Jyeshṭhasthāna means the “place of Jyeshṭheśvara”. It is one of the most sacred precincts within Kāśī. It centres on the self-manifested (svayambhū) Jyeshṭheśvara Liṅga. This Liṅga appeared when Bhagavān Śiva came back to Kāśī from Mount Mandara. His first stop was the cave of the ṛshi Jaigīshavya, who had kept an unbroken fast since the day Śiva left.

Chapters 63 to 65 of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Uttarārdha) tell how Nandin revived Jaigīshavya with a toy lotus. Bhagavān Śiva then appeared, gave Jaigīshavya the Yoga-śāstra, and let him stay near his feet always. The Jyeshṭheśvara Liṅga appeared at the spot of this meeting. Beside it stands Jyeshṭhāvāpī, and the Liṅgas of Jyeshṭhā and Śreshṭhā Gaurī are here too. Around Jyeshṭheśvara stand about five thousand Liṅgas installed by ṛshis.

The fourteenth day of the bright half of Jyeshṭha is a most auspicious time for this region. So is a Monday that falls on Anurādhā nakshatra.

Jaigīshavya’s vow and the appearance of Jyeshṭheśvara

When Śiva left Kāśī for Mount Mandara with Pārvatī, the ṛshi Jaigīshavya, a great Yogin and devotee, made a fierce vow. He would not eat or drink even a drop of water until he saw the lotus feet of the three-eyed Bhagavān Śiva. By the power of his yogic dhāraṇā (steady focus) and by the grace of Śambhu himself, Jaigīshavya kept himself alive for the whole time Śiva was away.

Śiva came back and knew the ṛshi’s condition. He sent Nandin to the cave where Jaigīshavya lay in samādhi, his limbs dried up by tapas. Nandin carried Śiva’s own toy lotus and touched the ṛshi with it. At the touch Jaigīshavya came back to life at once, as fresh as a frog that comes out at the touch of rain after summer.

Nandin led him out and placed him before Śiva. The ṛshi bowed to the ground and sang a long prayer of praise. Śiva appeared and granted what he asked. The place where they met became the Jyeshṭheśvara Liṅga. (Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 63)

Śiva’s varas to Jaigīshavya

Bhagavān Śiva gave Jaigīshavya four great varas (boons):

Permanent nearness to his feet, never to be far from him in any way.
Śiva’s presence in the Liṅga that the ṛshi installed.
The Yoga-śāstra. The whole science that leads to liberation was handed to him. This made him the foremost Yogācārya among all Yogins.
Deathlessness like Nandī. He would be free from old age and death, like the gaṇa chiefs Nandī, Bhṛṅgī and Somanandin.

Śiva also said that Jaigīshavya’s practice, eating only after seeing Bhagavān Śiva, is the greatest of all vows. It is greater than every other niyama and yama by more than a sixteenth part.

Śiva also spoke of the Jaigīshavyeśvara Liṅga. A person who serves it for three years attains Yoga. A seeker who practises inside Jaigīshavya’s cave reaches fulfilment within six months. (Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 63)

Jyeshṭhāvāpī, Jyeshṭhā Gaurī and Nīvāśeśvara

Near the Jyeshṭheśvara Liṅga is the Jyeshṭhāvāpī, a sacred well. Its water, together with a bow to the Liṅga, ends rebirth. Brāhmaṇas came to this well from many tīrthas and ponds across Kāśī. Chapter 64 puts their number in the thousands.

Jyeshṭhā and Śreshṭhā are two forms of Gaurī who give all spiritual powers. They appeared at this spot. A woman who plunges into Jyeshṭhāvāpī and bows to Jyeshṭhā Gaurī gains happiness in marriage and great good fortune.

The great festival at Jyeshṭhasthāna is on the eighth day of the bright half of Jyeshṭha. It is prescribed to increase wealth and is kept with a night vigil.

Śambhu himself stayed at this spot. So a second Liṅga appeared here, called Nīvāśeśvara (from nivāsa, a dwelling), “the Liṅga of the Īśvara’s own home”. One who turns to Nīvāśeśvara finds wealth of every kind staying in the home for good. (Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 63)

The secret of Jyeshṭheśvara

Brāhmaṇas gathered from every corner of the sacred precinct: from the Daṇḍakhāta well, Māndākinī tīrtha, Haṃsa tīrtha, Matsyodarī, Kapālamocana and many other places. Śiva spoke to them and told the great Secret of Kāśī (Kāśī-rahasya).

The two syllables KĀ-ŚI, he said, are the supreme mantra. KĀ is the bīja of Kāma. ŚI is the bīja of Śrī. One who keeps these syllables in the heart burns all the seeds of karma. One who dies elsewhere saying “Kāśī, Kāśī, Kāśī” reaches moksha before him.

The brāhmaṇas asked Śiva for varas, and he granted them. Their Liṅgas would hold his presence. He would never leave Kāśī. No śāpa (curse) would block liberation here.

Then Śiva told the “secret” for those who live at this holy place. Honour the Gaṅgā that flows north. Worship the Liṅga. Practise self-control, dāna (giving) and compassion. These alone are enough for moksha. (Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 64)

The five thousand Liṅgas of Jyeshṭhasthāna

Chapter 65 lists the Liṅgas near Jyeshṭheśvara. There are about five thousand in all. These are named:

Parāśareśvara. It lies north of Jyeshṭheśa and gives pure knowledge at a glance.
Māndavyeśvara. It gives siddhis (spiritual powers) and keeps the mind from evil.
Śaṅkareśa. It always gives auspiciousness.
Bhṛgunārāyaṇa. It gives all spiritual powers.
Jābālīśvara. It gives great siddhis and stops a person from going to naraka (hell).
Śreshṭhāditya. Sage Sumantu installed it. It cures leprosy.
Bhairavī Bhīshaṇā. This is a terrible form of Bhairavī that destroys all fears.
Upajaṅghanī Liṅga. It frees a person from the bonds of karma within six months.
Kandukeśvara. It appeared from a ball (kandu). Pārvatī used the ball to kill the asuras Vidāla and Utpāla, who tried to carry her off while she played at Jyeshṭhasthāna. Bhavānī lives near it for good.
Vyāghreśvara. It appeared when Śiva crushed the asura Duṇḍubhinirhrāda in his armpit and took the form of a tiger. This asura had been eating the brāhmaṇas of the tīrtha in the form of a tiger. The Liṅga protects from tigers and thieves. Yama’s servants fear its devotees.

(Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 65)

Rewards of visiting

Seeing Jyeshṭheśvara destroys the pāpa (sin) of a hundred births at once.
Bathing in Jyeshṭhāvāpī and visiting Jyeshṭheśvara ends rebirth.
Śrāddha at Jyeshṭhasthāna gives great satisfaction to the pitṛs (ancestors).
Feeding Śivayogins at Jyeshṭheśvara gives the puṇya of feeding ten million for each person fed.
Hearing the narratives of these chapters destroys pāpa and keeps calamities away.

(Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapters 63–65)

Sources

Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Uttarārdha), Chapters 63–65