Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga

The emergence of Rameshwar Jyotirlinga is associated with a fascinating and intriguing religious story. Learn how this divine Jyotirlinga manifested and what its significance is.

The Rameshwar Jyotirlinga is located in Ramnath Puram, Tamil Nadu. Lord Shri Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, worshipped the earthly Lingam and prayed to Lord Shiva to reside there forever for the purification and welfare of the world. As a result, Lord Mahadev settled there as a Jyotirlinga permanently. This Jyotirlinga came to be known as Rameshwar.

Story of the emergence of the Rameshwar Jyotirlinga:

When Ravana abducted Sita and took her to Lanka, Lord Ram, accompanied by Sugriva and the eighteen thousand strong vanara army, arrived at the seashore. Upon seeing the vast expanse of the ocean, Lord Ram fell into deep thought about how to cross this immense body of water and defeat Ravana. While immersed in this profound contemplation, Lord Ram felt thirsty and asked the vanaras for water. The vanaras, always eager to serve Lord Ram, immediately brought sweet water.

As soon as Lord Ram was about to drink the water, a thought suddenly struck him: "Oh, I am about to drink water without having the darshan of Lord Shiva!" Realizing this, he immediately hesitated. He felt that it would be inappropriate to consume the water without receiving the blessing of his Lord, Lord Shiva. It seemed as though an invisible force reminded him that crossing this ocean and defeating Ravana would be impossible without the grace of Mahadev. He set the water aside and, deciding that he should first seek the blessings of his beloved God, resolved to worship Lord Shiva.

Lord Ram immediately constructed an earthly Shivling and began worshiping it according to the proper rituals. With devotion and reverence as a devoted follower, he prayed to Lord Shiva, "O Maheshwar! How can I defeat Ravana without you? Ravana is also your devotee and, blessed by you, is immersed in arrogance. However, I am your servant and fully under your command. Please assist me and make this difficult task successful."

Having prayed in this manner, Lord Ram began to praise Lord Shiva with deep devotion. He exclaimed with full reverence, "Jai Shankar, Jai Shiv!" and immersed himself in meditation while chanting the mantras of Lord Shiva. Seeing Lord Ram's devotion and dedication, Lord Shiva was immensely pleased. At that moment, He manifested in a splendid, radiant form along with Goddess Parvati and His attendants. Seeing this divine form, Lord Ram's joy knew no bounds.

Seeing Lord Ram's devotion, Lord Shiva said, "Ram, may you be blessed. I am pleased with your devotion; you may ask for any boon you wish." Lord Ram, bowing in humility, requested, "O Mahadev, grant me the boon of victory over Ravana in Lanka." Lord Shiva blessed him with the assurance of victory, which greatly increased Lord Ram's confidence. Then, with even greater humility, Lord Ram prayed, "O Mahadev, if you are pleased with me, please reside here permanently at this sacred place."

Hearing Lord Ram's prayer, Lord Shiva established Himself there in the form of a Jyotirlinga and became renowned as the Rameshwar Jyotirlinga. By Lord Shiva's grace, Lord Ram was able to cross the ocean with ease, defeat Ravana, and recover Mother Sita. It is said that devotees who perform an abhishek of Rameshwar Shiva with Ganga water attain liberation in this lifetime. Moreover, merely listening to the story of this divine Jyotirlinga destroys all sins and fulfills the desires of the devotees. Worship and devotion to Rameshwar Jyotirlinga bring peace and fulfillment in life.

Verified from Puran…….

Writer :- krishna