The Mahakal form of Lord Shiva is a symbol of his Rudra form. His form is beyond the boundaries of birth and death. He himself is the controller of time, so he is called ‘Mahakal’. It is believed that worshiping Mahakal removes the fear of premature death and stability in life. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain is dedicated to this form of Lord Shiva. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and is famous as Dakshinamukhi Shivling. Here in the Bhasma Aarti of Mahakal, the ashes of fresh pyre are offered. This form of Mahakal teaches us that everything is mortal in the cycle of time. This form of Lord Shiva is a symbol of his fierce, powerful and protective nature. The story of the origin of this form of Lord Shiva is also very interesting. Let’s know this story of his …
Mythology of Mahakal form
According to the legend, devotees Chandansen and other Brahmin families in Avanti Nagari (present Ujjain) were the ultimate worshipers of Shiva. He used to worship God, Jalabhishek and Bhajan every day. There was a terror of evil demons in this region, who had a boon from Brahma that no deity, human or demon could kill him. On the strength of the boon, he used to harass the sages and devotees, demolish the yagyas and impure temples. One day Dushan entered Ujjain and planned to kill Shiva devotees and destroy the temple. The frightened people started praying to Lord Shiva to save them from being corrupted.
Hearing the call of the devotees, Lord Shiva tore the earth and took the form of a Mahakal. His form was fast as fire. Wearing Trishul and Damru, flames were coming out of the eyes. He killed the corruption and his soldiers in a single war. After this, on the request of the devotees, Shiva sits in the linga form there. His Jyotirlinga became famous as Mahakaleshwar. This Jyotirlinga is one of the Dwadash Jyotirlingas and is considered a symbol of time. According to the legend, this Jyotirlinga of Mahakaleshwar is Dakshinamukhi, which distinguishes it from other Jyotirlingas. Since people used to call corruption as ‘Kaal’, after his slaughter, Shivaji started being called ‘Mahakal’, that is, the call of Kaal. By the way, the Mahakal form of Lord Shiva is not only fierce, but also a protector and kind. This form of his frees the devotees from the fear of time and death.
