Greatness of Vaidyanatheshvara Jyotirlingam

Suta said

Ravana, best of rakshasas and much respected, worshipped Hara on Kailasa, the best of mountains, with devotion. Though he worshipped for a long time Hara was not pleased, so he took up other austerities to please him. On the slope of the Himalaya there is a spot said to give siddhi, in a clump of trees toward the south. Poulastya Ravana dug a pit in the ground there and set up a sacrificial fire. He installed Shiva near it and offered oblations. In summer he stood in the midst of five fires, in the rains he slept on bare ground, and in winter he stayed in water. These were his three austerities. Despite all this Mahesha, the paramatman, was not pleased, for it is hard for evil-souled ones to worship him. Then Ravana, lord of the daityas, began to cut off his heads and used them to worship Shankara. As he severed each head he worshipped Shiva by the rules, and in this order he cut off nine. When only one head remained, Shankara was pleased. Kind to his devotees, he appeared. The lord restored the heads that had been cut and gave Ravana the wish of supreme, unmatched strength. Ravana bowed his shoulders, joined his hands and said to Shambhu: "Lord of the gods, if you are pleased with me, I will take you to Lanka. I have taken refuge with you. Make my wish come true."

Addressed so, Shambhu faced a dilemma, and with wavering mind said: "Best of rakshasas, listen to the substance of my words. Take my excellent lingam to your house with great devotion. But if you set the lingam down on the ground, it will stay fixed in that spot, without doubt. Do as you will." Ravana agreed and set off for his home carrying the lingam. By Shiva's maya, he felt the need to pass urine on the way and could not hold it back. He saw a cowherd, asked him to hold the lingam, and went off. After a muhurta, the cowherd, oppressed by the weight, set it down on the ground. The lingam, made of the essence of the thunderbolt, stayed fixed there. It grants every wish, and seeing it destroys all sins. This lingam is named Vaidyanatheshvara, famous in the three worlds, giving the virtuous both pleasure and liberation. It is called the best of all jyotirlingas. Seeing or worshipping it destroys all sins. It is divine and excellent and increases enjoyment. For the welfare of all the worlds the lingam stayed fixed there. Having won a great boon, Ravana went home, and the great asura happily told his beloved all that had happened. Hearing of it, the gods, Shakra and the others, and the sages consulted together, their bright minds devoted to Shiva. Then Hari, Brahma and all the gods came, rejoiced and performed the worship. They saw that Shiva was directly established there, called him Vaidyanatha, bowed, and returned to heaven.

The rishis said

The lingam was set up there and Ravana went home. Father, what happened afterward? Tell us in detail.

Suta replied

With the boon won, Ravana went home and told his beloved, delighted. Lords among sages, hearing this, the gods, Shakra and the others, and the sages became anxious and said: "Evil-souled Ravana hates the gods, is crooked and wicked in mind. Now that he has a boon from Shiva he will make us suffer. What will we do? Where will we go? What next? If a wicked man gains power, what can he not do?" Miserable, they called Narada: "Supreme sage, you can accomplish any task. Find a way to free the gods from this misery. Ravana is extremely wicked and will stop at nothing. Where are we to go? A wicked person is making us suffer." Narada said, "Gods, put aside your sorrow. I will do what is needed. By Shankara's favour I will do the gods' work." And the divine sage went to Ravana's house.

He was received with every honour and spoke affectionately. "Best of rakshasas, you are blessed, a noble devotee of Shiva given to austerity. Seeing you, Ravana, my mind rejoices. Tell me all you did, and how you worshipped Shiva." Ravana answered: "Great sage, I went to Kailasa to practise austerity and tormented myself severely for a very long time. When Shankara was not pleased I returned to the clump of trees and did austerity again, in summer among five fires, in the rains on bare ground, in winter in water. Even so Shankara was not pleased. So, angry, I dug a pit, set up a fire and made an earthen lingam. I worshipped Shambhu by the rules with fragrance, sandalwood, incense and many food offerings. To please Shankara I bowed, used sacred hymns, singing, dancing, music, and offerings of my own mouth and fingers. These and many other means the texts allow I used to worship Hara, yet Hara was not satisfied and did not appear to me. Since my austerity failed I was dejected. 'Shame on my body and strength, shame on my austerity.' I made many offerings into the fire, then thought, 'I will offer my own body.' I cut off my heads one by one and offered them into the purifying blaze, nine in all. When I was about to cut the tenth, Hara appeared before me as a mass of radiance, kind to devotees and delighted. 'I am pleased,' he said. 'Tell me; I will give the boon your mind wishes.' I joined my hands, bowed and praised him in great devotion. I said, 'Lord of the gods, if you are pleased, what can I not do? Give me unmatched strength.' When Shiva is satisfied he is full of compassion and gives everything. He granted what I wished. His favourable glance is invincible, better than the best of physicians. When the paramatman looked at me my heads were joined on again, and my body was as before. All these fruits I gained by his favour. At my request Vrishadhvaja stayed there, named Vaidyanatheshvara, famous in the three worlds. Maheshvara in the form of a jyotirlinga gives pleasure and liberation to one who sees or worships him, and brings welfare to all worlds. I worshipped that jyotirlinga especially, bowed, and returned, to conquer the three worlds." The divine sage was alarmed on hearing this.

Yet laughing inwardly, Narada said: "Best of rakshasas, listen to what is good for you, and act on my words only. You say Shiva gave you all this for your welfare, but you should never take what he says to be true. When he is in one of his moods there is nothing he will not say, and it may not be true. You are dear to me, and how will one know it is true? For your own good go there again and try to lift Kailasa. If you can lift it, then you have succeeded in every way. Set it back where it was and return happily. When this is determined, do as you please." Ravana, deluded by fate, took this to be good advice, believed the sage and went to Kailasa and lifted the mountain. Everyone on it was thrown into catastrophe and fell over each other. Girisha asked, "What is this?" Girija laughed and said to Shambhu: "These are the fruits of having a good disciple. Truly a disciple indeed. Such unmatched strength given to an excellent hero of serene soul." Maheshvara heard her sarcastic words and thought Ravana ungrateful and insolent with strength. He cursed him: "Ravana, you are an evil devotee and evil-minded. Give up the arrogance you have. Soon there will be someone who will strip your arms of their arrogance." Narada heard everything that happened. Ravana was pleased and returned to his house, deluded by his strength and now supremely sure of it. By Shiva's command he gained great energy and divine weapons, and, breaker of others' pride, brought the universe under his rule. No warrior could face Ravana in battle. So I have told you the greatness of Vaidyanatheshvara. Hearing it burns up men's sins.