Lord Siva -- Legends

February 24, 2004

Lord Shiva and the Hunter:

It is said that once a hunter was roaming in the jungle on the bank

of the Kolidum River. He was chasing a deer when he heard the growl

of a tiger. He ran as fast as he could and climbed up a tree nearby.

The tiger stood at the foot of the tree and did not leave. All

through the night, the hunter had to stay up in the tree. Afraid

that he would fall if he fell asleep, he gently plucked one leaf

after another from the tree and threw it down.

At the foot of the tree was a Shiva Linga. Without realizing it, the

hunter, who was sitting on a vilva tree, threw the leaves down at

the Linga. The tiger left by sunrise. The hunter looked down, and

found that the tiger was gone, and in its place stood Lord Shiva.

The hunter prostrated in front of Shiva and received mukti.

Mahakaleshwar Shiv's Lingum:

In Ujjain in the famous temple of Mahakaleshwar Shiv's Lingum is

worshipped with the performance of all the religious rites and

rituals. The story goes that a powerful demon who lived on Ratnamal

mountain attacked Avanti - the name of the present-day Ujjain in

those days - and killed a Brahmin sage by putting him in fire. The

angry Lord Shiv opened his third eye and burnt the demon to ashes.

On that very spot of land where Lord Shiv opened his third eye and

killed the demon appeared the Shiv-Lingum. A majestic temple was

built on that ground. The mention of this temple is found in `Adi-

Brahma Puran' and its detailed description in the `Gyan-Samhita'.

The illustrious king Vikramaditya during the time he was the ruler

of Ujjaini, visited the MahaKaleshwar temple every morning, after

his bath. He bowed before the Shiv-Lingum in all humility and prayed

to Lord Shiv to mercifully grant prosperity and happiness to his

subjects and peace to the land over which he ruled. He placed one

hundred and eleven Bel leaves one by one on the Shiv lingum and

while placing each leaf he praised Lord Shanker by reciting the

shlokas.

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