SHRI
NAGESHWAR JYOTIRLINGA
CHAPTER TEN
Om Namah
Shivaya
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INTRODUCTION
"Salutations
to Lord Ganesha. Today, I narrate to you the wonderful story of Nageshwar – the
tenth among the twelve Jyotirlingas."
This is not
merely a story – it is the tale of the power of devotion, the tale of victory
over poison and ego, and that divine play of Shiva, the Lord of Serpents, which
teaches us – the greatest danger is destroyed before true devotion, and Shiva's
name turns poison into nectar.
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CHAPTER ONE
NAGESHWAR –
THE LORD OF SERPENTS
"Nageshwar"
– meaning "the Lord of Serpents".
Lord Shiva
wears the serpent Vasuki around his neck. This Jyotirlinga is dedicated to that
very form of the Lord of Serpents. It is believed – worshipping here protects
one from poison and venomous creatures, and the inner poisons – anger,
attachment, greed – are also destroyed.
"Nageshwar
means – 'the one who turns poison into nectar'. One who has darshan here
becomes free from all kinds of poison – both external and internal."
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CHAPTER TWO
DWARKA –
SHIVA'S ABODE ON THE SEASHORE
The
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is located near the city of Dwarka in the state of
Gujarat.
It is situated
between the Gomati river and Dwarka, on the coast of Saurashtra.
This holds
the tenth position among the twelve Jyotirlingas.
It is
believed – Adi Shankaracharya established his western matha here at the Kalika
Peetha.
Nearby is
the Gopi Talab – which is associated with the pastimes of the gopis and Shri
Krishna.
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CHAPTER
THREE
DARUKAVANA –
THE FOREST OF THE DEMON
In ancient
times, this place was called "Darukavana" – meaning the forest of the
demon named Daruka.
In this
forest lived a demon couple named Daruka and Daruki.
Daruki (the
demoness) had performed intense penance to Mother Parvati.
Mother
Parvati was pleased and blessed her – "Your forest shall remain
invincible."
Because of
this boon, Daruka and Daruki became tyrants.
They
captured and imprisoned sages, ascetics, and devotees. They tormented people,
destroyed yajnas and havans, and created obstacles in worship and rituals.
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CHAPTER FOUR
SUPRIYA –
SHIVA'S SUPREME DEVOTEE
At that time,
there was a merchant named Supriya – who was a supreme devotee of Lord Shiva.
Supriya
always wore rudraksha, chanted "Om Namah Shivaya", and remained
absorbed in Shiva worship.
One day, the
demons captured Supriya too and threw him into the dungeon.
"Even
in the dungeon, Supriya did not stop his chanting. He also taught the other
prisoners the Shiva mantra."
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CHAPTER FIVE
THE POWER OF
SHIVA'S NAME – THE DESTRUCTION OF POISON
Supriya
asked all the prisoners to chant the "Om Namah Shivaya" mantra.
"O
friends! There is no protector greater than Shiva's name. Shiva's name turns
poison into nectar."
All the
prisoners began to chant Shiva's name with one voice.
When the
demons saw this, they became enraged. Daruka tried to kill Supriya.
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CHAPTER SIX
SHIVA'S
MANIFESTATION – THE EMERGENCE OF NAGESHWAR
Lord Shiva
was extremely pleased with Supriya's unwavering devotion and the collective
chanting of all the prisoners.
Lord Shiva
appeared in the form of a pillar of light. His form was extremely radiant and
divine.
He slew the
demon Daruka. Thus, he liberated Supriya and the other prisoners.
"Shiva
blessed them – 'I shall forever reside at this place by the name Nageshwar.
Whoever seeks refuge in me shall be freed from fear and poison.'"
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CHAPTER
SEVEN
THE MYSTERY
BEHIND THE NAME NAGESHWAR
The word
"Nageshwar" is composed of two parts –
"Naga"
– serpent, poison, or the lord of serpents
"Ishwar"
– God, Lord
That is –
the Lord of Serpents = Shiva.
Shiva wears
the serpent Vasuki around his neck. He holds poison in his throat and protects
the world from poison.
"One
who seeks refuge in Nageshwar has no fear of serpents, and the inner poisons –
anger, greed, attachment – are also destroyed."
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CHAPTER
EIGHT
THE DIVINE
HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE
Mythological
Belief –
Nageshwar is
mentioned in the Kotirudra Samhita of the Shiva Puran.
According to
the Shiva Puran –
"Pashchime
sagare tasya vanam sarvasamriddhimat."
(Meaning –
"In the western ocean, his forest was prosperous.")
This is a
reference to the forest of Darukavana.
Historical
Background –
The temple
is made of pink stone.
There is a
25-meter tall giant idol of Lord Shiva here.
The
Shivalinga is made of Dwarka stone.
It is shaped
like a three-faced rudraksha.
The
Shivalinga faces south, while the temple faces east.
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CHAPTER NINE
THE STORY OF
NAMDEV – THE SOUTH-FACING SHIVALINGA
A wonderful
story is associated with Saint Namdev –
Once, Saint
Namdev was singing bhajans. Some devotees told him –
"Namdev!
Do not stand in front of us. You are hiding the Shivalinga."
Namdev said
–
"Show
me the direction where God is not present. I shall go there."
The devotees
became angry. They asked Namdev to go and stand in the south direction –
because they thought God was not there.
But... when
they returned to the temple, they saw – the Shivalinga had itself turned
towards the south!
"This
is precisely why the Shivalinga of Nageshwar faces south – which is extremely
rare."
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CHAPTER TEN
THE TEMPLE'S
SPECIAL FEATURES
Temple
Structure –
Style –
North Indian – grand, built of pink stone
Idol –
25-meter tall Shiva idol
Shivalinga –
Made of Dwarka stone, shaped like a three-faced rudraksha
Direction –
Shivalinga faces south, temple faces east
Other
Deities –
In the
temple complex – Mother Parvati, Lord Ganesha, Hanuman, Nandi
Shakti
Peetha –
It is
believed – this is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas. Adi Shankaracharya established
his western matha here at the Kalika Peetha.
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CHAPTER
ELEVEN
NAGESHWAR –
THE PLACE OF FREEDOM FROM POISON
Nageshwar is
considered the Jyotirlinga that destroys poison. Beliefs include –
1.
Protection from External Poison –
Protection
from snakebites.
Freedom from
fear of venomous creatures.
2.
Destruction of Inner Poison –
Anger –
which burns the mind
Greed –
which disturbs the mind
Attachment –
which binds the mind
Ego – which
blinds the soul
"It is
believed – worshipping Nageshwar destroys both physical and spiritual
'poison'."
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CHAPTER
TWELVE
FESTIVALS
AND SPECIAL RITUALS
Maha
Shivaratri –
On Maha
Shivaratri, a grand fair is held here.
Thousands of
devotees gather here.
Rudrabhishek
and japa are performed.
Shravan
Month –
During the
month of Shravan, the Monday fasts hold special significance.
Devotees
bring seawater and perform abhishek on the Shivalinga.
Navaratri –
During
Navaratri, special worship of Mother Parvati is performed.
Gopi Talab –
Near the
temple is the Gopi Talab, where the gopis used to come to meet Shri Krishna.
This place
is associated with the pastimes of Shri Krishna.
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CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
THE LOCATION
CONTROVERSY – THE MYSTERY
There is
some controversy regarding the location of the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga.
According to
the Shiva Puran, it is located in Darukavana – which was on the western ocean
(the Arabian Sea).
Some
scholars consider Jageshwar (Uttarakhand) to be Nageshwar.
Some
consider Nagnath (Maharashtra) to be Nageshwar.
The majority
belief – the Nageshwar near Dwarka is counted among the 12 Jyotirlingas.
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CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
INTERESTING
FACTS
First –
Nageshwar is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas located in Gujarat.
Second – The
25-meter tall giant idol of Lord Shiva here is visible from afar.
Third – The
Shivalinga faces south – which is extremely rare.
Fourth – The
Shivalinga is shaped like a three-faced rudraksha.
Fifth – The
temple is made of pink stone.
Sixth – It
is believed that Shri Krishna also performed Rudrabhishek here.
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CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
THE
SPIRITUAL MESSAGE – THE ESSENCE OF THE STORY
This story
carries a deep spiritual meaning –
1. The Power
of Shiva's Name –
Supriya did
not stop chanting Shiva's name even in the dungeon. This teaches – do not
abandon Shiva's name even in the most difficult circumstances.
2. Freedom
from Poison –
Nageshwar
teaches us – the inner poisons – anger, greed, attachment, ego – are also
destroyed by seeking refuge in Shiva.
3. The Power
of Devotion –
Collective
chanting made Shiva manifest. This teaches – the power of true devotion and
collective resolve is immense
4. The
Destruction of Ego –
The demons
tormented devotees out of ego – but Shiva destroyed them. This teaches – the end
of ego is always destruction.
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CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
CONCLUSION
This story
of the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga teaches us –
"There
is no protector greater than Shiva's name. Shiva's name turns poison into
nectar. Nageshwar – where Shiva protected his devotee Supriya, where the Lord
of Serpents resides – this place is a wonderful gateway to devotion, faith, and
Shiva's grace."
Whoever
remembers Nageshwar with devotion, attains freedom from poison, freedom from
fear, and peace – all three.
This is the
story of Nageshwar... this is the glory of the tenth Jyotirlinga.
Om Namah
Shivaya.
Jai
Nageshwar.
Jai Baba
Nagnath.
— The End —