Why Shiv Stopped Them?

Imagine a pillar so huge that even the greatest god in the universe could fly for thousands of years and still not see its top. A pillar whose root the protector himself may descend into the depths of the underworld to find, yet the bottom may not be found. This is not a fantasy. This is the moment when the two greatest gods of creation, Brahma, the lord of creation and Vishnu, the lord of preservation, clashed over who was superior among them and this battle of ego gave birth to a mystery that even today lives on like the fire throbbing in the Arunachala hills on the land of Tamil Nadu. Even today, every year on the night of Kartik Purnima a huge lamp is lit on the peak of Arunachala mountain to commemorate this incident. Which is seen by millions of people from miles away. But the question is what came out of that pillar of eternal fire? What lie did Brahma tell for which he is suffering the punishment till today? And what was that power which made the gods of creation and sustenance themselves bow down? The ending of this story will surprise you. So if you want to know one of the deepest and most mysterious stories of Sanatan Dharma then stay till the end. This is the battle between Brahma and Vishnu, the infinite Jyotirlinga of Shiva.

Chapter One A Question at the Beginning of Creation There was a time at the beginning of creation. The Padma Kalpa had begun. That Kalpa in which the universe was created from a huge lotus flower. In this Padma Kalpa, Lord Vishnu was seated on the bed of Sheshnag in the depths of the Shir Sagar. From his navel a divine lotus appeared and in the middle of that lotus Brahma himself was born with four faces, Prajapati, the creator of the universe Both the gods were supreme in their respective fields of work. Vishnu, the protector of the three worlds, who takes incarnation in every era to establish Dharma Brahma, the creator, who composed the Vedas, who created every rule for every living being, every world But where there is power there ego also starts to grow One day this question arose between the two, who is the best? I am the creator of the universe. You too have appeared from the lotus born in my creation, so I am the best. Vishnu smiled but there was firmness in his voice. Brahmadev, the balance of the universe is supreme. O Brahma, you are forgetting that you yourself are seated on the lotus that has emerged from my navel. Your very existence is because of me. So I became superior. O Brahma, you have forgotten that at the end of every Kalpa, when the apocalypse comes, your entire creation gets absorbed in me. I am the foundation on which your creation rests. Brahma’s voice now trembled with anger. And you are forgetting, O Vishnu, that without creation, there is no meaning in sustenance. There is no meaning in following. If I do not create, whom will you protect? I am the cause, you are the effect. The cause is always superior to the effect. This dispute continued to grow. This conflict which started with words soon turned into a fire of ego. Both the gods picked up their respective divyas divine weapons. Sudarshan Chakra and Brahmastra started roaring in the sky. The air of the universe itself stopped. All three worlds trembled. The gods became frightened. There was commotion in heaven. Indra and other gods discussed among themselves. If this war is not stopped then the world will be destroyed. At that very moment, something happened at the center of the universe that changed the course of the history of creation.

Chapter Two The Appearance of Infinite Light Suddenly, a huge, blazing pillar of fire erupts between the two gods, tearing apart the earth and the sky. This was no ordinary fire. It was a luminous, radiant, infinite pillar of light. Whose beginning and end were not visible. Its brilliance was so intense that both Brahma and Vishnu forgot their weapons and were stunned. The roar of war subsided. Both gods who were still bent on destroying each other. Kan was now astonished to see that huge pillar. His eyes were trying to find the top or bottom end of that pillar. was there but it didn’t seem to end anywhere. The vision was lost in the clouds and there was darkness all below. Then there was a voice from the sky, a resounding voice that shook the entire universe. O Brahma O Vishnu, if you both want to prove your superiority then let us take a test. Whoever finds the beginning or the end of this pillar of light will be called the best. This challenge was from Mahadev Shiva himself. Shiva, who had abandoned his physical form, appeared in the form of this pillar in his formless, attributeless, luminous Brahma form. Brahma and Vishnu looked at each other. Both of them accepted the challenge, acknowledging their powers. Vishnu’s body starts shining. With a blue aura he slowly transforms into a huge boar. Powerful, dark bronze skin, glowing eyes Lord Vishnu took the form of Varaha. In the form of a huge boar, he tore through the earth and descended into the depths of the underworld to find the root of the pillar. Brahma on the other hand transforms into a beautiful white swan in golden aura. Turning into a brilliant white swan, he flew towards the heights of the sky in search of the top of the pillar. Both the gods started moving in their respective directions. One below in infinite darkness and the other above in infinite light. This was the biggest test between ego and truth. The search for infinity. Montage showing the passage of time. Stars are born and they die. The planets keep moving in their orbits. The times keep changing. Both Varaha and the swan are still on their journey. Lord Vishnu in the form of Varaha kept tearing through countless layers of the underworld. They crossed the Nagok. Crossed the depths of the abyss. penetrated those regions of darkness where even time seemed to stand still. Thousands of years passed. Every time he felt that he was about to find the root, but the expansion of the pillar continued to become infinite. Finally Vishnu stopped and thought, his face had a calm expression despite the fatigue. He realized that this search was futile. This flame is eternal and he decided to return accepting the truth. On the other hand, Brahma in the form of a swan in the sky is also getting tired while crossing the infinite heights. Beyond the stars, beyond the galaxies, yet the top of the pillar is not visible. The fatigue of thousands of years had descended into his wings. They also knew that this discovery was impossible. But from here the story takes a decisive turn. The turning point that even today teaches us the deepest lesson about the difference between truth and ego. Brahma suddenly stops during flight. His eyes fall on something falling down. A Ketaki flower is slowly coming down, swirling in the air. This flower had once touched the top of that pillar of fire. And since then it has been falling down for ages. At that moment a thought arose in Brahma’s mind, born of his ego. He made a proposal with that Ketaki flower. If you come with me and testify that you saw me on the top of the pillar, I will make you worthy of worship forever. The Ketaki flower, under the influence of Brahma, agreed to become his partner in this lie. Brahma returned down to the place where Vishnu was already standing having accepted the truth.

Chapter Four Confrontation of Truth and Falsehood Both gods are back in their original form, standing before the eternal pillar of light. Vishnu first spoke in a truthful, clear and fearless voice, O Brahmin, I descended into the infinite depths of the underworld. But I found no end to this column. It is infinite. I failed. There was silence in the assembly of gods and sages present. The Lord of the Universe himself says they failed. That in itself was a great statement of truth. Then it was Brahma’s turn. Brahma comes forward. Brahma comes forward. With confident steps. I found the top of it. Look, this Ketaki flower was adorned on the top of this pillar. This is proof of my success. The gods and sages present in the assembly look at each other in surprise. Some look at Brahma with suspicious eyes. But as soon as this false statement came out of Brahma’s mouth, the entire universe trembled. That eternal pillar of light which was standing calm and stable till now. It started exploding with a loud roar. A stream of light began to flow out of him. So intense that the three worlds were illuminated by its radiance. A huge door like opening opens from the middle of the pillar and from that infinite light appeared Lord Shiva himself in his sakar form with all his glory radiating from his third eye. The universe fell silent at their mere presence, and the two great gods who had just vowed to fight bowed down.

Chapter Five Shiva’s Justice The Victory of Truth I am the beginning and I am the end. I am the foundation pillar of this entire universe. Vishnu bows at his feet in reverence. Brahma steps back. His face becomes filled with guilt. Lord Shiva first looked towards Lord Vishnu. With a calm and affectionate look, O Vishnu, you accepted the truth, you did not hide your failure, this is true greatness. From today onwards your worship will always be respected in the world. Brahma, you have told a lie. This act of yours is unforgivable. Brahma is standing with his head bowed. There was now seriousness and warning in his voice. This deception is unforgivable. O Brahma, you are the creator of the universe. You are the father of the Vedas. But today you resorted to falsehood. You lied to prove your superiority. And an innocent flower was also included in this lie. Because of this lie, you will not be worshipped in the world from today. No temple will be established in your name. With one exception, Brahma’s face in Pushkara is filled with grief and remorse. Also the camera goes towards the Ketaki flower. He also looks sad and withered. Shiva also cursed the Ketaki flower for supporting this lie. It will never be used in Shiva worship. Even today, offering Ketaki flower on Shivling is considered prohibited. Now Shiva addressed both the gods. He raised his right hand in Abhaya Mudra and the angry red light disappeared. You both are the same to me. Neither of you is better than the other. But today I have proved that the Supreme Being has neither a beginning nor an end. I am both formless and embodied. To make humans realize this truth, I will now appear on earth in the form of a linga. That huge pillar of fire now shrinks into a shining Shivalinga. The gods, sages and Gandharvas shower flowers all around the golden radiant stable. According to Ishan Samhita, this wonderful Jyotirlinga appeared on the same night of Krishna Chaturdashi of Phalguna month and even today we celebrate it as Mahashivratri. This is the basic story behind the worship of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva that is spread across India today. Interestingly, the name of Arunachaleshwar is not included in the list of 12 Jyotirlingas. Still this place is considered most important for Shiva devotees. Because it is believed that the original incident itself took place here. This is why Arunachala is considered the mother of Jyotirlingas. But the story doesn’t end there. This eternal pillar of light marked one such place on earth and that is Arunachala mountain in Tamil Nadu.

Chapter Six Arunachala Where fire descended to earth. The place where this cosmic event occurred is today known as Arunachal. Arun means red, the color of fire, which means mountain. This is the same land where today stands the magnificent Arunachalesvara Temple, one of the largest Shiva temples in the world. It is one of the Panchabhutha Sthalas of Lord Shiva. The five sacred places where Shiva resides in the form of the five basic elements. Earth, water, air, sky and fire. The earth element in Kanchipuram, the water element in Thiruvanaikaval, the air element in Kalahasti, the sky element in Chidambaram and the fire element here in Thiruvanamal itself. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Arunachaleswarar. And the Shivalinga installed here is called Agni Lingam. Another touching story related to this place is prevalent in the Puranas. It is said that once in a playful act, Mother Parvati playfully covered both the eyes of Lord Shiva with her hands. As soon as Shiva’s eyes closed, darkness spread across the entire universe because the eyes of Shiva are considered to be the brightness of the Sun and the Moon. To remove this darkness, devotees of Lord Shiva performed severe penance. Due to which Mahadev appeared in the form of a pillar of fire on the Annamalai hill. This is why Mount Arunachala is considered to be the manifestation of Shiva himself. This is no ordinary mountain but the body of Lord Shiva transformed into stone. This is the belief here. On the way of circumambulating this mountain, eight special directional lingas are installed in the eight directions of the mountain. Indralinga, Agni Linga, Yamalinga, Nivriti Linga, Varuna Linga, Varuna Linga, Vayu Linga, Kubera Linga and Ishanya Linga which are considered to be the symbols of the protection system of the Ashtadapalas. Every year thousands of devotees visit this 14 km long Girivalam. The long sacred circumambulation is completed barefoot. Is. Believing that merely circumambulating this mountain destroys all sins. This circumambulation is considered most auspicious especially on the night of the full moon. Devotees believe that when they circumambulate this mountain in the full moonlight, Arunachala himself listens to and fulfils all their wishes because this mountain is not a lifeless stone but the awakened Shiva himself. The architecture of the temple is also amazing in itself. There are four sanctum sanctorums called Paliyarai built on all four sides of the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple and a huge water tank and a huge aquatic temple is built in a separate temple. This entire complex is a living testimony to centuries of devotion. There is another story related to this place. It is said that during the dark incident, Mother Parvati deeply realized her mistake. He performed severe penance at the foothills of this mountain. Pleased with his penance, Lord Shiva appeared before him and promised that he would always be with him in the form of Annamalai Aman. This Agni will remain seated in the form of Lingam. This is the reason that even today Mother is worshipped along with Shiva in the temple and this union of both is a symbol of love and dedication.

Chapter Seven Karthikeya Deepam When the mountain itself becomes a Jyotirlinga But the most mysterious and magnificent form of this temple is seen during the Karthagai Deepam festival. Every year on the full moon day of the Tamil month Kartikeya, a huge lamp is lit on the top of the mountain. So huge that its flame is visible from miles away. It marks the exact moment when Lord Shiva appeared in the form of the eternal pillar of light. This festival is a live annual re-enactment of the tragic event. It is as if every year Mount Arunachala transforms itself into the same Jyotirlinga. Thousands of kilos of ghee are used to light this lamp and it resonates all around. Jai Ghosh. Everywhere Shiva. Everywhere Shiva. Lakhs of devotees come from far and wide to attend this grand festival of South India. Believing that merely by seeing this divine light, the sins of many births are washed away.

Chapter Eight The cave where the sage of the modern age meditated. There is another mystery associated with Arunachala mountain which does not limit it to the mythological times but also connects it to the modern era. The underground lingam inside the temple is the place where the great saint Ramana Maharshi performed his intense penance from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It is said that Ramana Maharshi was drawn to this mountain at the age of 17. As if Arunachal himself was calling them. He spent his entire life in the shadow of this mountain and declared that Arunachala is not an ordinary mountain but is the real Shiva, in fact, Shiva is the formless Brahman who stands still in the form of a stone, waiting for the salvation of humans. Even today thousands of seekers come here with the belief that merely a glimpse of Mount Arunachala, circumambulation of it or mere remembrance of its name is capable of liberating a person from the bondage of the world. This is why this place is also called Mukti Kshetra. Ramana Maharshi always taught his followers that the search for truth is within, not outside. Just like Brahma and Vishnu kept searching for the end of that light in the outer sky and the underworld. But that end was hidden within the soul. His famous sermon ‘ Who am I’ pointed to the truth that unless a man finds the end of his inner ego, he cannot find the truth no matter how much he wanders outside. Even today thousands of seekers from all over the world come to Tiruvarnamalai in search of this education and his ashram situated in the foothills of Arunachala remains a vibrant centre of spiritual practice.

Chapter Nine Summary of the Story Ego Versus Truth So what does this story ultimately teach us? This story is not just about a dispute between two gods. It symbolizes the eternal struggle between truth and ego. Vishnu, by admitting his failure, proved that true greatness lies in humility and true devotion, not in claims of victory. On the other hand, Brahma, despite all his greatness, resorted to falsehood in a moment of arrogance and had to suffer its consequences for ages. And this form of Shiva himself, formless and infinite, which has no beginning or end, reminds us that God cannot be bound by any measurement or competition. He is beyond all limits. That is why even today when a devotee bows his head before the Shivalinga, he actually bows before the same infinite truth. Which neither Brahma nor Vishnu can measure. Even today thousands of years later, when you stand on the land of Tiruvannamalai and look at that Arunachala mountain, you are not just seeing a mountain, you are seeing the remains of that eternal pillar of light. Who once made the two greatest gods of the universe bow down to him. Imagine this story doesn’t just tell us an event from the past. This is a mirror in which we can see ourselves even today. How often, like Brahma, we find it easier to tell a small lie rather than admit our failure. And how often do we have the courage to speak the truth like Vishnu. Even if that truth makes us appear weak or unsuccessful, it has a profound message and that is why even today the fire on Mount Arunachala reminds us every year that truth ultimately triumphs. This was the mysterious story of the battle between Brahma and Vishnu and the infinite Jyotirlingas of Shiva. If you liked this mythological journey then do not forget to like this video and subscribe to the channel. Which temple story would you like to hear next? Everywhere Shiva.