Somnath: Temple of the Moon God
Where Chandra was healed of his curse
Discover the first jyotirlinga at Somnath, Gujarat, where the moon god Chandra prayed to be relieved of Daksha's curse. Learn why the moon waxes and wanes, the temple's location at the confluence of three rivers, and its status as the most revered of all jyotirlingas.
The First Light: Where the Moon Found Redemption
On the western coast of Gujarat, where the Arabian Sea crashes against ancient shores, stands the temple that begins every pilgrim's journey through the twelve jyotirlingas. Somnath, literally "Lord of the Moon", marks the spot where the celestial god of night found relief from a curse that had robbed him of his radiance.
The Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra begins with these words:
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ ca "In Saurashtra, Somnath..."
This positioning is no accident. Somnath is Pratham Jyotirlinga, the first of the twelve, the beginning of the sacred geography of Shiva's infinite light.
The Curse That Dimmed the Moon
To understand why Shiva manifested here, we must travel back to a cosmic drama involving love, jealousy, and the wrath of a powerful father-in-law.
Chandra, the moon god, had married all twenty-seven Nakshatras, the star goddesses who are daughters of Prajapati Daksha. Each nakshatra represented a lunar mansion, and Chandra was to spend one night with each wife as he traveled through the heavens. The arrangement should have been perfect: twenty-seven nights, twenty-seven wives, an eternal celestial rhythm.
But Chandra fell deeply in love with one wife above all others: Rohini, the beautiful red star. He began neglecting his other wives, spending all his time with Rohini alone. The twenty-six ignored wives complained bitterly to their father.
Daksha warned Chandra repeatedly. The moon god promised to reform but always returned to Rohini. Finally, Daksha's patience broke. He pronounced a terrible curse:
"You who have forsaken your duties for passion, may you waste away! May your light diminish day by day until you vanish completely!"
The curse took immediate effect. The brilliant moon began to fade. Night by night, Chandra's luminous body grew dimmer. The world was plunged into darkness. Crops failed without moonlight to guide the seasons. Tides became erratic. The medicinal herbs that drew power from moon-rays lost their potency.