Quest for Amarnath tirtha

 

The Amarnath tirtha is sacred. The place has a swayambhu linga, formed on its own at the cave temple in the upper Sind Valley of Kashmir, surrounded by a great Himalayan range of mountains. As per ancient literature the cave temple of Amamath was worshipped by devotees of Lord Shiva from time immemorial. The original name, as given in the ancient texts, is Amareshwara tirtha Amarnath, the Immortal Lord, was a name given later to the holy tirtha.

Amarnath is one of five Shiva Maha Tirthas In the Himalayas. The first one is Pashupatinath (Nepal), the second is Jageshwar (Kumaun), the third is Kedarnath (Garhwal), the fourth is Baijnath (Himachal) and the fifth is Amamath (Kashmir), besides many other tirthas.

Someone asked Swami Vivekananda "Why in the world" have we so many Gods and Goddesses?" He replied: "Because we have Himalaya" The music of the Himalayan streams brought divine feelings to the Seers The rushing streams fall like a thunder with the sound of Vyom, Vyom on the rocks and the flow out in frightening speed with the sound Hara, Hara As per ancient records, the Himalayan caves have been abode of celestial beings and great sages used to meditate for hundreds of years in these caves. It is also recorded that the Himalayan mountain range, especially the northern range, is indeed the first and the sublime symbol of divinity. Pilgrimages to the Himalayas, as a home to Gods, have been an ancient practice of the Hindus.

The earliest reference to Amarnath can be seen in the Nilamata Purana, a 6th century Sanskrit text, which depicts the religious and cultural life of early Kashmiris and gives Kashmir's own creation myth The pilgrimage to the holy cave has been described with full topographical details in the Bhringish Samhita and the Amamatha Mahatmya, both ancient texts said to have been composed even earlier.

Pandit Kalhan, the greatest and the earliest historian-poet, completed in 1150 AD his immortal work of 7,844 verses, Rajtarangini, "River of kings' ', a history of ancient Kashmir, in a detailed manner. According to Rajtarangini the most famous pilgrimage in Kashmir is the cave temple of Amarnath and mentions that King Ram Deva is stated to have. imprisoned the debauch King Sukh Deva and to have drowned him in the Lambodhara (Lidder) among the mountains of Amarnath -about 1000 BC It states in Tarang II, Samdimat (Arya Raja) 34 BC-17AD a great devotee of Shiva, who rose from the position of a minister to be the king of Kashmir, "used to worship a linga of snow above the forests, during the delightful summers of Kashmir, which is not to be found elsewhere in the world.

In another reference to Amamath, Pandit Kalhan in his Rajtarangini, Tarang VII, V183 conveys that Queen Suryamati, the spouse of king Ananta "submitted freshets, bana-lingas and other sacred emblems in the name of her husband at Amershwar" Kalhana further in Tarang I of Rajtarangni narrates the legend of Naga Suravas who bestowed his daughter Chandralekha upon a Brahmin youth who had helped the Naga in partaking the part of harvest from the fields King Nara, whose domain flourished around Shakardara (Tsakdar) near Vijeshwar (Vejibror), cast an evil eye on the young Brahmin's Naga wife, which aroused the wrath of Naga Suravas resulting in the death of Nara and destruction of later's kingdom After completing the frightful camage the Naga took his son-in-law (called zamtur in Kashmir) along and carved a place for him besides his own abode, Shushram Naga (Sheshnag) Kalhana says, "It is seen to this day (ie. 1148-49 AD) by pilgrims proceeding to Amareshwara" Upstream of Shushramnaga towards Koenjnar glacier is located a smaller lake cased Jamtarsaras (Zamtimag), the residence of this Brahmin son-in-law transformed into a Naga Kalhana describes inverse 267 of Rajtarangne The lake of dazzling witness (resembling) a sea of milk, which he created (for himself as residence) on a far-off mountain, is to present day seen by the people on the pilgrimage to Amreshvara Pandit Kalhan also makes a mention of Vateshwar, an ancient Shiva lingam worshipped even in his lifetime. A king of Kashmir, Ravana (1000 B.C) worshipped it as it was believed to predict future occurrences and events, through the light emanating from the Sri-Chakra engraved on it.

"Listen O Devi, I teil of the Maha Tirtha Amreshvara, by listening to which alone, One is freed of millions of grave sins" Amreshvara Mahatmaya.

The cave temple of Amarnath is located in South Kashmir (34 12 75 07) at an altitude 12,720ft, about 140 kms from Srinagar The huge natural cave is about 25 metres high and enough to hold hundreds of devotees where a self-forming ice lingam waxes and wanes with the moon. The holy cave is 50 long , 25' wide and 15' high approximately. The cave is nature's temple where the Ice Lingam is filling the right corner of the cave. The base of the cave is also covered with ice, like a carpet. Here Shiva is worshipped by nature in the purest way. Shiva is snow white and pure Lingam is formed by drops of water falling from the top of the cave and two other small Ice Lingams are also formed, believed to be the symbols of Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha The dripping, that follows from the feet of 'Ice Lingam or Shiva Lingam takes the form of a stream known as Amuravati, the stream of immortality.

As per the written records the icy-Lingam has different nomenclatures such as amresh amreshvar, 'swayambhu lingam, 'rasa- lingam siddhi-lingam "buddhi lingam, "shuddhi lingam, "puratan buddhi lingam and pumsavana lingam.

The worship of the Linga, according to Vivekananda, originated from the famous hymn in the Atharva Veda Samhita, sung in praise of the Yupa Stambha which represented the Eternal Brahman The fire, the smoke the ashes, flames the black wood and the ox, connected with the Vedic sacrifice, gave place to the conceptions of brightness of Shiva's body His tawny matted-hair His blue throat and the riding on the bull of Shiva and so on-just so. The Yupa Stambha gave place to the Shiva Linga and was deified as the high Devahood of Sri Shankara In the Linga-Purana the same hymn is expanded in the stories meant to establish the glory of the great Stambha and the superiority of Mahadeva."

Swami Rama Tirtha, on having a glimpse of the 'Amareshvara Linga, uttered in ecstasy an Urdu couplet, which means; "Where ice is bedecked in formless movement, There stands supreme- consciousness as Amar Linga.

In ancient scriptures, it is recorded that Maharishi Bhrigu was the first person to sight and identify the cave temple of Sri Amarnath where Lord Shiva had narrated the secret of Amartav to his consort Parvati and got himself transformed into ice Lingam on Sharavan Purnima Shi. This sacred day falls every year on the night of the full moon in the month of Sawan (July-August) on Shravan-Purnemashi, when Sun is in Leo, Simha Rashi and Chandrama, moon in Aquarius Kumbh Rashi, this yoga makes the Shiva Lingam Darshan very auspicious. A pair of snow pigeons overheard Shiva's discourse and became immortal Thus Amarnath, the Lord of Immortality and Deathlessness, became Amreshvara.

The Bringesh Samhita relates that Mahakala threatened the gods (devas) with death and destruction and they called on Lord Shiva and humbly entreated Him to protect them from Mahakala's menacing threat of decimation. In absolute distress the gods (devas) lifted their hands to supplicate Him to appear before them. Shiva, the merciful appeared and took the crescent from His head and squeezed it. The peerless current that flowed from the moon took the form of a stream, near the cave temple  Amarnath, known as Amuravati. The Rasa Bindu of the nectar drops falling on Shiva's body got dried, in the form of ash, known as Vibuth. Shiva's body also got liquefied in the formation of an icy-lingam, known as Rasa Lingam Shiva in all mercifulness freed Devas from Mahakala's threat by showering upon them the boon of immortality.

A dialogue between Bhairavas and Bhairava in the Amreshvara Mahatme further narrates, Addressing the gods, Lord Shiva said "Since you have had the exalting glimpse of my Rasa Linga, or loving emblem on the bank of this stream, death will no longer torment you He added: O gods! Be immortal and take my leave "Soon after paying obeisance to the Linga, the gods went to their respective abodes Having granted this boon to the gods, Amareshvara stationed himself in the mountain cave known as Amarnath Shiva is called Amareshvara because he gave the gods the means to conquer death It is believed that even his visual appearance takes away the worldly ailments of his devotees. This explains the lofty name Amaresha Immersing oneself in the nectar deaths This ambrosial linga has emerged out of immense love and devotion. It bestows samarasya or equipoise In search of this liberation, the Amamath pilgrim, on the last leg of his yatra, takes a dip in the waters of Amaravati and besmears his body with vibhuti or ash. Bhingish Samhita adds a person who bathes in the waters of Amuravati and rubs himself with Vibuthi, the ashes, gets Moksha. One who is thus overwhelmed with joy on catching a glimpse of the pigeons-the demigods attending on Shiva - becoming Rudra. repeatedly shouts Har Har Mahadev The attendants, who got transformed into pigeons due to a curse of Shiva, continue to live there, symbolising eradication of obstacles at this pious place. Also called Siddhi Linga, the sign of accomplishment, Buddhi Linga, the token of intelligence, Shuddhi Linga, the emblem of piety, Vrddhi Linga, the eternal symbol of prosperity and representing procreation, this linga boosts grand lustre, bestows happiness, sanctifies and grants acclaim in Kaliyuga. This is the genesis of the Holy Lingam and subsequent pilgrimage to the holy cave of 'amresh'or Amarnath.

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Courtesy:-  C.L. Gadoo  and Koshur Samachar 2018, August