Sivaratri Mahima

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following is the mail I received from other group. Hope it is

informative to all. Manoharan

732.8pt">------------- Om Namah Sivaya

91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt

503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"> Date of Maha

Sivaratri 26/2/2006 ‘Sivaratri’ means ‘night of Lord

Siva’. The important features of this religious function are rigid

fasting for twentyfour hours and

91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt

503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">sleepless vigil

during the night. Every true devotee of Lord Siva spends the night

of Sivaratri in deep meditation, keeps vigil and observes fast.

The worship of Lord Siva consists in offering flowers, Bilva leaves

 

COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">and other gifts on the Linga

which is a symbol of Lord Siva, and bathing it with milk, honey,

butter, ghee, rose-water, etc.

366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt

732.8pt"> When creation had been completed, Siva and Parvati had

been living on the top of Kailas. Parvati asked: “O venerable Lord,

which of the many rituals observed in

Thy honour doth please Thee most?” Lord Siva replied: “The thirteenth

night of the new moon, Krishna Paksha, in the month of Phalguna

(February-March) is known as Sivaratri, My most favourable

549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">Tithi. My devotee gives Me

greater happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths, and

offerings of flowers, sweets, incense, etc.

LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt

274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt

641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"> “The devotee observes strict spiritual

discipline in the day and worships Me in four different forms in the

four successive Praharas, each

black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">made up of three hours of the

night. The offering of a few Bilva leaves is more precious to Me

than the precious jewels and flowers. He should bathe Me in milk at

the first Prahara, in curd at the second, in

229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt

595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">clarified butter at the third, and

in honey at the fourth and last. Next morning, he should feed the

Brahmins first and break the fast after the performance of the

prescribed ceremonies. There is no ritual, O

Parvati, which can compare with this simple routine in sanctity.

COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'"> Just hear, My Beloved, of

an episode which will give you an idea of the glory and power of

this ritual.

229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt

595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"> “Once upon a time, there lived in

the town of Varanasi a hunter. He was returning from the forest one

evening with the game birds he had

black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">killed. He felt tired and sat at

the foot of a tree to take some rest. He was overpowered by sleep.

When he woke up, it was all thick darkness of night. It was the

night of Sivaratri but he did not know it, He climbed

183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt

549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">up the tree, tied his bundle

of dead birds to a branch and sat up waiting for the dawn. The tree

happened to be My favourite, the Bilva.

“There was a Linga under that tree. He plucked a few leaves dropped

them down. The night-dew trickled down from his body. I was highly

549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">pleased with involuntary

little gifts of the hunter. The day dawned and the hunter returned

to his house.

91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt

503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"> “In course of time,

the hunter fell ill and gave up his last breath. The messengers of

Yama arrived at his bedside to carry his soul to Yama. My

messengers also went to the spot to take him to My abode. There was a

severe fight between Yama’s messengers and My messengers. The former

were totally defeated. They reported the matter to their Lord. He

458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">presented

himself in person at the portals of My abode. Nandi gave him an idea

of the sanctity of Sivaratri and the love which I had for the hunter.

Yama surrendered the hunter to Me and returned to his abode quickly.

“The hunter was

able to enter My abode and ward off death by simple fasting and

offering of a few Bilva leaves, however involuntary it might be

because it was the night of Sivaratri. Such is the solemnity and

549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">sacredness associated with

the night”. Parvati was deeply impressed by the speech of Lord

Siva on the

0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt

229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt

595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt">sanctity and glory of the ritual.

She repeated it to Her friends who in their turn passed it on to the

ruling princes on earth. Thus was the sanctity

New'">of Sivaratri broadcast all over the world.

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