The story of Vaidyanatheshwar Jyotirlinga is related to the devotion of Ravana. Let us know its story and the secret of the appearance of this Jyotirlinga.

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, also known as Vaidyanath Dham, is situated in Chita Bhumi. However, there is still doubt about the exact location of Chita Bhumi. According to the Puranas, the sacred land of the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga near Jasidih Station in the Deoghar district of Jharkhand, India, is referred to as Chita Bhumi. However, there is also a Vaidyanath Temple located in the village of Parli, on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. According to some Puranas and Vedic scholars, this sacred land is also called Chita Bhumi. A unique feature of this Jyotirlinga is that instead of the traditional Trishul of Lord Shiva, there is a Panchshul (five spikes) installed here. This Panchshul is a distinctive mark of the Vaidyanath Temple and holds significant religious importance.

Every year, on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, a special ceremony is held where the Panchshul is ceremoniously take down from the temple for the devotees. Many devotees gather to touch the Panchshul, believing it to be a symbol of auspiciousness and strength.

The Story of the Origin of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga:

Ravana, renowned for his pride and power, resolved to worship Lord Shiva. He reached to Mount Kailash and began his penance. To please Lord Shiva, he engaged in various forms of austerity. After a considerable period, when Lord Shiva did not respond to his penance, Ravana felt that perhaps something was lacking in his efforts. Determined to intensify his penance, Ravana moved to the dense forests south of the Himalayas, where he dug a large pit and lit a fire within it. In the center, he installed a Shiva Lingam and began performing a havan (ritual offering).

Ravana's method of penance was extremely arduous. In the summer, he would sit amidst five fires, in the rain he would sleep in open fields, and in winter, he would stand in icy water. Thus, through all three seasons, Ravana undertook severe penance to please Lord Shiva. However, despite such rigorous penance, Lord Shiva did not appear before him.

Seeing this, Ravana decided to undertake an even more extreme form of penance. He began to sever his heads one by one, offering them at the feet of the Shiva Lingam. Just as Ravana was about to cut off his last head, Lord Shiva appeared before him.

Lord Shiva restored all of Ravana's severed heads and granted him immense power, as per his wish. Seizing the opportunity, Ravana humbly requested Lord Shiva, "O Mahadev! With your blessings, I have become powerful, but I have one more wish. I would like you to come to Lanka and reside there. If you are pleased with my penance, please fulfill this desire of mine."

Upon hearing Ravana's words, Lord Shiva smiled and said, "O King of Demons, this is impossible. However, you may take this Shivling, which is a part of me, to Lanka with devotion. But remember, wherever you place it on the ground, it will establish itself there and it will not be possible to lift it from that spot. Now, do as you wish."

Ravana, overjoyed by this, reverently lifted the Shiva Lingam and began his journey toward Lanka. However, who can fathom the divine play of Lord Shiva?

As Ravana traveled a short distance, he was suddenly overcome by a strong urge to relieve himself, due to the divine illusion of Lord Shiva. He saw a cowherd nearby, who was actually Lord Ganesha himself in the guise of a cowherd. Ganesha had taken this form to prevent Ravana from carrying the Shivling to Lanka, as Ravana would have become immortal if he had succeeded. Seeing the cowherd, Ravana prayed to him to hold the Shivling for a while and not place it on the ground until he returned.The cowherd, agreeing to Ravana's request, took hold of the Lingam. However, the cowherd, perhaps not fully capable of bearing the weight of the massive Lingam, soon became overwhelmed by its burden.

After some time, unable to endure the weight and discomfort any longer, the cowherd placed the Shiva Lingam on the ground, thus establishing it there permanently.

The moment the Shiva Lingam touched the ground, it became firmly established there. The cowherd was astonished by this sight. When Ravana returned and tried to lift the Lingam, he found that it would not budge. Despite his best efforts, Ravana could not move the Lingam even slightly. Feeling helpless in this situation, despite having received many boons from Lord Shiva, Ravana accepted it as the will of the Lord and left the place.

Meanwhile, Indra and the other deities, who had been worried about Ravana's plan, were overjoyed to hear about this miraculous event. All the deities and sages arrived at the site where the Shiva Lingam had been established. Upon reaching the spot, they performed a special puja for Lord Shiva and named the Lingam "Vaidyanath." They praised and worshiped Shiva at this divine location and then returned to their celestial abode.

Thus, the Vaidyanatheshwar Jyotirlinga became a unique place of both worldly enjoyment and spiritual liberation for devotees across the three realms. This divine Shiva Lingam, established here due to Ravana's intense penance and Shiva's divine play, became famous throughout the three worlds. Simply by witnessing it, devotees' sins are washed away, and they attain salvation.

Verified from Puran......

Writer :- krishna

Vaidynatheshwar Jyotirlinga