Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple (25/84) Kartik Chowk, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
The glory of Shri Mukteshwar Mahadev points towards the path of salvation. The brilliant Jitendriya Brahmin himself was able to find the path of salvation by coming to the Mahakal forest after thirteen years of penance. According to mythology, in ancient times there was a Jitendriya Brahmin named Mukti. With the desire of liberation, he remained engaged in penance daily. It has been 13 years since he was engaged in penance. Then one day he went to the holy Kshipra river located in Mahakal forest to take bath. He took bath in Kshipra and then started chanting on the banks of the river. Then they saw a man with a fierce physique coming there who had a bow and arrow in his hand. After reaching there the man told the Brahmin that he had come to kill him. Hearing his words, the Brahmins got scared and sat down meditating on Lord Narayana. Due to the grandeur of the Brahmin’s penance, the man threw away his bow and arrows and said, O Brahmin, my mind has become pure due to the effect of your penance. I have committed many misdeeds but now I want to attain liberation by doing penance with you. Without waiting for the Brahmin’s reply, the man sat there and started meditating on God. As a result of his penance he attained liberation. Seeing this, the Brahmins were surprised and started thinking that they did not get salvation even after so many years of penance. Thinking like this, the Brahmin went into the middle of the river and started chanting.
They started chanting like this for a few days, then a tiger came there and wanted to eat the Brahmin standing in the water. Then the Brahmin started chanting ‘Namo Narayan’. As soon as the Brahmin heard the words ‘Namo Narayan’, he left his body and transformed into a great man. When asked by the Brahmin, he told that in his previous birth he was a glorious king named Longbahu and he was proficient in all the Vedas and Vedanta. He was proud of this and did not consider Brahmins anything. He got angry at the brahmin’s disrespect and cursed him that he would suffer if he got into the tiger’s womb. Then he praised the brahmins and said – O best of brahmins, I have known the brilliance of all of you. One of you, Sage Agastya, when the ocean became proud, drank it and made it salty. Its water became unfit for drinking. The demon Vaatapi was destroyed due to the curse of the Brahmins. Due to the anger of sage Bhrigu, an all-devouring fire occurred. Indra became a thousand-year-old due to the curse of Gautam Muni. Due to the curse of Brahmins, Vishnu also had to take ten incarnations. By the grace of Chyavan Muni, the physicians of the gods, Ashwini Kumar, got to drink Somras. Reciting such words about the bravery of the Brahmins, he repeatedly started apologizing to the Brahmins.
The Brahmins were pleased with his prayer and said that when you go to the Kshipra river and hear a Brahmin standing in the water saying Namo Narayan, you will be freed from the curse and will also be freed from the tiger’s womb. In this way, after hearing the name of Lord Narayana from the mouth of the Brahmin, he was liberated. Then the Brahmin asked the king, how will I be freed? I have been meditating for years but till now I have not found the path to liberation. Then the king said that please visit Mukti Linga situated in Mahakal forest. He further said, the one who tells the glory of Mukti Linga also attains liberation. Then both the king and the Brahmin came to the divine Mukti Linga situated in the Mahakaal forest and just by seeing him, both of them got absorbed in that Linga from which they attained liberation. Benefits of darshan: According to belief, one attains salvation by having darshan of Shri Mukteshwar Mahadev. Rishis, sages, gods etc. also worship this Linga. The temple of Shri Mukteshwar Mahadev, one of the eighty-four Mahadevs located in Ujjaini, is located in Khatriwada.
