In the lineage of Ishvaku, there was a king named Mitrasaha. Being learned in the Vedas and Shastras, and applied scriptural teachings to rule justly. Thus, his fame and glory spread far and wide. He was adept at warfare and had defeated his enemies, making them his vassals.
Once, when in the mood to hunt, he went to the forest with his entourage. When they had set up camp in a clearing, he took out his bow and arrow and proceeded into the forest. When the hunt, the king showed no mercy. He killed deer, tigers, and monkeys. He shot down with his arrows, different kinds of birds, both nesting, and in flight.
However, the greatest hunt of the day was yet to come. From the corner of his eye, in the thicket of trees, the king saw a rakshasa. All it took was one arrow and the king had felled the foul creature. Unbeknownst to the king and his men, a pair of eyes were watching them, moist with tears, and red with rage. It was the brother of the rakshasa, and at that very moment that his brother breathed his last, he vowed to avenge his brother's murder, and cause immense suffering to the king.
Mitrasaha returned to his city from the hunting expedition pleased with himself. The forest was safer for caravans and lone travelers as the rakshasa had been killed. Neither he nor his guards realized that along with them, the rakshasa's brother had entered the forest in human form.
Rakshasas are well-versed in the mystical arts and they are able to appear in human form. They are also able to quickly master any skill and this is exactly what this rakshasa did. He acquired culinary skills and was now adept at preparing vegetarian delicacies. Then, through some hypnosis, the ensured that he got an audience with the king himself, and introduced himself as a master chef.
The Mitrasaha ordered him to be taken to the royal kitchen where he prepared delicious dishes that were presented to the king. The kind was very pleased with the sumptuous food, and the rakshasa was appointed as the personal chef to the king. He began serving the king, waiting for an opportune moment to exact his revenge.
A few months passed and the rakshasa was well entrenched in the king's kitchen. He would prepare new dishes every day to earn praise and rewards from the king regularly.
Maharishi Vasishtha was the spiritual preceptor of Mitrasaha and was visiting on the invitation of the king's invitation. The king had organized rituals to honor his ancestors and offer them prayers, and there was no one better than his Gurudeva to officiate the ceremonies.
After the poojas had been completed, Mitrasaha, with great honor, invited Vasishtha to partake in food that had been separately prepared by his personal chef. Various vegetarian preparations were to be served.
However, the cruel rakshasa had different plans. Into the vegetarian preparations, he added human flesh. and served them to the rishi.
He said to himself, "Vasishtha will surely curse the king and inflict suffering greater than death! My revenge will then be complete".
Then, as soon as the food was served, the invoked his power of invisibility and rushed out of the palace back to the deep dark forest.
Vasishtha Muni was a Brahmarishi and was fully God-realized. Through his inner eye, he saw through the acts of the rakshasa and even saw into the future, how the karma of his disciple would manifest. He understood that the act of the rakshasa would present an opportune moment to hasten Mitrasaha's spiritual progress.
An enraged Vasishtha pushed the food away as soon as it was served and chastised Mitrasaha. "You know that I am a Brahmin. How dare you serve me human flesh!?"
He continued, " I curse that you will be transformed into a forest-dwelling, blood-thirsty rakshasa, and will always hunger for food".
A shocked Mitrasaha ordered his guards to present his personal chef but he was nowhere to be found.
Mitrasaha, now livid with rage, said to his Gurudeva, "You have cursed me for no fault of mine. I too shall curse you!"
He poured some water into the palm of his hand from a water tumbler, chanted a curse, and was about to project the water onto this Guru when his queen, Madayanti, stopped him.
Madayanti was a wonderful queen. Good-natured and kind-hearted, she was always ready to serve her citizens as if they were her own children. She was wise and learned in the art of politics and strategy and when the kind asked for her counsel, she always offered it with the best interest of the kingdom and its citizens at heart.
She tried to calm Mitrasaha down.
"My Lord! Think of the long-term consequences of your actions. As a disciple, you do not have the authority to curse your own spiritual master".
"The curse will rebound and you will have to suffer terrible torture in Yamaloka for hundreds of kalpas. So great will be this offense against your Guru".
Mitrasaha calmed down by the cautioning words of Madayanti. In a worried tone said, "You speak wisely my queen, but what shall I do now with this charged water that I hold in the palm of my hand!?"
"If I let this potent water drop to the ground, the curse would leave our kingdom barren, and what then of my subjects!?"
"No! I will not let my subjects suffer for my rash actions".
After. a moment's thought, Mitrasaha let the water fall on his feet. No sooner had he done that, were his feet riddled with leprosy. From then on he would be known as Kalmashapada.
Madayanti fell to the ground weeping and then fainted due to the shock of seeing her husband deformed in an instant before her very eyes. Her handmaidens ran to her aid and rushed her away to her chambers.
Maharishi Vasishtha desirous of alleviating the suffering of his disciple said, "You shall be relieved of your suffering after twelve years".
Everyone noticed that Mitrasaha had begun to transform into a rakshasa. His hair began to grow and his nails become so sharp that it seemed that they could cut metal. His strength grew rapidly. He howled in pain as he transformed.
The council of ministers, on the instructions of Vasishtha Muni, arranged for an armed escort for Mitrasa so that he could be left alone deep in the forest where even the sunlight doesn't reach the ground. His screams echoed through the trees and caves.
Having arranged for the kingdom to be ruled by the council of ministers, and having consoled the queen, Maharishi Vasishtha returned back to his ashrama along with his disciples.
Kalmashapada was a terror in the forest. He killed and devoured any living creature that he came across. His hunger was never satisfied.
He was huge and towered over all living creatures in the forest. He was adept at climbing trees, and swimming in the lake. His fangs were sharp and could rip through the skins of alligators. Thus, Kalmashapada spent almost twelve years in the forest terrorizing all those who lived and passed through it.
Once, a young Brahmin couple was traveling through the forest. They were newly married and very much in love. The safe route through the forest was not familiar to them, and they strayed from the well-trodden path into the darker regions of the forest. It was where Kalamashapada lived.
Of course, they had heard the story of how Mitrasaha had been cursed by his spiritual master, Guru Vasishtha, and turned into a rakshasa. But their youth made them carefree and when with each other, they did not have a care in the world.
When they had set off from their home, they had been warned of the rakshasa who lived in the forest but they had forgotten those warnings when they embraced in the forest away from the watchful eye of family, and the prying eyes of all others. The beautiful forest was a place of play for them.
But, the play soon came to an end. Suddenly, standing before them was Kalmashapada. The mere sight of him, made their strength disappear and they stood trembling.
The rakshasa spared no time and seeing as the Brahmin was larger than his wife, Kalamashapada pulled him forward with one arm with the intent to devour him. His wife pleaded with the rakshasa.
"O King Mitrasaha! O, merciful king! We are your subject. As the king, you are our father. Please spare us".
"I have no one but my husband. How will I live without him!?"
But Kalamashapada paid no heed to her prayers. Who was this Mitrasaha who she was addressing? That name sounded familiar. But then seeking his meal ready, the rakshasa came back into the moment and roared with pleasure sniffing his next meal.
The Brahmin's wife screamed in terror as Kalamashapada ripped apart her husband's head from his torso and slowly, like the ravenous beast that he was, began devouring him.
Her eyes open wide, her mouth open in shock, she had stopped screaming some hours ago and had watched in horror as the monster devoured her husband. In an instant, she was made a widow.
Then, the shock turned to anger, and anger turned into rage. She picked up a large stone and hurled it at Kalmashapada but it did not reach him. She was too frail.
Then she cursed him.
"You have separated me from my husband O King, and you too will suffer a similar fate!"
"When you return home in human form, you shall never be able to mate with a woman. If you do, even if she is your wife, you will die".
"This is my curse O foul creature! Not even Hari or Hara can overturn my curse. I pray to them that you should suffer the way that you have made me suffer!"
After having eaten the flesh and having sucked the bones dry of marrow, the rakshasa threw the bones toward the Brahmin's widow.
The weeping widow then picked up the remains of her husband and after gathering some dried branches from the forest, she lit a funeral pyre into which she placed the remnants of her husband, and in her grief, enter into it, with the thought that if she could not be with him in this life, then she would follow him into the next.
His meal finished, and his hunger satiated for the moment, Kalmashapada got up and disappeared into the forest.
Mitrasaha returned to the kingdom with a lot of fanfare. Everyone was waiting for his return and great festivities were planned for the day that he would take his rightful place on the throne.
He had only faint recollections of the life he had lived as Rakshasa but he did remember the curse placed upon him by the Brahmin widow.
In his private chambers, he confided in the nature of the curse to Madayanti. He explained that he could never be intimate with her again, and both their desires would never be fulfilled. He would have to remain a Brahmachari, lest he court death.
Madayanti beat her chest and wailed. She had spent twelve long years as a Brahmacharini awaiting her husband's return, She longed for his touch, his embrace, and his kiss. However, as fate would have it, her conjugal desire would still not be met.
The implication was far greater. This curse meant that Mitrasaha would be without a son and the kingdom without an heir.
The king's mind was agitated. There was Madayanti, ready to give herself to him, but he could not even touch her, for he knew that he would lose control, and that meant death.
He was trapped like a tiger in a cage. It was as if he was a bull, ensnared by the nose right and tied to the till. Just like a defanged cobra, king Mitrasaha was helpless. It was as if a majestic elephant king had been captured and forced to obey the instructions of the ankusha-wielding mahut.
Kalmashapada delved deep into the scriptures to find a solution. There was indeed a solution.
If his spiritual preceptor gave his seed to Madayanti, the son that she would beget would still be considered the rightful heir to the throne. This solution would be condoned by Shastra and also through historical precedents.
After the plan was executed and after Vasishtha Muni copulated with Madayanti, she conceived and gave birth to a glorious son, and the Ishvaku lineage continued for many generations.
Kalmashapada however continued to be agitated by sexual desires. He could not find peace of mind and escape from such thoughts in the palace where the was surrounded by beautiful women. To regain some control over his mind, he decided to spend some days in the forest.
The king's men set up camp while he roamed alone with his thoughts searching for some much-needed peace. Instead of thoughts of copulating with beautiful women, the king spent time contemplating his own karma.
"Had I not killed the rakshasa in the first place, my Guru would not have cursed me to be a rakshasa, and had I not been a rakshasa, I would never have in a million years killed and eaten the young innocent Brahmin boy and made his wife a widow. She would have no reason to curse me".
His mind further agitated with these thoughts, the kind turned around to walk back to the camp. As he turned around, he was a pisacha hanging upside down from a tree staring at him, grinning from cheek to cheek.
The startled king quickly composed himself and asked, "Who are you and what do you want?"
The creature laughed and grinned and then suddenly disappeared from sight.
The king, with the hand on the hilt of his sword, turned around again only to find the pisacha standing behind him, its long tongue slithering, and licking its sharp teeth.
Its skin was pale white and its eyes were bulging out. The creature was so terrifying that a lesser man would have died of shock having seen the pisacha.
It slowly said, "O forgetful king. Do you not remember the young Brahmin boy that you killed and ate i the forest!? Or do you wish not to remember".
"Do you think that any evil deed goes unpunished in this world, or did you think that the curse from his wife was punishment enough?"
"I am the fruit of that evil karma manifest, and I will follow you till the end of your days. Never will I leave you. Wherever you go I shall follow. I will remind you at all times of the murder that you committed, of the widow that you made".
The creature roared and then began chasing after the king, and the frightened king ran back to the camp and then hurried back to the palace.
Mitrasaha saw the pisacha in the palace wherever he went and all his waking thoughts were consumed with thoughts of the Brahmin boy he had killed and eaten. Many wise pundits advised the king to perform poojas and offer dana to be rid of the creature but it was all futile. He visited many holy kshetras but the pisacha followed him there also. The creature grew powerful every day and had now started to appear in the king's nightmares.
Once Mitrasaha was on his way to the city of Mithula and on the outskirts of the city he saw a beautiful orchard. There were luscious fruits like mangos, bananas, figs, jackfruits, and many others. There was a garden that had many flower trees like jasmine, tuberose, roses, and many more. There were trees like the bilva, audumbar, and many other sacred and medicinal trees and plants.
Enamored by such natural beauty, the king stopped to enjoy for a moment but the pisacha stood behind him and laughed. The king then lost his desire to enjoy the surroundings and having remembered his previous karma, fell into deep thought.
Just then, the renowned sage Gautama Muni arrived at the orchard with his disciples. They were also resting there for some time.
Mitrasaha was elated to see the great master. He prostrated at the Guru's feet and then glorified him in sweet words.
Gautama Muni was pleased with the offerings of love and respect showed by Mitrasaha and invited him to sit. The king, in true humility, then sat at the feet of the rishi.
"How is your kingdom, O King! Are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras acting in accordance with the shastras?", asked Gautama Muni.
Mitrasaha replied, "All is well by the grace of God! My subjects are happy and I attempt to rule in accordance with scriptural injunctions".
"However..", Mitrasha stopped and hesitated.
"Speak freely Mitrasaha! If there is something troubling you, perhaps I can be of some assistance in relieving your troubles, and perhaps be rid of the one that follows you ".
Hearing these words, Mitrasaha's eyes lit up with hope, and with encouragement from Gautama Muni narrated his entire story and left nothing untold. He now knew in his heart that the great rishi would guide him along the right path and was ready to follow any instruction that the master would give.
Gautama Muni said, "I have just arrived from Bhoo-Kailasa Gokarna Kshetra."
"It is the most sacred abode of Lord Shiva on this earth where His Darshan is freely granted to ordinary mortals by the all-compassionate God."
"Gokarna is worshippable by all beings be they Devas, Asuras, or Kinnaras."
"Lord Mahadeva, along with his consort Devi Uma, is absorbed in great meditation and performs great tapas at Gokarna."
"At Bhoo-Kailasa, Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati can be seen in their full splendor. All the great rishis like Vasishtha, Bhrigu, and Jamadagni, and even I, are ever present there in their astral forms."
"Singers like Narada Muni and Gandharva Tumburu are eternally glorifying Lord Shiva through song, accompanied by celestial musicians and dancers led by the eight apsaras."
"The Maha-Siddhis, eight Dikpalas, eight Bhairavas, eight Siddhis, nine Nidhis, eight Vasus, twelve Adityas, and eleven Rudras, are standing with folded hands offering their obeisances to Lord Pinakapani."
"Uma-Maheshwara is seated on a white lustrous throne and his court has four gates with doors that are bedecked with precious gems."
"At the eastern gate, Indra, the king of the Devas, stands guard mounted on Airavata."
"At the southern gate, Yama, the son of Surya, stands guard, while Varuna, stands guarding with western gate."
"Yakshapati Kubera, the dear friend of Lord Shiva, stands guard at the northern gate."
"Everyone sings in unison, Shiva Hara Hara! Shiva Hara Hara! Shiva Hara Hara!"
Gautama Muni then said, "Know this o king; Lord Sadashiva will be propitiated in one day at Gokarna if worship is offered to him with great love and devotion."
"Amavasya, Sankranti, and Somavara are very auspicious, and so is the Padosham time to offer worship to Lord Mahadeva."
"Bathing in the sea at Gokarna will earn you the merit of bathing in all the sacred lakes, rivers, and temple ponds."
"The three brothers, Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana had performed their anushthanas at Gokarna and earned boons from Lord Neelkantha."
"The divine lingam that is at Bhoo-Kailasa Gokarna was brought there by Ravana from the Lord's abode Kailasa, and it was Lord Ganesha who installed the lingam at Gokarna for the benefit of all humanity."
Overjoyed at having heard the glories of Bhoo-Kailasa, a grateful Mitrasaha asked Gautama Rishi, "O Sage! What is the history of Lord Sadashiva's appearance at Gokarna I am eager to know."
Rishi Gautama smiled and began narrating the story of Ravana and the appearance of Lord Mahadeva and Gokarna.
Ravana's mother Kaikashi was a devout Shiva Bhakta and performed daily worship of Lord Shiva. She would remain fasted and would only take meals after her daily worship was completed and naivedyam was offered to Lord Shankara. As part of her worship, she would mix five grains with water and prepare lingams from the mixture. Then it was these lingams to which she offered her pooja.
She did this daily without fail with a very clear sankalpam; the success of her son, Ravana. Her desire was for Ravana to continue conquering greater parts of the universe and eventually achieve full and complete victory over the three worlds.
Whenever anyone performs Shiva Pooja, even the Gods attend the worship.
Kaikashi's intent was known to the Devas and a jealous Indra was hell-bent on interrupting the flow of her worship. He began carrying away the lingams mi-way during her pooja and immersing them in the ocean. After having had her pooja interrupted many times, Kaikashi finally asked Ravana to find a solution.
Through his yogic powers, Ravana was able to deduce it was Indra who was carrying away the lingams but there was little that Ravana could do against his invisible foe, for Ravana had not yet acquired the power and might to subjugate the Devas.
Finally, unable to bear his mother's anguish, Ravana resolved to go to Kailasa, the abode of Uma-Maheshwara, and bring back the Atma-Lingam of Lord Shiva back to Lanka. His mother could then worship the Lord to her heart's content. No one would dare interrupt a pooja offering to the Atma-Lingam for it would invoke Shri Kamantaka's wrath.
Thus, with preparations made and goodbyes said, Ravana set out from Lanka to seek the Darshan of his Master, Lord Chandramouli. It did not matter if it took eons; Ravana had an iron-will and he would not return without the Atma-Lingam.
After traversing the entire length of our Bharata, he arrived at the foot of Kailasa where he began performing great tapas that lasted for thousands of years.
Ravana was an accomplished singer, a learned and scholarly Brahmin, and a devout Shiva Bhakta. Throughout his worship, he continued to glorify Lord Shiva through the chanting of the Shiva Sahastranamam and the chanting of the Shiva Leelas.
He chanted the most excellent Shri Rudram, the most excellent of the Vedic glorifications of Lord Kapali. He performed japa of the mantra Om Namah Shivaya.
At the culmination of his worship, he began offering, one by one, his ten heads into the sacrificial fire. Ravana's force of will was magnificent. Wounded but not defeated, he lifted his sword and placed the blood-stained blade of his sword on the mane of his neck, and just as he was about to chop his own head off, someone held his hand.
He looked up, and it was Lord Shambhu with Devi Parvati. The Supreme Lord was pleased with his worship and had finally appeared before him. A teary-eyed Ravana, his heart filled with gratitude and love, fell at their feet. Through the grace of Lord Shiva, Ravana's nine heads which had been chopped off were restored, and he was made whole again. Unfathomable strength and vigor now flowed through his veins.
Lord Sadashiva said, "Dashamukha! Ask for what you desire and I shall grant it!"
Dashanana wasted no time and replied, "O Lord! Accompany me in your Atma-Lingam form to Lanka and reside there forever so that my mother, Kaikashi, can offer you loving worship every day."
"Also bestow upon me a young wife whose beauty is unparalleled in all the three worlds."
Lord Karpuragaura was pleased on hearing Ravana and from his heart brought forth His Atma-Lingam. Such is the compassion of Lord Chandramouli that He will even give Himself up to His devotee.
The Atma-Lingam shone with a brilliance greater than a million suns and moons and all three worlds were in awe as its effulgence spread throughout creation. It was the same Atma-Lingam that is unfathomable to even those who know Brahman. The glories of the Atma-Lingam are expounded by the Vedas and Shastras. It is the supreme Lord Shiva himself appearing in a form that is worshippable by all. It is the same Atma-Lingam that is the cause of all creation.
Lord Sambasadashiva said, "Listen Ravana to my instructions!"
"The Atma-Lingam is Me! I am the Atma-Linga! From here you will travel to Lanka and will not place It on the earth until you reach your destination."
"If the Atma-Lingam touches the earth, It will stay there and will not move come what may!"
Ravana held the Atma-Lingam in his hands and said. "O Trilochana! O Tridoshashamana! You are most compassionate. I will follow your instructions, and will place the glorious Atma-Lingam on the earth only when I reach Lanka."
"I pray to you my Lord, now grant me my second boon and give me a wife who is a complete reflection of Devi Aparna and unparalleled in beauty in all the three worlds."
Lord Shiva smiled and replied, "There is no parallel to Devi Aparna's beauty in all creation and even her complete reflection does no justice to her soundarya."
"I give her to you Ravana!"
Parvati stood still not knowing what to say. Had Kameshwara forsaken Her, His Kameshwari!? Why had he granted this boon!? Was there a deeper purpose!? What Leela of the Lord is this!? A million thoughts raced through her mind.
Of course, she would comply with the wish of her Lord Girijapati. She could not, even in her wildest imagination, think of dishonoring His word.
The Shiva Ganas were in disarray, and the Devas started panicking.
All creation knows that Lord Ashutosh is easily pleased and even with little effort is happy to bestow the choicest blessings on his devotees, but no one had seen boons like these being granted: the Atma-Linga, and Devi Aparna herself.
Ganesha, Kartikeya, Nandikeshwara, and Veerbhadra asked the Lord, "What kind of boons have you granted O Maheshwara!? With the Atma-Lingam, you have given yourself away, and with Mother Parvati, you have given away what is most precious to you than yourself!"
Lord Panchavadana smiled and said, "Her dear brother, the Lord of Vaikuntha, will now rush to Her aid."
With great fear in their hearts, the Shiva Ganas, Devas, and the denizens of the three worlds watched as Ravana, the great rakshasa, walked with great pride carrying the Atma-Linga with him, as Devi followed behind, her head held low. She, who is Durga, had tears welling up in Her lotus eyes.
Devi, in her mind, called out to Lord Hari.
"O Narayana! Save Me!"
"O Indiravara! You are worshippable by all beings. It is you that the Nigama and Agama scriptures glorify."
" Run to My aid O slayer of Madhu, Kaitabha, and Naraka!"
"You have incarnated in avatars to save your devotees and I am now in dire need of your help!"
"O Janardana! O Jagadeeshwara! O Manamanasaranjana! O beloved of Laxmi! save me."
Lord Hari, like the loving brother He is, immediately took the form of a brahmana and ran to the aid of Devi Aparna, and appeared before Ravana on his path to Lanka.
"O Great Ravana! O Ten Handed One! From where have found yourself such a beauty? There is no one comparable to her in all creation."
Please with the brahmana, Ravana smiled and said, " Lord Sadashiva has bestowed her to me."
As he turned to look at Devi, who had been walking behind him all this time, he saw the most grotesque woman he had ever seen. The brahmana was right. There was no one comparable to her in all creation.
She had wrinkles on her brow, sunken cheeks, and was toothless.
The brahmana fell to the ground roaring with laughter.
An enraged Ravana, leaving the brahmana and the hag behind, made his way back to Kailasa.