Origin and Greatness of Bhimeshvara Jyotirlingam

Suta said

To protect his devotee and secure his welfare, Shiva went near him with his ganas, but stayed hidden. Meanwhile the king of Kamarupa had settled into deep meditation before the earthen lingam. Someone went to Bhima and said, "The king is working some abhichara against you." The rakshasa grew angry. He seized a sword and ran to kill the king. Seeing the earthen lingam, he thought, "He must be doing something with this. I will kill him by force and wreck all his apparatus." Furious, he demanded: "Evil king, what are you doing? Tell me the truth, or I will certainly kill you."

The king, full of faith in Shiva, quickly thought: "What must happen will happen, and no one can stop it. Everyone is subject to prarabdha, and Shiva is said to be the one who ordains it. Compassionate Shankara is surely present in this earthen lingam, and he will act for me. Who is this rakshasa, and where has he come from? He always keeps his word, as does Shiva. The shrutis say: 'Whoever brings terrible hardship on my devotee, I will certainly kill that wicked one to protect him.'" Holding to patience, he kept meditating on Shankara. With devotion the king prayed: "I am your great king. Do as you will; I will speak the truth. Please secure my welfare." Bound by truth, he told the rakshasa, with a touch of scorn: "I worship the god Shankara, who guards his devotees, who is without flaw and lord of everything moving and unmoving."

Bhima shook with rage. "I know your Shankara. What can he do to me? My father's brother kept him as a servant. Do you hope to win through his strength? Then you will conquer everything, no doubt. Until I have seen your protector, think of him as your lord and serve him. But once I have seen him, everything will be clear. So put this Shiva image far away, or you will have reason to fear. I am terrible in valour, and I will lay my fierce hands on your lord." The king, firm in his faith in Shankara, answered: "Vile wretch, I will never let go of Shankara. My lord is the best of all, and he will not leave me." Bhima laughed. "He is mad. He begs all the time. Does he know what he looks like? How can yogis protect their devotees? Think it over, and keep your distance. Your lord and I will fight." The king, firm in devotion, replied without fear: "Evil rakshasa, listen. I cannot do what you say. You have crossed the line. How can you be strong?" Then Bhima gathered his soldiers and berated the king.

He hurled his terrible sword at the earthen lingam, laughing aloud. "Now see the strength of your lord, who brings happiness to devotees!" The moment the sword touched the lingam, Hara appeared from inside it. "Look. I am Bhimeshvara. I have appeared to protect. I took a pledge long ago that I would always protect my devotees. So watch my strength, which gives devotees joy." With the Pinaka bow he cut the sword in two. The rakshasa threw a trident, and Shambhu shattered it. He threw a spear, and Shambhu broke it with arrows into a hundred thousand bits. He threw a jagged javelin, and Shiva's trident reduced it to pieces as small as sesame seeds. Then a terrible battle raged between the rakshasas and Shiva's ganas, painful to watch. The whole earth was shaken, and the oceans and mountains trembled. The gods and sages were anxious and said to each other, "Our prayers to Shiva were in vain."

Narada came before Shankara, remover of misery, bowed with joined hands and prayed: "Pardon me, lord. You are causing confusion. Why use an axe where a blade of grass will do? Kill him quickly." Entreated so, Shambhu used the weapon of the humkara and burnt the whole host of rakshasas to ashes in an instant. While the gods looked on, Shiva's wrath burnt the rakshasa army as a forest fire burns a forest. No one could even find Bhima's ashes. He was burnt with his companions and nobody ever heard his name again. By Shiva's grace there was peace, and Shakra, the gods and the whole world returned to their natural state. The blaze of Mahesha's wrath spread from forest to forest, and the rakshasas' ashes were scattered in all the woods, from which many useful herbs grew. With those ashes people can change their appearance, and bhutas, pretas and pishachas keep away. The gods and sages begged Shambhu: "Lord, for the happiness of the worlds, stay in this place. This region was terrible and brought people unfightable miseries. If they see you, there will be welfare. Take the name Bhimashankara and give every success. This lingam must always be worshipped, and will counter every kind of sin." Asked so, Shambhu, giver of welfare, self-ruling and kind to devotees, gladly stayed there.