Shiva Jyotirlingam

"Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam|
Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram ||
Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |
Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||
Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|
Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||
Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Patennarah|
Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||"

A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam is a shrine where Lord Shiva, an aspect of God in Hinduism is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam of light", and is believed not to be man-made, but born directly from Lord Shiva, Himself. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.

It is believed that, Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment.

The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana (Satarudra Samhita,Ch.42/2-4). These shrines are:

1. Somnath is the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.

2. Mallikarjuna, also called Srisaila, is the name of the pillar located on a mountain on the river Krishnaa. Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich. Adi Shankara composed his Sivananda Lahiri here.

3. Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south.

4. Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada river is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.

5. Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only by foot, and only for six months a year.

6. Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura.

7. Vishwanath in Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar Pradesh is the home to this Jyotirlinga, and is one of the biggest pilgrim spots of the Hindus worldwide.

8. Tryambakeshwar, near Nashik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari river.

9. Vaidyanath in Deoghar, Jharkhand, also called Vaijnath Temple and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station.

10. Nageshwar Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple. However, the term "daruka vane" in the shloka (religious verse) for Nageshwar has also been interpreted for Jageshwar, also situated in the Himalaya. Daruka vane means deodar forest.
11. Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Ramesvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar.

12. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.

Here is a detailed description of all the 12 Jyotirlingas:

SADA SHIV

Satnam Satnam Satnam Je

Nine Beliefs of Hinduism

1 Hindus believe in the divinity of the Vedas, the world’s most ancient scripture,and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymn sare God’s word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma,the eternal religion which has neither beginning nor end.

2 Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent,both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

3 Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

4 Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

5 Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

6 Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacramentsas well as personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.

7 Hindus believe that a spiritually awakened master,or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct,purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry and meditation.

8 Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, “noninjury.”

9 Hindus believe that no particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine religious paths are facets of God’s Pure Love and Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Ten Questions people ask About Hinduism............. and Ten terrific answers!

Humanity’s most profound faith is now a global phenomenon.Students, teachers, neighbors and friends are full of questions.Misconceptions prevail. Here are ten thoughtful answers you can use to instill correct understanding and set the record straight.

1. Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who Created the universe. He is all-pervasive. He created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers.

2. Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually.Finally we graduate from physical birth.

3. What is karma?

Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people.

4. Why do Hindus worship the cow?

Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures.

5. Are Hindus idol worshipers?

Hindus do not worship a stone or metal “idol” as God. We worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with Him and receive His blessings.

6. Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings. But in today’s world not all Hindus are vegetarians.

7. Do Hindus have a Bible?

Our “Bible” is called the Veda. The Veda, which means“wisdom,” is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God.

8. Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

The dot worn on the forehead is a religious symbol.It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark.

9. Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?

It is true that God is often depicted with a spouse in our traditional stories. However, on a deeper, philosophical level, the Supreme Being and the Gods are neither male nor female and are therefore not married.

10. What about caste and un touch ability?

Caste is the hereditary division of Indian society based on occupation.The lowest class, deemed untouchables, suffer from discrimination and mistreatment. It is illegal in India to discriminate against, abuse or insult anyone on the basis of caste.

What do we mean by the word "Hindu" and "Hinduism"?

Hinduism differs from other organized religions in the following aspects:

It is not based upon a particular founder.
It is not based upon a particular book.
It is not controlled by a central institution or authority such as a church or a sangha or association.
It is not averse to examine and assimilate fundamentally diverse thoughts and beliefs into its system.
It accepts other religions as various paths to salvation and does not favor organized attempts to proselytize people.
It has been evolving continuously, through internal reforms and as a reaction to the threats and challenges without.

Is Hinduism a Religion ?

Truly speaking, when we talk of Hinduism, we do not know whether we are talking about a religion, or a group of religions, or a group of beliefs and traditions, some of which are diametrically opposed to each other. This some times gives rise to the argument that Hinduism cannot be considered as a religion in the strictest sense of the word, but as a complex theology that incorporates into itself many religious thoughts, practices, doctrines and world views.