light is rooted in theShiva Purana legend, each of the twelve sacred sites carries its own unique history and significance detailed in local traditions and other Puranic texts.The Somnath Temple has a strong historical context, having been destroyed and reconstructed numerous times over centuries by invaders and rulers, symbolizing the resilient faith of the devotees.[8] Its mythological significance links it to the Moon God (Soma), who established the lingam to be cured of a curse.[9]The Mallikārjuna shrine is unique as it is the only site where the Jyotirlinga (Shiva) and aShakta Pitha (Parvati as Bhramaramba) are revered together, a significance tied to the story of Shiva and Parvati following their son, Kartikeya, to the mountain.[10]Mahakaleshwar is particularly distinctive because thelingam is believed to beSwayambhu (self-manifested), and it is the only one of the twelve to face south, a direction associated with death and Shiva's role asMahakaal (destroyer of time).[11] The Omkareshwar shrine is associated with the island's natural shape resembling the sacred syllable 'ॐ' (Om), and legends of Shiva manifesting to support the gods against demons or granting a boon to the Vindhya mountain.[12]The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is considered exceptionally sacred, as devotees believe it is the only city that can never be destroyed, promising moksha (liberation) to anyone who dies there.[13] The temple has also faced historical destruction and rebuilding, with the current structure having been inaugurated in 1951.[14]
Originally, there were believed to have been 64jyotirlingas of which 12 are considered to be very auspicious and holy.[2] The twelvejyotirlinga sites takethe names of their respective presiding deity, and each is considered a different manifestation of Shiva.[15] At all these sites, the primary image islingam, representing the beginningless and endlessstambha (pillar), symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva.[15][16][17]
The followingshloka (द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram) describes the 12jyotirlingas:[18][19]
| Sanskrit | IAST | English |
|---|---|---|
| सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्। | Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ cha Śrīśaile Mallikārjunam | Somnath in Saurashtra and SriMallikarjuna inSrisailam; |
| उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥ | Ujjayinyāṃ Mahākālam Omkāram Amaleśwaram | Mahakala (Mahakaleshwara) in Ujjain,Omkareshwara in (Khandwa); |
| परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्। | paralyam Vaidyanāthaṃ cha Ḍākinyāṃ Bhīmaśaṅkaram | Vaidyanath Temple in Parli andBhimashankara in Dakinya; |
| सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥ | Setubandhe tu Rāmeśaṃ Nāgeśaṃ Dārukāvane | Ramesam (Rameswara) in Sethubandh, (Nagesam)Naganath in Daruka-Vana; |
| वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे। | Vārāṇasyāṃ tu Viśveśaṃ Tryambakaṃ Gautamītaṭe | Vishwesham (Vishweshwara) in Varanasi, Tryambakam (Trayambakeshwara) at bank of the river Gautami (Godavari); |
| हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥ | Himālaye tu Kedāraṃ Ghuśmeśaṃ ca Śivālaye | Kedar (Kedarnath) in the Himalayas and Ghushmesh in Shivalay, (Grishneshwar /Ghushmeshwar ) |
| एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। | etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ | One who recites these jyotirlingas every evening and morning |
| सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥ | saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati | is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives. |
| एतेषां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति। | eteṣāṃ darśanādeva pātakaṃ naiva tiṣṭhati | One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled |
| कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥: | karmakṣayo bhavettasya yasya tuṣṭo maheśvarāḥ | and one'skarma gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship. |
The names and the locations of 12jyotirlingas are mentioned in theShiva Purana (Śatarudra Saṁhitā, Ch.42/2-4). The detailed stories are given in Kotirudra Saṁhitā, chapters 14 to 33. These temples (not in order) are:
| # | Jyotirlinga | Image | State | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somnath | .jpg) | Gujarat | Veraval | Somnath is traditionally considered the first pilgrimage site: the Dwadash (Twelve in Sanskrit language) Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple. The temple, that was destroyed and re-built sixteen times, is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan,Veraval inSaurashtra region of Gujarat state in western India. |
| 2 | Mallikārjuna |  | Andhra Pradesh | Srisailam | Mallikārjuna, also calledŚrīśaila, is located on a mountain inKurnool District inAndhra Pradesh.[20] It enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich. It is a place whereShakta pitha and jyotirlingam are together. |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar |  | Madhya Pradesh | Ujjain | Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to beSwayambhu, the only one of the 12 jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south and also the temple to have aShree Rudra Yantra perched upside down at the ceiling of theGarbhagriha (where the Shiv Lingam sits). It is a place whereShakta pitha and jyotirlingam are together. |
| 4 | Omkareshwar |  | Madhya Pradesh | Khandwa | Omkareshwar is in Madhya Pradesh on an island in theNarmada River and home to a jyotirlinga shrine and theMamaleshwar temple. |
| 5 | Baidyanath |  | Jharkhand | Deoghar | Baidyanath Temple also known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, is aHindu temple dedicated toShiva. It is located inDeoghar, in theSanthal Parganas division of theIndian state ofJharkhand. The temple complex comprises the central shrine of Baba Baidyanath along with 21 additional temples. It is significant to the Hindu sects ofShaivism as this temple is referred to as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. |
| 6 | Bhimashankar |  | Maharashtra | Pune | Bhimashankar temple is situated in Bhimashankar village of Maharashtra, where theBhima river originates. TheBhimashankar forest is known as Dakini Vana. |
| 7 | Rameswaram |  | Tamil Nadu | Rameswaram | Rameswaram inTamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswara Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines theRameśvara (God of Rama) pillar.[20] It is also one of thePadal petra stalam ofPandya Naadu mentioned inTevaram. |
| 8 | Nageshwar |  | Gujarat | Dwarka | Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana and theDvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram, says one of the jyotirlinga namely Nagesh is situated in Daruka-Vana and most probably the present day Dwarka region. Other claims to the Nagesh Jyotirlinga status come from - AundhaNaganath (Hingoli District ofMaharashtra) andJageshwar (Almora District ofUttarakhand) |
| 9 | Vishwanath |  | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | The Kashi Vishwanath (Vishweshwar) Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga shrine, which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu shrines. It is also one of thePadal petra stalam ofVada Naadu mentioned inThevaaram. The temple is situated inVaranasi, the holiest city for Hindus, where a Hindu is expected to make a pilgrimage at least once in his life, and if possible, also pour the remains of cremated ancestors on the River Ganges. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy riverGanges, and is one of the twelve jyotirlingas. In fact, it is a place where Shakta pitha and jyotirlingam are together. It is the holiest of all Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the nameVishwanath orVishweshwara meaning Ruler of the universe. The temple town, is considered the oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history, is also calledKashi. |
| 10 | Trimbakeshwar |  | Maharashtra | Nashik | TheTrimbakeshwar Temple, near Nashik in Maharashtra, is a jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of theGodavari River. |
| 11 | Kedarnath |  | Uttarakhand | Kedarnath | Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is revered as the northernmost and the closest jyotirlinga to Lord Shiva's eternal abode ofMount Kailash. Kedarnath forms a part of the smallerChar Dham pilgrimage circuit of Hinduism. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-cladHimalayas, is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only for six months a year. It is also one of thePaadal Petra Sthalam ofVada Naadu mentioned inThevaaram. Shiva assumed the form of wild boar and dived into the earth at Kedarnath to emerge at Doleshwor in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Pure ghee is applied at Kedarnath lingam as the boar was injured. |
| 12 | Grishneshwar |  | Maharashtra | Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar | Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, referred to as the Grishneshwar temple inShiva Purana, is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. According to Shiv Puran, Grishneshwar is one of the Shiva Jyotirlinga which is situated near Ellora village, less than a kilometer from UNESCO siteEllora Caves inChhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar District of Maharashtra. |
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