Features of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

The temple faces south.

This Jyotirlinga is decorated with fresh ashes of the dead every morning and Bhasma Aarti is also performed.

Kumbh Mela is also held here once in 12 years.

There are not one but two temples here. The first Harsiddhi Mata temple (Elbow) and the second Avantika Devi temple were here where Sati’s lips fell.

Ujjain was known as Ujjayini in ancient times, it was also called Avantikapuri. It is one of the most sacred places in India.

Here Lord Krishna, Balaram and his friend Sudama had received all their education and knowledge from Guru Sandipani in Sandipani Ashram itself.

Lord Krishna learnt all the scriptures in a short span of 64 days. Its description follows. 18 Puranas in 18 days, 4 Vedas in 4 days, 6 Shastras in 6 days, 16 arts in 16 days, the knowledge of the Gita in 20 days, along with Guru Dakshina and Guru Seva. In the ashram, where Guru Sandipani used to sit, his statue and footwear are installed.

One gets salvation by visiting this Jyotirlinga.

👉aakaashe taarakan lingan paataale haatakeshvaram.

bhooloke ch mahaakaalo lindgatray namostu te..

Of course

The Taraka Shivlinga in the sky, the Hatkeshwar Shivlinga in the abyss and the Mahakaleshwar on the earth are the valid Shivlingas.

The story of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is described in the Puranas in this way

According to the story narrated by Sutaji regarding the third Jyotirlinga Lord Mahakal in the sixteenth chapter of ‘Koti-Rudra Samhita’ of Shiva Puran, there used to be a Veda-working Brahmin in the city of Avanti. He built a Brahmana earthly Shivalinga and worshipped it daily. In those days, on the Ratnamal mountain, a demon named Bhashan, having received a boon from Brahma, started disrupting religious activities in all the pilgrimage places.

He also came to the city of Avanti and asked all the Brahmins to give up dharma-karma, but no one obeyed him. As a result, he, along with his wicked army, started creating turmoil in the holy Brahmatejomayi Avantika. The people began to tremble and they started praying, praising by going to the shelter of their god Shankar. Then a huge pit formed at the place where he used to worship the sattvik brahmin Parthiv Shiva and Lord Shiva appeared out of it in his gigantic form.

Lord Shankara reassured the devotees and cried aloud, “I am Mahakala, the destroyer of the wicked…” He then asked his devotees to seek blessings.

The people of Avantika prayed –

mahaakaal, mahaadev! dusht dand kar prabho

mukti prayachchh nah shambho sansaarambudhitah shiv.

atraiv lok rakshaarthan sthaatavyan hi tvaya shiv

svadarshan kan naaraanchhambho taaray tvan sada prabho.

Meaning

O Mahakala, Mahadeva, the Lord who punishes the wicked! You liberate us from the ocean of the world, reside in this place for the welfare and protection of the people, and save the people who visit you (in this self-established form) by giving them inexhaustible virtue.

Overwhelmed by this prayer, Lord Mahakala settled there and the entire city of Avantika became Shivamaya. ❤ ️

The glory of Mahakal Jyotirlinga has been described in full detail in Mahabharat, Shivpuran and Skandpuran.

The second story of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

The Story of King Chandrasen and the Child

In Ujjain the reign of King Chandrasen was there. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Manibhadra, the chief of the Sivaganas, was his friend. Once Manibhadra presented a very bright ‘Chintamani’ to King Chandrasen. When Chandrasen wore it around his neck, his halo lit up, and his fame began to grow in distant lands. Other kings started making efforts to get that ‘Mani’. Some asked for it, some didn’t.

Since it was the king’s favourite thing, the king did not give it to anyone. Eventually, they were attacked by Mani aspirant kings. Chandra Sen, a devotee of Lord Shiva, went to the shelter of Lord Mahakal and got absorbed in meditation. When Chandra Sen was in Samadhi then some gopi came there with her small child for darshan.

The child was five years old and Gopi was a widow. Seeing King Chandrasen meditating, the boy was also inspired to worship Shiva. He brought a stone from somewhere and started worshipping Shivling with devotion sitting in the secluded place of his house. After some time his mother called him for food but he did not come. He called again, but she didn’t come. When the mother came to call herself, she saw the child sitting in meditation and not hearing his voice.

In a fit of rage, the mother started beating the boy and threw away all the puja materials. When the child came to his senses after being freed from meditation, he was very sad to see his worship destroyed. Suddenly, a miracle occurred from the depth of his suffering. By the grace of Lord Shiva a beautiful temple was built there. In the center of the temple, the divine Shivalinga was seated and the worship performed by the child remained intact. He was also surprised when his mother’s sleep broke.

When King Chandrasen came to know about this incident by the unique grace of Lord Shiva, he also came to meet that Shiva-devotee boy. Other kings who were engaged in the war for Mani also arrived. All of them sought forgiveness from King Chandrasen for their crime and all of them started worshipping Lord Mahakal. Just then, Shri Hanuman appeared there and seated the child in his lap addressed all the kings and the people present.

rte shivan naanyaatm gatirasti shareerinaam .

evan gop suto drshtaya shivapoojaan viloky ch.

amantrenaapi sampoojy shivan shivam* vaaptavaan.

esh bhaktavarah shambhorgopaanaan keertivardhanah ih bhuktva khalin bhogaante mokshamavaapsyati.

asy vansheshtamabhaavee nando naam mahayashaah.

praapsyate tasyas putratvan krshno naaraayanah svayam .

Meaning

“There is no movement of beings other than Shiva. This boy has attained Shivatva-Sarvavidha, Mangal by worshiping Shiva without any mantra or ritual, just by observing Shiva worship elsewhere. This is going to increase the fame of all the Gopas who are the best devotees of Shiva. In this world he will attain all the eternal pleasures and attain salvation after death. The eighth in the line of descent will be the Mahasashvi Nanda, whose son Narayan himself will be known by the name of Krishna. It is said that Lord Mahakal has been sitting in Ujjain since then. The immense glory of Mahakal is described in our ancient texts. Mahakal is considered to be the king of gods.

On the day of Mahashivratri, the entire city is decorated with flowers. The sound of Shiva is heard all around. The whole city becomes a baraati and participates in the marriage of Shiva. On the next day on Amavasya the most attractive sight of Sehre is seen. A celebration takes place amidst the picturesque decorations. This city of Lord Shiva is seen immersed in devotional fervor.