Mahamrityunjaya Temple: A Deep Dive Into Spiritual Heritage
Mahamrityunjaya Temple is located in the deep gullies of Varanasi, in an area called Daranagar. It is just 500 meters from Kaal Bhairava Temple and approximately 850 meters from Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Mahamrityunjaya Temple is an ancient Indian heritage that is considered very important because of its value in life, death, and beyond. Many people believe that worshipping at Mahamrityunjaya Temple extends life and makes you live longer.
Some other people believe that Mahamrityunjaya Temple makes a person immortal and forever alive in Shiva’s heart by being near him, with him, and better than being around a group of people.
Mahamrityunjaya: The Meaning
We all know that the words in Sanskrit are enough to depict a story in themselves. It is similar to Mahamrityunjaya also. The person getting a Mahamrityunjaya Jaap should first know about the Jaap before they invest their time into the same.
With "Maha" meaning "The Great", "Mrityu" meaning "Death", and "Jaya" meaning "Winner", Mahamrityunjaya Temple is for the worship of the form of Lord Shiva who has greatly won over the devious evil of death most enormously.
We all know about the story wherein when there was an ordeal in the ocean and it was to be decided who owned and commanded what, Shiva took the side of the demons while Vishnu took the side of the God to make a fair effort and help each other in making a proper world and giving each their rights.
So the person who had to drink poison for the ordeal to continue and still could keep himself alive and the person who sided with the demons and still was victorious over them when they had to be controlled, so much so that they agreed to become his army of the dead to save the living from the devils of the dead, he is the most deserving person to become the God of preservation of good and destroyer of evil.
If such a God is not given the right of making victory over the dead, then there is no one else who can do this better than anything else.
Let us now see, the history of the Mahamrityunjaya Temple.
Mahamrityunjaya Temple: History
There are many stories about the Mahamrityunjaya Temple's establishment. Some believe that it was established in the 15th Century when Queen Ahilyabai Holkar was also rebuilding the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Also called the Mrityunjaya Mahadev Temple or Ravaneshwar Temple, some people hold a belief that Ravana was supposed to gain his wisdom and knowledge from a learned priest in Kashi so that he can become a bigger devotee of Lord Shiva than Lord Rama so that when he fights with Lord Rama for Goddess Sita being held captive in Lanka, there is no way that Lord Rama wins and Ravana becomes one up Lord Rama.
Since there were too many anomalies if this became true, Rishi Narad decided to take matters into his own hands and he tricked Ravana in Rameshwaram due to which even if Ravana received all the wisdom, he couldn’t become a better devotee than Lord Rama, who ultimately got his wisdom from that priest in Mahamrityunjaya Temple.
This is why, this temple is also called Ravaneshwar Mahadev because Ravana remembered this Temple while worshipping in Rameshwaram.
This temple also became known as the Mrityunjaya Mahadeva Temple because Lord Rama learned here how to defeat death when he had to fight Ravana. So the Temple that can teach the bravest of warriors to fight, will be known as the Temple that teaches to defeat death.
Vedic Source Reference about Mrityunjaya Mahadev Temple
There are a lot of ideas about the reference of Mrityunjaya Mahadev Shivinga and its Vedic Reference. Some people quote that in Siva Purana, there is a mention about the story of why Mrityunjaya Mahadev Temple is near the Kaal Bahirava Temple in Varanasi and why there is just only temple in the entire India which was Swayambhu or natural and not man-made or artificially made.
It is believed that when Lord Shiva decided that he would not move from Kashi and would shift his base here from Mount Kailash because he loved it here in Kashi, the other Gods, Goddesses, and Godmen were confused as to how to talk to Lord Shiva and how will things be done if Lord Shiva denied to move.
So Lord Shiva’s incarnation, Lord Mahamrityunjaya, requested that Lord Shiva stay in Kashi as Vishwanath, the ruler of the Universe. He, as in Mrityunjaya Mahadev, would handle all the people's queries, the safety of the devotees, and everything else.
This is why there is no Nandi for the main Shivalinga of Mrityunjaya Mahadeva. So anyone who ever has any issues, problems, difficulties, tensions, or anything that can make the person feel low or down or out and needs the help of Mahadeva can directly go to Lord Mrityunjaya and share their problems with him without a messenger.
This was done because, outside the main court of Mahadeva, there used to be a long queue, and thus, Nandi was given the responsibility of hearing the issues firsthand and then only the ones that were very very important or could not be handled by Nandi would go to Mahadeva so that his workload can be reduced.
Now, if Shiva’s incarnation, Vishwanath, was taking the court, he wanted no one to come between him and his devotees. But this made the main work at Mount Kailash difficult, as no one could help there.
So Mrityunjaya Mahadeva decided that he would not place his Nandi for any hearing or anything. All his disciples and other incarnations of Lord Shiva will stay with him around him and only final decisions will be passed from Mrityunjaya Mahadeva to the people around.
If we put this in context with the modern Indian Judiciary system, imagine a court premise. When you enter, you see a lot of lawyers sitting near the entry gate asking you if they can be the ones to help you or represent you.
You look for a lawyer who has a specialization in your problems and you request their help. They will tell you a total procedure, help you with certain issues and everything, and try to settle the case outside the court of law within the premises, but legally.
Suppose things have gone out of hand and cannot be settled out of court, there will be a panel of judges wherein this case will be presented to test if the case deserves a proper in-the-court hearing or is just a useless adamant party making for the ruckus.
If still, the matter has to go to the court for a battle of showdown, then the judges listen to all the pleas of all the concerned parties and then come to a final decision that might be challenged further in a separate court of law but is enforceable unless ruled against by a higher court of law.
The same happens in Mrityunjaya Mahadeva Temple also. The people come looking for the incarnation of the Lord Shiva who can help the cause. If things get sorted, good. If not, then it is taken to Lord Mrityunjaya and he will give a final verdict that will be executed.
Now there is just one difference between modern justice and Mrityunjaya justice. In the modern day, the decision rendered by the court can be challenged in a higher court but for Mrityunjaya, it is not possible as we all know the story wherein Lord Shiva settled the debate between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma for who is the strongest God.
Since there is no one bigger and better than Lord Shiva, his decision would be ultimate and final.
This is also why there are 21 Shivalingas near Lord Mahamrityunjaya Shivllinga, all incarnations of Lord Shiva for one different cause each.
Mahamrityunjaya Temple: The Architecture
As we just discussed above, there are 21 Shivalingas apart from Mahamrityunjaya Shivalinga in Mahamrityunjaya Temple, each having its own story, reason, and significance.
1. Kaleshwar Mahadev
The First Shivalinga is Kaleshwar Mahadev. People who are suffering from Kaal Dosh, Markesh Dosh, or anything that is a direct threat to life, get their Pooja done on Kaleshwar Mahadeva Shivlinga. The name Kaaleshwar suggests the one who takes over the Kaal (Death) of the worshipper.
2. Markandeya Mahadev
The Second Shivalinga is Markandeya Mahadeva. People who are destined to change their destiny or have unhappy circumstances written for them due to past life sins get their worship done on the Markandeya Mahadeva Shivalinga. We all know that Markandeya was the son of a sage. He was destined to die at the age of 16 years but he made sure that he would worship Shiva until he appeared in front of him and finish his past life sins and thus, change his destiny from being dead at 16 to living for more time than imagined.
3. Gotameshwar Mahadev
The Third Shivalinga is Gotameshawar Mahadev. People who have a curse of taking the life of someone due to unforeseen circumstances get their worship done here to evade the circle of early death as a sin of being the reason for someone else’s death. Gautam was a sage in Indian Vedic history who was accused of killing a cow and he had to go through a very tough phase unless he was told to worship Mahadeva in Rajasthan. After he was relieved of his sins, he established a Gautameshawar Mahadev temple and the same temple's shadow is the Gautameshwar Mahadeva Temple in the Mahamrityunjaya Temple.
4. Lomasheshwar Mahadev
The Fourth Shivalinga is Lomasheshwar Mahadev. Lomash Rishi was a stage in Mahabharata times when he was living in the forests of Barabar Hills in modern-day Bihar. He was the one who guided Pandavas during their exile about a lot of things about the forest, how to survive, the story of the forest, and how a person needs to know how to live with the least of resources. He was the person who taught the tactics of war to King Devi Bhagwat, who was also an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva like Rishi Lomash thus, the Lomasheshwar Mahadeva Temple in Bihar is a testament to living with the least and still surviving in the best manner. Thus, people who are having a very difficult time due to poor resources should get their worship done on Lomasheshwar Mahadev so that they either gain more resources or learn to live with what they have but happily.
5. Daksheshwar Mahadev
The Fifth Shivalinga is Daksheshwar Mahadeva. If we in reality see this Shivalinga, it is at least 5 feet below the ground and a person has to climb down a flight of stairs to reach this Shivalinga in the temple. The reason is because King Daksh was the father-in-law of Lord Shiva, the father of Goddess Parvati and he always despised Lord Shiva and insulted him as well. We all might know the story of Goddess Parvati jumping in the Hawan Kund and sacrificing her life to protect the honor of her husband and how Lord Shiva had to pay the price of King Daksha’s arrogance. So when King Daksha had to seek forgiveness from Lord Shiva, he established a temple called Dakshashwar Mahadev, and thus, King Daksha was given a lower stance than that in Lord Shiva’s kingdom. People who want to seek forgiveness for their past sins so that they can make space in Lord SHiva’s courtroom are the ones who should get themselves worshipped at Daksheshwar Shivalinga.
6. Hastipaleshwar Mahadev
The Sixth Shivalinga is Hastipaleshwar Mahadeva. This is a giving Shivalinga. People who worship Lord Shiva at this Shivalinga get blessed with so many resources that they can as well own, pet and keep an elephant with them and stay happy, display power and become the best at their level to become an inspiration for the people. It is said that if the person can gain the blessings of Lord Shiva in his Hastipaleshwar incarnation, this person might not be invincible at war, but will be unbeatable in the power game.
7. Dhanwantareshwar Mahadev
The Seventh Shivalinga is Dhanwantareshwar Mahadev. This is a Shivalinga that was established by Rishi Dhanwantri, the sage son of Rishi Ayurveda. People who have issues with their health which can prove to be fatal if not taken ample care of should worship at Dhanwantareshwar Mahadeva Temple to get better and heal themselves.
8. Sarbheshwar Mahadev
The Eighth Shivalinga is Sarbheshwar Mahadeva. To refer to this in different terms, this is also called Sarveshwar Mahadeva meaning if the person is not sure where they can take their request to and who will be the best person to manage their issues and claims, then worshipping at Sarveshawar Mahadeva Temple is a great place to worship for the issues in life that you don’t know where to go to.
9. Shiladeshwar Mahadev
The Ninth Shivalinga is Shiladeshwar Mahadev. Known for the heights it can take you, people who are worried about not attaining greater heights in their lives and need immediate redemption in their lives are the ones who should do Pooja at Shiladeshwar Mahadev Temple. There is a temple in Shiladesh, a small town in Himachal Pradesh, near Shimla where there is a temple of Shiladeshwar Mahadeva. It is believed that if a person can try to climb up the stairs to that temple and worship God there, there are no stairs that this person cannot climb in their life. In the Mahamrityunjaya Temple, the presence of Shiladeshwar Mahadeva Shivalinga is proof that there are no stairs that a person cannot climb if they worship Lord SHiva properly.
10. Asitang Bhairava Mahadev
The Tenth SHivalinga is Asitang Bhairava or Ashtaang Bhairava Mahadev. As the name suggests, this Shivlinga is the living form of the Ashta Bhairava or the eight forms of Bhairava, all who have their presence in Varanasi. Worshipping at this Shivalinga removes the fear of untimely death, suspicious death, painful death, envious death, medical death, accidental death, destined death, and vicious death by being in the blessing of Ashta Bhairava and Lord Shiva together.
11. Bhairaweshwar Mahadev
The Eleventh Shivalinga is Bhairaweshwar Mahadev. People who have evil eyes, or have a lot of enemies, are the ones who generally worship the Bhairaweshwar Mahadev. As per the name, the God worshipped by Lord Bhairava is the Bhairaweshwar Mahadev and thus if there is anyone who has a lot of enemies or evil eyes or ill-thinkers, they should try to worship Bhairaweshwar Mahadev so that they can avoid any traps they didn’t know were meant for them to make them have a bad impact on their lives.
12. Brihaspatishwar Mahadev
The Twelfth Shivalinga is Brihaspatishwar Mahadev. People who have problems with their management skills and who are facing difficulty in everything because they are missing an opportunity by a very small difference are the ones who might desire to worship at the Brihaspatishwar Temple. We all know Lord Brihaspati is the God worshipped by Lord Vishnu and if there is a God of Lord Vishnu, then we all can imagine the power of worship being done on this Shivalinga.
13. Mamleshwar Mahadev
The Thirteenth Shivalinga is Mamleshwar Mahadev. It is a reflection of the Mamleshwar Mahadev in Ujjain which falls on the opposite side of the river if you stand at the Jyotirlinga Omkareshwar Mahadeva. Considered best for the ladies, this Shivalinga is a boon for the ladies or females who want to gain something in their lives and want to please Lord Shiva to gain the same in the best possible manner. It is believed that when there was a flood in the Narmada river and Omkareshwar Shivlinga could not be seen or worshipped, then Shankaracharya made arrangements for a temporary temple known as Mamleshwar Mahadev, now also worshipped as a Jyotirlinga.
14. Kalodak Mahadev
The Fourteenth Shivalinga is Kalodak Mahadev. The name itself suggests Kaal means Death and Udak means Rising from. So the people who need a rising from death or near-death experience should worship at Kalodak Mahadeva SHivlling to prevent themselves from situations they do not desire to be in in any case.
15. Koopeshwar Mahadev
The Fifteenth Shivalinga is Koopeshwar Mahadev. The name suggests that the Shivlinga was discovered from the well. We all know that there is a well of water in the Mahamrityunjaya Mahadeva Mandir. We’ll discuss the well later, but it is believed that when that well was being dug out, there was a hindrance in digging the well. When the people climbed down to find the reason for the hindrance, they found a huge Shivlinga on the way. Since the Shivlinga was found in a well, it was named Koopeshwar Mahadeva. People who are facing a bad time due to their lowest limit hit and desire to rise from there and never look back should worship in this Shivlinga.
16. Jamdagneshwar Mahadev
The Sixteenth Shivalinga is Jamdagneshwar Mahadev. As the name suggests, this Shivalinga is a testament to the seventh Saptarishi, Rishi Jamdagni, who was a follower of Rishi Bhrigu, the one responsible for creating the modern-day Vedic Astrology. Rishi Jamdgni was responsible for taking this knowledge to everyone possible so that people know how to behave and when so that there are no negative effects on their lives and they can avoid all the possible errors in the situation. The temple established by Rishi Jamdagni was known as Jamdagneshwar Mahadev and worshipping here makes the planets of the person most balanced without them being under undue stress of not knowing and making mistakes.
17. Abdeshwar Mahadev
The Seventeenth Shivalinga is Abdeshwar Mahadev. The other name for this Shivlinga is Avadheshwar Mahadev and we can understand from the name that the God worshipped by the Awadesh or The King of Awadh or Lord Rama is Awadheshwar Mahadev. People who need to gain a full circle in their lives are the ones who should get their Pooja done at this Shivlinga as they should be able to gain the power of gaining blessings of Lord Ram and Lord Shiva together as well as the power to make similar decisions and maybe even better.
18. Devarajeshwar Mahadev
The Eighteenth Shivalinga is Devarajeshwar Mahadev. Again, the name suggests why it is called so. Devaraj was another name for Lord Indra when he was able to gain this as a blessing from Lord Brahma as a representation of power, authority, good looks, attraction, and richness. Lord Indra was under a huge impression that he was invincible and thus he deserved to be rude and impatient with his people and subordinates. This was when he made a huge mistake and landed in a curse. He was then suggested that he would only be able to get out of the same when he worships Lord Shiva and that was how the Shivalinga established by Indra came to be known as Devarajeshwar Mahadeva.
19. Ghanteshwar Mahadev
The Nineteenth Shivalinga is Ghanteshwar Mahadev. People who are there to ask for some wish to be fulfilled should worship here. A lot of people ring the bell or offer a new bell to the temple when they ask for a wish and then again when their wish comes true. SO if you want a wish to ask and get it granted, worship at Ghanteshwar Mahadeva Shivalinga.
20. Vridhakaleshwar Mahadev
The Twentieth Shivalinga is Vridhakaleshwar Mahadev. For people who want to live a long life and stay happy and healthy in their old age also, they should try worshipping in Vridhakaleshwar Mahadev. The name suggests that people who have gone old with time and want to get their lives sorted without being under undue pressure should get their worship done at Vridhakaleshwar Mahadev.
21. Mahakaleshwar Mahadev
The Twenty-First Shivalinga is Mahakaleshwar Mahadev for the people who need to go to Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain but they aren’t able to do the same, they can get their Kaal Dosh Nivaran Pooja at Mahakaleshwar Mahadeva. If in case you feel like you are not able to go to different temples to get what you desire, you can get your Pooja done at the Mahakaleshwar Mahadev Shivlinga also.
22. Nageshwar Mahadev
The Twenty-Second Shivalinga is Nageshwar Mahadev. Another shadow Shivalinga for another Jyotirlinga, Nageshwar in Maharashtra, people who are unable to go to this Jyotirlinga can worship here for their Kaal Sarp Dosh, Vish Kanya Dosh, Naag Mukti Dosh, and many other Doshas that can be worshipped at Nageshwar Mahadeva.
After all this, there are some other small Shivalingas also which are not recognized as many people believe that when there were some worshippers who worshipped Lord Shiva for their own Indigenous Poojas, they might have established some individual Shivalingas who stayed there over time and thus are worshipped with all dedication as well.
23. Mahamrityunjaya Mahadev
Apart from this, the main Shivalinga of Shri Mahamrityunjaya Mahadeva is the primary focus of all the people and thus when at Rudraksha Hub we get any contract for Mahamrityunjaya Jaap, we get our customer’s Jaap and Sankalp started at the main Mahamrityunjaya Shivalinga on day one and as the entire Pooja progresses, every day there is a Jaap done at a different Shivalinga of these 22 Shivalingas mentioned above. This makes the 23 days of Jaap on each Shivalinga and then the last 5 days of Jaap is done on the main Mahamrityunjaya Shivalinga only so that we can make everyone’s Jaap confirmed.
Other Attractions in Mahamrityunjaya Temple
1. Dhanwantri Kund: It’s a small natural pond in which there is water in the rainy season when the Ganga River floods. The ladies who are not able to conceive a healthy pregnancy are the ones who worship in that small natural pond asking for blessings to gain a child as good as Lord Shiva and as smart as Goddess Parvati.
2. Dhanwantri Koop: It is a well which is supposed to have medicinal properties due to which if there is anyone who drinks the water of the well or worships God with the water of the said well, the worshipper is blessed with forever health benefits. This is why people collect the water of this well in their boxes so that they can keep it in their houses, put it where they keep their drinking water, and make sure they do not miss the chance to thank their fate for having a wonderful blessing. The water of this well is mostly considered to cure stomach-related ailments so that the wearer can manage their health perfectly.
3. Hawan Vedi: There is a huge Hawan Kund where all the Hawan/ Homa of all the Poojas take lace. Even the Dashant Hawan/ Dashant Homa of the person takes place at the same Vedi so that everyone can attain some benefits from the Hawan after they have burnt their evils in the process.
4. Shani Maharaj Temple: There is a dedicated space for Lord Shani under a Peepal tree so that people can request Lanet Shani to take away all their issues of life and give them a happier and more satisfying living standard.
5. Lord Hanuman Temple: There is a huge space dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the ardent devotee of Lord Ram because Lord Ram worships Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva worships Lord Ram. This is why nearly everywhere there will be a temple of Lord Ram if there is a temple of Lord Shiva and thus if there is no temple of Lord Ram in Lord Shiva’s temple, then there will be a presence of Lord Hanuman as Lord Shani and Lord Ram are both worshipped by Lord Hanuman.
6. Kali Mata Temple: Shiva is incomplete without his Shakti and Kali is the power or Shakti of Shiva, the God of preservation of good and destroyer of evil. Kali Mata temple is established in Mahamrityunjaya Temple because Lord Shiva resides in his justice format, wherein there are a lot of evils that need to be finished then and there so that the good need not fear to prevail. This is why Goddess Shakti or Goddess Durga resides in the form of Kali signifying that anything evil should not enter the temple premises and if they do, they should not be leaving the premises alive as evil.
7. Bhajan Hall: There is a huge space in the temple apart from all the small Shivalingas and their space. It is like a huge hall with ample space for people to stand in a line, sit and worship God, and peacefully pay their regards to the Lord if they want to spend some time in the temple. This place is called the Bhajan Hall because a lot of people who find peace and solace in this temple sit here and spend some time with their feelings, emotions, and God.
This entire temple is made in a huge campus of over 4500 sq ft of land in the busiest locations, Visheshwarganj, Daranagar, Chowk, and Maidagin in the city of Varanasi. The need to take names of 4 area locations to denote the exact location point of one temple shows the enormity of the temple’s area and its importance that makes people so much interested in visiting this temple once at least in their lifetime.
Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons why any temple can be famous and not be famous. But the main reason why one should know and visit the same is that there are chances of people not knowing about our culture and tradition and when there are others who want to know, your lack of knowledge can kill their thirst for knowledge of your culture. So even if you feel that you don’t need to visit this place, do share this with your friends and family who are interested in knowing more and more about your culture.
This was all about Mahamrityunjaya Temple, Varanasi. If there is anything to add, edit, remove, or change in this entire thing, do let us know and we shall comply. Connect with us at wa.me/918542929702 or info@rudrakshahub.com and we shall be happy to help you. Till then, stay happy, keep smiling, and continue worshipping with Rudraksha Hub..!!
