Siva Ratri

[Guest guest]

Dear devotee freinds and wellwishers

PAMHO

AGTSP

Today is Siva Ratri,and one devotee freind asked me about if and how devotees

observe Siva Ratri ,so I looked up the Haribhaktivilasa for the

details.

"Although it is not mandatory for vaisnavas,the vow of Siva ratri will now be

described,for it is the proper activity of a saintly devotee".

On the Krsna caturdaso of the month of Phalguna,vaisnavas should always

observe the vow of Siva Ratri.They should do this to please Lord Krsna.

In the Padma Purana,Vrata Khanda ,it is said:

By ignoring Siva Ratri,a worshiper of Visnu,Surya,or any other deity will not

attain the result of his worship.

One should neither hate nor neglect Lord Siva.In the Kurma Purana the Supreme

Personality of Godhead tells Bhrgu and the sages:

The devotees of Lord Narayana will go to My supreme spiritual abode.However if

they hate Lord Siva they will not go there.

The night when Lord Siva personally enters His moving and unmoving lingas ,is

called Siva Ratri,a night that is dear to Lord Krsna.

The wise observe the night of Siva Ratri in three ways by fasting

2worshipping Lord Siva and 3Keeping an all night vigil.

In the evening a clean and pure person should go to a temple of Lord Siva

,sip acmana and observe the vow.Before the Deity of Lord Siva that person

should declare his intention in following the vow.Then he should worship Lord

Siva.

Then recieting the five syllable mantra (namah Sivaya)or the sata rudra

mantra,a brahmana should bathe the Deity of Lord Siva with pure milk and other

liquids.

Then he should properly offer to the Deity of Lord Siva scents

,flowers,grains,and other gifts.Then He should offer incense ,lamp, and other

things.Then he should offer arghya in a conchshell.

Then one should properly worship the spiritual master ,offer him daksina

,observe an all night vigil ,and break the fast at dawn.

By observing this vow Vaisnavas increase their love for Lord Krsna .Lord Siva

mercifully showers them with the nectar of devotion to Lord Krsna.

(end)

If one lives in the holy dharma like Vrindavana one can visit the temple like

Gopisvara Mahadev and offer flowergarlands and circumbalate the Siva Linga of

Lord Siva.

In Mayapure there is the famous Siva linga at the Yoga Pitha(Lord Caitanyas

birth place) so one can go and pay obaisences to Lord Gauranga and His great

devotee Lord Siva.

I have sometimes read the prayers by Lord Siva in the 4th Canto of Srimad

Bhagavatam.And we can remeber other pastimes of Lord Siva.Like when Lord Siva

came to Nandagram to see Baby Krsna.

There are many pastimes of Lord Siva mentioned in the Bhagavatam like the

fight between the Visnu and Siva Jvaras,Lord Siva defeating the Tripurasura.

Vaisnavanam yatha Sambhu (SB 12.13.16)Ki jaya!!

Your servant

Payonidhi das