Is there any reference to Panch Kedar in Scripture?

Question

I know that Dwadash Jyotirlingas are mentioned in Shiv Puran. What about Panch Kedar? In which scripture importance of these tirthas are mentioned?

Answer 1

Yes

First, let's know which all tīrtha-sthala constitute pañca-kedāra (literally - the five kedaras).

1. Kedāranātha (केदारनाथ)
2. Madhyamaheśvara (मध्यमहेश्वर) or Madamaheśvara (मदमहेश्वर)
3. Tunganātha (तुङ्गनाथ)
4. Rudranāth (रुद्रनाथ) or Mahālaya (महालय)
5. Kalpeśvara (कल्पेश्वर)

The popular local/folkloric legend¹ associated with these pañca-kedāras is as follows:-

The legend goes that Lord Shiva was hiding from the Pandavas by taking the form of a buffalo but was identified by Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers. On being recognised, the deity disappeared and manifested himself in five different locations in the Himalayas. It is said the each of these sites is dedicated to a part of the Lord - Kedarnath (the hump of Lord Shiva), Madhmaheshwar (His belly button), Tungnath (His arms), Rudranath (His face), Kalpeshwar (His jata or hair).

Taken from Uttarakhand government e-tourism site.

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Now,

As far as I could research, the notion of collectively referring the above five shrines of Śiva as pañca-kedāra is not found in any currently published and/or extant canonical texts, which have pan-Hindu appeal.

However, since this is from Uttarakhand, there's a popular notion of this, and a local text named Kedār - kalpa, which claims to be a part of kedāra khaṇḍa of Skanda Purāṇa, mention this. Most probably it's a sthala-purāṇa recension of Skanda Purāṇa's kedāra khaṇḍa, but we cannot be sure, as I ask about same in this question.

In any case, here's the reference to pañca-kedāra found in Kedara kalpa:

पट्पञ्चाशोऽध्यायः ५६.

ईश्वर उवाच॥
पंच स्थानानि देवेशि कथितानि तवानघे॥केदार मध्यमं तुंगं कल्पेश्वरमहालयम् ॥ १॥
पंच तीर्थानि यो देवि गच्छति भक्तिसंयुतः ॥ प्रसंगाडा बलात्काराज्ज्ञानादज्ञानतोपि वा ॥२॥
न वै तत्सदृशो देवि पुण्यात्मा नात्र संशयः ॥ तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण पूताः स्युः पापयोनयः॥३॥
ब्रह्माद्या लोकपालाश्च ते नमंति महेश्वरि ॥ इह चापि वरान् भोगान् मृतो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात् ॥४॥
पंचकेदारमाहात्म्यं शृणुयायः समाहितः ॥
सर्वतीर्थेषु स स्नातः पूजिताः सकलाः सुराः ॥
यद्यदिच्छति तत्सर्व प्राप्नोति गिरिनंदिनि ॥५॥
प्रातः स्मरति यो नित्यं तीर्थानां पंचकं शुभम् ॥ सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः स गच्छति परां गतिम् ॥६॥
इति ते कथितं देवि किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥७॥
इति श्रीस्कांदे केदारखंडे कैलासमाहात्म्ये पंचकेदारमाहात्म्यं नाम पटपंचाशोऽध्यायः ॥५६॥

यद्यदि महादेवजी बोले-हे निष्पापदेवेश्वार ! पांच क्षेत्रोंका हमने तुम्हारे प्रति वर्णन कि केदार, मध्यम, तुङ्ग, कल्पेश्वर और महालय ॥ १॥ भक्तिपूर्वक जो पुरुष इन पांच क्षेत्र की यात्रा करताहै, अथवा किसी प्रसंगसे, वरजोरी, ज्ञान वा अज्ञानसेभी यात्रा करताहै ॥२ | निःसन्देह उसकी बरावर और कोई पुण्यात्मा नहींहै, उसके दर्शन करनेसे बडे २ पायी पवित्र होजातेहैं ॥ ३ ॥ हे महेश्वरि ! ब्रह्माआदि सब देवताभी वहां आय २ कर नमक | करतह, उस स्थानके दर्शन करनेवाला व्यक्ति इस संसारमें अनेक प्रकारके शुभ भोगोंको । गता आर मरकर मोक्षलाभ करताहै ॥ ४ ॥ चित्तको एकाग्र करके जो व्यक्ति पंचकेदार माहात्म्यका श्रवण करताहै, मानो उसने सबै तीर्थों में सान करलिया और संपूर्ण देवता पूजा करली । विशेष क्या हे गिरिनन्दिनी ! वोह व्यक्ति जिस २ वस्तुकी कामना करताहै । सभी उसे प्राप्त होताहैं ॥ ५ ॥ जो पुरुष नित्य मातःसमय इन शुभ पांचों तीर्थोंका स्मरण करताहै. वोह व्यक्ति समस्त पापोंसे मुक्तहो परम गतिका लाभ होताहै ॥ ६॥ हे देवि यह तौ सब कुछ हमने तुम्हारे प्रति वर्णन किया अब और क्या श्रवण करनेकी तुम्हारी इच्छाहै ॥७॥ इति श्रीस्कांदे केदारखण्डे भाषाटीकायां षट्पञ्चाशोऽध्यायः ॥ ५६

Paṇḍita Brajaratna Bhaṭṭācāryya kṛta Ratnaprabhā Hindī ṭīkā on Kedāra Kalpa.

Bhagavāna Śiva said:-O Pious goddess! Thus, I described the fives shrines viz. Kedāranātha, Madhyamaheśvara, Tunganātha, Kalpeśvara, Mahālaya (Rudranāth). Whoever visits these shrines with devotion, even so unwillingly or without motif, there's no soul more Pious than that, sanctifying even the worst of sinners. O Maheśvarī! All Devas including Brahmā, visit these tīrthas. Just by visiting these shrines one becomes liberated. If someone listens to the glory of these five shrines (pañca-kedāra) with complete devotion and attention, that becomes equivalent to have traveled and bathed in all tirthas. Such a person acquires whatever he desires. The one who remembers these five holy shrines in the morning becomes free of all sins and attains Supreme abode. Thus, ends glory of Pañca-Kedāras.

English Translation of the Hindi Translation by Self.

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On a side note, there's also a notion of Pañca-Badrī (पंच - बद्री), or Sapta-Badrī (सप्त - बद्री), depending upon sources.

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[1]: Something very similar, although, can be found in Verse 3 to 7 from Adhyaya 52 of kedāra-kalpa. So this cannot be totally considered as a folk tale.