avantikAyAM
vihitAvatAraM muktipradAnAya cha sajjanAnAm |
akAlamRityoH pariraxaNArthaM vande mahAkAlamahAsuresham ||
akAlamRityoH pariraxaNArthaM vande mahAkAlamahAsuresham ||
Ujjain
On the banks of river
Kshipra, the city of Ujjain exists in Madhya Pradesh. It is also known as
Indrapuri Amaravati, and Avantika. Because of the number of golden towers of
several temples, this town is also known as “Swarna Sringa.”
One of the seven
cities of deliverance or salvation, Avantika Nagar has 7 Sagar Teerthas, 28
teerthas, 84 SiddhaLingas, 25-30 SivaLingas, Ashtabhairav, Ekadasa Rudrasthana,
temples for hundreds of deities, Jalakund and monuments are there.
Sthala Purana of
Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling
Once there lived a
Brahman who had four sons, who were all devotees of Siva. The wicked demon king
Dushan came to Avantika after attaining a boon from Lord Branhma and started
torturing the erudite Brahmanas of Avantika. But the Brahmanas who were very
engrossed in their worship of Shiva did not even flinch.
The demon king sent
all four of his henchmen with the orders that they have to ensure that no Vedic
Dharmanushtan activities are to take place. The harassed people came running to
the Brahmans seeking help. The Brahmanas assured the people and pacified them.
They immediately started praying to Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, just as the Demon
king tried to attack the Brahmanas, the earth would split open near the Parthiv
Murty with a loud noise and huge crater would form there. In this manner, Siva
assumed the colossal form of Mahakal and appeared. He ordered the wicked Demon
from going anywhere near the Brahmanas. But the wicked Demon king did not pay
heed. As a result, Siva burnt him to ashes with just one grunt. Seeing Lord
Siva in this Avatar, Brahma, Vishnu and Indra and other Devas came down and
prayed to the Lord and pleased Him.
The grandeur of
Mahakaleswar is indescribable. Chandrasena, the king of Ujjain was not only a
scholar, but also a staunch devotee of Lord Siva. Once his friend Maheswari’s
follower Manibahdra gave him a beautiful gemstone called Sundara Chintamani. It
shone so bright and beautiful when Chandrasen wore it on his neck, that he
looked even more glorious than the celestial gods. It would make even them feel
jealous. Once, some kings went and asked Chandrasen to part with the jewel and
Chandrasen promptly refused to do so. This angered the kings, who in turn
attacked Chandrasena’s kingdom. When Chandrasena realized that he was
surrounded by the enemy he sought the help of Mahakal. Bhagawan Shiva was
pleased with his prayers and showed him a solution for his problem. Just then,
by chance, a Brahman woman wandered near Mahakal, carrying her child with her,
and suddenly became a widow. An illiterate boy once saw the king performing
Puja in the stone and installed it in his empty house. He imagined it to be an
incarnation of Shiva and started worshipping it. The boy became so engrossed in
prayer and chanting, that he even forgot all about food. When his mother went
to call him, any number of calls had no affect on him. He was silently praying.
Angered by this, the mother who was still bound by worldly love, threw away the
SivaLinga. She destroyed all the thing of worship. The boy was very sad at what
his mother had done. He started to pray to Shiva with his entire concentration.
Siva was not long in coming to the rescue of his devotee. This stone SivaLinga
which was brought by the son of a cowherd soon became adorned with gemstones
and turned into a JyotirLinga. After singing in praise of Lord Siva, when the
boy returned to his house, he was amazed to find a beautiful palatial home
instead. Thus, with the Grace and Blessings of Lord Siva, the boy became rich
and led a very happy life.
In the mean time, the
enemy kings who attached ceased Chandrasena’s empire, began to fight among
themselves. They began to say king Chandrasena is a Siva devotee and ujjain
itself is the city of Mahakal. It is therefore, impossible to anyone to win it.
They then decided to extend a hand of friendship to king Chandrasena and
together they all worshipped Mahakal.
At that time, the
Vanara King Hanuman appeared there. He told the kings that only Siva could
grant salvation to mankind and nobody else. Siva can be pleased with worship
done even without chanting any mantras. The example of the son of cowherd is
for us. Then Hanuman looked at Chandrasena with eyes filled with affection and
benevolence and disappeared.
Historic glory of
Ujjain
The Adyapeetha i.e.,
is the foundation of Sanskrit learning, ethics, knowledge or science and art
had their initiation at this place. It is indeed the Triveni Sangam or learning
of the three great things. The greatness of Ujjain city was enhanced by the Maurya
kings as well as other dynasties. The great emperor Vikramaditya who began new
era by starting a new way of counting the years, made Ujjain his capital.
It is here that Raja
Bhartrihari wrote his great epics (love stories) Virat Katha, neeti Sataka, the
love story of Pradyot Princess Vasavadatta and Udayan. The beauty of this city
found a pride of place in the descriptions of a great many poets and writers
who song its praise. At the auspicious time at dawn, the women of this town
sprinkled vermillion water in their courtyards and decorated them with Rangoli
designs.
In the Mahakal Shiv
temple located in Ujjain on the banks of River Kshipra, at 4 AM puja is
performed. After Abhishek, Chitabhasm (Ash of cemetery) is applied all over
Mahakal.
According to
classics, Chitabhasm (human ash) is considered as unholy and inauspicious. If
any one even touches it by mistake, one is required to bathe in order to be
purified. But this very ash becomes holy, by merely touching the body of
Mahakal, because Siva is Nishkam or lust-less. He is not touched by material
desires. That is why Shiva is Mangalmay or auspicious.
The greatness of
Shiva is described in this Sloka, thus:
“shmashAneshhvAkrIDA smarahara pishAchAH sahacharaaH
chitAbhasmAlepaH sragapi nR^ikaroTI parikaraH |
amaN^galyaM shIlaM tava bhavatu nAmaivamakhilaM
tathApi smartR^INAM varada paramaM maN^galamasi || ”.
Thus Shiva is
auspicious and beautiful. Avanti Nagar is Shiva’s favorite town. Those who
visit the Mahakal temple and take a darshan, will never be touched by sorrows
even in their dreams. Those who pray for whatever they desire to the Mahakal
JyotirLinga would be granted all his/her wishes. They would attain salvation.
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