Lalit Gupta
Myths have been always popular and necessary part of all societies. As part of genres of oral literature, such as legends and folktales, myths—the symbolic tales serve four basic functions such as mystical, cosmological, sociological and pedagogical. Connected to belief systems and rituals, myths also often deal with origins of important elements of the culture like food, medicine, ceremonies, etc. Whereas the term legend is used for any narrative about a person, place or incident, which is supposedly based on fact with an intermixing of traditional material. Passed on from person-to-person, legends usually involve heroic characters or fantastic places and often encompass the spiritual beliefs of the culture.
The region of Jammu, like other ancient cultures, has number of etiological or ‘origin’ myths and legends about its popular local gods and goddesses, major rivers, caves, pilgrimages and old settlements.
Jambulochan: According to one of the most popular myths, the name Jammu is derived from Raja Jambulochan, the founder of the city. Locals believe that Jammu was founded by Raja Jambu Lochan in the 14th century BCE who during one of his hunting expeditions reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. What surprised him most was that after quenching thirst, the animals went their own ways. The Raja abandoned the idea of hunting and returned to his companions. Recounting what he had seen, he exclaimed that a place, where a lion and a lamb could drink water side by side, was undoubtedly a place of peace and tranquility. He decided to build a palace and a city was founded around it. This city became known as Jambu-Nagar, which then later changed into Jammu.
Birth of Tawi: Known in Puranas as Toushi or Surya Putri, the river which flows by the hill on which old Jammu city is located, is popularly called as Tawi. In the local folklore and mythology, the Pehd Nag, the most illustrious son of the king of Serpents, Vasak (Vasuki) Nag, is credited with bringing down the river to Jammu from its place of origin the Kali Kundi glacier and adjoining area southwest of Bhadarwah in Doda District. He did this to cure his father with help of Kaliveer and blessings of Kalika Mata. Vasak Nag in turn handed over the rule of Jammu kingdom to him Pehd Nag. The legend of Baba Pehd also has a great historical significance as it is believed that in hoary past Nagas who ruled over north India were serpent worshippers. The legend also has its origin in the Shaivite Hinduism which was prevalent in much of the Jammu and Kashmir state in the ancient times. The first incidental mention of the myth of Nag devta Baba Pehar appears in the historical account of Dogra rulers in Rajadarshani, written in Persian by Ganesh Das Bhadera. Large number of Rajput clans who ruled over small principalities in Jammu region consider Baba Pehd Devta as their kuldevta along with Kaliveer. Most Hindus of Jammu city at present perform ‘Mundan’ ceremony of their children at Devasthan of Baba Pehd near village Kattal Bataal near Nagrota.
Myth of Devika: The river Devika is one of the holiest rivers of Duggar formed by rills and other small water channels cascading from springs in Shivgarh range about a hundred kilometer north of Jammu city. Just above Sudhmahadev, at about 1600 meter altitude which is vast mountain shelf, Devika takes its final shape. Large number of tirthas dot banks of the river right from its source of origin and along its subsequent sub-terrain journey, (Gupta Ganga) up to the point of Uttarbehni, where from it starts flowing towards north. Devak continues to attract on special days, thousands of devotees who consider the river is as sacred as Ganges. According to the myths and local legends, the river is believed to have appeared on Phaggan (February-March) Chaturdashi i.e., Shivaratri at the end of Dwapar Yug when Rishi Kashyap prayed to Lord Shiva to resort something for the purification of the sinners of Madra Desh. Lord Shiva asked his consort Uma (Parvati) to flow through the land of Duggar as Devika and said that whosoever bathed in this river would be purified from sins. Lord Shiva himself manifested as lingas at a number of places on the bank of river Devika of which Sudhmahadev, Udhampur, Purmandal and Uttarbehni are the most famous. The places where the Gupt Ganga had emerged above ground, like Sudhmahadev, Udhampur, Purmandal and Uttarbehni, pilgrimage centres stand established. Other pilgrimage centres on Devika are Chenaini, Jandrah, Sakon and Siddh Swankha near Vijaypur.
Vedas mention the sanctity of Devika and consider it as a powerful source to attain divinity. The river Devika is called the elder sister of the holy river Ganga. In Padma Purana, Lord Krishna once said to Yudhishtra, ‘Even river Ganga, when becomes overburdened by the sins of the evil-doers bathing for purification, herself comes to bathe in the Devika to get rid of that weight.’
Since the Lord Shiva himself manifested on the banks of the Devika in the form of Shiv Lingam, so a great importance is attached to a bath in its water on festivals or on special sacred days for the purpose of obtaining moral cleansing.
Vaishno Devi: Visited by more than one crore pilgrims every year, the cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi is the second most attended pilgrimage in India after Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. There are two main legends about the origin of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi with some variations, but the variants are essentially similar.
First Legend: Vaishnodevi, as a celestial young girl appeared before one Brahmin Sridhar and asked him to organize a Bhandara- community feast. Being very poor, Sridhar told her that he could not afford such a feast. But the girl assured him not to worry about that and then disappeared. After much reflection, Sridhar finally invited for feast the entire village along with Guru Gorakh Nath and his pupil Bhairon Nath. Due to young girl’s divine grace, all guests were accommodated in Sridhar’s small hut and from the pot carried by her each and every member of the gathering was served with food of their respective liking and choice.
When it was the turn of Bhairon Nath, he asked to be served with meat and wine. But Vaishnavi refused and said that she will only serve vegetarian food. Then Bhairon Nath tried to get hold of Vaishnavi’s hand but she managed to evade him and fled to the mountains.
Bhairon pursued her. During her flight, the Goddess stopped at Banganga as she felt thirsty and made the water to gush out by shooting an arrow. She rested for a while at Charan Paduka where a rock bears the imprint of Her holy feet: Hence the name Charan Paduka (Charan- feet, Paduka-sandal).
She then came to Adhkuwari which is a 15 foot long cave where the Goddess rested for nine long months as a baby rests in its mother’s womb that is why this cave is also known as the Garbh Joon (the womb). Bhairon found out where Vaishnavi was and then pursued her inside the cave.
Mata Vaishno Devi blasted an opening at the other end of the cave with Her Trident and moved deeper into the mountains until she came to the cave in the Trikuta Hills. Incensed by Bhairon pursuit, Vaishnavi assumed the form of Maha Kali and beheaded him outside the cave with such force that Bhairon’s head fell 2 kilometers away on a distant hilltop from the holy cave shrine. Upon death, Bhairon realized his grave error and begged the Goddess to forgive him so that the world will not remember him as the wicked one. The Goddess had mercy on Bhairon and blessed him that there shall be a temple at the place where his head fell and every devotee to Her temple must pray at his temple first and only then a devotee’s yatra would be complete. It is said that the big rock at the mouth of holy cave is the petrified torso of Bhairon Nath. Then Vaishnavi assumed the the form of a rock, immersed herself in meditation forever.
Meanwhile Pandit Sridhar was depressed at the disappearance of the Mata and fasted for many days. The kind-hearted Goddess appeared to Sridhar in a dream and pointed towards Her Shrine in the Holy Cave. After trekking through the arduous mountains for days, Pandit Sridhar finally located the Holy Cave where he started performing regular puja. Mata Vaishno Devi granted Pandit Sridhar a boon of four sons. Till the establishment of Shri mata Shrive Board in 1990s, Pandit Sridhar’s descendants continued to worship the Mata Vaishno Devi inside the Holy Cave.
Bahvey Aali Mata: The ‘Bahvey Aali Mata’, the Great Mother Mahakali, which is worshiped in the stone temple within the Bahu fort complex, Jammu, is one of the oldest shaktipeeths in north India. According to folklore the Naga ruler of Jammu, Raja Vasak (Vasuki), asked his 22 sons to bring the divine mother enshrined in the form of rock at Bhadarwah and install the same at Bahu. After great competition and getting over numerous hurdles created by his brothers, Raja Bhed, one of Raja Vasak’s sons, ultimately succeeded in setting up the shrine at Bahu.
According to another oral account, the Bahu fort, located on the left bank of river Tawi towards south of Jammu, is also associated with Bahulochan, brother of Jambulocahan, the legendary king and founder of Jammu. While the ‘Devika Mahatamaya’ puts the original temple to be constructed by Raja Sangram Pal and Parshu Ram during Jahangir’s period.
Myth about Babbor: From number of references in Kalhana’s Rajatarangini along with presence of 10th-11th century medieval stone temples, one of which has revealed an earlier brick foundation going back to Kushana times. Babbor’s antiquity is further connected to Mahabharata times through a popular myth that links the site as capital of Arjuna’s son Babruvahan while name of his mother Ulapi is associated with Mansar lake. When Pandavas in connection with Ashvaemedha Yajña were moving from place to place, Babruvahan who born to Ulapi, in absence of Arjun and did not know about Pandavas , captures the horse and killed the army of Pandavas at a place which is presently called as Khoon. As soon as Naga princess Ulapi came to about the deed of her son, she told Babruvahan the truth about Arjun being his father and then Babruvahan with divine powers raised all the dead.
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