MAHASHIVARATRI

Dear Readers,

May the Happiness be with you!

Maha Shivraatri

On the Occasion of Mahashivratri, I pray to Lord Shiva for your well-beings through out your life.

Maha Shivratri is the Great Night of Lord Shiva. It is said that on this very day Lord Shiva get married with Goddess Parvati. So on this auspicious day, eternal union of Shiva took place with Shakti. Shiva is the representation of primeval energy. With Shakti, Lord Shiva is creator. As Mahakaal, He is destroyer. On the night of Mahashivratri Lord Shiva is said to have revealed the Tandava, the dance of primordial conception, preservation, sustenance and destruction. Lord Shiva has Various attributes. He is Mahayogi. He is Chandrashekhar. He is originator of the Ganga. He is the one and only Aghora who understands the Tantra (technique) of this cosmos. He is Mahadeva. Any devotee, who worships Mahadeva on the eve of Mahashivaratri with dedication and devotion, lord Shiva becomes happy and grants his devotee the desired fruits in his life. Therefore on this auspicious day everyone should worship Lord Shiva with great devotion for getting rid of problems and obstacle in any walk of life.

Puja Items: Requirements for Shivratri Puja

• Shivalinga or an image, or idol of Lord Shiva.

• Bilwa (Bael) Leaves

• Vermilion,

• Aguru (holy perfume),

• Vibhuti/Bhasm (sacred ash made using dried cow dung), Rudraaksha Mala (prayer beads made of the dark berries of Elaeocarpus ganitrus, to chant Om Namah Shivaya),

• Akshata (uncooked rice)

• Incense sticks,

• Fresh flowers including Dhatura Phool

• Camphor

• Oil/Ghee lamp

• Jal Patra of Bronze, Copper or Brass (Lota or container filled with holy water)

• For abhishek make available Water (for purity), Milk (for the blessing of purity and piousness), Yogurt (for prosperity and progeny), Honey (for sweet speech), Ghee (for victory), and Sugar (for happiness)

• Arrange one Bell.

When and How to do Maha Shivaratri Pooja At Home

• Keep fasting or do Phalaahar and in the evening around 8 PM take ritual bath, using warm water and seeds of black sesame. It is a popular belief that by bathing in warm water, with few seeds of black sesame, the body is purified.

• Wear new clothes.

• Sit on Aasan or woolen blanket

• Purify yourself and around you with Mantra and water.

• Smear bhasma (holy ash) on forehead.

• Wear Rudraksha Mala.

• Light Oil lamp, Dhoop and Incense sticks.

• Do Abhishek of Shivalinga with milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee, sugar and water.

These six items are necessary for abhishek on Shivaratri.

• Apply holy tilak with Bhasma, Sandal paste, vermillion to Lord Shiva

• Offer Flower Garland.

• Offer Flowers and fruits like Dhatura, Bel leaves etc.

• Thereafter, while making sound from Bell, offer Bilwa leaves to Lord Shiva (or Linga) and chant mantra with great devotion for at least 108 times - 'Om Namah Shivaya'. 11 Mala (i.e. 11 x 108 = 1188 times) Chanting is also recommendable. Significance of Jyotirlinga: The Puranas vociferously sing the praises of the greatness of the Jyotirlingas. By reciting the name of this, one can eliminate all the sins. The Sadhaka becomes calm, chaste and pure. He becomes illuminated and enlightened with supreme and divine knowledge. The names mentioned for the benefits of all:

SAURASHTRA SOMNATHAM CHA SHRISHAILE MALLIKARJUNAM ||

UJJAINYAM MAHAKALOMKARE MAMMALESHWARAM ||

PARLYAM VAIJNATHAM CHA DAKINYAM BHEEM SHANKARAM ||

SETU BANDHE TU RAMESHAM NAGESHAM DARUKA VANE ||

VARANASYA TU VISHWESHAM TRIBAKAM GAUTAMITATE ||

HIMALAYE TU KEDARAM GHURMESHAM CHA SHIVALAYE ||

AETANI JYOTIRLINGANI SAYAM PRATAHA PATHENNARAHA ||

SAPTA JANMA KRITAM PAPAM SMARANEN VINASHYATI ||

One who recites these 12 names regularly in the morning and evening he washes all the sins committed in the previous 7 births and attains all the powers

Attributes of Lord Shiva

Cremation ground:

Shiva sitting in the cremation ground signifies that He is the controller of death in the physical world.

Tiger skin:

A tiger skin symbolises potential energy.

Three eyes:

Lord Shiva, also called Tryambaka Deva, is depicted as having three eyes: the sun is His right eye, the moon the left eye and fire the third eye.

Kundalas (two ear rings):

Two Kundalas, Alakshya and Niranjan in the ears of the Lord symbolise the Shiva and Shakti (male and female) or Ardha-Nariswara principle of creation.

A snake (Vasuki Naga):

The snake is shown curled three times around the neck of the Lord and is looking towards His right side. The three coils of the snake symbolise the past, present and future - time in cycles.

Ganga:

Ganga, symbolically represented on the head of the Lord by a female (Mother Ganga) with a jet of water emanating from her mouth and falling on the ground, signifies that the Lord destroys sin, removes ignorance, and bestows knowledge, purity and peace on the devotees.

Varda Mudra:

Lord Shiva's right hand is shown in a boon- bestowing and blessing pose, which annihilates evil, grants boons, bestows grace, destroys ignorance, and awakens wisdom in His devotees.

Half-open eyes:

When the Lord opens His eyes, a new cycle of creation emerges and when He closes them, the universe dissolves for creation of the next cycle. The half-open eyes convey the idea that creation is going through cyclic process, with no beginning no end.

Matted locks:

The three matted locks on the head of the Lord convey the idea that integration of the physical, mental and spiritual energies is the ideal of yoga.

The crescent moon:

The crescent moon is only one of His ornaments.

Nandi:

The bull is associated with Shiva and said to be His vehicle.

Kamandalu:

A water pot (Kamandalu) made from a dry pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the ground next to Shiva signifies that, an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to experience the bliss of the Self.

Rudraksha necklace:

Rudra is another name of Shiva. Rudraksha necklace worn by the Lord illustrates that He uses His cosmic laws firmly - without compromise - to maintain law and order in the universe.

Snake around the neck:

The snakes to symbolise the yogic power of Lord Shiva with which He dissolves and recreates the universe.

Trident (Trisula):

A three-pronged trident shown adjacent to the Lord symbolises His three fundamental powers (shakti) of will (iccha), action (kriya) and knowledge (jnana). Damaru (drum): Damaru symbolises the two utterly dissimilar states of existence, unmanifest and manifest.

The unclad body covered with ashes:

The unclad body of Lord Shiva covered the ashes signify that Shiva is the source of the entire universe which emanates from Him, but He transcends the physical phenomena and is not affected by it.

May the Lord Bless you,

Vinod Khurana
heavenlyblessings@suvik.ae
00971 55 714 9983.