Description of Mallikarjuna Jyotirlingam

Suta said

Now I will tell how Mallikarjuna came to be. Hearing it makes a person devout and wise and frees him from sin. I have told you before of Kumara's divine deeds, but it bears repeating, since it destroys sin. After Shivaa's son Kumara, Taraka's powerful enemy, had gone round the earth, he came back to Kailasa. The divine sage Narada arrived and told him all about Ganesha's marriage, and Kumara's mind reeled. He bowed to his parents and, though they tried to stop him, set off for Mount Krouncha.

Parted from her son, Girija was heartbroken. Shambhu tried to console her: "Beloved Parvati, why this grief? Your son will come back. Put the sorrow aside." She did not listen. So Shankara sent the gods and sages to fetch Kumara. They went happily with their attendants, bowed to him, begged him and used every argument. But Kumara was swollen with pride and heeded neither their pleas nor Shiva's word, though Shiva was the head of his line. The gods went back to Shiva, took leave and returned home.

Girija grieved terribly that her son would not return, and Shambhu felt it too. Following worldly custom, both were low and miserable. Out of love they went to the place where their son was. But Kumara paid no attention to their affection. Knowing they had come and feeling nothing for them, he left that mountain and moved three yojanas away. Shiva and Shivaa, though, stayed on at Krouncha in luminous forms. Out of love for their son they go there on every parva day to see Kumara: Shiva goes on the new moon, and Parvati without fail on the full moon. On that day the lingam of Shiva called Mallikarjuna appeared, and it is famed in the three worlds. Whoever sees it has his sins wiped out and gains what he desires. His troubles recede and he finds great happiness. He is not born from a womb again. He gains wealth, grain, prosperity, fame and health, and succeeds in what he wants. So I have told you of the second jyotirlinga, Mallikarjuna. For the good of the worlds, it is said that seeing it brings every kind of happiness.