Shivratri, Shiv Ratri...Maha SAI Shivratri...!!!!!!

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OM SAI SHIVAYA NAMAHA - OM SAI NAMA SHIVAYA

 

" Wishing A Very Happy " MAHA SHIVRATRI " TO ALL THE GROUP MEMBERS BY THE GRACE &

BLESSINGS OF SRI SAI SHIVA "

 

Maha Shivratri

 

Every deity in the Hindu pantheon has a particular day dedicated to Him and that

day is considered most sacred and auspicious to worship and propitiate. Jagara

or Shivaratri or the night of Shiva is a festival held in honour of the Lord

Shiva. In Shiva Purana, Shiva says to Her consort Parvati that no festival other

than Shiva Ratri observed by his devotees gives Him so much pleasure and

satisfaction. This festival is, therefore, observed with great sanctity by the

people on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna (February-March).

On the eve of Maha Shivratri, the devotees observe fast and perform puja

throught out the night.

 

Legends

 

Lord Shiva and his wife Sati were in Kailash abode, and Daksh, father of Sati,

was doing a big yagya (fire ceremony). Sati went to the yagya without an

invitation from her father. Daksh was very proud, and out of his great pride, he

was disrespecting God Shiva. Sati could not tolerate it. So she jumped in the

fire of yagya and finished Herself.

 

When Lord Shiva heard about this incident, out of fury, he was on the threshold

to destroy the universe. It was only when other gods interfered and calmed down

his anger that it was saved. God Shiva was now alone and went into deep

meditation. Then Sati again took birth as Parvati in the family of god Himalaya.

So, from very childhood She was desiring to meet God Shiva. In order to break

the meditation of Lord Shiva, She undertook grave austerity in the jungle- all

absorbed in love of God Shiva. So the day was fixed for their marriage, and on

this particular day, Hindu celebrates the union of God Shiva and Parvati.

 

According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu were

fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the

battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the

futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in

between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one

end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a

swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. Nevertheless,

light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither

could find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a ketaki flower

wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the ketaki replied that

she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to

find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower

as a witness. At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished

Brahma for telling a lie and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The

ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship, as

she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the

month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a linga,

the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Maha Shivratri.

Worshipping Shiva on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and

prosperity.

 

There is another possible reason for the origin of the all-night worship. Maha

Shivratri being a moonless night, people worship the god who wears the crescent

moon as an adornment in his hair, Shiva. This was probably to ensure that the

moon rose the next night.

 

According to one myth, Parvati performed tapas, prayed, and meditated on this

day to ward off any evil that may befall her husband on the moonless night.

 

Rituals

 

Devotees bathe at sunrise, preferably in the Ganga or any other holy water

source (like the Shiva Sagar tank at Khajuraho). They offer prayers to the sun,

Vishnu and Shiva. This is a purificatory rite, an important part of all Hindu

festivals. Wearing a clean piece of clothing after the holy bath, worshippers

carry pots of water to the temple to bathe the Shivalinga. The temple

reverberates with the sound of bells and shouts of 'Shankarji ki Jai' or (Hail

Shiva). Devotees circumambulate the linga, three or seven times and then pour

water over it. Some also pour milk.

 

The linga is bathed with milk, water and honey. It is then anointed with

sandalwood paste. People offer wood apple or bael leaves and fruit, milk,

sandalwood and jujube fruit (b鲦amp;copy; to the linga. Shiva is believed to be

very hot tempered and hence things that have a cooling effect are offered to

him. People decorate the linga with flowers and garlands and offer incense

sticks and fruit. In bigger temples, there is almost a stampede as devotees seek

favors from their beloved god. Many also employ the services of a priest to

perform special prayers. Shiva being an ascetic god, Maha Shivratri is very

popular with ascetics. Thandai, a drink made with cannabis, almonds, and milk,

is essentially drunk by the devotees. This is so because cannabis is said to

have been very dear to Shiva.

 

Offerings

 

Lord Shiva Loves Belpatra and its must to offer it to him.Lord Shiva is also

offered special food, made from fruits of the season, root vegetables and

coconuts, during ritual worship. The Shivling (phallic symbol of the Lord) is

bathed with the panchagavya (five sacred offerings of a cow including milk, sour

milk, urine, butter and dung). Thereafter, milk, butter, curd, sugar and honey,

(believed to be the foods granting immortality), are offered. Dhatura and jati,

though poisonous fruits, are sacred to Shiva and therefore placed in front of

him.

 

Marital Bliss

 

Unmarried girls are supposed to perform the Maha Shivratri pooja with great

faith. They pray to the lord for eligible husbands. Moreover, married women pray

to Lord Shiva for for marital bliss and a long prosperous married life

 

 

Why is the Belpatra so important to Shiva?

 

Legend has it that one night Lord Shiva's devotee, a hunter, lost his way in the

forest. As he was wandering in the night, he heard a tiger growl. The frightened

man scurried up the nearest tree that was a Bel tree. He spent the night up

there, out of the reach of tigers. To keep himself awake, he kept plucking and

dropping Bel leaves while chanting the name of Lord Shiva. The next morning,

when the devotee climbed down, he had unknowingly dropped thousands of leaves on

a Shiva linga. The night-long worship pleased Lord Shiva who saved the hunter

from the clutches of a tiger. This legend is recited on every Maha Shivratri.

 

Maha Shivratri Fast

 

One of the most auspicious Vrita. It is considered to be equal or more then

performing an Ashwamedha Yagna. Taking bath in the water mixed with Black til

and observing fast, worshipping Lord Shiva with the Bail Patras, kanera flowers,

dhatura and Milk, Listening Shiva's Katha and reciting Shiva Strotram, all these

things are considered to be very very auspicious today.People observe a strict

fast on this day. Some devotees do not even take a drop of water and they keep

vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night by washing

it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, etc., whilst the

chanting of the Mantra " Om Namah Shivaya " continues. Offerings of Bael leaves

are made to the Lingam as Bael leaves are considered very sacred and it is said

that Goddess Lakshmi resides in them.

Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the " Shiva Mahimna Stotra " of Pushpadanta

or Ravana's " Shiva Tandava Stotra " are sung with great fervour and devotion.

People repeat the 'Panchakshara' Mantra, " Om Namah Shivaya " . He, who utters the

names of Shiva during Shivratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is

freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He

is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Many pilgrims dock to the

places where there are Shiva temples.

 

Places to visit

 

Every devout Hindu celebrates Shivratri throughout India. However, there are a

few renowned Shiva temples that are worth visiting on this day. They are

Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Bhimashankar in

Daminyal (near Pune) in Maharashtra, Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) in Madhya Pradesh,

Somnath in Saurashtra, Naageshwar in Dwarka, Mallika in Uttar Pradesh, Kedarnath

in the Himalayas, Dhushmeshwar in Ellora near Aurangabad, Trimbakeshwar near

Nasik, Vishwanath in Benaras, Vaidyanatha in Marathwada and Umananda in Assam.

 

Shiv Aarti

 

Jai Shiv onkara, Prabhu jai Shiv onkara

Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv ardhangi dhara, Om

Har Har Mahadev....

Ekanan, chaturanan, panchanan raje,

Hansasan GarudaSan Vrishvahan saje, Om Har

Har Mahadev....

Do bhuj, charu chaturbhui dashmukh ati sohe

Tinon rup nirakhte tribhuvan janmohe, Om Har

Har Mahadev....

Akshyamala banamala mundmal dhari

Chandan mrigmad sohai, bhale shubhkari, Om

Har Har Mahadev....

Shvetambar Pitambar Bagambar ange,

Brahmadik Sankadik Pretadik sange, Om Har

Har Mahadev....

Kar madhye kamandalu au trishul bhari,

Sukhkari dukhahari jagpalankari, Om Har Har

Mahadev....

Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv janat aviveka,

Pranavakshar men shobhit ye tinon eka, Om

Har Har Mahadev....

Trigun svami ki arti jo koi nar gave

Kahat Shivanand svami man vanchhit phal pave,

 

Om SAI Namah shiva!

Om SAI Shivaya Nama!!!

 

Jai Sai Ram

Swamy Mahadevan