The infinitely compassionate Lord Shiva master of countless universes, the uncaused cause, ocean of mercy, wish-fulfilling divine tree for the devotees, more radiant than lightning, clad in tiger skin, destroyer of sins, indweller of every being, ocean of compassion, redeemer of the fallen, and consort of Goddess Parvati has countless incarnations and divine pastimes.
Among these, He appears in various forms sometimes one-faced, sometimes three-faced, sometimes five-faced deities. In other places, He manifests as Swayambhu Lingas or Jyotirlingas, according to the wish of His devotees and the context of the worship.
Among these countless forms, one ancient one-faced idol of Shri Bhandareśhwar Mahadev exists, which is believed to be contemporary to Lord Pashupatinath. Since this deity was installed and worshipped directly by Lord Kubera, the god of wealth, it is considered to be of very special significance.
When devotees inquire about the reason Kubera established this idol, and how it is considered contemporary to Lord Pashupatinath, scholars point to the Kotirudra Samhita of the Shiva Mahapurana, which connects this to the Jyotirlinga of Kedarnath.
In ancient times, in the sacred pilgrimage site of Badarikashram, the avatars of Lord Vishnu — Nara and Narayana — were engaged in deep penance for the welfare of the world. Both were ardent devotees of Lord Shiva and would create Parthiva Lingas (lingas made of soil) daily and worship them.
Impressed by their devotion, Lord Ashutosh (Shiva) appeared before them and said:
“I am pleased with your unwavering devotion. Ask for a boon.”
Hearing the nectar-like words of Shiva, Nara and Narayana said:
“O compassionate one, O protector of devotees, if you are truly pleased, then please reside here in your divine form.”
Accepting the request for the welfare of the world, Lord Shiva manifested as the Jyotirlinga at Kedarnath in the Himalayas. It is said that those who behold Kedareshwar, the deity worshipped continuously by Nara and Narayana, are blessed, and even sages, ascetics, and devotees seek his darshan (divine vision) as described in the scriptures.
At the end of the Dwapar Yuga, after the Mahabharata war, King Yudhishthira and his brothers were on a pilgrimage. They reached Kedarnath to seek the darshan of Lord Kedareshwar.
However, Lord Shiva, unwilling to give darshan to those who had been involved in fratricide (killing brothers and teachers), took the form of a bull (Mahish) and tried to flee.
The Pandavas, recognizing the divine bull, chased after Him. The mighty Bhimasena caught the bull by its tail, and as Shiva tried to disappear, the Pandavas praised Him and pleaded.
Unable to escape, Lord Shiva played with the Pandavas for some time before leaving His body behind at Kedarnath and allowing His head to travel to Gokarna Tirtha in Nepal, near the banks of the Bagmati River, where He became known as Gokarneshwar Mahadev.
This is described in the Kotirudra Samhita:
“Nepale shirobhago gatast drupata sthitah.”
(“The head portion went to Nepal and remained there.”)
At Kedarnath, only Lord Shiva’s body remains and is worshipped as a Jyotirlinga. But scriptures state that even if one visits all twelve Jyotirlingas, the pilgrimage remains incomplete without visiting Pashupatinath in Nepal, where Lord Shiva’s head resides.
When the head portion of Lord Shiva arrived at Gokarna, Gokarneshwar Mahadev, already residing there, told the head, “It is not appropriate for both of us to reside at the same place. For the welfare of the world, we should live in different places.”
The head replied, “Where shall I reside then? Who will serve me?”
Gokarneshwar suggested that He go to the place on the banks of Bagmati where He had previously played in the form of Kirat (hunter form) and called upon Kubera to serve Him.
Kubera immediately arrived. Upon hearing everything, he pledged:
“I will serve my friend forever.”
Thus, Kubera installed the head portion as Lord Pashupatinath, and began worshipping Him daily on the banks of the Bagmati.
Later, Kubera also took up residence near the Rudramati River in Kantipuri (ancient Kathmandu), in a beautiful forest filled with fruits and especially Shreephal (Bael) trees.
There he served Pashupatinath, tended cows, prepared food, and fed sages and saints. Because of the need to store offerings and food items, he established the one-faced idol of Lord Bhandareśhwar Mahadev at that very spot.
Thus, Bhandareśhwar Mahadev, established by Kubera in Shreephal-van (now called Sifal), became a sacred place where Kubera served Lord Pashupatinath, sages, and cows every day.
With the passage of time, natural disasters and invasions destroyed many ancient temples and monasteries. But later kings restored these sacred places. The temple of Lord Bhandareśhwar, rich in ancient history, is now located in Sifal, Kathmandu, on the way down to Kalopul.
There is a local belief that the name Sifal is a corruption of Shreephal, the original name of the forest. It is also said that during the 7th century, the seventh Shankaracharya came to visit Lord Pashupatinath and made offerings of Shreephal and Bael leaves from Bhandareśhwar to Him.
There is a special tradition: before any new priests, Bhattas, or Bhandaris are appointed to the Pashupatinath temple, they must take an oath at the temple of Bhandareśhwar.
Even today, daily worship at Pashupatinath does not commence until flowers and offerings from Bhandareśhwar are brought, as per the tradition set by Kubera.
It is believed that those who visit Lord Bhandareśhwar, established by Kubera and blessed with infinite glory, will have all their desires fulfilled.
Devotees also testify to receiving blessings such as children, wisdom, wealth, health, and longevity through His worship.
Since 2052 B.S. (1995 A.D.), daily fire offerings (havan), bhajans, kirtans, and scriptural discourses are held at the temple.
Just as a pilgrimage to the twelve Jyotirlingas is incomplete without seeing Pashupatinath, and a Char Dham yatra incomplete without Muktinath, likewise, no pilgrimage in Kathmandu is complete without the darshan of Lord Bhandareśhwar Mahadev.