Story of Jambukeśvara

Name of an idol of Śiva (Liṅga) installed in Mysore. The Śivaliṅga installed in the Jambukeśvara temple in Mysore. Jambū is a fruit tree. There is a story about how Śiva happened to come under this tree.

Once upon a time this place was full of Jambū trees, and a recluse performing a penance under a Jambū tree got a fruit of it. Attracted, so to say, by the sanctity of the fruit the recluse submitted it first as an offering to Lord Śiva, and only after that he ate it. As a result of that the fruit germinated in the stomach of the sage grew up into a tree and emerged into light and air bursting his head open. Elated at this the sage danced before God, who asked him to return to the place from where he got the fruit. Accordingly he returned to Tiruvānakovil and continued his penance. Pleased so much with the Sage Śiva followed him and sat under the tree. From that day onwards Śiva came to be called Jambunātha. To this day Jambunātha sits under the Jambū tree.

Later, a temple came to be built there under the following circumstances. A controversy arose between Mālyavān and Puṣpadanta, two of the Bhūtagaṇas of Śiva, as to who cherished more devotion to the Lord. The controversy developed into a quarrel and Puṣpadanta cursed Mālyavān into a spider, and Mālyavān cursed Puṣpadanta into an elephant. Now, when the mutual curse took effect wisdom dawned on both Mālyavān and Puṣpadanta, and they took refuge in the Lord for redemption from the curse. The Lord sent both of them to the Cola country, and after wandering about in different parts of the country both of them came to Jambukeśvara, and lived there worshipping God. The elephant used to bathe daily in sacred tīrthas, bring holy water in its trunk and make an offering of it to the Lord. As for the spider it wove a net above the head of the Lord. so that dried leaves did not fall on it. The elephant used to daily sweep off the net above the head of the Lord and make his offering of the water thereon. But, the spider would again weave the net. Thus their quarrel continued. One day the spider, in great anger, got into the trunk of the elephant and bit it hard. Due to unbearable pain it smashed its trunk on a granite stone and fell down dead. At this God appeared and blessed both of them. The Lord also said that the sacred spot would come to be known as Tiruvāna-Kovil (āna= elephant; Kovil = temple) in memory of Puṣpadanta who had taken the form of the elephant. The spider was told that he would be born in the Cola dynasty and carry on for long years many good acts. Accordingly Mālyavān was born as the son of Śubhadeva, the Cola king and Kamalāvatī, his queen, and ruled the land for many years under the name King Ceṅkaṇṇa. He it was who built the Jambukeśvara temple. (Tiruvānakkāvu Purāṇa).