Author: Vijay Hashia
Publication: Speakingtree.in
Date: July 12, 2015
URL:   http://m.speakingtree.in/spiritual-articles/science-of-spirituality/the-spiritual-cave

Introduction: The pilgrimage to Amarnath, where Shiva revealed the secret of life and death to Parvati, generates divine vibrations and wards off negative evil forces

Sages call him by many names: Mahadeva, Triambakeshwara, Tripurantaka, Kalarudra, Neelakantha, Mrityunjaya, Sarveshvara and Sadashiva. The Rig Veda refers to him as Triambaka, the three-eyed one; he is the manifestation of the three facets of life: truth, Satyam; virtue, Shivam and beauty, Sundaram. He represents Lingam, the symbol of the energy and potential of God.

To experience Shiva’s presence,  devotees undertake the arduous physical yatra or journey to Amarnath by enduring hunger, pain and exhaustion in extreme weather conditions. The Amarnath pilgrimage is a journey of faith and belief undertaken during the month of Shravan. 

Shiva, it is believed, revealed the secret of immorality to his consort, Parvati at Amarnath. Devotees throng the holy cave to get healed and blessed. It is the divine power of Amarnath that guides them to a higher spiritual perception. A visit to the abode of Shiva is a life-changing experience.

The story goes that Parvati expressed the desire to know why Shiva wears the mund mala or garland of skulls. Shiva said that whenever Parvati takes birth, he adds one head to the mala. Parvati then said, “Lord, I die again and again, but you are immortal. Please tell me the secret of birth and death.” Shiva was initially reluctant to disclose the secret, but on her persistence, he agreed to reveal the secret of immortality, the Amar Katha.

He chose a place — the cave at Amarnath — where nobody would  hear the secret, a place where ekanth or serenity and calmness prevails. On his way to the cave, Shiva left behind his vahana or vehicle Nandi, also symbolising the desire of mind at Bailgaon, now called Pahalgam. At the next point, Chandanwari, he got rid of the moon and jata, dreadlock — the intellect of discrimination. Further ahead, on the banks of Lake Shesh Nag, he released the snakes, that is, ego. He left his son Ganesha at the Mahaganesh Hill or Mahagunas Parvat. At Panchtarni, Shiva left the five elements — worldly body that is made up of earth, water, air, fire and sky.

To reveal the secret, Shiva, along with Parvati, entered the holy cave of Amarnath, and took samadhi. To ensure that no living being heard the immortal tale, he created Rudra (Kalagni) and ordered him to eliminate every living thing in and around the holy cave.

After ensuring that no one was listening, Shiva began to reveal the secret of immortality to Parvati. However, by chance, an egg lying beneath the deer skin, on which Shiva was sitting, listened to the secret, and a pair of pigeons born out of the egg, became immortal. Visitors to Amarnath often report spotting two pigeons near the cave at sub-zero temperature at the height of 19,685 ft.

Every year devotees throng to see the giant ice stalagmite that looks like the Shiva Lingam. Legend has it that the Lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon, reaching its maximum height — more than 6 feet — on the full moon day of Shravan. It’s believed that

Shiva first appeared in the cave on this day.

The temple is reported to be about 5,000 years old. However, exactly how the cave was found is unknown, though popular belief is that it was discovered by a Muslim shepherd; this adds another interesting dimension to the legend. It is said that shepherd Buta Malik once met a saint who gave him a bag of coal, which turned into gold once Malik reached his home. Overwhelmed by this miracle, he went back to find the saint, but instead discovered the cave with a huge ice formation that looked like a Shiva Lingam. After the villagers learnt about this miracle, the cave became a place of pilgrimage.

Just like saints and seers, holy places bestow divine grace on us. They help us in our spiritual communion with the Divine. Legends tell us that man glorifies God because through man, God’s glory can be seen in things of nature.

Liberating Experience

The Amarnath pilgrimage generates divine vibrations and protects us from all evil forces, including diseases. Shiva is consciousness and time. He is the giver of knowledge and destroyer of ignorance. He liberates people from the cycle of life and death. Whatever there is, it is Shiva. There is nothing other than Shiva.

We visit Amarnath to invoke his blessings, so that we are released from the cycle of birth and death.