mailAra linga

By admin on Mar 17, 2009 | In Bhakti

lalitopAkhyAna describes mArtANDabhairava as the great upAsakA of parAmbA
stationed at shrIpura, ever immersed in contemplation on shrImahArAj~nI. Krodha
bhaTTAraka describes the great Lord of chakShuShmatI thus:
chakShuShmatIprakAshashakticChAyAsamArachitakeLim |
mANikyamukuTaramyaM manye mArtANDabhairavaM hR^idaye ||
For the nigraha of two asuras named maNi and mallAsura, shiva incarnated as
mArtANDa bhairava in premapura. bhAskararAya traces this legend to
tattvachintAmaNi tantra and mallAri mAhAtmya, of which the second work is
available today. Though he writes that this form of mArtANDa bhairava is popularly
worshiped in Maharashtra (as khaNDoba), he seems certainly more popular in
karNATa desha during the last century. Known as mailAra li~Nga, he is worshiped at
the famous shrine in mailAra in the Bellary district of Karnataka. He is worshiped
mainly as the tutelary deity of Goravas (shepherds or a class of kurubas) among
who he incarnated. According to the mAhAtmya, shiva lost his powers during the
battle, fled across the river tu~NgabhadrA and drowned himself in the river.
vIrabhadra then appeared, created the pa~nchavIras (called kanchavIraru
locally)who aided mailAra li~Nga in destroying maNikAsura and mallAsura. The
mAlA-mantra of mallAri includes the following phrases (not in the same order):
vIrabhadrasannutAya vIrabhadrAkR^itidharAya vIrabhadrotsavapriyAya
vIrabhadrarakshitAya etc.
karNikotsava, a huge fair is conducted at mylAra to celebrate the victory of mallAri,
which also serves as the annual divination fest for the gorava community. Goravas
perform a special dance named goravara KuNita featuring the adventures of mallAri
across North Karnataka. According to legends and also mallAri mAhatmya,
vIrabhadra ended the practice of vedic yajnas which were characteristic even of
sects such as kApAlika, kALAmukha and lakulIsha pAshupatas and propagated the
purer teachings of mailAra li~Nga. The various versions of the story of mallAri
narrated today describe the atrocities faced by mallAri at the hands of brAhmaNas
and vIrashaivas. The cult of mailAra li~Nga, whatever its beginning was, is today an
expression of rebellion against the brAhmaNas and vIrashaivas of karNATaka.
Various dIkShA procedures exist within this cult where jogayyas, dasayyas and
jangamayyas are initiated by elders of the community. Some scholars even suggest
a similarity between mallanna (mallikArjuna) of Andhra and mailAra li~Nga of
karNATaka.
It is also a custom among many brAhmaNa families who migrated to karNATaka in
the earlier half of this century, like mine, to worship mailAra li~Nga annually and
offer gifts to goravayyas and jogayyas during marriages. mailAra tantra describes
his mantra, mAlA, kavacha, mantras for the vIras etc. But the mantra and kavacha

handed to us traditionally is supposedly a part of rudrayAmaLa. bhAskararAya also

notes that the prayogas of mailArali~Nga are popular in mailAra tantra and
rudrayAmaLa. The following is a stava from this tantra which has been used
traditionally by many brAhmaNas in Karnataka for several decades now. The same
stava is quoted in mallAri mAhatmya albeit with some changes.
makuTamaNimayUkhaprojjhitAsheSharatnaM
vimalashashikalA~NkaM sundarendIvarAkSham |
anukR^itashashitejaH kuNDalaM charuhAsaM
prakaTadashanashobhAnirjitAnekahIram ||
abhinavamaNimuktAhArachAmpeyamAlAvividhakusumagucChaiH shobhivakShaHsthalADhyam |
saphaNapavanabhugdordaNDabhUShAbhirAmaM
karaDamaruninAdaiH pUritavyomagarbham ||
tribhuvanajagadIshaM pItakausheyavAsaM
danujadahanadakShaM prasphuratkhaDgahastam |
bhujagaphaNasuguptairbhUShaNairnyastabhUShaM
praNatasurakirITavyAptapAdAravindam ||
sitahayavarapatraM hArasaMbhUShitA~NgaM
parivR^itamatighoraiH saptabhiH sArameyaiH |
kanakagirisamAbhaM naishachUrNAbhirAmaM
sakalanigamaguhyaM naumi mallAridevam ||