There was a shloka in the 123rd Sarga of Yuddha Kanda of
Valmiki Ramayana, which is considered to be interpolated by many or wrongly
interpreted by some others.
It is due that shloka, many Hindus believe that
Shri Rama adored Shiva linga before embarking upon the war to Lanka.
——
a) Consider the shloka in question.
एतत् कुक्षौ समुद्रस्य स्कन्धावारनिवेशनम्
|| ६-१२३-१९
अत्र
पूर्वं
महादेवः
प्रसादमकरोत्प्रभुः |
"See this island, located in the middle
of the ocean, where my troops were stationed. At this place, the Great
Divinity or God formerly bestowed his grace on me."
=====
The misleading word in this shloka is महादेवः
- mahādēvaḥ.
If we translate the word mahādēvaḥ, without
attributing to any Divinity then the meaning would be Great Divinity or God.
——
The Shaivaites translate the word महादेवः
- mahādēvaḥ as Shiva and
thus conclude that Shri Rama worshipped Shiva there.
====
b) To fully understand the context, we should
also examine the shloka that precedes the one under discussion. The preceding
shlokas is as follows:
हिरण्यनाभन् शैलेन्द्रन् काञ्चनं पश्य मैथिलि || ६-१२३-१८
विश्रमार्थन्
हनुमतो
भित्त्वा
सागरमुत्थितम् |
"O Seetha! See the golden mountain,
Mainaka (the ruler of mountains) which rose passing through the ocean, in order
to provide rest and relaxation to Hanuma."
——
If we carefully study this shloka, we can find
that Shri Rama is referring to the Mainaka mountain, which offered hospitality
to Shri Hanuman.
====
c) So, Shri Rama was explaining to Seeta about Mainaka
Mountain, which is in the middle of the ocean, and further stated that here the
Great Divinity or God formerly bestowed his grace on him.
Mountain Mainaka stood in the middle of the
ocean and while Rameshwaram is at the beginning of ocean on shore of the
Northern tip of the ocean.
So, Shri Rama was not referring to the Shiva
Linga - mahādēvaḥ, at Rameshwaram area, as he was referring to some
divinity, which helped him when Mountain Mainaka rose to the surface from the
ocean bed.
Now, a question arises, who the divinity that
was referred to by Shri Rama as महादेवः - mahādēvaḥ - Great Divinity or God?
====
d) We have to remember that at the behest of Ocean God,
Mainaka, who had concealed himself in the ocean, rose to the surface and
offered hospitality to Shri Hanuman. Thereafter, pleased with Mainaka’s act,
Indra assured him that he would not harm him further.
====
e)Further, attributing the name महादेवः
- mahādēvaḥ to Shiva is the
work of Puranas, but cannot be found in Ramayana. In Ramayana, Indra was referred to as
dēvēśam - देवेशम् or विबुध ईश्वरम् - vibudha īśvaram.
असंस्पृशन्तम् वसुधाम् ददर्श विबुध ईश्वरम्
|
संप्रभ
आभरणम्
देवम्
विरजो
अंबर
धारिणम्
|| ३-५-६
Rama has seen Indra, the King of Devas,
with a radiant body that has the coupled radiance of Sun and Fire, mounted on a
great chariot that does not touch the earth.
===
Hence, महादेवः - mahādēvaḥ - Great Divinity or God that
bestowed grace on Shri Rama was Ocean God or Varuna, but not Shiva, as
generally believed.
