Tuesday, 8 January 2013

The eighty four Mahadevas

One of the holist cities in the world, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Dakshina Jyotirlinga. A city of myths, legends, temples and idols, Ujjain is has a hoary past going back to the times of the Mahabharata and Puranas.
This is also the place where Krishna studied. This is also the place where Shiva came to the Sandipani ashram and requested hi to reveal the secret of the Bagavth Geetha to mankind. Krishna did so, many years later, at Kurukshetra, when the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas was about to begin.
The Jyotirlinga in the Mahakal Temple is one of its kind as the linga, unlike others, faces south. It  is a landmark structure and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. 
The Skand Purana says Ujjain is the place where  84 Mahadevas exist. Apart from these 84 Mahadevas, there are  64 Yoginis, eight Bhairavas and six Vinayaks (Ganesh).
Of the 84 Mahadeva (Shiva) or Chaurasi of Ujjaian, four are the Dwarapalakas (guards)  of the Mahakal Temple. The four representing the four directions are  Pingaleshwara (East), Kayavarohaneshwara (South), Vilveshwara (West) and Dardareshwara (North).
The other Chaurasis are:
Agasteshwara Mahadeva
Gurihashwara Mahadeva
Dudeshwara Mahadeva
Damarukeshwara Mahadeva
Anadikalpeshwara Mahadeva
Swarnajaleshwara Mahadeva
Trivishtapeshwara Mahadeva
Kapaleshwara Mahadeva
Swargadareshwara Mahadeva
Karkoteshwara Mahadeva
Siddheshwara Mahadeva
Lokapaleshwara Mahadeva
Kameshwara Mahadeva
Kutumbeshwara Mahadeva
Indradhamneshwara Mahadeva
Ishaneshwara Mahadeva
Apsareshwara Mahadeva
Kalakaleshwara Mahadeva
Nagachandreshwara Mahadeva
Pratihareshwara Mahadeva
Kukkuteshwara Mahadeva
Karkateshwara Mahadeva
Meghanadeshwara Mahadeva
Mahalayeshwara Mahadeva
Mukteshwara Mahadeva
Someshwara Mahadeva
Anarkeshwara Mahadeva
Jateshwara Mahadeva
Rameshwara Mahadeva
Chyavaneshwara Mahadeva
Khandeshwara Mahadeva
Pantaneshwara Mahadeva
Anandeshwara Mahadeva
Kandhadeshwara Mahadeva
Indreshwara Mahadeva
Markandeshwara Mahadeva
Shiveshwara Mahadeva
Kusumeshwara Mahadeva
Akrureshwara Mahadeva
Kundeshwara Mahadeva
Lumpeshwara Mahadeva
Gangeshwara Mahadeva
Angarakeshwara Mahadeva
Uttareshwara Mahadeva
Trilochaneshwara Mahadeva
Vireshwara Mahadeva
Nripareshwara Mahadeva
Abhayeshwara Mahadeva
Prithukeshwara Mahadeva
Sthawareshwara Mahadeva
Shuleshwara Mahadeva
Onkareshwara Mahadeva
Vishvareshwara Mahadeva
Kantheshwara Mahadeva
Singheshwara Mahadeva
Revanteshwara Mahadeva
Ghanteshwara Mahadeva
Prayageshwara Mahadeva
Shrisiddheshwara Mahadeva
Matangeshwara Mahadeva
Saubhageshwara Mahadeva
Rupeshwara Mahadeva
Sahastradhanukareshwara Mahadeva
Pashupateshwara Mahadeva
Brahmeshwara Mahadeva
Jalapeshwara Mahadeva
Kedareshwara Mahadeva
Pishachamukteshwara Mahadeva
Sangameshwara Mahadeva
Duddhareshwara Mahadeva
Yageshwara Mahadeva
Chandradityeshwara Mahadeva
Karabheshwara Mahadeva
Rajasthaleshwara Mahadeva
Badaleashwara Mahadeva
Aruneshwara Mahadeva
Pushpadanteshwara Mahadeva
Abhimukteshwara Mahadeva
Hanumanteshwara Mahadeva
Shriswapneshwara Mahadeva
Pingaleshwara Mahadeva
Kayavarihaneshwara Mahadeva
Bilkeshwara Mahadeva
Durdureshwara Mahadeva.
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5 comments:

  1. Karteek24 January 2013 at 17:50

    Are u sure that madhwas can worship the jyothirlingas (leaving kedara) ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Samyuktha Harshitha24 January 2013 at 18:43

      Well, Madhwas generally do not worship lingas. But there is an exception if the linga or idol of Shiva is with another God such as Madhava Bindu in Varanasi-Kashi.
      Please remember that in the taratamya of Gods, Madhwas have placed Shiva after Hari, Lakshmi, Vayu and other gods. This is not to belittle Shiva. He is one of the trinity of Gods but Madhwas have given him a place similar to Brahma where he is not worshipped baring certain exceptions.
      By the way, many Madhwa saints prayed to Shiva but not in the manner of Shaivites or Lingayats. The third seer of Mantralaya Matha, Jitamitra Theertha, a Madhwa, was an amsha of Rudra. Madhwacharya too prayed in the Ananthaeshwara temple and also gave discourses on upanishads at the temple. he also disappeared from view there. But this temple has two gods-Anantha and Eashwara.
      As far as Kedara, Madhwas go there only after visiting Badari.
      Ihope this answers your query.

      Delete
  2. Karteek25 January 2013 at 17:40

    Ok i know that madhwas should worship in taratamya as parivara devate with Lord shri hari .. But,i am particularly asking about these jyothirlingas .
    I know that we have to go to Shrishaila without fail , kashi also . But the rest jyothirlinga's have not been described , not even by vadirajaru in his teertha prabandha.
    coming to kedara kshetra , its well known fact for us .
    Anyways thanks for the blog and also for the reply.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Karteek25 January 2013 at 17:48

    I am sry for i singularly wrote the word vadirajaru , i meant Shri Vadirajateertharu ..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Samyuktha Harshitha25 January 2013 at 20:13

      Mr. Karteek,
      Thanks for the prompt relpy.
      Let me take the second issue first. We generally address all gods and even saints in the singular. This is becasue of oure affection and love. We call gods by their names and do not prefix it with Sri.So there is no problem if you have addressed the Seer of Sonda as Vadiraja. The appendage Theertha is given to Swamijis who have completed their Chaturmasa Vrata and taken up Sanyasashrama. Those holy men who have not completed the vrata are not given the appendage of Theertha. But you address Raghavendra Swamy as Raghavendra and Madhwa as Madhwacharya and not add prefic to the, So that should not be a problem.
      Coming back to Jyotirlingas,I can say that Madhwas should not generally worship Lingas. However, the answer deserves a full artoicle and I will do so in my next post.

      Delete

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