Vaidyanātha: The Physician of Rāvaṇa

Tapas that went unanswered

Sūta told the sages of another Jyotirliṅga. Once, he said, Rāvaṇa, the proud lord of the rākṣasas, set out to win Śiva's favour. First he worshipped Śiva with devotion on Kailāsa, the best of mountains. But time passed and Śiva was not pleased, so Rāvaṇa decided to try another kind of tapas.

This mighty descendant of Pulastya went to a wooded land south of the Himālaya, a place known for bringing spiritual success. There he dug a fine pit, kindled a fire in it, set up Śiva close by, and began offering oblations into the flames.

His austerities changed with the seasons. In the hot months he sat in the middle of five fires. In the rains he sat on a bare open platform. In the cold he stayed inside the water. Even so, the Purāṇa says, Sadāśiva — who is hard for the wicked-hearted to win — was not pleased.

Nine heads

Then Rāvaṇa began to worship Śiva by cutting off his own heads. One by one, with due rite, he severed them and offered them. Nine heads he cut off in this way. When only one was left, Śaṅkara was satisfied. The Lord who loves his devotees appeared right there before him.

Śiva made Rāvaṇa's heads whole again, just as they had been before. He granted him what his heart desired, and gave him strength beyond measure.

“Come with me to Laṅkā”

Having won Śiva's favour, Rāvaṇa folded his hands, bowed his head and spoke. Lord of the gods, be gracious to me. I want to take you to my city of Laṅkā. Fulfil this wish of mine — I have come to you for refuge.

The Purāṇa says that at these words Śiva was put in a real dilemma, and spoke with a troubled heart. Listen to what I tell you, best of rākṣasas, he said. Take this excellent liṅga of mine home with you, with true devotion. But wherever you set it down on the ground, there it will stay — of that there is no doubt. Now do as you think best.

Rāvaṇa agreed, took the liṅga, and set off for home.

The cowherd

On the way, through Śiva's māyā, Rāvaṇa was seized by an urgent need to pass water. Mighty as he was, he could not hold it back. He saw a cowherd nearby, asked him to help, and handed him the liṅga to hold.

About a muhūrta passed. The liṅga was so heavy that the cowherd grew distressed under its weight, and he set it down on the ground. And so the liṅga, which was made of vajrasāra — an essence as hard as diamond — became fixed in that very spot.

That liṅga, the Purāṇa says, removes sins by its mere sight and fulfils every wish. It became famous in the three worlds as Vaidyanātheśvara, giving good people both enjoyment in this world and liberation. This divine Jyotirliṅga, seen and worshipped, takes away all sins and grants mukti.

The gods come to worship

With the liṅga fixed there for the good of all the worlds, Rāvaṇa, having received his great boon, went home and joyfully told his wife everything that had happened.

When Indra and the other gods and the sinless sages heard of it, they talked it over among themselves and their minds turned to Vaidyanātheśvara. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and all the gods came there and worshipped Śiva with great love and special rites. They saw Śaṅkara there face to face. They formally established the liṅga, gave it the name Vaidyanātha, bowed to it, praised it, and returned to heaven.

The gods' fear

The sages then asked Sūta: once the liṅga was fixed there and Rāvaṇa had gone home, what happened next? Tell us in full.

Sūta answered. When Rāvaṇa, back home with his boon, told his wife the whole story and rejoiced, the news reached Indra and the other gods and the sages, and they grew very anxious. This wicked Rāvaṇa is an enemy of the gods, they said to one another — spiteful and foolish. Now that he has a boon from Śiva he will make us suffer terribly. What shall we do? Where shall we go? He was wicked to begin with, and now the boon has made him even more arrogant. What harm will he not do us?

In their distress they called for Nārada. Best of sages, they said, you are able to do anything. Divine sage, find some way to end the gods' sorrow. There is nothing this great villain will not do. We are utterly oppressed by him — where can we go?

Do not grieve, said Nārada. I am going now. I will find a way, and by Śaṅkara's grace I will surely get the gods' work done.

Rāvaṇa tells his story

With these words Nārada went to Rāvaṇa's house. Rāvaṇa received him with honour, and Nārada spoke warmly. Best of rākṣasas, you are blessed, and a great devotee of Śiva. Seeing you has made my heart very glad today. Now tell me everything about how you worshipped Śiva.

Rāvaṇa told him. I went to Kailāsa to do tapas, he said, and for a long time I did very hard tapas there. When Śiva was not pleased, I came away and began another kind of tapas near a grove of trees: in summer amid five fires, in the rains lying on bare ground, in winter standing in water.

Still Śiva was not the least bit pleased, and I grew very angry. I dug a pit in the ground and set a fire in it. I made a pārthiva liṅga, a liṅga of earth, and worshipped Śiva by the proper rite — with fragrance, sandal, incense, many food offerings and the waving of lamps; with prostrations and holy hymns, with song, dance and music. In these ways and many others, following the scriptures, I worshipped him.

When even then Śiva did not appear, I was miserable at getting no fruit for my tapas. Shame on my body and my strength, I said, and shame on my tapas — and I poured many oblations into the fire.

Then I resolved to offer my very body into that fire. Beside the blazing flames I began cutting off my heads. One by one I cut off nine, purified them properly and offered them to Śiva. As I began to cut the tenth, Śiva himself, whose form is light, appeared.

Loving his devotee, he spoke at once and tenderly: Don't do this, don't do this! I am pleased — ask for a boon, and I will give you whatever you desire. I looked upon Maheśvara, bowed to him with folded hands, and praised him.

Then I asked: give me strength beyond measure. Lord of the gods, if you are pleased, what could be out of my reach? The kind Lord, satisfied, said “So be it,” and gave me all I wished.

Then, the Purāṇa has Rāvaṇa say, Śiva looked at him with his unfailing gaze and, like a physician — a vaidya — joined his heads back in their places. His body became as it had been before, and by Śiva's grace he received every fruit he had hoped for. At Rāvaṇa's request the bull-bannered Lord stayed in that place, and he became famous in the three worlds as Vaidyanātheśvara — the Jyotirliṅga that, seen and worshipped, gives both enjoyment and liberation and does good to all.

I worshipped that Jyotirliṅga with special care, Rāvaṇa ended, bowed to it, and came here to conquer the three worlds.

Nārada's advice

Hearing this, Nārada was amazed — and laughed to himself. Then he said: Listen, best of rākṣasas. I will tell you what is good for you, and you should do exactly as I say; my words are never false. You say Śiva has done everything for your good. Do not believe it for a moment.

This Śiva is unsettled in his mind, Nārada went on — what will he not say? How can you trust his word until it actually comes true? You are dear to me, so here is my advice. Go back and do something against him: try to uproot Kailāsa. If you can pull up Kailāsa, everything will be achieved — no doubt about it. Then set it back in its place as before and come home happily. Think it over carefully, and do as you like.

Kailāsa shakes

The Purāṇa says Rāvaṇa, deluded by what fate had in store, took this to be for his own good. Believing the sage, he set off for Kailāsa. There he began to tear the mountain up from its roots, and everything on it began to crash together and fall.

Seeing this, Śiva asked: What is happening? And Pārvatī laughed and said to him: That boundless strength you gave your fine, peaceful hero — this is the fruit of making him your excellent disciple! All this is your disciple's doing.

Stung by Pārvatī's teasing words, Maheśvara saw that Rāvaṇa was ungrateful and drunk on his own strength, and he cursed him. False devotee, wicked-minded Rāvaṇa, he said, do not be so proud. Soon someone will be born who will crush the pride of your arms.

Nārada heard what had happened there. And Rāvaṇa, quite content, went back home the same way he had come.

The conqueror

After that Rāvaṇa — mighty, a breaker of his enemies' pride — took Śiva's boon to be true. Bewitched by his own strength, he brought the whole world under his power. He carried a divine weapon of great splendour, received by Śiva's command, and at that time no enemy was his equal.

So, said Sūta, I have told you the greatness of Vaidyanātheśvara. Those who hear it have their sins destroyed.