Siddheśvara (Pravarā-saṅgama)

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

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

Siddheśvara, “the Īśvara of the siddhas”, is Bhagavān Śiva as he presides over Pravarā-saṅgama, the confluence of the river Pravarā with the Gautamī (the Godāvarī). Brahmā tells Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa that Bhagavān Śiva as Siddheśvara presides over this tīrtha and renders help to all his devotees. The Pravarā was born of the amṛta drawn out of the body of Rāhu, which fell on the southern bank of the Gautamī after the churning of the ocean, and it is full of the Śakti of Rudra. Śambhu himself stayed there, worshipped by the devas, and Śiva and Śakti dwell there for ever. A bath and dāna at the confluence give everlasting fruit.

The account of the place

After a terrible war, the devas and the dānavas made peace and churned the ocean together, with Mount Mandara as the churning rod and Vāsuki as the rope, and the amṛta came forth. The asuras went home, trusting that it would be shared at an auspicious hour; but on Bṛhaspati‘s counsel the devas went to Brahmā, and Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śambhu went with them to a cave of Meru to drink it in secret. Sūrya watched who drank, Soma shared out the amṛta, and Bhagavān Vishṇu with the cakra kept guard. Rāhu, son of Siṃhikā, came in the form of a deva and drank; Sūrya knew him and told Soma, and Soma told Vishṇu, who cut off his head with the cakra. The head became immortal, and the headless body fell on the southern bank of the Gautamī and shook the earth; it too had become immortal.

At the devas’ prayer, Bhagavān Śiva sent his Śakti, the Devī, the Mother, with the Mātṛs, holding the weapons of Īśa and full of his tejas (radiant power). The body fought her for many years, until Rāhu himself told the devas to pierce the body and draw out the amṛta within it; for this the devas made him the foremost of the grahas. Īśvarī pierced the body and drew out the amṛta, and Ambikā, who is called Kālarātri and Bhadrakālī, devoured the body. The amṛta that oozed out became the river Pravarā, auspicious and full of amṛta, endowed with the Śakti of Rudra. There are five thousand tīrthas on the Pravarā.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 36

Śiva and Śakti dwell there

Worshipped by the devas, Śambhu himself stayed there. The devas gave the river varas: “Whenever Śambhu, the ruler of the devas, is worshipped, you too shall be worshipped, for the welfare of the worlds. Stay here always, granting every siddhi, and fulfil the desires of all who praise you, glorify you, meditate on you or bow to you with devotion.” The ṛshis call the place Nivāsapura, because Śiva and Śakti took their eternal dwelling there. The place where the ruler of the devas sent forth the Śakti is called Preritā, and it is also known as Amṛtā. From then on it is known as the tīrtha of Pravarā-saṅgama, and it is dear to the devas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 36

The phala

  • All who bathe at the confluence of the Pravarā with the Gaṅgā gain bhukti (worldly enjoyment) and moksha, and whatever they desire in their minds is fulfilled, even what is beyond the reach of the devas.
  • A bath, dāna and the like at the confluence give everlasting (akshaya) fruit.
  • It gives satisfaction to the pitṛs.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 36

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 36