The story of Malika Arjun Jyotirlinga(only Shivling in form of Shiva Parvati Swaroop) is a tale of devotion, love, and sacrifice that is deeply ingrained in Hindu mythology. According to the legends, there was a king named Daksha who had 27 daughters. One of his daughters, Sati, was married to Lord Shiva, one of the three major deities in Hinduism. However, Daksha didn’t like Lord Shiva and was constantly belittling him in front of his daughter, which infuriated Sati.
One day, Daksha held a grand yajna (a Hindu ritual of sacrifice) and invited all the deities and sages except Lord Shiva and Sati. When Sati found out about the yajna, she decided to attend it anyway, against Lord Shiva’s wishes. When she arrived at the yajna, Daksha insulted Lord Shiva again, which angered Sati to the point that she immolated herself in the yajna fire.
When Lord Shiva heard about Sati’s death, he was overcome with grief and anger. He tore out a lock of his hair and threw it on the ground, which created a powerful warrior named Veerabhadra. Veerabhadra destroyed the yajna and killed Daksha. However, Lord Shiva’s grief didn’t subside, and he carried Sati’s burnt body all over India.
To console Lord Shiva, the other deities requested Lord Vishnu to help. Lord Vishnu used his divine powers to cut Sati’s body into 51 pieces, which fell on different parts of India. These pieces became sacred places, known as Shakti Peethas, where people can worship the divine feminine energy or Shakti.
Malika Arjun Jyotirlinga is one of these sacred places and is believed to be the place where Sati’s upper lip fell. The temple is located in the city of Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, India, and is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Bhramaramba, who represents the divine feminine energy. It is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, which are believed to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva. The name “Malika Arjun” refers to the combination of Lord Shiva (Arjun) and Goddess Bhramaramba (Malika), who are worshipped together at the temple.
