As all Gods including Indra had got their wishes fulfilled,
and attained the status of eternal bliss free from rebirth by worshipping the 'Atmalinga'
that had found place
in the lotus-heart of "Adimaye" by faith and penance, Ravana, the
all-accomplished and all powerful decided to get the 'Atmalinga' from Parameshwar so that
he also could become invincible and immortal by worshipping it. With this great ambition
he went to Kailasa and performed rigorous penance in solitude strictly following the rites
and singing hymns and doing a variety of dances Lord Parameshwar was soon propitiated by
Ravana's devotion and appeared in his true form with five faces, three eyes and ten
shoulders adorning Ganga and the moon God in his matted hair, the sovereign serpent round
his neck, a garland of skulls touching his ankles, flanked by Goddess Parvathi on his
left.
He then said passionately to the king of Lanka that he was much pleased with his devotion
and that he would bestow any kind of boon he would ask. Ravana's happiness found no bounds
and prostrated before Parameshwar and praised him with humility and single-mindedness,
addressing the Lord with his innumerable names. He then got up and asked Shiva to grant
him the 'Atmalinga'. Though Shiva was worried at Ravana's wish he did not like to go back
on his promise and therefore gave him the 'Atmalinga' that he himself used to worship
always and which was a as lustrous as the light emitted by crores of suns and moons
together, which could give perfect and complete happiness.
Which had been worshipped by the holy sages and which had been praised in holy scriptures.
As Shiva gave the linga to Ravana, the former told the latter that he should carry it home
by walk, that he should never place it on the earth even for a short while failing which
the linga would get eternally embedded at the place were he broke his commands. Thus
ordaining Parameshwar disappeared and Ravana soon set out southwards carrying the linga in
his hands with great care. The Gods learnt this from Sage Narada and were disturbed at the
prospect of Ravana's becoming all powerful and capable by possessing and worshipping the
'Atmalinga'. They went to Sri Mahavishnu and lamented their agitation. Sri Mahavishnu
devised a plan to install the linga somewhere and as he thought that Sri MahaGanapathi was
alone capable of doing it, he along with all the Gods prayed and pleased him and brought
him along with them.
As they were all coming near Gokarna. Ravana, who had set out from Kailasa after
performing the midday rites at Sapthakoteshwar, was approaching Gokarna. Vishnu who had
known well that Ravana was punctual in performing his periodical rites, blotted the sun
out with his sudarshana wheel. Thinking that it was time for the evening rites. Ravana was
in conflict neither to put the idol down nor wishing to give up the evening rites.
Vighneshwara as was planned earlier came to the presence of Ravana in the guise of a
Brahmin boy, Ravana was happy to see him. He called him near and asked him to hold the
linga in his hand till he came back after finishing the rites.
Ganapathi agreed to hold the linga on one condition that he would do so till he would be
able to bear its weight and that thereafter he would call Ravana three times and if failed
to come to him by then he would place the linga on the earth. But before Ravana could
complete the rites and come back Ganapathi placed the idol on the earth at a very
auspicious moment. The linga at once got firmly entrenched in the earth. This was welcomed
by the Gods with jubilation and showering flowers as Vishnu with drew his Sudarshana wheel
that had so far blotted out the sun, Ravana saw the bright sunlight and understood that he
had been tricked by the Gods. He got furious came to the entrenched linga and tried to
uproot it with all his might it caused tremor that was felt in the woods and the
mountains. But the idol did not budge a little.
The crestfallen Ravana was deeply agitated. He beat the Brahmin boy and in anger he threw
the case of the linga to the north it fell 23 miles away and got consecrated as
"Sadyojahatmaka" at Samputeshwar. He threw the lid to south it fell 27 miles
away in the form of "Vamadeva Linga" at Guneshwara. He then threw the cloth
which had wrapped the linga once again to the south which fell 32 miles away at Kanduka
Hill on the shore of the 'Salt Sea'. It took the form of "Aghora" at
Murudeshwara. The thread that had bound the linga was flung to south again and that became
"Tatpursha Linga" at Doreshwara, Shiva learnt all these from Vayu, the wind God
and came on to Earth with Paravathi and his train of Gods, he visited these five places
and worshipped the linga which had now taken five forms. Before he left for Kailasa he
declared that these five places would be his "Panchakshetras" (Five Holy Places)
and those who worshipped these forms of his, would be free from all sins and would realize
their wishes and ultimately reach the abode of Shiva. |
