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{{short description|Devotional representation of the Hindu deity Shiva}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=November 2022}}
{{Saivism|expanded=Related}}
{{location map+|India3|float=right|caption=Location of jyotirlinga Temples with name of jyotirlinga as label.
|places=
{{Location map~|India|label=[[Nageshvara Jyotirlinga|Nageshwar]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=22.2807344|long=68.5882843}}
{{Location map~|India|label=[[Somnath]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=20.888028|long=70.401278}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga|Mallikarjuna]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=16.073812|long=78.868557}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleshwar]]|label_width=8|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=top|lat=23.182778|long=75.768333}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Omkareshwar]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=22.245572|long=76.151047}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Baidyanath Temple|Baidyanath]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=bottom|lat=24.293337|long=86.420010}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankar]]|label_width=7|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=bottom|lat=19.072076|long=73.535807}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Ramanathaswamy Temple|Rameswaram]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=9.287833|long=79.315782}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Kashi Vishwanath]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=top|lat=25.310753|long=83.010614}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple|Trimbak]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=left|lat=19.932127|long=73.530739}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=30.735187|long=79.066911}}
{{location map~|India|label=[[Grishneshwar]]|mark=Green_pog.svg|position=right|lat=20.1299|long=75.1011}}
|default_width=300}}

A '''Jyotirlinga''' ({{Lang-sa|ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग|lit=lingam of light|translit=Jyotirliṅga}})<ref>{{harvnb|''Wisdom Library''|2019}}</ref> or '''Jyotirlingam''', is a devotional representation of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Shiva]]. The word is a [[Sanskrit]] compound of {{IAST|jyotis}} ('radiance') and {{IAST|[[linga]]}} ('sign'). The [[Shiva Purana|Śiva Mahāpurāṇam]] (also ''Shiva Purana'') mentions 64 original ''jyotirlinga'' shrines in [[India]]

== Hinduism ==
=== Legend ===

According to a [[Shaivism|Shaiva]] legend from the Shiva Purana, once, [[Brahma]] (the god of creation) and [[Vishnu]] (the god of preservation) had an argument over their supremacy.<ref name="R.">{{harvnb|Venugopalam|2003|pp=92–95}}</ref> To settle the debate, [[Shiva]] pierced the three worlds, appearing as a huge, infinite pillar of light, the ''jyotirlinga.'' Brahma and Vishnu decided to ascend and descend across a pillar of light respectively, to find the end of the light in either direction. According to some iterations, Vishnu assumed his [[Varaha]] avatar to achieve this task, while Brahma rode a [[Hamsa (bird)|hamsa]] (swan).<ref>{{harvnb|Pattanaik|2017|p=126}}</ref> Brahma lied that he had discovered the end of the light, producing a ketakī flower as proof, while Vishnu admitted that he could not find the end of the light from his journey.<ref>{{harvnb|Kumar|2003|p=1645}}</ref> The dishonesty of Brahma angered Shiva, causing him to curse the creator deity that he would not be worshipped; he also declared that Vishnu would be eternally worshipped for his honesty.<ref>{{harvnb|Gangashetty|2019|p=102}}</ref> The ''jyotirlinga'' shrines are regarded to be the temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.<ref>{{harvnb|Eck|1999|p=107}}</ref><ref name="Gwynne">{{harvnb|Gwynne|2009|loc=section on Char Dham}}</ref>

=== Original 64 ===

Originally, there were believed to have been 64 ''jyotirlingas'' of which twelve are considered to be very auspicious and holy.<ref name="R." /> The twelve ''jyotirlinga'' sites take
the names of their respective presiding deity, and each is considered a different manifestation of Shiva.<ref name="Lochtefeld">{{harvnb|Lochtefeld|2002|pp=324-325}}</ref> At all these sites, the primary image is ''[[lingam]],'' representing the beginningless and endless ''[[stambha]]'' pillar, symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva.<ref name="Lochtefeld" /><ref name="E. U. Harding">{{harvnb|Harding|1998|pp=158-158}}</ref><ref name="paris_congress">{{harvnb|Vivekananda||loc=v. 4}}</ref>

===Sanskrit shlokas===

The following ''[[shloka]]'' (द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम् ''Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram'') describes the 12 ''jyotirlingas'':<ref>{{harvnb|''Vaidika Vignanam''|n.d.}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sanskrit !! transliteration !! translation
|-
| सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्। || ''Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ cha Śrīśaile Mallikārjunam'' || [[Somnath temple|Somnath]] in Saurashtra and Sri [[Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam|Mallikarjuna]] in [[Srisailam]];
|-
| उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥ || ''Ujjayinyāṃ Mahākālam Omkāram Amaleśwaram'' || Mahakala ([[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleshwara]]) in Ujjain, [[Omkareshwar Temple|Omkareshwara]] in (Khandwa);
|-
|वैद्यनाथं चिताभूमौ(/परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च) डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्। || ''Vaidyanāthaṃ chitha bhumau Ḍākinyāṃ Bhīmaśaṅkaram'' || [[Baidyanath Temple|Baidyanath]] in Chitha Bhumi and [[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankara]] in Dakinya;
|-
| सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥ || ''Setubandhe tu Rāmeśaṃ Nāgeśaṃ Dārukāvane'' || Ramesham ([[Ramanathaswamy Temple|Rameshwara]]) in Sethubandh, (Nagesham) and [[Nageshwar Jyotirling Dwarka]] or [[Aundha Nagnath Temple|Naganath]] in Daruka-Vana;
|-
| वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे। || ''Vārāṇasyāṃ tu Viśveśaṃ Tryambakaṃ Gautamītaṭe'' || Vishwesham ([[Kashi Vishwanath Temple|Vishweshwara]]) in Varanasi, Tryambakam ([[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple|Trayambakeshwara]]) at bank of the river Gautami (Godavari);
|-
| हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥ || ''Himālaye tu Kedāraṃ Ghuśmeśaṃ ca Śivālaye'' || Kedar ([[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath]]) in the Himalayas and Ghushmesh in Shivalay , ([[Grishneshwar]] / [[Ghushmeshwar Temple|Ghushmeshwar]] )
|-
| एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। || ''etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ'' || One who recites these jyotirlingas every evening and morning
|-
| सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥ || ''saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati'' || is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives.
|-
| एतेषां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति। || ''eteṣāṃ darśanādeva pātakaṃ naiva tiṣṭhati'' || One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled
|-
| कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥: || ''karmakṣayo bhavettasya yasya tuṣṭo maheśvarāḥ'' || and one's [[karma]] gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship.
|}

=== Twelve most sacred sites ===
{{anchor | List }}

The names and the locations of 12 ''jyotirlingas'' are mentioned in the [[Shiva Purana]] ({{IAST|Śatarudra Saṁhitā}}, Ch.42/2-4). The detailed stories are given in Kotirudra Saṁhitā, chapters 14 to 33. These temples (not in order) are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! #
! Jyotirlinga
! Image
! State
! Location
! Description
|-
| 1
|[[Somnath temple|Somnath]]
| [[File:Somnath-current.jpg|110px]]
| [[Gujarat]]
| [[Veraval]], [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]]
| Somnath is traditionally considered the first pilgrimage site: the Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple. The temple, that was destroyed and re-built sixteen times, is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan, [[Veraval]] in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra region]] of Gujarat state in western India.

|-
| 2
| [[Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam|Mallikārjuna]]
| [[File:Srisailam.jpg|146x146px]]
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| [[Srisailam]]
| {{IAST|Mallikārjuna}}, also called [[Srisailam|{{IAST|Śrīśaila}}]], is located on a mountain in [[Kurnool District]] in [[Rayalaseema]].<ref name=Chak>{{harvnb|Chakravarti|1994|p=140}}</ref> It enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich. It is a place where ''[[Shakti Peetha]]'' and jyotirlingam are together. [[Adi Shankara]] composed his ''[[Shivananda Lahari]]'' here.{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}}
|-
| 3
| [[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleshwar]]
| [[File:Mahakal Temple Ujjain.JPG|110px]]
| [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| [[Ujjain]]
| [[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakal, Ujjain]] (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be [[Swayambhu]], the only one of the 12 jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south and also the temple to have a ''Shree Rudra Yantra'' perched upside down at the ceiling of the [[Garbhagriha]] (where the Shiv Lingam sits). It is a place where ''Shakti Peetha'' and jyotirlingam are together.

|-
| 4
| [[Omkareshwar Temple|Omkareshwar]]
| [[File:Omkareshwar Temple 01.jpg|110px]]
| [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| [[Khandwa]]
| Omkareshwar is in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the [[Narmada River]] and home to a jyotirlinga shrine and the [[Omkareshwar Temple|Mamaleshwar temple]].
|-
| 11
| [[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath]]
| [[File:Kedarnath Temple.jpg|110px]]
| [[Uttarakhand]]
| [[Kedarnath]]
| Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is revered as the northernmost and the closest jyotirlinga to Lord Shiva's eternal abode of [[Mount Kailash]]. Kedarnath forms a part of the smaller [[Chota Char Dham|Char Dham]] pilgrimage circuit of Hinduism. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad [[Himalayas]], is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only for six months a year. It is also one of the [[Paadal Petra Sthalam]] of [[North India|Vada Naadu]] mentioned in [[Thevaaram]]. Shiva assumed the form of wild boar and dived into the earth at Kedarnath to emerge at Doleshwor in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Pure ghee is applied at Kedarnath lingam as the boar was injured.
|-
| 6
| [[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankar]]
| [[File:Bhimashankar.jpg|110px]]
| [[Maharashtra]]
| [[Khed taluka]], [[Pune]]
| Khed taluka is also referred to as the Daakini country, hence this temple is also called Daakini temple,
|-
| 9
| [[Kashi Vishwanath Temple|Vishwanath]]
| [[File:Benares- The Golden Temple, India, ca. 1915 (IMP-CSCNWW33-OS14-66).jpg|110px]]
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| [[Varanasi]]
| The Kashi Vishwanath (Vishweshwar) Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga shrine, which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu shrines. It is also one of the [[Padal petra stalam]] of [[North India|Vada Naadu]] mentioned in [[Thevaaram]]. The temple is situated in [[Varanasi]], the holiest city for Hindus, where a Hindu is expected to make a pilgrimage at least once in his life, and if possible, also pour the remains of cremated ancestors on the River Ganges. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river [[Ganges]], and is one of the twelve jyotirlingas. In fact, it is a place where Shakti peeta and jyotirlingam are together. It is the holiest of all Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name [[Shiva|Vishwanath]] or ''Vishweshwara'' meaning Ruler of the universe. The temple town, is considered the oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history, is also called [[Kashi Vishwanath Temple|Kashi]].
|-
| 10
| [[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple|Trimbakeshwar]]
| [[File:Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, Trimbak, Nashik district.jpg|110px]]
| [[Maharashtra]]
| [[Trimbak]], near [[Nashik]]
| The [[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple|Trimbakeshwar Temple]], near Nashik in Maharashtra, is a jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the [[Godavari River]].
|-
| 8
| [[Nageshvara Jyotirlinga|Nageshwar]]
| [[File:Aundha nagnath temple, hingoli, maharastra, India.jpg|110x110px]]
| [[Gujarat]]
|Near [[Daarukavanam]]
| Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana and the ''Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga Stotram, says one of the jyotirlinga namely Nagesh is situated in Daruka-Vana''. The Nagesh Jyotirlinga status come from - Aundha [[Aundha Nagnath Temple|Naganath]]
|-
| 5
| [[Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga|Baidyanath]]
| [[File:Baba_Dham.jpg|110x110px]]
| [[Jharkhand]]
| [[Deoghar]]
| According to [[Hindu]] scriptures, the demon king [[Ravana]] began the journey homeward carrying the Shivaling. On the way, he wanted to relieve himself by urination. He bid a cowherd boy to hold the Linga while he relieved himself. The cowherd was not able to bear the weight of the Linga and when he could no longer hold it, he put it down on the earth. And the Shiva Linga put there stayed as Lord Shiva already ordained and came to be known as Vaidyanatheswar. Another belief says that ''Baba Vaidyanath dham'' Temple located in [[Deoghar]] in the [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Jharkhand]], [[India]] is a jyotirlinga.
|-
| 7
| [[Ramanathaswamy Temple|Rameshwaram]]
| [[File:Ramanathar-temple.jpg|110px]]
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| [[Rameswaram]]
| [[Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram|Rameswaram]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the {{IAST|Rameśvara}} (God of Rama) pillar.<ref name=Chak/> It is also one of the [[Padal petra stalam]] of [[Pandya Naadu]] mentioned in [[Thevaaram|Tevaram]].
|-
| 12
|[[Grishneshwar Temple|Grishneshwar]]
| [[File:Grishneshwar temple in Aurangabad district.jpg|110px]]
| [[Maharashtra]]
| [[Aurangabad]]
| [[Grishneshwar Temple|Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple]], referred to as the Grishneshwar temple in [[Shiva Purana]], is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. According to Shiv Puran, Grishneshwar is one of the Shiva Jyotirlinga which is situated near Ellora village, less than a kilometer from UNESCO site [[Ellora Caves]] in [[Aurangabad district, Maharashtra|Aurangabad district]] of Maharashtra.

|}

== See also ==
* {{annotated link|Ardhanarishvara}}
* {{annotated link|Harihara}}
* {{annotated link|Parikrama}}
* {{annotated link|Tridevi}}
* {{annotated link|Trimurti}}
* {{annotated link|Vaikuntha Kamalaja}}
* {{annotated link|Yatra}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist|2}}

===Works cited===
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{Cite book
| last=Chakravarti
| first=Mahadev
| year=1994
| title=The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages
| place=Delhi
| publisher= [[Motilal Banarsidass]]
| edition=Second Revised
| isbn=81-208-0053-2
}}
*{{Cite book
| last=Chaturvedi
| first=B. K.
| year=2006
| title=Shiv Purana
| place=New Delhi
| publisher= Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd
| edition=First
| isbn=81-7182-721-7
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bchgql0em9YC&pg=PA58
}}
*{{Cite book
| last=Eck
| first=Diana L.
| year=1999
| title=Banaras, city of light
| place=New York
| publisher= Columbia University Press
| edition=First
| isbn=0-231-11447-8
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J57C4d8Bv6UC&pg=PA107
}}
*{{Cite book |last=Gangashetty |first=Ramesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajK6DwAAQBAJ&dq=jyotirlinga+legend+brahma+vishnu&pg=PT102 |title=Thirtha Yatra: A Guide to Holy Temples and Thirtha Kshetras in India |date=2019-10-30 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68466-134-3 |language=en}}
*{{Cite book |last=Gwynne|first=Paul |title=World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction|year=2009|publisher=Blackwell Publication |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-4051-6702-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tdsRKc_knZoC&pg=PT271}}
*{{cite book
| last = Harding
| first = Elizabeth U.
| title = Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar
| chapter = God, the Father
| publisher = Motilal Banarsidass
| year = 1998
| pages = 156–157
| isbn = 978-81-208-1450-9
}}
*{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Naresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BjQkAQAAIAAJ&q=vishnu+kataki |title=Encyclopaedia of Folklore and Folktales of South Asia |date=2003 |publisher=Anmol Publications |isbn=978-81-261-1400-9 |language=en}}
*{{Cite book | last = Lochtefeld | first = James G. | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M | year = 2002 | publisher=Rosen Publishing Group | isbn=0-8239-3179-X | page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/n375 122] | url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch| url-access = registration}}
*{{Cite book |last=Pattanaik |first=Devdutt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-jrCDgAAQBAJ&dq=vishnu+varaha+jyotirlinga&pg=PT126 |title=Devlok 2: 2 |date=2017-05-07 |publisher=Random House Publishers India Pvt. Limited |isbn=978-93-86495-15-0 |language=en}}
*{{Cite web |title=Dwadasa Jyotirlinga Stotram |work=Vaidika Vignanam |date=n.d. |url= https://vignanam.org/veda/dwadasa-jyotirlinga-stotram-devanagari.html |language=sa |ref={{SfnRef|Vaidika Vignanam|n.d.}} }}
*{{Cite book
| first=R.
| last=Venugopalam
| year=2003
| title=Meditation: Any Time Any Where
| place=Delhi
| publisher= B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.
| edition=First
| isbn=81-8056-373-1
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZtnNw_hiA9oC&q=jyotirlinga&pg=PT113
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Vivekananda
| first = Swami
| title = The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
| chapter = The Paris Congress of the History of Religions
| chapter-url = http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_4/translation_prose/the_paris_congress.htm
| volume = 4
}}
*{{Cite web |title=Jyotirlinga, Jyotirliṅga, Jyotis-linga, Jyotirlimga: 5 definitions |work=Wisdom Library |date=2019-12-28 |access-date=2022-11-13 |url= https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/jyotirlinga |language=en |ref={{SfnRef|Wisdom Library|2019}} }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=201323388399024282733.0004b960aacbe8febbaeb Jyotirlingas on Google Maps]
*[https://templeknowledge.com/about-jyotirlinga-in-india/ Jyotirlingas in India]
*

{{Shaivism}}
{{Shiva temples}}
{{Shankara mathas}}
{{Puranas}}
{{Hindu holy cities}}

[[Category:Jyotirlingas| ]]
[[Category:Forms of Shiva]]

Jyotirlinga - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT at 21:04, 21 July 2023