Kedāreśvara Jyotirliṅga

Kedāreśvara, better known as Kedāranātha, is the fifth of the twelve Jyotirliṅgas, the self-arisen liṅgas of light of Śiva (a liṅga is Śiva’s sacred sign or form). It stands high in the Himālaya at Kedāra, in Uttarākhaṇḍa.

Its story begins with the tapas (intense spiritual discipline) of the divine ṛshis Nara and Nārāyaṇa at Badarikāśrama. They made a pārthiva liṅga (a liṅga of earth) and offered pūjā to Śiva for countless yugas (ages). Pleased, Śiva appeared and agreed to stay at Kedāra for ever as a Jyotirliṅga. A second tradition links Kedāra with the Pāṇḍavas. Śiva took the form of a mahisha (buffalo) so that the Pāṇḍavas could not come straight to him. When Bhīma caught hold of him, the buffalo plunged into the ground, and parts of his body came up again at different places: the hump at Kedāra, the face at Kathmandu (Paśupatinātha), the arms at Tuṅganātha, the navel at Madhyamaheśvara, and the hair at Kalpanātha (Kalpamaheśvara).

Location

Kedāranātha stands at a height of about 3,583 metres in the Rudraprayāga district of Uttarākhaṇḍa, near the source of the Mandākinī River, which flows into the Gaṅgā. It is one of the Cār Dhām (four holy abodes) of Uttarākhaṇḍa. Because of the hard Himālayan winter, it can only be reached from May to November.

The Story of Its Origin: Nara and Nārāyaṇa

Nara and Nārāyaṇa are twin forms of Vishṇu: one a ṛshi, the other Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa himself. They lived at Badarikāśrama in the Himālaya to do tapas. As part of their practice they made a pārthiva liṅga and offered pūjā to Śiva with complete devotion for many yugas. No pūjā was greater than theirs, in quality or in length.

Parameśvara was pleased with their tapas. He appeared at Badarikāśrama and offered them a boon. Nara and Nārāyaṇa asked Śiva to stay at Kedāra for ever, so that every devotee who makes the hard pilgrimage into the Himālaya could reach him. Śiva agreed and made his home there as Kedāreśvara.

The Pāṇḍava Connection

The Koṭi Rudra Saṃhitā also refers to the Pāṇḍava tradition about Kedāreśvara. After the war at Kurukshetra, the Pāṇḍavas wanted to atone for brahmahatyā (here, the killing of the Kauravas, who were their own kin). They sought Śiva’s darśana (sacred sight) and blessing. Śiva did not wish to meet them face to face because of the blood on their hands. So he took the form of a mahisha (water buffalo) and mixed with a herd of buffaloes in the Himālayan forests.

Bhīma, the strongest of the Pāṇḍavas, searched among the buffaloes and recognised Śiva. When Bhīma seized the mahisha, it plunged into the earth. Bhīma held on to the hump. From this event, parts of Śiva’s body came up again at different holy places:

  • Hump: Kedāranātha (the main shrine)
  • Face: Paśupatinātha (Kathmandu, Nepal)
  • Arms: Tuṅganātha
  • Navel: Madhyamaheśvara
  • Hair or head: Kalpanātha (Kalpamaheśvara)

These five places together make up the Pañca Kedāra, the five Śiva shrines of the high Himālaya. Each holds one part of Śiva’s buffalo form.

Why It Matters

As the Jyotirliṅga of the high Himālaya, Kedāreśvara shows Śiva as the supreme master of the mountains: the husband of Girijā (“daughter of the mountain”, Pārvatī), who chose Kailāsa as his home. The great hardship of the pilgrimage to Kedāranātha mirrors the devotee’s inner journey. Only those with sincere dedication can reach this kshetra (holy place).

The Pāṇḍava story adds a message of grace and atonement. Even those who have committed great pāpas such as brahmahatyā can be made pure by truly seeking Śiva, even if Śiva at first draws away from them.

Sources

  • Śiva Purāṇa, Koṭi Rudra Saṃhitā, Chapter 19