Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga
Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple, also known as Baba dham and Baidyanath dham is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of Shiva, located in Parli, Maharashtra.[1]
In Dwadasa jyothirlinga sthothram, Adi Sankaracharya has praised Vaidyanath jyothirlinga in following verses,[2]
Poorvothare prajwalika nidhane
sada vasantham girija sametham
surasuraradhitha padapadmam
srivaidyanatham thamaham namami
This states that Vaidyanath jyotirlinga is located at Prajwalika nidhanam (meaning funeral place i.e., chithabhoomi) in the North-Eastern part of the country. Deoghar is far located in east compared to Parli, Maharashtra which is in west central part of the country today at Beed. Also Chidabhoomi indicates that, in olden days, this was a funeral place, where corpses are burnt and post-death ceremonies were performed. This place could have been a centre of tantric cults like Kapalika/Bhairava where Shiva is worshipped significantly as smasan vasin (meaning, residing in crematorium), sava bhasma bhushita (meaning, smearing body with ashes of burnt bodies).[3]
This Śloka is true but the reference is for North East part of this Āryāvarta by which Baidyanath Dham is located in northern region.[4]
References
- "Parali Vaijnath Temple". www.maharashtratourism.gov.in. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- "Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram". Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- Om Prakash Ralhan (1998). Encyclopaedia Of Political Parties, Volumes 33-50. ISBN 9788174888655.
- "14-02-2018 : Patna City ePaper: Read Patna City Local Hindi Newspaper Online,Page 1".