Part 4.10 - Description of Tryambakeśvara Liṅga

This temple was situated on the top of “Saya” mountain land was very famous of the world. There flows river of Pañcavatī near by. Also the river Godāvarī is originated on mt. Brahmagiri which is located near by.

The river Godāvarī is famous in Southern India as Gaṅgā river in northern India. In Purāṇa Bhāgirathī brought Maa Gaṅgā river on earth as Gautam Maharṣi was the man who brought Godāvarī was named as “Gautamī”.

According to Purāṇa

Once upon a time Gautama Maharṣī and his wife Ahalyādevī lived on the mountainof Brahmagiri for several years. In those times, the all over india is suffering due to drought. There is no water to drink, no food to eat. The people of India suffered a lot. All the animals and birds are dying due to food, grass and water. All the plants and tress are destroying 10 lack of rain. Totally the land became infertile and no tree, no grass and no crops are grown.

Hence Maharṣi Gautama was totally displeased for circumstance and worshipped for rain god “Varuṇa”. Then Varuṇa deva present a head of Gautama. There he requested to change the circumstance. Then rain god replied that “dear Gautam first you did a lake I fill it water and that lake will be forever full of water.”

Later Gautam digged a lake and rain god filled it. So the surroundings of that lake became greenery. So the country and the people are happy because now they have food to eat and water to drink. Gautam built an “āśrama” (living place for saints). So many sages are gathered around his āśrama and are living happily.

But oneday the wives of other sages started struggle with Ahalyā the wife of Gautam. Hence that became a great fight and Gautam changed his place and went to another place with his wife. But the other sages did not satisfied with it. Thus they left and old cow in the Gautam crop field. So that old cow started destroying crop. Then Gautam tried to drive the cow out of the field. So he beated cow with small piece of grass. But even then with the touch of grass the cow died.

So Gautam felt very sorry and was totally in sad. He doesn”t know that it was the arrangement made by that sage. But all the other saints and sages started blaming Gautam and ordered him to do some sacrifices and yajñas to get out of course. They suggested him to do revolving around “Brahmagiri” mountain and should do “fasting” (living without taking food for a long time) for a month. And should do “Abhiṣekaṃ’ to lord Śiva with 100 pots of Gaṅgā river water.

All these things being implemented by Gautam without losing his patience. Hence lord Śiva was very pleased with the pray of Gautam and appeared ahead of him. So Gautam was in very happy mood and requested lord Śiva to establish there and asked to relese Gaṅgā river. So lord Śiva accepted his requests and established himself and the Gaṅgā river released in name “Gautamī” later called as Godāvarī.