Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram – Saurashtre Somanatham Cha

What a jyotirlinga is

A jyotirlinga is a "linga of light". The Shiva Purana tells how Brahma and Vishnu once argued over which of them was greater, and Shiva appeared between them as an endless pillar of fire whose top and bottom neither could find. The twelve jyotirlingas are the places where, by tradition, that light became a lingam on earth. This short prayer — four verses naming the twelve and two of phalashruti — is the most widely recited way of remembering all of them at once; versions of these verses appear in the Shiva Purana's Kotirudra Samhita.

The twelve, in the order of the prayer

1. Somnath — Saurashtre, on the coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat.
2. Mallikarjuna — Shrishaile, on Srisailam hill, Andhra Pradesh.
3. Mahakaleshwar — Ujjayinyam, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
4. Omkareshwar / Amaleshwar — on the Narmada island of Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh.
5. Vaidyanath — Paralyam, "at Parali": Parli in Maharashtra by one tradition, Deoghar in Jharkhand by another.
6. Bhimashankar — Dakinyam, in the Dakini region; usually identified with Bhimashankar near Pune.
7. Rameshwaram — Setubandhe, at the bridge Rama built, Tamil Nadu.
8. Nageshwar — Darukavane, in the Daruka forest: near Dwarka in Gujarat by one tradition, Jageshwar in Uttarakhand or Aundha in Maharashtra by others.
9. Vishweshwar (Kashi Vishwanath) — Varanasyam, Varanasi.
10. Tryambakeshwar — Gautamitate, on the banks of the Godavari (Gautami), near Nashik.
11. Kedarnath — Himalaye, in the Himalayas, Uttarakhand.
12. Grishneshwar (Ghushmeshwar) — Shivalaye, at Verul near the Ellora caves, Maharashtra.

The disputed identifications for Vaidyanath, Bhimashankar and Nageshwar are real and long-standing; the prayer itself only names the regions.

The promise

"Whoever recites these jyotirlingas evening and morning, the sin committed in seven births is destroyed by remembering them. By merely seeing them, no sin remains; for one with whom Maheshvara is pleased, karma is exhausted."

How it is used

• As a morning and evening remembrance — exactly as the phalashruti says.
• On Mondays, in Shravan, on Mahashivaratri, and before or during a jyotirlinga yatra.
• Many people say it while touching the floor of the puja room in salutation, picturing each shrine in turn.

Shankaracharya also wrote a longer, twelve-verse Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram beginning "Saurashtradeshe vishade'tiramye", with a verse for each shrine; this page is the short traditional prayer.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 12 jyotirlingas?

Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Vaidyanath, Bhimashankar, Rameshwaram, Nageshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Tryambakeshwar, Kedarnath and Grishneshwar.

What is the benefit of reciting the Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram?

Its phalashruti says that remembering the twelve morning and evening destroys the sins of seven births.

Which is the first jyotirlinga?

Somnath in Gujarat is named first in the prayer and is traditionally counted as the first.

Why are there disputes about some jyotirlingas' locations?

Because the prayer names regions rather than towns; Vaidyanath, Bhimashankar and Nageshwar each have more than one temple claiming the title.

Is this the same as Shankaracharya's Jyotirlinga Stotram?

No. Shankaracharya's is a longer twelve-verse hymn; this is the short, widely recited traditional prayer.