Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga | Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga - the twelfth Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva

Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga

Shri Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga is the twelfth Jyotirlinga among the all Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Shri Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga is located at a distance of eleven kilometers from Daulatabad, Maharashtra and is also known as Ghrishneshwar. There are two opinions among scholars regarding the actual location of Shri Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga, according to another opinion, Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga is located in a village named Shiwarin Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan state. Shri Ghrishneshwar Mahadev is considered to be Shri Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga. By worshiping this Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva properly, one gets expansion of lineage and good sons. A grand event is organised on the occasion of Shivaratri, and devotees come from far and wide to have Darshana of Ghushmeshwar ji. Statues of many gods and goddesses have been installed on the Devagiri Mountain located here and it has been decorated very beautifully. This is a very beautiful and scenic place dedicated to Lord Shiva.

By worshiping this Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva properly, one gets expansion of lineage and good sons. A grand event is organised on Shivaratri and devotees come from far and wide to have sight of Ghushmeshwar ji. Statues of many gods and goddesses have been installed on the Devagiri Mountain located here and it has been decorated very beautifully. This is a very beautiful and scenic place dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Shri Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga Origin Story

Describing the glorification of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Suta ji says, Sages! Listen to the story of Shri Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga with devotion. There is a very beautiful mountain named Devagiri in the south direction. Devagiri Mountain, as per its name, was adorned with divine majesty and glory. Near Devagiri Mountain, there lived a very learned and Veda-loving Brahmin, whose name was Sudharma. Sudharma used to perform Trikala Sandhya every day and Agnihotra every day. Due to the influence of Trikala Sandhya, his aura had a unique radiance. He studied and meditated on the Vedas and always followed the rules described in the Vedas. He devotedly worshiped Lord Shiva and lovingly served Lord Shiva and his devotees. Therefore, he was very dear to Shiva devotees also. Although he was rich, he was also active in charity and religious activities. Sudharma's wife's name was Sudeha. Like her husband, Sudeha was also an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and used to worship Shiva daily. She was an efficient and devoted wife in housework and was always ready to serve her husband.

Sudharma Brahmin and his wife Sudeha both worshiped Lord Shiva devotedly, however, they had no son. Brahmin Dev was well versed in the Vedas; hence he did not let his mind get distracted. But his wife Sudeha was always immersed in an ocean of sorrow. Brahmin Sudharma used to counsel his wife from time to time, but after hearing the taunts of neighbours and other people, Sudeha became distraught and prayed to him for the birth of a son. Sudharma tried some measures on the repeated requests of his wife, but he also failed. Despite various measures, when she did not get a son, Sudeha remarried her husband Sudharma to her sister Ghushma. Before marriage, Sudharma explained to his wife that right now you have great affection towards your sister, but after having a son, hatred will arise between both of you. Hearing this, Sudeha promised that she will never hold grudge towards Ghushma.

After marriage, Ghushma started serving her elder sister faithfully in various ways. Sudeha was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, hence she advised her sister Ghushma also to worship the earthly Shivalinga. As per the orders of her sister, Ghushma used to make one hundred earthly Shivalingas every day and after performing the rituals, she would immerse those earthly Shivalingas in a nearby lake. By the grace of Lord Shiva, Ghushma gave birth to a very fortunate and handsome son full of virtues.

After the birth of a son, Ghushma started getting respect in the society and the good qualities of her son started being discussed everywhere, as a result of which frustration took place in Sudeha's heart. After time passed, the son got married and came home with his daughter-in-law. Due to this Sudeha started hating her sister even more. Sudeha, overcome by the anger of hatred, killed Ghushma's son with a dagger while he was sleeping at night and cut him into many pieces and threw them in the lake, this was the same lake in which Ghushma used to worship the Parthiva Shivalinga and immerse them.

After committing this misdeed, Sudeha easily came home and slept. Ghushma and Brahmin Sudharma woke up early in the morning and got busy in their respective worship and daily activities. After that Sudeha also started doing household chores, but today she was feeling happy in her heart, because the reason for her jealousy had ended. When Ghushma's daughter-in-law woke up from sleep, she was horrified to see her husband's bed stained with blood. In a frightened state she said to her mother-in-law Ghushma, "O mother! Where are my husband and your sons, there is blood and pieces of flesh on their beds, this scene is piercing my heart, O mother! Where is my dear husband, which sinner has committed this evil act? Who is the enemy of my happiness? My life became meaningless." Saying this, the daughter-in-law started mourning the death of her husband in various ways.

The daughter-in-law's eldest mother-in-law, Sudeha, was also there, she also started mourning along with her, but Sudeha was feeling happy in her heart. Both Ghushma and her husband Sudharma were adamant on their daily rule of worshiping the Parthiva Shivalinga and even after knowing about their son, they continued to worship and after completing the Parthiva Pujan, they went towards their son's bed. Even after seeing her son's bed drenched in blood, Ghushma did not get disturbed in the slightest and started thinking, "Lord Mahakal Shiva, who gave us a son, who himself creates and destroys the universe, who saves those who seek refuge in him. Mahadev Shambhu, who is the guardian of the devotees, will protect my son." In this way, with patience, she took all the Parthiva Shivlingas near the pond to immerse them like every day.

As soon as Ghushma looked up after immersing the Parthiva Shivalingas, her son was standing alive on the shore nearby. Just as there was no feeling of sadness in Ghushma's mind on hearing the news of her son's death, in the same way she did not feel any joy after finding her son alive again. Pleased with Ghushma's steadfast faith in his deity, Lord Shiva appeared at the same place and said, O Sulakshana! I am very pleased with your devotion, "Wish for the desired boon, but I will kill your sister and step-in-law Sudeha, because this Kulakshani has killed your son."

Seeing Lord Shiva gettin g angry, Ghushma expressed his wish to give life to Sudeha as a boon. Lord Shiva again spoke, "O Ghushma, this sinful soul, who has committed the gravest deed of killing your son, does not deserve favours and forgiveness but rather death punishment. Ghushma again and again bowed to Lord Shiva and requested, "Hey Mahadev! After seeing you, all sins are destroyed. Hey Chandramouli! Burn away the sins of Sudeha with your darshan. I have heard this word of God,

Means, by merely seeing the One who does good even to those who do evil, the sin is removed.

Therefore, O Supreme God! I too do not want to become a part of sin by doing similar deeds." Hearing this, Lord Shiva becomes very happy and says, "O Sumukhi! I am very happy with your conduct without any malice; therefore, you should ask me for other boons also." Seeing Lord Shiva happy, Ghushma said, "O Karunanidhi, please reside at this place for the protection of living beings and become famous in my name in the entire world. " Lord Shiva happily said, "I will always be worshiped at this place in the form of Ghushmeshwar along with your name and this auspicious Jyotirlinga of mine will be known in the world by the name of Ghushmesh. This lake situated here will become the shrine of this Jyotirlinga and will be popular in all the three worlds as a Shivalaya. By merely seeing this lake, your desired wishes will be fulfilled. O Goddess! Undoubtedly, such great and good sons will be born in your dynasty for the next one hundred and one generations and your one hundred and one sons full of virtues will increase the fame of your dynasty."

Saying this, Lord Shiva sat at the same place in the form of Shri Ghushmesha Jyotirlinga and that lake was established as a Shivalaya. Sudharma, Ghushma and Sudeha immediately did one hundred and one Dakshinavarti Parikrama of Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga and Sudeha started apologising to Sudharma and Ghushma to atone for her misdeed. That pious couple forgave Sudeha and all three of them started living happily.

Suta ji says, the story of the incarnation of Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva to the sages is completed in this way. Worship of this Jyotirlinga in the form of Shiva always increases happiness and joy. All these Swayambhu Lingas of Lord Shiva fulfill all the desires and those who read and listen to the stories of their glory attain Bhoga (worldly enjoyment) and Moksha (salvation).

Major temples near Shri Ghushmeshwar Tirtha Kshetra

1. Amreshwara Mahadeva Temple
2. Chautha Mata Temple
3. Trinetra Ganesha Temple
4. Kala-Gaura Bhairava Temple