Satyam Shivam Sundaram

In Hinduism there are thousands of gods abound, offering trifling gifts (Sahasram Varthantahy) to those who pray them and never even in my dreams would I pray. (Na Manye Swapne Vaa) Or request gifts (Kruta phalam) from those demi gods-nor my head would bow down to Pray them (Chiram Yaachae). To Shiva (Shambho) who is even though close to Vishnu, Brahma and other Gods it is difficult even for them to near him Nikita Bhajam Asulabham) let my salutations— there I would beseech and beg always, for his lotus like feet (Paada Ambuja).

Satyam is that one which never undergoes any changes whatsoever. Similarly God he is unchanged with time and he is always the same hence another attribute of God is Satyam. Shivam means that which is ''Mangalam'' Or ''Shubham'' (Auspicious always). So God is always a Mangala Roopa , A shubha Swaroopa. One who gives all Shubham and Mangalam always to all....So this became second attribute of God. Sundaram is connected with Soundarya, however it is not the external beauty. Soundarya is defined as that when you see it , you through out your life long to see it again and again....

There is no boredom after seeing him for hours.We still want to see his sunder Swaroopa. It satisfies and ills our hearts with so much of bliss and happiness (Ananda). Satyam is that that will not change with time .It essentially the same, unchanged. Satyam will not change with Yuga.(But Dharma changes with Yuga to Yuga in Sanatana Dharma). So God is called Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Mahesh = Maha (great) + Esh (God) , it means great god . Our puranas and Vedas describe Shiva as Rudra. The name is also a symbol of extreme devotion to God. Trillions of years ago,when nothing existed,there lived a yogi who was always in meditation and away from worldly affairs. The word “Shivam” comes in the The first anuvaka of Sri Rudram, which says “ yAta ishussivatamA “Shivam" babhuva te dhanu:…” O Lord Rudra, that arrow of yours has quieted, so has your bow quietened. So too your quiver. With these ( quietened bow, arrow and quiver) make us happy. The bow of Shiva becomes “shivam", “auspicious “..before, it was frightening. Now, after my salutation, it is “shivam", “santa-rupam" in the form of blessing.

Satarudra samhita of Shiv Mahapurana mentioned that Somanath/Someshwara is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Mahadev. Once Lord Soma (Moon god) installed a Shivalinga at the holy land of Saurā??ra and worshipped Mahadev. Lord Shiva was pleased and appeared before Soma and cured all his afflictions. That's why that holy Shrine is known as Someshwara.

There, the first one, Somanātha, annihilated the distress of the moon. O sage, by worshipping, it dispels the ailments of consumption, leprosy etc.This incarnation of ?iva, Some?a, is stationed in the auspicious land of Saurā??ra, in the form of a phallic image. It was worshipped by the moon formerly. Candaraku??a (the pond of the Moon) is there itself and it destroys all sins. By bathing there a man becomes intelligent and gets rid of his ailments.On seeing Somevara, the great phallic image of Siva people are freed from sin. They attain worldly pleasures and salvation.

Detailed story of Someshwara Jyotirlinga is given in Shiv Mahapurana Koti Rudra samhita. Lord Soma (Moon God) was married to Prajapati Daksh’ 27 daughters. However he loved only one our of them named Rohini and always neglected the others. The remaining 26 girls informed Daksh about Soma's biased behaviour. O great sages, his daughters, twenty-seven in number, Asvini and others, were given in marriage to the moon by Daksha, the great soul.On securing the moon as their lord, those daughters shone extraordinarily. The moon too, on securing them shone incessantly.The jewel shines with gold and the gold shines with the jewel. Now listen to what happened in due course.Out of his twenty-seven wives he did not love any one so much at anytime as he loved Rohini. The others became distressed and sought refuge in their father. After going to him they mentioned their misery to him.On hearing it, Dak?ha too was struck with grief. O brahmins, approaching the moon he calmly spoke to him thus. ~Shiv Mahapurana Koti Rudra Samhita chapter 14

Daksh also requested Soma to not be biased and love all of them equally. However when the latter did not pay herds to his words then Daksh cursed Soma to become afflicted of leprosy disease and lose his brilliance. Dak?ha said:— O moon, moon, listen. Although requested repeatedly you did not pay heed to my entreaties. Hence, fall a prey to the wasting disease. Sūta said:— Just as he cursed him, the moon contracted consumption within a trice. When he was wasted away there was a great hue and cry. When all Gods went to Lord Brahma to find a solution to this problem then Lord Brahma told about wicked deeds of Soma and said that the curse was result of his own wicked deeds like once he abducted His Brihaspati’s wife Tara and impregnated her.

The wicked fellow went to Brihaspati’s house and abducted his wife Tara. He then allied himself with the Daityas. Having sought refuge in the Daityas he fought against the god though forbidden by me and Atri Then the moon restored Tārā to B?ihaspati. Seeing her pregnant, B?ihaspati refused to take her back. Induced by us he accepted her unwillingly.But he said, “If she casts off the fetus I shall accept her.” When they asked her whose child she bore in the womb, she replied that the fetus grew out of the seed of the moon. O excellent sages, I then removed the fetus and urged by me, she was accepted by him. ~Shiv Mahapurana Koti Rudra Samhita chapter 14

Then Lord Brahma advises all the gods that if Soma worships Mahadev at the auspicious shrine of Prabhasa and chants Maha Marityunjaya Mantra, then Lord Shiva will cure his disease. So Soma accordingly installs Shivalinga at that holy place and worships Mahadev for a period of 6 months and chants Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra one hundred million times. Let the moon go to the auspicious shrine at Prabhasa along with the gods. Let him propitiate ?iva there according to Mrtyunjaya rites. Let him perform the penance incessantly sitting before the lord. The delighted ?iva will cure him from consumption afterwards. Sūta said:—On hearing the words of Brahmā, the gods and sages returned to the place where Dak?ha and the moon were present.The gods and the sages consoled Dak?ha and took the moon to Prabhāsa. They invoked the sacred waters of Sarasvati and other rivers and performed the worship of the earthen phallic image in accordance with the Mrtyunjaya rites.

The gods and the sages of pious mind left the moon at Prabhāsa and joyously returned to their abodes.The moon performed the penance incessantly for six months. He worshipped the bull-bannered deity with the M?tyu?jaya Mantra. The moon repeated the M?tyu?jaya mantra a hundred million times. He meditated on the lord M?tyu?jaya with his mind unruffled. Bholenath was pleased with Soma's worship and appeared before him. He cured Soma's afflictions and granted Soma a boon that his brilliance will return to him gradually.

Lord ?iva, who is favourably disposed towards his devotees, was pleased by his devotion and manifesting himself there spoke to him thus. ?iva said:—O moon, may there be welfare to you. Choose your boon, whatever you desire in your mind. I am pleased with you. I shall grant you an excellent boon. The moon said:—O lord of gods, if you are delighted, what is not attainable to me? Still, O lord, let not my body decay by consumption.Pardon my faults. Remain benevolent to me always. When he had said thus ?iva spoke to him again. ?iva said:— O moon, let your digit decline day by day in one fortnight and increase steadily in another. ~Shiv Mahapurana Koti Rudra Samhita chapter 14

Then Moon God and all gods eulogized and worshipped Mahadev . So Mahadev came to be known as Sameshwara ( meaning God of Soma). The holy shrine came to be known as Someswar Mahadev and a pond was created there by all the gods named Somavati. Any person who bathes in that pond and worships Someshwara Mahadev becomes free from all ailments,sins, all his wishes gets fulfilled and he attains salvation. Then the moon eulogised the lord with good devotion first in the Nirguna and then in the Sagu?a form.?iva was delighted with the gods. For increasing the glory and greatness of the region and the moon, ?iva stayed there in the name- of Somesvara. He became famous in the three worlds.

O brahmins, by worship ?iva becomes the destroyer of ailments such as consumption, leprosy etc. Blessed indeed and contented is he in whose name ?iva the lord of the worlds, himself stayed there sanctifying the entire world.A pond was established there itself by all the gods. That was shared by ?iva and Brahmā together.It is famous as the moon’s pond on the earth. It is destructive of sins. The man who takes bath there gets rid of sins here.Incurable diseases like consumption are entirely eradicated if a person takes ablutions there for six months. ~Shiv Mahapurana Koti Rudra Samhita chapter 14. Om Namah Shivay