Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga - eighth of the twelve Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is the eighth Jyotirlinga among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. This divine Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is situated on the banks of the Godavari River in the foothills of Brahmagiri in Nashik district of Maharashtra. This is a very picturesque and scenic place where a large number of devotees from India and abroad come to worship Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga and enjoy the natural beauty of the place along with the darshan of Lord Shiva. Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is situated in the middle of three mountains named Brahmagiri, Nilgiri and Kalagiri. Here three Lingas are situated in the form of a Jyotirlinga which represent Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The tombs of many saints and sages are also present in the temple premises.

There is a pond located in the courtyard of Trimbakeshwar temple, which is known as Kushavart Kunda. Apart from this, there are three water bodies here, which are known as Bilvatirtha, Vishwanathtirtha and Mukundatirtha and at this place there are prestigious idols of various deities including Ganga, Jaleshwar, Rameshwar, Gautameshwar, Kedarnath, Ram, Krishna, Parashuram and Shri Lakshmi Narayan are adorned.

Like various other Hindu places of worship, this temple was also destroyed by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, after which the present temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Bajirao. The origin of Godavari, India's second longest river, is also near Trimbak. Another specialty of this temple is that the Vanshavali of the devotees coming here has been recorded. According to Shiv Purana, by visiting and worshiping Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, one can fulfil all the wishes and attain salvation.

Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Origin Story

After describing the greatness of Vishveshwar Shivalinga of Kashi, Suta ji says, Rishis! The story of Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga narrated from the mouth of Sadguru Vyas ji is described as follows, "In ancient times, a sage named Gautam with excellent qualities lived with his wife Ahalya. Gautam Rishi had done rigorous penance for ten thousand years on Brahma Giri Mountain. Once upon a time, there was no rain at that place for a hundred years, due to which a severe famine situation arose. Leave aside food, there was not even a drop of water present on the entire land, due to which all the birds and animals, sages, humans etc. were expelled from that place.

Seeing such plight of all living beings, Gautam Rishi did penance for six months to Varun Deva, as a result of which Varun Dev appeared and asked Gautam Rishi to seek a boon. Gautam Rishi requested Varun Dev for rain. Varun said, it is not possible to cause rain against the divine law, hence I provide you with an inexhaustible water which will always exist, hence you create a pit. Sage Gautam created a pit one cubit deep in which Varuna provided his divine inexhaustible water and said, O best of sages! This water will be established as a sacred place of pilgrimage for living beings and it will be world famous by your name (as Gautami River). The auspicious deeds like Havan-Yagya, chanting-penance, worship and Shraddha-tarpan etc. performed on the banks of this sacred water will yield eternal fruits.

After receiving the inexhaustible water provided by Varun Dev, the sage resided there and got engaged in daily routine activities like home etc. and planted barley, paddy and various types of grains in the land to supply the necessary materials for the Puja and Havana. That place was being decorated with different types of grains, fruits, flowers, trees and creepers. As soon as this news was spread, many types of animals, birds, creatures and sages etc. along with their families and disciples started living in that forest.

Due to the spiritual power of Maharishi Gautam, there was a joyful atmosphere in the entire forest. After some time, a dispute was created regarding the issue of water between Ahalya and the wives of the Brahmins and living in the ashram of Gautam Rishi. Those Brahmin wives created a feeling of hatred and jealousy towards Gautam Rishi in the minds of their respective husbands, due to which they got misguided and started doing penance to Lord Ganesha with the aim of harming Rishi Gautam. Pleased with the penance of those Brahmins, Lord Shri Ganesha appeared and asked them to seek a boon. While paying obeisance to Gajanana Ganapati, he said, O Lord! If you are happy then give such a boon that all the sages expel Gautam Rishi from the Ashram.

Hearing such malicious words from the mouth of the sages, Lord Ganesha said, Sages, this is a very inappropriate act, by doing penance in this way, great auspicious blessings are obtained, and no one is harmed in this way. According to the scriptures, Inflicting harm to someone who does you a favour always proves fatal for yourself. Giving pain to a philanthropist leads to self-destruction." Brahma ji rightly said that a saint can never attain evilness and a evil can never attain saintliness. In the past, when all of you were distressed due to rainfall and famine, then Maharishi Gautam It was he who pleased Varun Dev with the desire of public welfare and obtained inexhaustible water and saved the lives of everyone, but you all are harming them with your penance, you all are committing unforgivable crimes in the infatuation of women. Even the great sage Gautam will wish only for your happiness, so do not commit this grave sin and ask for some other boon.

Suta ji said, "Brahmins! Those sages did not like the religious words spoken by Chaturanan Ganesh ji and they remained adamant on expelling Gautam Rishi as a boon." God is under the influence of devotion, hence he said, "I am here to give you the fruits of your penance, I will definitely complete the work you are wishing for, after that, whatever is written in the destiny will definitely happen." After giving this boon, Parvati Nandan Ganesh disappeared from there.

Suta ji says, listen carefully to the description of whatever happened because of those sages filled with hatred. After some time, Lord Ganesha came in the form of a very weak cow in the barley and paddy fields of sage Gautam and started grazing on the grains. At the same time, by chance, Gautam Rishi arrived there. Gautam Rishi was very kind, so he took some barley straws and went towards the cow to drive her away. The wise sage was slowly driving that cow, when suddenly as soon as his straws came in contact with that cow, the cow collapsed, and died on the spot.

Those Brahmins who hated sage Gautam were hiding there and as soon as the cow died, they all started saying that Gautam had killed the cow. Gautam Rishi also became very distressed and started saying to Ahalya, "Devi! Perhaps God is angry with me, how did I commit the sin of cow slaughter (Gau Hatya)? What should I do? Seeing this scene, the people present there started cursing Gautam Rishi again and again and said There is a rule to take bath along with the clothes, even if you see the person who slaughters the cow, hence you have no right to live in this ashram, you along with your family should be expelled from here. Your living in this ashram will harm Agnidev and the ancestors will not accept the Havya-Kavya etc. offered by us.

Hurt by such harsh words of all of them, Gautam Rishi built a new ashram at a distance of one mile and started living there. But the Brahmins went there and told Rishi Gautam that due to the sin of cow slaughter, they no longer have the right to perform any kind of Vedic Havan-Yagya etc. Hearing this, sage Gautam became distressed and started repeatedly praying to the sages for his purification. Accepting his painful prayer, the Brahmin said, "Gautama, to get rid of the grave sin of cow slaughter, first of all, revealing your sin, circumambulate the entire earth three times, then return and fast at this place for a month. After that, your sin will be destroyed only by taking a hundred and one circumambulation of this Brahma Giri Mountain. Otherwise, you bring Ganga ji here and take a bath and by building one crore earthly Shivlingas, worship Lord Shiva sincerely. After that, after taking a bath in Ganga, take eleven circumambulations of this Brahma Giri Mountain. After that, do Abhisheka of Parthiva Shivalinga with water from a hundred pitchers will destroy your heinous sin.

Hearing this, sage Gautam said, sages! As per your orders, I will worship the Parthiva Shivalinga and circumambulate the Brahmagiri mountain." Saying this, Rishi Gautam completed the circumambulation of Brahmagiri and started worshiping the Parthiva Shivalinga along with Ahalya.

Pleased with the devotional worship of Rishi Gautam and Ahalya, Lord Shiva appeared before them along with Goddess Parvati and all the devotees and said to them, "O great sage! I am delighted with your worship, ask for boons dear. Holy place of Lord Shiva. After seeing the holy form, Rishi Gautam became emotional and after paying obeisance to Mahadev, he started praising him in various ways. After praising Shiva and Shambhu for a very long time, Maharishi Gautam joined both hand and said to them, "O Sadashiv! Destroy my sins and make me sinless, I have committed a very serious crime, Lord! I am guilty of cow slaughter. Free me from my sin, O Bholenath!"

Hearing the heartache of Rishi Gautam, Lord Shiva said, "O Mune! You have always been sinless; a conspiracy was hatched against you. Some of the sages of your own ashram had deceived you through the malicious words of their wives. By just seeing you, living beings become sinless, so how can you be a sinner? The sinners are the evil ones who caused you pain. They are certainly unrighteous and murderers, whose sight also makes others sinful. They will never get any benefit. On coming to know about the conspiracy by Lord Shiva, Gautam Rishi was extremely surprised and said to Umapati in astonishment, O Bholenath! Whatever happened, it happened for the good. If those sages had not done so, then how would I have got the privilege of seeing you. Therefore, this is their gratitude towards me, blessed are those sages, Lord!

Lord Shiva said happily, "O Vipravara, you are the best among all the sages, I am very pleased with you, hence ask for a boon, O sage!"

Gautam Rishi said, "O Lord Shiva, your words are the ultimate truth, but I have been accused of cow slaughter, that is, you cannot falsify what five men have said. Therefore, O Lord Ganges! grant me the holy, pure, sin-destroying Ganga." Do the welfare of this world. O Gopeshwara, you are the one who brings good and auspiciousness for now. I salute you again and again, O Lord! While praying this, Gautam Rishi held the lotus feet of Lord Shiva and started saluting him. Mahadev fulfilled the wish of his devotee. To fulfil his wish, he was given Ganga water, that water transformed into a very beautiful woman. After seeing Lord Ganga, Rishi Gautam started praising him while doing Namaskar. The sage said, "O Ganga, you are the most pure, auspicious and destroyer of sins, you has purified all the worlds and planets, hence O Goddess! Please purify me, Gautam, who is going to hell.

Thereafter Lord Shiva said to Ganga ji, "O Goddess! You purify sage Gautam and stay here till the twenty-eighth Kaliyuga of Vaivasta Manu."

Goddess Ganga said, "O Gangadhara! If you also reside here along with Goddess Uma and all the Ganas and give the highest place and greatness among all the rivers, then only I will reside on this earth

Hearing the words of Goddess Ganga, Lord Shiva said, "You are great, I am no different from you, however, I will reside at this place as per your promise." Hearing this, Goddess Ganga became extremely happy and started praising Lord Shiva from her heart. At that time, various deities, sages and all the Teertha Kshetra were present there and started praying with devotion to Rishi Gautam, Goddess Ganga and Lord Shiva. Pleased with their devotion, Lord Shiva and Goddess Ganga went to seek boons from the gods and sages. The Gods said, "O Gangadhar Shiva! O most holy Goddess Ganga! If you wish to happily grant a boon, then please reside here for the welfare of us and all living beings.

The Deities said, "O Gangadhar Shiva! O most holy Goddess Ganga! If you wish to happily grant a boon, then please reside here for the welfare of us and all living beings.

Mother Ganga said, "O deities! You yourself should reside here for the welfare of the people. I had come to wash away the sins of Gautam Rishi, so I will return after completing my work. How should I know that, what is my importance in the society? If you prove my importance and specialty, then I will undoubtedly reside at this place."

Hearing the words of Goddess Ganga, all the gods said, "Ganga is the best of all rivers." All the gods will come here when Devguru Jupiter is situated in Leo. After becoming dirty due to the sins committed by living beings for eleven years, we will definitely come here to destroy those sins. Therefore, to shower blessings on the entire creation, you and Lord Shiva should reside here continuously. For the period for which the planet Jupiter will be situated in Leo, for the same period all of us gods will be present here and will be purified by taking a Trikaal bath and having darshan of Lord Shiva. After that, only after taking your permission, we all will depart for our respective worlds.

According to Suta Ji, on the loving request of all the gods and sages, Lord Shiva got established at the same place in the form of Trimbak Jyotirlinga and Goddess Ganga as Goddess Gautami. Gautami is known as Godavari. According to the words of the Gods, from that time onwards, whenever Devguru Jupiter is situated in Leo, then all the Gods, pilgrimage areas, lakes, rivers like Ganga and Lord Shri Vishnu himself are present on the banks of Gautami and reside there and during the interval During that period, all those gods reside on the banks of Gautami; during that period, no virtuous result is achieved by worshiping those gods in their respective worlds and places. The results of worshiping those deities are achieved only when they return from the banks of Gaumati.

The Trimbak Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is worshiped by Rishi Gautam himself and the one who Darshans, praises and worships it with full devotion, fulfills all the desired desires in this world and attains salvation in the next world. Therefore, darshan and worship of Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga must be done.

॥Iti Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Utapatti Katha Sampurna॥

Major temples near Shri Trimbakeshwar Teertha Kshetra

1. Shri Nilambika/Dattatreya/Matamba Temple
2. Kushavarta
3. Gorakhnath Cave
4. Vaitarana Lake
5. Anjaneri Fort