Maha shivaratri - the celbration continues...

[Guest guest]

Dear devotees,

 

with mAha-shivaratri less than a week away, let us continue to sing

the praises of Parvati pataye shri uma-maheshwera!

 

It is very easy to please Lord Shiva. He is an ascetic. He is pleased

with milk abisekha and the offering of bilva leaves.

 

Today, i would like to share a story with you.

 

Long time ago, a hunter was roaming around in a dense forest. The

hunter's sharp eyes spotted a graceful deer strolling by. While the

hunter was trying to take an aim at the deer with his bow and arrow,

he heard a loud 'roar' of a Tiger. the hunter was all shook up and he

immediately climbed up a nearby tree.

 

THE HUNGRY TIGER was immensely pleased to see the HUNTER ON THE TREE

TOP AND WAITED EAGERLY under the tree FOR THE MAN TO MAKE ONE FALSE

MOVE. The tiger had no desire to leave the place without his 'meal'

 

The hunter was so scared and it was getting darker and darker. THe

hunter was afraid he would fall asleep and fall off the tree and

become an easy prey to the hungry tiger below. To keep himself awake,

the hunter started plucking one leaf after another from the tree and

started throwing it down.

 

under the tree was a Shiva-linga. and as the hunter threw the leaves

one by one , he was performing an abhisekha of the shiva-linga with

the leaves of the tree,; this tree happened to be a bilva tree.

 

SOON, IT WAS MORNING and the sun was shining brightly. the tiger had

already left the scene . To his utter surprise, the hunter saw the

magnificent form of Lord shiva . the hunter immediately climbed down

from the tree and made prostrations to the lord of the universe,

Jagadishwera! lORD SHIVA BLESSED THE HUNTER FOR HIS DEVOTION AND

BLESSED HIM .

 

FOLKS, MY FAVORITE VERSE are bilvashtakam and lingashtakam.

 

i have seen the entire text of bilvashtakam in the sanskrit document

list but i am stll looking for an english translation.

 

tridalaM triguNAkAraM trinetraM cha triyAyudham.h .

trijanmapApasaMhAraM ekabilvaM shivArpaNam.h .. .

 

OUR BELOVED LORD SHIVA IS FULL OF THREE GUNAS ( TAMAS, RAJAS AND

SATTWA) . he holds three weapons in his hand. (triyayudham) . He has

three eyes.

 

i worship him with one bilva leaf...

 

now, dear learned devotees could anyone else render a better

translation of this and the other seven slokas of bilvashtakam...

 

thank you kindly,

 

om namaha shivaye!