Jyotirlinga Āvirbhāva

The Jyotirlinga Āvirbhāva is the first great narrative of the Liṅga Purāṇa (Pūrvārdha). Āvirbhāva means “appearing”. At the time of cosmic dissolution, Parameśvara showed himself as an endless column of light, the Jyotirliṅga, while Brahmā and Bhagavān Vishṇu were quarrelling about which of them was greater. The event showed that Bhagavān Śiva is above all creation, it revealed the nature of OM, and it began the worship of the Śivaliṅga in all the worlds.

The setting: the ocean of pralaya

At the time of mahāpralaya (the great dissolution), when all creation had dissolved, Bhagavān Vishṇu lay in yogic sleep on the first ocean. Brahmā came out of the lotus that grew from his navel. The two began to quarrel about which was greater. Brahmā said he was the elder, because he was the maker of all the worlds. Bhagavān Vishṇu said that he was the highest, because he was the one who keeps all things going. The quarrel grew fierce and was not settled.

The manifestation

At that moment of quarrel, a blazing column of light appeared between them. This was the great Jyotirliṅga. It burned with thousands of flames and stretched upward and downward without end, with no beginning to be seen. Its light was beyond words, and from it sounded the holy syllable OM.

Brahmā and Bhagavān Vishṇu were astonished and humbled, and they agreed to find out how far the column went. Bhagavān Vishṇu took the form of Varāha (the Boar) and dived down into the waters to look for the base of the liṅga. He searched for a thousand divine years and did not find its root. Brahmā took the form of Haṃsa (the Swan) and flew upward for a thousand divine years and did not find its top. Both came back to where they had started. The endlessness of the liṅga had beaten them both.

The revelation of OM

The holy syllable OM came forth from the Jyotirliṅga in full. The letter A was heard from the south, the letter U from the north and the letter M from the middle. Above the three stood Bhagavān Śiva himself. So the three letters of OM were shown to point to the three devas who are under the supreme Maheśvara. The Pañcabrahma mantras were present within the liṅga itself.

Bhagavān Vishṇu’s praise

Bhagavān Vishṇu knew the supreme nature of what had appeared. He was filled with deep reverence, and he composed and recited the full Vishṇu-Śiva stotra (hymn of praise) to Parameśvara. This stotra begins “Ekāksharāya Rudrāya…”

Brahmā’s falsehood and śāpa

Bhagavān Vishṇu honestly said that he could not find the base of the liṅga. Brahmā, however, made up a false story. He said that he had found the top of the column and had brought back a ketakī flower that he claimed to have found there as proof.

Parameśvara came out of the Jyotirliṅga and showed up Brahmā’s lie. He gave Brahmā a śāpa (a curse): because Brahmā had lied in the assembly of the devas, he would not be worshipped directly in the world with a temple of his own. The ketakī flower also received a śāpa. It would never again be offered in the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva.

Śiva’s boons and the birth of Rudra

Bhagavān Śiva showed himself in his own form from within the column of light, and he gave varas (boons) to both Brahmā and Bhagavān Vishṇu. Brahmā was brought back to life after he had died of shame. This death and return of Brahmā was the occasion for the birth of Rudra, who came out of Brahmā’s forehead at the moment of his deepest distress.

Maheśvara then taught the main truths. Bhagavān Vishṇu came from his left side and Brahmā from his right side. Both are his forms. Worship of the Jyotirliṅga gives moksha (liberation).

The nature of the Jyotirliṅga

The text explains what the liṅga means:

ākāśaṃ liṅgam ityāhuḥ pṛthivī tasya pīṭhikā

Space (ākāśa) is the liṅga, and the earth is its pīṭha (pedestal). The liṅga is identified with pradhāna, the first ground and first cause (Prakṛti). The pīṭha stands for Purusha. All twenty-six tattvas (principles) of Sāṃkhya, from pradhāna through the five bhūtas (elements), are contained in the meaning of the liṅga.

The fruit of hearing

Worshipping the Jyotirliṅga, or hearing this narrative, gives the fruit of all yajñas and leads the devotee to Śivaloka. Every liṅga worshipped in the world, in temples, in rivers and on mountains, is a form of this first Jyotirliṅga. Parameśvara declared that wherever a liṅga is set up and worshipped, he himself is present in that liṅga.

Sources

  • Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha