Siddheśvara (Kishkindhā-tīrtha)

Siddheśvara · siddha-īśvara, “the lord of the siddhas”

Siddheśvara has other meanings too: see all meanings of Siddheśvara.

Siddheśvara is a tīrtha on the Gautamī (the Godāvarī), near Kishkindhā-tīrtha, famous in all the world. Brahmā tells Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa that it was by the grace of Siddheśvara that Rāvaṇa became very powerful. When Śrī Rāma was returning to Ayodhyā after the war with Laṅkā, he stayed here five days with Sītā, Lakshmaṇa, Vibhīshaṇa and the vānaras, and they worshipped liṅgas they had installed themselves. When Rāma bade Hanumān take up the liṅgas before they left, Hanumān could not move the liṅga even with his tail, for no one can shake the liṅga of Maheśa once it has attained stability. Rāma then worshipped the liṅgas with the brāhmaṇas and went on his way.

Śrī Rāma comes to the Gautamī

Rāma, son of Daśaratha, had slain Rāvaṇa with his sons and his army, with the help of the vānaras of Kishkindhā. He returned with Sītā, his brother Lakshmaṇa, the mighty Vibhīshaṇa, the vānaras and the devas, flying towards Ayodhyā in the vimāna Pushpaka, which had belonged to the master of wealth. On the way he saw the Gautamī, the sanctifier of the universe, and came down to her banks. There he praised her before the vānaras: by her power his father had gone to svarga, Vibhīshaṇa had become his lasting friend, Sītā had been won back and Hanumān had become his kinsman. The vānaras bathed and worshipped the river, and Rāma worshipped Bhagavān Śiva and praised him. Rāma stayed there that night with Sītā.

At dawn Vibhīshaṇa said to Rāma: “We are not yet satisfied with this tīrtha. Let us stay here four more nights, and then go to Ayodhyā together.” The vānaras agreed, and for those four nights they worshipped Īśvara, the ruler of all.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 87

The tīrtha of Siddheśvara

Then they went to the tīrtha dear to his brother. That tīrtha is famous in all the world by the name Siddheśvara, and it is by Siddheśvara’s grace that Rāvaṇa became very powerful. In all they spent five days there, and they worshipped liṅgas they had installed themselves. Hanumān, son of Vāyu, served there.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 87

The liṅga that could not be moved

As they were about to leave, Rāma said to Hanumān: “Ceremoniously take up all the liṅgas. They were installed by me and by others who are excellent knowers of mantras, and by the servants of Śaṅkara. Without that rite, no outer liṅga of Bhava should be joined to the great Śaṅkara.” He taught: “One who thinks he can slight the deity or the liṅga and stay unharmed is like one standing on the edge of a sword. Those without śraddhā (faith), those who are indifferent, and those who do not do their duty after the pūjā of the liṅga are cooked and roasted in every kind of naraka (hell) by the servants of Yama.”

At Rāma’s command Hanumān went there, but he could not uproot the liṅga with his hands. Then he wound his tail round the liṅga to pull it out, and still he could not move it. The great vānaras and the king were astonished. Brahmā says: “Who is the man, however wise or strong, able to shake the liṅga of Maheśa that has attained stability and grandeur?” Seeing it immovable, Rāma invited brāhmaṇas, walked round the liṅgas in pradakshiṇa, worshipped with a pure heart, and bowed to the liṅgas together with all those brāhmaṇas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 87

The phala

The tīrtha was resorted to by the vānaras of Kishkindhā, and great pāpas are destroyed by bathing here; the devas say this Kishkindhā tīrtha is extremely sacred. Whoever reads, remembers or listens to this account with devotion is freed of his pāpas, still more one who bathes there and gives dāna there.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 87

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 87