Formerly known as Banaras and Kashi, the city of Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the oldest and most sacred city in India, and is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Hindu legend has it that Varanasi is the center of the universe, the first city created by the gods on Earth, and it is certainly true that it was already an old city when Rome was created. Varanasi has been the captial city of its region since roughly 650 B.C., but some sources state that it has existed as a city as far back as the A***n culture in the second millennium B.C. It is mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata under many different names. It sits between two tributaries of the Ganges river, varuna and Asi, from which it takes its name. About 12 kilometres away is Sarnath, the first place where the Buddha preached, and both places receive huge amounts of tourists every year. It is said that if you die in Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges, you will attain instant liberation, or moksha. According to the Vedas, the Ganges bursts from Shiva’s head making this very spot the centre of the universe. The city’s ancient name is Kashi, meaning centre of cosmic rays, and the former name Banaras roughly translates as ‘readymade heaven’. (The new title Varanasi simply comes from the Varana and Assi rivers that join the Ganges here.) The following sanskrit sloka describes about the 12 Jyotirlingas -
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्। उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥ परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्। सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥ वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे। हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥ एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥ एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति। कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥: द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्
English Translation(Literal). Somanath in Saurashtra and Mallikarjunam in Shri-Shail. (सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्). Mahakaal in Ujjain and Amleshwar in Omkareshwar. (उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्). Vaidyanath in Paralya and Bhimashankaram in Dakniya. (परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्). Rameshem (Rameshwaram) in Sethubandh and Nageshem (Nageshwar) in Darauka-Vana. (सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने). Vishwa-Isham (Vishvanath) in Vanarasi and Triambakam at bank of Gautami River. (वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे)). Kedar (Kedarnath) in Himalayas and Gushmesh (Gushmeshwar) in Shivalaya (Shiwar). (। हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये). One who recites these Jyotirlingas every evening and morning. (एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः।). He is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives.(सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति) One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled (एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति) (कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः)
Source: Twelve Jyotirlinga ( द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्)
