Mallikarjuna

Temple and sacred site (tirtha) on the
holy mountain Shrishaila in Andhra
Pradesh. The temple is named for its
presiding deity, the god Shiva in his
manifestation as the “[Lord] White as
Jasmine.” Shiva is present at Mallikarjuna
in the form of a linga, a pillar-shaped
image. The Mallikarjuna linga is one of
the twelve jyotirlingas, a network of
sites at which Shiva is uniquely present.
Mallikarjuna’s charter myth is based on
a competition between Shiva’s two
sons, Ganesh and Skanda, who agree
that the first one to circle the earth will
be the first one to be married. Skanda
mounts his peacock and takes off, sure
that he is faster. Ganesh, however, simply walks around Shiva and his wife
Parvati, as a symbol that they are the
entire universe. When Skanda returns,
he is very angry to discover that he has
been beaten. He leaves Kailas, the
Himalayan mountain believed to be
Shiva’s abode, and goes to southern
India. Parvati is very upset at the
absence of her son, but none of the
envoys they send can persuade Skanda
to return. Finally, Shiva and Parvati go
themselves, landing on Shrishaila
mountain. Skanda has already departed
for a nearby mountain. Before following
after him, his parents consecrate the
first site as Mallikarjuna.
As with all the jyotirlingas, Mallikarjuna
is deemed a very powerful site. Worshiping this jyotirlinga is said to bring the
increase of wealth, freedom from disease, well-being, and any other desired
end. The site itself is a difficult place to
reach, deep in the jungle on the top of
Shrishaila mountain. For this reason,
the major festival celebrated here is
Shivaratri, the most important festival
to Shiva during the entire year, when
devotees (bhakta) come and stay for
several days.
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Mallikarjuna