shiv-oham! shiv-oham- a night of heavenly bliss and ecstasy!

[Guest guest]

dear devotess,

 

yesterday, i attended the maha-shivaratri festival at the sri shiva

vishnu temple in lanham, md.

 

my friend and i attended reached there around 3 pm just in time for

the 2nd, 3rd and 4th kaala pujabisekham...

 

i had made some "sarkarai pongal" (sweet rice ) to offer

as 'prasadam' to lord shiva and my friend brought with her gallons of

milk for abisekha to the lord.

 

when we reached the temple, the 2nd lkaala puja was in full swing.

all the devotees were assembled in front of the swamyam bhu shiva

linga shrine. the priest was doing the milk abisekham amonst the

chanting of rudram-chamakam and namakam . the whole hall resonated

with divine sound vibrations.

 

the highlight of the evening was the tr-kaala puja which was attended

by a record number of devotees. the entire hall was fiiled with men,

women and children from the tri-state area washington, maryland and

virginia.

 

A local bhajanai goshti (group of bhajan singers) sng all the poular

shiva bhajans... they also sang the favorite atmashatakam !

 

Atmashatakam

 

Mano buddhyahankara chittani naham

Na cha shrotra jihve, na cha ghrana netre

Na cha vyoma bhumirna tejo na vayuhu

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .1.

 

 

I am not mind, intellect, thought, ego, or form of the supreme being;

I (am not) have neither ears, tongue, nose (nostrils) nor eyes;

I also am not sky (space), earth, light or wind;

I am a fortunate, joyful, supreme being as the emblem of truth,

knowledge and eternal bliss. I am the self SPIRITUAL Joy (pure

consciousness) Shiva, Shivoham, Shivoham.

 

 

Na cha prana sangno na vai pancha vayuhu

Na va sapta dhatur na va pancha koshaha

Na vak pani padau na chopastha payoo

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .2.

 

 

I am not the most essential (vital) air (oxygen),

I am not part of essential five gaseous body functions (which are

Pran, Aparn, Vyan, Udan and Saman)- I have nothing to do with them,

I also am not the seven-fold material (Ras, Rakta, Mans, Med, Asthi,

Majja and Shukra) that help in body development,

I also am not part of five coverings that help to build up the

personality (food, air, mind, knowledge or wisdom and pleasure).

I have nothing to do with five organs of action (which are speech-

mouth, hands, feet, reproductive and rectum),

I am a fortunate, joyful, supreme being as the emblem of truth,

knowledge and eternal bliss. I am the self SPIRITUAL Joy (pure

consciousness) Shiva, Shivoham, Shivoham.

 

 

Na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau

Mado naiva me naiva matsarya bhavah

Na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshah

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .3.

 

 

I do not have any dislikes or likes

I do not have any greed or delusion

I do not have any pride or arrogant vanity

I am not jealous of anyone or do not intend to have competition with

anyone

I even do not need the four main necessities of life (which are

Dharma (Law of Life), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Desires) and Moksha

(Liberation)

I am a fortunate, joyful, supreme being as the emblem of truth,

knowledge and eternal bliss. I am the self SPIRITUAL Joy (pure

consciousness) Shiva, Shivoham, Shivoham

 

 

 

Na punyam na papam na saukhyam na dukham

Na mantro na tirtham na veda na yagnaha

Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .4.

 

 

I am not attached to any sinlessness (righteousness) or sin

I have neither pleasure (joy) nor pain (sorrow),

I do not need to know any Mantra (sacred formula)

I do not need to make any long journeys to sacred places

I do not need to know any sacred writings (Vedas - scripture)

I do not need to perform any sacred ceremony (Yagna - rituals)

I am neither the experience (subject) nor the experienced (object)

nor the experiencer (doer),

I am a fortunate, joyful, supreme being as the emblem of truth,

knowledge and eternal bliss. I am the self SPIRITUAL Joy (pure

consciousness) Shiva, Shivoham, Shivoham.

 

 

 

Na me mrutyu shanka na me jati bhedah

Pita naiva me naiva mata na janma

Na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyah

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .5.

 

 

I have no death (no fear of death), nor have I any distinction of any

caste,

I have neither father nor mother because I am never born,

I have neither relatives (kin) nor friends

I do not have any teachers (guru) and I am not a disciple (student),

I am a fortunate, joyful, supreme being as the emblem of truth,

knowledge and eternal bliss. I am the self SPIRITUAL Joy (pure

consciousness) Shiva, Shivoham, Shivoham.

 

 

 

Aham nirvikalpo nirakar rupo

Vibhur vyapya sarvatra sarvendriyanam

Sada me samatvam na muktir na bandhah

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .6.

 

:

I am thought-free and I have no form,

I am all-pervading and existing everywhere,

I am the king of behind all sense-organs,

I am always impartial to everything,

I am free from everything and I have no attachment to anything,

I am a fortunate, joyful, supreme being as the emblem of truth,

knowledge and eternal bliss. I am the self SPIRITUAL Joy (pure

consciousness) Shiva,

 

www.utexas.edu/students/dbt/docs/prayers/morning.html

 

the third kaala puja was followed by bilva storam and the

distribution of prasadam .

 

one remarkable feature this year was a special mandap that housed

a 'shiva' idol which was placed on a snow-capped peak of the

himalayas- this paegentry was specially created by one of the priests

who came up with this imaginative idea to reflect the 'snow' weather

condition in washington dc.

 

the inclement weather did not in any way deter the dvottes from

attending the festival.

 

the the fouth kaala puja extended till till 6 am in the morning after

which my friend and i returned home.

 

altogether, an evening of bliss and ecstasy.

 

shiv-oham! om namaha shivaye!