Join our March 5, 2008 Maha Shivaratri Celebration!!!

[Guest guest]

AUM AMRITESVARYAI NAMAH! AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA! HARI OM!!! NAMAH PARVATI PATE!

HAR HAR MAHADEV! BOM BOM BHOLE! JAI MAHAKAL!!!

 

 

Wednesday, March 5th we will be celebrating Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of

Shiva, the One Consciousness That is Pure Goodness, Pure Auspiciousness, where

traditionally Shiva is worshiped and celebrated from sundown to sunrise.

Everyone is invited to Prakashi and Surya's Amritesvari Devi Mandir By The Sea

(our home) for an Incredibly Nectarous and Shaktified Night of Worship through

continuous chanting of bhajans, mantras, abhishekams (bathing of the Lingam),

puja, homa, stotrams, ashtottara shatanaamaavalis and sahasranams, dancing,

aratis, meditation, readings and more.

We will begin promptly at 5:30 pm and ending a little after dawn the next day.

We will be preparing all day and you are encouraged to show up as early as

4:30-5 PM, to purify and center/ready yourself for the opening worship.

 

You are welcome to come and stay for as long or as short a time as you like. It

is said if one worships Shiva in the four quarters of this night, without

sleeping, that one is assured Moksha. I don't know about such things, but I can

tell you that it is always a very high and memorable event where AMMA/Mahadev's

presence is VERY noticeable and easily felt. Please make sure you take some of

the prasadam before you leave! There will be extra special prasadam for all

those at the end of the program the next day.

 

If possible, please let us know that you will be attending, as we want to make

sure every guest is taken care of in every possible way. Email Surya at

mahamuni or call 760-632-1226

 

Directions:

1550 Loraine Drive , Leucadia.

I-5 to Leucadia Blvd. West on Leucadia to Hwy 101. North on 101, 6 streets to

Avocado St. (Leucadia Donuts on corner). Left on Avocado to Loraine Dr. , 3rd

house on right.

Please Park on Neptune Ave , just past Loraine or at Grandview Beach Parking Lot

on Neptune , North of Avocado about 1½ blocks aw ay.

 

This is the tentative schedule of the night's events on top of the all night

kirtan/bhajans and interspersed readings:

 

5:30 Start of Opening Arati and Puja. This is a very extended type of arati,

where we will be ringing bells, blowing conches, offering light, incense,

flowers, etc to open up the energy and space of the altar and the room. As

always, I will be blasting a recording of the performance of the arati in one of

the holiest temples in India, the Mayadevi temple, during the night of the

Sannyas Initiation of the Nagas at the 1998 Kumbh Mela in Hardwar, one of the

holiest cities in India. Hardwar , literally the door of Har(a), a name of

Shiva, is a place saturated for millenia with Shiva Consciousness and Worship,

and is one of the four places that Amrit, the nectar of Immortality, fell. If

you can make this, I would HIGHLY suggest it. It is incredibly powerful! I

can't stress this enough!

 

5:45: Brief Explanation of Maha Shivaratri, Chanting of Shiva Kavacham (Putting

on the Armor of Shiva and His Mantra), Purifying/Sanctifying the body through

Nyasa Mantras and Affirmation of Sankalpa--These are short, easy and palpably

powerful.

 

6:00 First Milk Abhishekam--Bathing of the Lingam(s). This is traditionally

done 4 or 5 times throughout the night. First Milk, then yogurt, then ghee,

then honey, the sugar or sometimes other items instead. In between the baths,

the Lingam gets a rinse with Ganga Jal, water from Maa Gangaji, combined with

Amma's Holy Water. At the end, you have Panchamritam, nectar of five items.

Pure bliss, especially considering that Amma's Padukam will be on that tray too,

on either side of the Maha Lingam! Bel/Bilva leaves, especially sacred to

Shiva, will be provided and offered by all present personally to MAHADEV!

 

6:10 Ganesh Ashtotarra Shata Namavali (108 Names), Mata Amritanandamayi

Ashtotarra Shata Namavali, Shiva Dhynam (Meditation on Shiva) and Shiva

Sahasranam Namavali (1000 Names of Shiva)

 

 

9 PM Second Yogurt Abhishekam and Bel/Bilva Leaf Offering followed by Sanskrit

and English reading of Shivashtakam and/or Rudrashtakam and/or Patanjali's

Sadashivashtakam

 

12 AM Third Ghee Abhishekam and Bel/Bilva Leaf Offering followed by Sanskrit

and English reading of AdiShankararcharya's Shiva Panchakshara Stotram and Shiva

Sadakshara Stotram

 

4 AM Fourth Honey Abhishekam and Bel/Bilva Leaf Offering followed by Sage

Vasistha's Daridraya Dahana Shiva Stotram (Prayer to BurnPoverty) and Adi

Shankararcharya's Shivaparadha Kshamapana Stotram (Forgiveness For all mistakes)

 

 

6 AM Special Fifth Sugar Abhishekam followed by followed by Sanskrit and English

reading of Bilvashtakam

 

6:15 ish 108 repetitions each of Om Namah Shivaya, Maha Mrtunjaya Mantra, and

Om Amriteshwaryai Namah and Mahishasura Mardini Stotram

 

Followed by Closing Arati and short meditation

 

Then distribution of the MahaPrasad (and other special, secret treats)!!!

 

I also would like to offer 10,008 mantras of Aum Namah Shivaya at the homa fire

as a group, done in shifts.

 

Enclosed below is various information on various subjects surrounding the event,

as well as the tentative schedule of the Night's Events. It also includes

various ways you can contribute/help, if interested.

 

JAI AMMA! JAI MAHADEV!

 

Surya

 

 

 

Background on Maha Shivaratri: Here are several websites with info on this

Holiest of Days/Nights:

 

http://www.mahashivratri.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Shivaratri

http://www.dlshq.org/religions/shivaratri.htm

 

 

FOOD: It is traditional to fast the whole day and night, but certainly not

required. Some people just drink water, some allow juice and/or tea. Another

type of fast consists of just eating " fasting foods " , which are all fruits,

nuts, milk products, sugar, honey, potatoes, carrot, beets, and spinach. We

will have some of these available as well as plenty of chai of different types.

Hey coffee too if you want/need it.

 

If you want to contribute food, please bring light snacks/ finger food, fruits,

nuts, potato chips, etc that can be left out for people to snack on, or dishes

that can be eaten for breaking the fast after the night is over. Traditional

dishes for prasad like Kheer and Halva would be most welcome. Juice is also

nice. We will have bottled water available for everyone, but more is always

welcome. If you want to commit to contributing any of these things, that would

be great--email (mahamuni) or give me a call (760-632-1226). If you

don't or you just show up with something unplanned, that is okay too. Again,

please make sure you take some of the prasadam before you leave!

 

UTENSILS: We are always happy to provide all sorts of cups, plates, utensils,

etc., but since people have been asking what they can bring to help, if someone

wants to supply more of these that is also welcome. If this interests you,

email (mahamuni) or give me a call (760-632-1226) so we don't have an

overflow of these.

 

MUSIC: Please feel free to bring musical instruments and please, please, please

come and share leading a Shiva bhajan or two or three or more with us. Any

style, any form, any way you like. Longer style is certainly encouraged. Many

people are converting other bhajans they normally sing to Shiva bhajans by

substituting Shiva's names in. Never a bad idea to bring songsheet copies of

your bhajans if possible. Or just come and sing along or dance or just sit and

meditate and share your bliss and holy presence with us. Regular kirtan leaders

that want to fill an hour slot or more, are very welcome. Please just let me

know your interest and time constraints, if any. Again, email

(mahamuni) or give me a call (760-632-1226).

 

PERSONAL PUJA ITEMS: If you have a special Shiva Lingam or Picture, etc, that

you would like to have worshiped on the altar, that is encouraged, but I would

prefer if at all possible, that you drop it off with me by Tuesday, March 4. If

you have been to our house before for Satsang, you might have noticed that I

tend to make elaborate altars, that take hours to put together, and I would

prefer to design this one in the same manner to give the highest respect to all

items being worshipped. But if this isn't possible for you, then just bring it

when you come and we will find a righteous place for it

 

FLOWERS: Flowers and flower petals (especially rose petals) are most welcome.

Datura flowers are very traditional and most welcome. White is best, but all

are good. Other special flowers are Hibiscus (especially red), roses, and bel

leaves (which I will be providing to be offered at all 4 Abhishekam times. We

will offer at least 108 throughout the night). Traditionally Shiva is worshiped

with white flowers and offerings.

 

SANSKRIT: If you are comfortable chanting Sanskrit and familiar with certain

Shiva stotrams, please let me know. I am sure people would like to hear more

than just my voice. Also if you would like to read some of the English

translations of some of the stotrams we will chant during the night, please also

let me know. Once again, email (mahamuni) or give me a call

(760-632-1226).

 

 

 

SADHANA AND VRAT (VOW): I do believe that the more people that can commit to

the sadhana of observing the vrata (vow) of worship for the entire night, the

more powerful it will be for all involved. The more you give, the more you get!

The greater the Tapas, the greater the Shakti! We'll all be filled with Love

anyway from Valentine's Day the day before, so why not let this Love spill over

into the next night. After all, Shiva is also known in His " Preserver " aspect

as Vamadeva--the Lord of Love and all things pleasing. I mean what else

preserves this world but Love and what else is truly pleasing?

 

The same goes for fasting. Think about limiting yourself to just fruit, nuts,

dairy and chai. Take it a step further and do just liquids, or even further and

do just water. Complete fast without even a drop of water is also possible, but

don't go to far outside your limits, especially if you have health issues. But

do consider pushing yourself a bit. Again the more you give, the more you get.

The more you push yourself, the more Inner Heat you create through your Tapasya.

 

The world is always there and always calls. I speculate it will still be there

the day after Maha Shivaratri. Let us let go of focus on the outer world for

just one night and praise the Lord with full fervor and devotion. Let us enjoy

and live like the Yogis on the High Himalaya and the rest of India for just one

night. Let us taste the Bliss, the Nectar, the Amrit. One of the main

Commandments that I have observed throughout all major religions for those that

want to attain God/Goddess is " You should love the Lord, thy God, with all thy

heart, all thy soul, and with all thy might " . This is an opportunity to go just

this. Life is short and is over before you know it. Who knows if the next

breath, let alone tomorrow will come for us. For the sake of the upliftment of

all Creation, let us praise the Most High for at least this one night.

 

 

 

So please email (mahamuni) or call Surya at 760-632-1226 if you have any

questions or comments or something you want to share. Otherwise we hope to see

you there! BOM!!!

 

 

 

Namah Parvati Pate! Hara Hara Mahadev!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!