Kedaresvara Jyotirlinga -source: DycDfw list, Datta Yoga Center Dallas Fortworth

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This sacred place is situated at an altitude of 11,000 feet in the

Himalayas. While the river Alakananda is on the eastern side, the river

Mandakini is on the western side of this place. After flowing for some

distance, both these rivers merge at Rudra Prayaga and later on at some more

distance, they confluence in the river Ganga known as 'Bhagirathi'. The

temple of Kedaranath is opened only for six months a year from the month of

May to October. During the other half of the year, the temple is completely

covered with snow. The miraculous aspect of the temple is that the lamp lit

in the shrine before closing the temple continues to burn even without

periodical replenishment of oil, until the temple is opened after six

months. Here, the Sivalinga is zigzag with so many curves. In popular vogue,

there is an anecdote about the strange shape of the Sivalinga here.

Thousands of years ago, Siva manifested in the disguise of a he-buffalo to

the Pandavas at this holy spot. However, the pious Pandavas recognized the

Lord and caught hold of the tail of the he-buffalo. The he-buffalo jumped

ahead the due to the force, the tail got dismembered from the body. Siva

manifested here as Kedaresvara in the strange shape of the tail of the

he-buffalo. Further, He manifested as 'Pasupatinatha' after casting off the

form of a buffalo in the famous temple of Nepal, the only Hindu Kingdom in

the world.

 

 

However, there is another anecdote regarding the genesis of Kedaresvara

or

Kedarnath. Much earlier to the above incident, two saints by name Nara and

Narayana arrived at this place from Badarika forest. They installed an

earthen Siva Linga and performed penance. Indra, the lord of the Heaven

wanted to distrub the penance and hence, tried to create infatuation in

them. Looking at them, the sage Narayana smiled softly and stroked his own

lap. At once, an exquisitely beautiful female form of a celestial youth

emerged out of the thigh of the sage. The celestial dancers bend down their

heads in shame looking at the excellent beauty of Uravasi. Uru is the thigh,

'asi' os one who born there from. Pleased by the conquest of lust and anger,

the the sage Narayana, Siva manifested in the form of a spiritual

brilliance, However, the sage didn't have any personal desires. He prayed to

Siva :Kindly stay here and bless Your devoteesâ€.

 

 

From then onwards, Kedaresvara has been blessing countless devotees. We

call solidified water as ice. Water, an element of nature is in the human

body has two aspects viz. The semen and the blood, If these two aspects of a

male and female join and form an embryo, another creature is born. However,

well before the creation, the five elements of nature were in a subtle form.

They didn't have the cognizability. They were imperceptible. Such an

absolute subtle state is nothing else than 'Akas Ganga' (Ganga which is

unseen). By the intention of Siva, from out of the Akasa Ganga, the gross

atoms of the five elemetns are created, which caused creation. The place of

such creation is called 'Kedara'.

 

In another sense, Kedata means a form of agriculture wherein the water is

 

retained and the land is tilled. The seed letter of water in spiritual

science is 'Kam' in sanskrit. From this origantes the 'Kedara'. In the realm

of agriculture the seeds sown in the fields are energized by water and a

plant sprouts up yielding good harvest,which in turn, gives life energy to

the creatures at large. So also, the element of life energy is gifted by

Siva through the rainwater by which the creatures are energized and

procreation flourishes. However, the individual soul must try to reach the

Supreme goal i.e., to merge in Divinity. To liquidate the evil effect of

one's past deeds so as to make him attain emancipation, the spiritual

brilliance is highly essential. This effulgence is none else than the great

Kedaresvara Jyotirlinga. With the grace of this brilliance the spiritual

seeker mush observe celibacy and control his base impulses and reach

divinity by transforming himself as the brilliance. In order to achieve

this, 'Nara' the man must conquer lust and anger in the divine presence of

Narayana (God). One who blesses the seeker with spiritual brilliance is

Kedaresvara Jyotirlinga.

 

 

By recollecting and studying this pious event and its analysis, one will

blessed with the control of one's senses and conquest of one's lust and

anger and, his dynasty flourishes. Such a blessed devotee will have

charismatic personality and inner beauty of the spirit.