A similar story goes for two different cities. Baijnath and Gokarna.
Which one is the correct one?
If both of them are true, did Ravana carry Shivlinga twice?
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So it seems there’s a slight error in the Shiva Purana as regards the sequence of events. Some verses have been placed before others. The proper events are: Ravana tries to worship shiva and cuts is heads. Shiva reinstates his heads like a doctor (vaidya) and ravana requests him to stay there. He does so in the form of Vaidyanatha, Ravana goes happily home. Then It seems Narada comes to incite Ravana again and this chap goes to Kailash. Though not mentioned clearly, this is the time he comes back with a Shiva Linga which is installed at Gokarna. So V = where Shiva gave Ravana...– AdiyarkkuCommented Feb 17, 2021 at 10:29
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... unequalled strength and reinstated his heads like a doctor. And Gokarna is where the Atmalinga incident happened. It is mentioned in Shiva Purana, but not so clearly due to the order of verses being jumbled.– AdiyarkkuCommented Feb 17, 2021 at 10:30
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The lower verses of suta's narration should come 1st and the upper verses of suta should come below. There's no error to the story of shiva purana but the sequence seems to be got exchanged slightly. Not that off. Slightly. Actually there are 2 shiva lingas. One was put steady (vaidyanathan) and other was taken (atmalinga or gokarna/baijnath). Prd. 👍...– Viṣṇu _Deva _Śrī.Commented Feb 23, 2022 at 11:51
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2 Answers
Since the sequence in Shiva Purana's translation is slightly off, I have reconstructed it based on folklore.
The Devas got worried that Ravana was now further invincible due to God Shiva's boon. They approached Devarishi Narada for help who went to Lanka and asked Ravana about the details of his worship [Ref: Shiva Purana Kotirudra-samhita 28.27-37].
Ravana said he worshiped God Shiva for a boon at Mount Kailasha in present-day Tibet. Since, God Shiva did not appear, Ravana worshipped Him south of the Himalayas, at present-day Vaidyanath in Deoghar of Jharkhand state. He started to cut his heads one after another to appease God Shiva. When he was just about to cut his 10th head, God Shiva appeared as a jyotir-linga. Ravana asked God Shiva for unequalled strength. God Shiva restored his heads like a vaidya (physician) and granted him the requested boon [Ref: Shiva Purana Kotirudra-samhita 28.38-59].
Then, Narada told Ravana that he should try to lift Mount Kailasha if he wanted evidence of God Shiva's words. When the stupid and ungrateful Ravana tried to lift Mount Kailasha, God Shiva deemed that Ravana’s end was near [Ref: Shiva Purana Kotirudra-samhita 28.60-72].
Ravana had also asked for God Shiva’s all-powerful Atma-linga to be taken to Lanka. Though disinclined, Bhole-natha permitted him to carry the Atma-linga. But, God Shiva said the Atma-linga will remain permanently fixed wherever it was placed on the ground. While carrying the Atma-linga, Ravana felt a tremendous urge to urinate due to God Shiva’s powers of maya. Ravana saw a young cowherd and asked him to hold the Atma-linga while he completed the job, which took a very long time [Ref: Shiva Purana Kotirudra-samhita 28.12-19].
As per popular folklore, it is believed that the cowherd appeared at present-day Gola Gokarannath temple in Uttar Pradesh state, where there is a Ravana’s pond nearby. The cowherd, believed to be God Ganesha in disguise, ran away with the Atma-linga, with Ravana in pursuit. Further, God Vishnu clouded the sun, so that Ravana would stop for his sandhya-vandana. Later, the cowherd called out Ravana 3 times as pre-decided and put the heavy Atma-linga down. The furious Ravana hit out at the boy. God Ganesha appeared in His true form. Ravana apologized. He then tried his best to dislodge the Atma-linga but did not succeed. The arrogant Ravana returned to Lanka.
In present-day Gokarna in Karnataka state, there is an Atma-linga temple. There is a beautiful God Ganesha temple, right next to it. God Ganesha’s idol is in the form of a boy without the usual elephant face and has dent marks on the forehead.
It is pertinent to note that Mount Kailash, Gola Gokarannath and Gokarna are in a straight line on the map. Also, the 4 places near Gokarna where the Atma-linga’s uprooted parts fell are at Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwar, Murudeshwar and Shejjeshwar in Karnataka state.
Source: 'Essence of the Fifth Veda' by Gaurang Damani pages 17-19
Most of The People correlate Vaidhyanath Dham also Known as Baijnath Dham which is situated at Deoghar Jharkhand With Atma Linga Story of Ravan which is not True. Let see why the confusion arised? If we See the Shiva Linga in Vaidhyanath Dham,some portion of the Linga is inside the Earth Surface. Human Brain is good in making the correlation to establish a logical connection so they understand things. It's default nature of Brain hence People correlated this Event with the Story of Atma Linga when Ravan couldn't lift up the Atma Linga out of his Anger he hitted the Linga and Linga shifted bit downward from the Earth Surface. Second Direction of Confusion is the Name Baijnath Dham. Most of the People pronounce Vai as Bai hence Vaidhyanath become Baijnath Dham most often Baiju is also referenced as Charwaha and as per the Atma Linga Story Ganesha appeared in front of Ravan as Charwaha. The Truth is Vaidhyanath means a God of Medicine or God of Doctors. It has different Story some Rishi s mention that When Dashanan ( After Shiva bon he got new name Ravan ) was Worshipping Shiva for the Long Duration some Thousand Years but Shiva didn't appeared in front of him then he started chopping his Head and offering to Shiva Linga and Later on Lord Shiva took a form of Vaidhyanath and Treated him. Story of Atma Linga is Later Sequence of Story which refer to Gokarna.
