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The sages looked toward Sutaji and said, “Great soul! You have just told us the wondrous story of the Shivalinga called Mahakala, protector of his devotee. Now, of your kindness, introduce us to another Jyotirlinga. Tell us the tale of how the auspicious Lord took form as the linga who dwells at the Omkara shrine.”
Omkareshwar: Vindhya’s pride and his penance
Sutaji spoke, “Listen with love. This is a matter of long ago. The divine sage Narada went to Shiva at a place called Gokarna and began to serve him with deep devotion. When some time had passed, he left there and traveled to the mountain-king Vindhya. Vindhya honored him with great respect and worshipped him. Yet a certain notion had settled in the mountain’s mind, that in his own domain everything was present and nothing was ever wanting. Carrying this pride, he came and stood before Naradaji.”
Hearing Vindhya’s boastful words, Narada, who unmakes pride, drew a long breath and stood there in silence. The mountain asked, “What lack have you found in my domain, that you sigh so heavily?” Naradaji said, “Brother! It is true that you have everything here. And yet Mount Meru rises far higher than you. The spread of its peaks reaches to the very worlds of the gods, while no part of your summit ever comes near that height.” Having said this, Naradaji went back by the same road he had come.
Vindhya burned with grief in his heart. “A curse upon this life of mine,” he kept thinking. Then he resolved, from the depth of his heart, that he would now practice penance in worship of Vishwanatha Shambhu. He went with a glad heart to the very place where Omkara himself abided, fashioned there an earthen image of Shiva, and for six months stayed so absorbed in the worship of Shambhu that he did not stir from his spot. Seeing Vindhya’s penance, the Lord of Parvati was pleased. He revealed to Vindhya that form which even yogis rarely attain, and said, “Vindhya! We are pleased with your penance. Ask any boon your heart desires. We grant our devotees whatever they long for.”
Vindhya said, “Lord of the gods, Shambhu! You are ever tender toward your devotees. If you are pleased, grant me the intelligence that will bring my purpose to fruition.” Lord Shambhu gave him that excellent boon and said, “Mountain-king! Do as you wish.” At that very moment the gods, and the sages of pure heart, arrived there. They worshipped Shankaraji and prayed, “Lord! Stay fixed here and dwell among us.”
Hearing this prayer of the gods, the supreme Lord Shiva was pleased, and for the happiness of all people he gladly did as they asked. The single Omkara linga that stood there divided into two forms. The Sadashiva who dwelt within the sacred syllable Om became renowned by the name Omkara; and the linga established in the earthen image took the name Parameshwara, which is also called Amaleshwara. In this way Omkara and Parameshwara, these two Shivalingas, became granters of their devotees’ desired ends. The gods and sages worshipped them both, received their boons, and returned each to his own abode; and Vindhyachala, its longed-for purpose accomplished, was content for all time. The one who worships Shankara in this manner never again enters a mother’s womb and attains the end he desires, of this there is no doubt.
Popular tradition ties Omkareshwar to King Mandhata, but this samhita tells the story of Vindhya’s penance.
Kedareshwar: the worship of Nara and Narayana
Sutaji says, “Brahmins! The two incarnations of Lord Vishnu named Nara and Narayana practice penance at the Badarikashrama shrine in Bharatavarsha. The two of them fashioned an earthen Shivalinga and prayed to Lord Shambhu, asking him to abide within it and accept their worship. Shiva, who yields to his devotees, came each day into that earthen linga out of love for the two of them and received their worship.”
So many days passed in this way. One day the supreme Lord Shiva, well pleased, said, “We are greatly content with your worship. Ask a boon of us, the two of you.” Then Nara and Narayana, wishing the welfare of all the worlds, said, “Lord of the gods! If you are pleased and wish to grant us a boon, then take your place here to receive worship in your own form, and abide here always to give your devotees darshan.”
The Lord accordingly stayed there, known by the name Kedareshwar. To the devotee who beholds and worships him with faith, he grants the object of that devotee’s longing. For the one who worshipped Kedareshwar with a heart full of devotion, sorrow grew scarce even in dreams. The devotee who, near the Shivalinga there, offers a band marked with the form of Shiva (a bracelet or bangle) beholds that band-adorned form, is freed of all sins, and becomes liberated while still living. The one who makes the pilgrimage to the Badari forest also attains liberation in life. Beholding Nara-Narayana and Kedareshwar, a person becomes an heir to moksha, of this there is no doubt. Those who set out on the pilgrimage with devotion to Kedareshwar and give up their lives along the way also attain moksha. And the one who reaches the Kedara shrine, worships Kedareshwar with devotion, and drinks the water there is never born again. For this reason one should make the pilgrimage to Nara-Narayana and Kedareshwar in this Bharatavarsha with a heart full of devotion.
The widely known story of Kedar is joined to the Pandavas, but this samhita gives the worship of Nara-Narayana as its origin.
Bhimashankar: the end of Kumbhakarna’s son
Sutaji spoke, “Now we tell the glory of the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. In the days of old, a rakshasi named Karkati lived alone upon a mountain. Her son was Bhima, terrible and mighty in valor. One day he asked his mother, “Mother! Where is our father? Why do you live alone? I wish to know the truth of it.””
Karkati said, “Son! Kumbhakarna, the younger brother of Ravana, was your father. That warrior of great strength was killed by Shri Rama along with his brother. My father’s name was Karkata and my mother’s name was Pushkasi. Viradha was my husband, whom Rama killed in an earlier age. When my lord was gone, I lived with my parents. One day the two of them went to make their meal of Sutikshna, a disciple of Agastya. He was a great ascetic and a noble soul; in his anger he burned my parents to ash. From that time I began to live alone upon this mountain in sorrow. In that same season the mighty Kumbhakarna came here, took me by force, and returned to Lanka. After this you were born. You too are great in strength and valor, like your father. Now I pass my days here with you as my only support.”
Hearing Karkati’s words, Bhima grew enraged and began to think, “How should I deal with Vishnu? He killed my father, my grandparents died at the hands of his devotee, and he killed Viradha as well. If I am truly my father’s son, I will surely bring pain to Shri Hari.” Resolving thus, Bhima went off to perform fierce penance. He practiced austerity for a thousand years to please Brahmaji, and all the while he meditated in his heart upon his chosen deity. Then Brahma, grandsire of the worlds, came to give him a boon and said, “Bhima! We are pleased with you. Ask whatever boon you wish.”
Bhima said, “Lord of the gods! You who are seated on the lotus! If you are pleased, grant me today such strength as has no equal anywhere.” Brahmaji gave him this desired boon and returned to his abode. His head turned by the boon, the rakshasa came home, bowed to his mother, and said, “Mother! Now behold my strength. I will bring great suffering upon Indra and the other gods, and upon Shri Hari, who comes to their aid.” Saying this, Bhima first conquered Indra and the other gods and drove them out from their several stations. When Shri Hari came at the gods’ prayer to take their side, Bhima defeated him too in battle.
Then he set about conquering the whole earth with all his might. First he marched against Sudakshina, king of the land of Kamarupa. A terrible battle was fought there, and by the power of Brahma’s boon the wicked Bhima defeated Maharaja Sudakshina, a devotee of Shiva. He seized the king’s entire realm and all he owned, bound him in fetters, and cast him into a solitary prison. Even there the righteous king fashioned a fine earthen image of Shiva for the Lord’s pleasure and gave himself to worship and hymns. He would meditate upon Shiva in due form and recite the five-syllable mantra joined to the pranava; and his virtuous queen Dakshina too worshipped that earthen linga with great love. The two, husband and wife, remained devoted with undivided hearts to the worship of Shankara.
Meanwhile the rakshasa, sunk in the pride of his boon, began to abolish yajnas and all the other duties of dharma, telling everyone, “Whatever there is, give it all to me.” He took a vast army of rakshasas and brought the whole earth under his sway, and wiping out the dharma taught by the Vedas, the shastras, the smritis, and the Puranas, he began to enjoy everything for himself. Then the afflicted gods and sages went to the bank of the Mahakoshi and began to worship and praise Shiva. Lord Shiva, well pleased, said, “Gods and great sages! We are pleased. Tell us, which task of yours shall we accomplish?”
The gods said, “Lord of the gods! You are the inner ruler of all; nothing is unknown to you. Bhima, the mighty son of Karkati begotten by Kumbhakarna, has grown powerful through Brahma’s boon and torments us without cease. Of your grace, destroy this rakshasa who brings us such misery, and do not delay.” Shambhu said, “Sudakshina, king of Kamarupa, is our finest devotee. Carry a single message from us to him, and your whole task will soon be done. Tell him this: O king! Go on worshipping us with love; the wicked Bhima, grown strong through Brahma’s boon, we shall surely slay, of this there is no doubt.”
The gods, well pleased, delivered that message to Maharaja Sudakshina, and in their joy returned each to his own hermitage. Lord Shiva, for his part, together with his ganas, stayed there in secret near the king, for the welfare of the world and the protection of his devotee. The king, meditating before his earthen linga, entrusting the burden of his protection to Shiva, would say, “We worship only Lord Shiva, master of all that moves and does not move.” In the meantime someone went and told the rakshasa that the king was performing some rite of purashcharana to bring about his death.
Hearing this, the rakshasa Bhima spoke harsh words of contempt against Lord Shankara, threatened the king, and swung his sword at Shiva’s earthen linga. The sword had not even touched the linga when Lord Hara himself appeared out of it and said, “We are Bhimeshwar, and we have appeared to protect our devotee. It has long been our vow that we always protect our devotee.” Saying this, Shiva broke the rakshasa’s sword into two pieces. When the rakshasa then hurled his trident, Shambhu shattered that trident into hundreds of pieces. After this there followed so fierce a battle between him and Shankara that the whole world was thrown into turmoil.
Then Naradaji came and prayed, “Maheshwara, you who cast people into illusion! My Lord! Forgive me. What need is there to swing an axe to cut a blade of straw? Destroy this creature at once.” At Naradaji’s prayer, Lord Shambhu with a single roar burned Bhima and all the rakshasas to ash in that very instant. Then by Shankara’s grace, Indra and the other gods and the sages found peace, and the whole world was made well again.
At that time the gods, and the sages in particular, prayed, “Lord! Dwell here always to give happiness to the people. This country is held to be an ill-favored one, and those who come here mostly meet with sorrow. But by your darshan the welfare of all here will be secured. You shall be renowned by the name Bhimashankar and will fulfill everyone’s desires. This Jyotirlinga of yours shall be forever worthy of worship and shall ward off every calamity.” Hearing their prayer, Shiva, benefactor of the world and tender toward his devotees, gladly took his place there.
Source: Shiva Purana (Gita Press, Abridged Shiva Purana edition), Kotirudra Samhita