Located less than a kilometre away from the world heritage site Ellora caves is the Ghushmeshwar Mahadev. It is the last amongst the 12 Jyotirlings of Lord Shiva. It is named after Lord Shiva’s fervent devotee Ghushma. The temple has a sacred lake where Ghushma herself worshipped Lord Shiva. It is said that a visit to the lake yields all that a devotee desires earnestly and reaps great benefits.
Legend has it that by the excellent mountain Deva in the South, (present day Devagiri or Daulatabad in Aurangabad) there lived a pious Brahmin by the name Sudharma. He belonged to the Bharadvaj family.He and his beloved wife Sudeha both were sincere followers of the Shaiva cult and practised the sacred rites and rituals accordingly. Sudeha was devoted to her husband.She skilfully managed her household and served her husband devoutly in his daily rituals.
Being an exceptional Brahmin, Sudharma zealously worshipped all the Gods and guests. He was a gentleman of the highest cadre.He was a liberal donor and affluent in the Vedic Shastras.He had the brilliance of the Sun. Many years had gone by but he was not blessed with a child. It did not affect him in the least as he was happy and content with his life following the way of Lord Shiva.His wife Sudeha though did always pine for a Son. Sudharma reasoned with her to leave it to the God’s will and surrender.Once she had a dreadful quarrel with her neighbour.The neighbour had accused Sudeha of being barren and childless which had hurt her deeply. She urged her husband to propitiate the Gods and ask for a son as a boon. Sudharma, to appease his wife made the arrangements to perform a sacrificial ritual. After the ritual, he got the indication that Sudeha would never be blessed with a boy. He conveyed this to his wife. Sudeha was disappointed to the core.
She, then urged her husband, to remarry and take another wife.She proposed that he marry her own younger sister and beget a Son. Sudharma was against this idea.He warned Sudeha that if he would marry and her sister indeed would give birth to a son, Sudeha will get jealous and distressed.Sudeha assured her husband that she could never get jealous of her own sister.Though Sudharma wasn’t inclined he gave in to his wife’s demand as he loved her very much.
Sudeha’s sister went by the name Ghushma. She was a pious and devout woman. Every morning she would make a hundred and one earthen Shivalings and after duly worshipping them she would immerse them in the near-by lake.After she had completed a hundred thousand immersions of the Shivalings,she was blessed with a Son.The entire household including Sudharma was much delighted.The son so born was beautiful with excellent qualities and intellect.People would frequently visit to just get a glimpse of Ghushma’s son. Everyone praised Ghushma and Sudharma for being blessed with such an excellent off-spring. As Sudharma had predicted, Sudeha had now become jealous of her sister. Every praise that Ghushma received was like a thorn-prick for Sudeha. The son that she had pined for, she could not stand his site.There was a constant fire burning inside her. She knew that if she wanted peace, she had to inflict great pain on Ghushma.
Ghushma’s Son of great quality had become quite famous and had gotten married to a beautiful girl.The Son and the daughter-in-law considered Sudeha only as their mother, still Sudeha couldn’t accept their love.All she wanted to do was see her sister in pain.She pondered,the only way to do that was to kill Ghushma’s son. She got up in the middle of the night one day when everyone was sleeping.She entered the son’s room with a knife and cut off his limbs.Strong as she was, she then carried her son and hurled his body into the same lake where her sister Ghushma used to immerse the Shivalings. Thereafter, she returned home and slept. The next morning the daughter in law on waking up saw the bed immersed in blood and the body parts of her husband lying scattered in the room. She cried and wailed at the brutal murder of her husband . Listening to her Sudeha came out and started crying out loud feigning ignorance.
Sudharma and Ghushma were both conducting their morning rituals.They heard everything what had happened. But neither of them interrupted their worship.In the afternoon when the worship was completed Ghushma entered her son’s room.She did not cry neither was she distressed.She knew that if it had happened it was God’s will and she had complete faith in God. She went to the lake as was her custom to immerse the earthen Shivalings. There,she found her son standing by the lake, hail and hearty.Her son explained to her mother how after his death he was resuscitated back to life because of her good virtues. At that moment,Lord Shiva appeared from the lake in his entire glory and blessed Ghushma. He was delighted with her unwavering devotion, faith and resolve towards him.Lord Shiva seemed angry and expressed his wish to punish her evil sister Sudeha for her wicked deed.He asked Ghushma to seek a boon for herself.She asked Lord Shiva to protect her sister as her sin would be absolved the moment she would take one look at the mighty Mahadev.Pleased by this answer, Lord Shiva asked Ghushma to seek another boon. Ghushma asked Lord Shiva to stay back in her name for the protection of the world.
Lord Shiva stayed back in the form of an earthen Shivaling and acquired the name Ghushmesha. He also blessed Ghushma with brilliant intelligent sons that shall be born in her family for the next hundred and one generations.Hence,Lord Shiva became famous in the three worlds as Lord Ghushmesha who yields all desires of his devotees.
Hence,I have narrated the story behind the origin of all the twelve Jyotirlings by Lord Shiva’s grace.Kindly reap the benefit of all the Stories by reading it and surrender yourself to the ever merciful and loving Lord Shiva.
Har Har Mahadev🙏
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