Nageshwar

The rakshasi Darukaa was insolent because of a boon from Parvati. Her husband Daruka was supreme in strength, and with many rakshasas he killed the virtuous and destroyed sacrifices and dharma. On the western ocean's shore was a prosperous forest, sixteen yojanas across in every direction. When Darukaa went there for pleasure, the ground was covered with trees and everything else. Devi had given her that forest to look after, and she and her husband stayed there and terrified everyone.

The suffering people went to the sage Ourva for refuge. He said that rakshasas who harass other beings will lose their lives, and that when sacrifices are destroyed all the rakshasas will lose theirs. This was the sage's curse. Ourva performed austerities for the welfare of the worlds, and the devas, learning the reason behind the curse, came to fight the rakshasas with many weapons.

The rakshasas held a council in alarm: they were being killed and the devas were not. Darukaa then reminded them of the boon from Bhavani's wife. "Let the rakshasas be taken to the forest that is in the water." The rakshasas rejoiced and she flew them in the sky, "like mountains with wings," to a city in the middle of the ocean. They felt no fear of the sage's curse there. From the water they seized people travelling in boats, took them to the city, and imprisoned or killed them.

Among the prisoners was a vaishya named Supriya, auspicious in conduct, always devoted to Shiva, wearing bhasma and rudraksha. He did not eat if he could not worship. In that prison he taught others how to worship Shiva with a parthiva lingam. Each worshipped according to what he had seen and heard. Some sat in asana and meditated, some worshipped in the mind, and those who knew no method remembered the mantra "Namo Shivaya." Supriya himself worshipped Shiva mentally. The text says that in whatever form he was addressed, Shambhu directly accepted it, though the worshipper himself did not know that. Six months passed this way without any obstacles.

One of the rakshasas' attendants saw Shankara's beautiful form in front of Supriya and told Daruka. Daruka came, agitated despite his strength, and demanded to know whom Supriya was meditating on, promising not to kill him if he told the truth. Supriya said, "I do not know." The angry rakshasa sent men to kill him with weapons.

Supriya showed fear in his eyes but kept his mind on Shankara, chanting his names: "You are everything I have now. You are my divinity. I belong to you. My life is always immersed in you." Then Shambhu emerged from a cavity, inside an excellent four-doored residence. In the middle, his form was a mass of radiance, with his attendants. Supriya worshipped him. Pleased, Shambhu gave him the weapon called Pashupata. Shiva himself killed the bulls among the rakshasas and their followers and destroyed their equipment.

Having protected his devotee and killed the wicked, Shambhu gave a boon to the forest: the dharma of the varnas, brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras, would always be observed there, and the best of sages would live there and teach Shiva's dharma, never ruled by tamas.

The rakshasi Darukaa, distressed, praised Devi Parvati. Pleased, Devi asked what she could do. Darukaa said, "Please save my lineage again," and Devi said she would. Then she quarrelled with Shiva. Shiva saw that Devi was angry, but he was bound by the boon he had given. He said cheerfully, "Do what you wish."

Parvati said Shiva's words would come true at the end of the yuga, and until then creation should have the qualities of tamas; otherwise dissolution would come right away. She said Darukaa was actually a devi and her own Shakti, the strongest of the rakshasis, and asked that she rule a kingdom of rakshasas and that the rakshasa wives bear sons who all live in this forest together. Shankara agreed and said he would remain in the forest to protect devotees. Whoever establishes the dharma of the varnas there would become emperor. Otherwise, after kali yuga ends and a new satya yuga begins, a lord of men named Virasena, son of Mahasena, would be born, a devotee of Shiva who would see him and become emperor.

Shiva remained in the form of a jyotirlinga called Nageshvara, and Devi Shivaa became Nageshvari. Both, the text says, are loved by virtuous people.

The rishis ask how Virasena will reach Darukavana and worship. Suta says Virasena will be born in the beautiful region of Nishadha, in a kshatriya line, loved by Shiva. He will worship Isha with a parthiva lingam and perform difficult austerities for twelve years. Shankara will appear and tell him: make a wooden boat in the shape of a fish and smear it with tin; I will create Yogamaya and give her to you; enter the boat with her and your men, go into the cavity I created, worship Nageshvara there, and obtain Pashupata. Use it to slay the rakshasi and the rest. When I have cast a favourable glance on you, nothing untoward will happen.

Suta ends this account by saying that Nageshvara is the lord of all the jyotirlingas in the sense that he satisfies all desires in the three worlds, and that one who hears of his origin with devotion obtains what he wishes and is freed from sin.