Vaidyanath

Suta says Ravana, best among rakshasas, worshipped Hara on Kailasa with respect and devotion. The worship went on a long time and Hara was not pleased. Ravana then took up other austerities on the Himalayan slope, in a clump of trees to the south, at a spot known to give siddhi. He dug a pit, set up a sacrificial fire, installed Shiva near it and made offerings. In summer he sat among five fires, in the rains he slept on bare ground, and in winter he stayed in water. Even so, the Purana says, Mahesha was not pleased: evil-souled ones find it hard to worship him.

Ravana then began cutting off his heads and using them to worship Shankara, following the norms with each. In due order he cut off nine. When only one was left, Shankara, affectionate to devotees, was pleased and appeared. He healed the heads that had been cut off earlier and gave Ravana the supreme and unmatched strength he wanted.

Ravana bowed and said that if Shiva was pleased he would take him to Lanka. Shiva was put in a difficulty and answered with hesitation. He said: take my excellent lingam to your house with great devotion, but if you set the lingam on the ground, it will remain fixed there. Do as you will. Ravana agreed and set off with the lingam.

On the way, through Shiva's maya, Ravana felt the need to pass urine. He could not resist it. He saw a gopa and asked him to hold the lingam. After a muhurta the gopa was suffering from the weight and set it down on the ground. The lingam, made out of the essence of the vajra, stayed there. The Purana names it Vaidyanatheshvara and says it is famous in the three worlds and bestows pleasure and emancipation on the virtuous.

One correction to a popular version: in this chapter it is Shiva's maya that causes Ravana to need to stop, and the Purana does not say that Narada tricked him into putting the lingam down.

Ravana went home happy and told his beloved. The devas under Indra, and the sages, heard of it and became anxious: a wicked person with such a boon would torment them. They sent for Narada, who said he would handle it with Shankara's favour and went to Ravana's house.

Narada praised Ravana as a great devotee and asked him how he had worshipped Shiva. Ravana told him in full: his long austerities on Kailasa, the five fires, the pit and fire, the parthiva lingam, the offering of his heads, the boon of strength, and Shiva remaining there at his request.

Narada, laughing inwardly, advised him not to trust Shiva's words, since in one of his moods he will say anything and it may not be true. Test it, he said: try to lift Kailasa, and if you can, you have succeeded in every way. Deluded by destiny, Ravana took this as good advice, went to Kailasa and lifted the mountain. Everyone on it fell over one another in distress.

Girisha asked what was happening. Girija laughed and answered with sarcasm: this is the fruit of having a good disciple. Maheshvara heard her words and saw that Ravana was ungrateful and insolent because of his strength. He cursed him: soon there would be someone who would rob his arms of their insolence. Ravana, delighted with his strength, went home and conquered the universe. By Shiva's command he obtained great energy and divine weapons, and no warrior could stand against him in battle. Suta says that hearing about Vaidyanatheshvara burns away the sins of men.