Pattiseema - Pattiseema Legend

Pattiseema Legend

Sati Devi, daughter of Daksha Prajapati, decided to marry Lord Shiva against her father’s wishes. Daksha became enraged and performed a Yagna in the name of Bruhaspati. Sati Devi, though not invited to the Yagna expressed her desire to attend the Yagna. Lord Shiva cautioned his wife that Daksha was performing this Yagna to take revenge on him and therefore advised that they should not attend. However she insisted on attending the Yagna alone, to which Lord Shiva agreed to her entreaties. Sati Devi went to her father’s place, though Daksha Prajapati saw her, he did not receive her. He also started insulting Lord Shiva. Sati Devi felt insulted and unable to bear the insults decided not to return to her husband’s place. Instead she cut her last digit of her left foot and rubbed it on the earth and created a fire and jumped into it. She was consumed by the fire.

Lord Shiva became enraged, plucked a shred of his long unbraided hair, struck it on the ground and created Lord Veerabhadra to avenge himself. Lord Shiva gave his son a metallic weapon called Pattayudha (a sword like weapon) and ordered him to destroy the Yagna and slay Daksha. Lord Vishnu and Lord Surya tried to prevent Lord Veerabhadra from slaying Daksha but he devoured the Vishnu Chakra of Mahavishnu and broke the teeth of the Sun God, and completed his mission.

All the other Gods who were witnessing the entire scene begged Lord Shiva to restore the Pasupukumkum (Bindi) of Sati Devi. Lord Veerabhadra took pity and cut the neck of a goat and planted it on the shoulders of the slain body of Daksha and infused life in him. He then ordered Daksha to complete the Yagna, so that Daksha could attain Moksha. The weapon with which Daksha was slain fell on the earth. The place where it fell was called Pattachalkshetra now popularly called Pattiseema. Lord Veerabhadra was still not satisfied and continued with his Pralaya Tandavam, causing the entire universe to trembling under his feet. Out of these tremors Goddess Mahakali was born. All the deities who were witnessing the whole scene appealed to Agastya Mahamuni to pacify Lord Veerabhadra and calm him.

Agastya Mahamuni approached Lord Veerbhadra and embraced him with both his hands. He asked Lord Veerbhadra to settle down on the hillock of Devakutta Parvattam. Lord Veerabhadra agreed and settled down on the hillock in the form of a Sivalinga (self manifest or Swyambu). Agastya Mahamuni also collected the unbraided long hair and tied it into a knot on the forehead of Lord Veerabhadra now in the form of a Linga. Thus this hillock received its importance among all other Temples.