To Nandaji: Shivaratri at the Mandir - Satyeshwar,Yajneshwar,Napeshwar...

[Guest guest]

Jai Maa, beloved Nandaji!

 

Thank-you so much for your very vivid description of the festivities

at the Devi Mandir on MahaShivaratri! You really do have a knack for

descriptive writing. i could feel the warmth radiating from the

Sacred Homa fire and could almost taste the "Paran" prasadam!

Maa's singing surely must have been the highlight of the evening,

carrying everyone high in Her Cosmic Caravan of Song.

Thank-you so much, dear sister for breathing life into the sacred

pictures within our minds heart. May we all dissolve into Shiva!

 

Jai Maa! Jai Swamiji! Jai Thakur Ramakrishna Deva!

 

Your sister slowly dissolving,

muktimaa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

, Nanda <chandimaakijai wrote:

>

> Dear All,

> Thanks to all - esp Kalia/Henny/Kalachandra/Linda for sharing what

they did for Shivaratri.

>

> Here it is (a bit late) the scoop on the Shivaratri proceedings

at the Mandir.

> The evening revolved around the three Shiva Lingams at the

Mandir. Satyeshwar - the Shiva Lingam on Maa's altar, Yajneshwar -

the Shiva Lingam at the Havan Kund and Napeshwar - the Shiva Lingam

that has its own pride of place/altar separate from the main temple.

>

> All devotees, Maa and Swamiji included, made their rounds 4 times

for the 4 pujas to these three locations.

>

> Maa and Swamiji arrived at 5pm to the main temple, doggedly

trailed by yours truly, who had appointed herself as Swamiji's

attendant for the event. The job was mostly an honorary one, as our

efficient Swamiji is very self sufficient and rarely needed me to do

anything for him. Out of compassion, or maybe to get rid of my

hovering presence, he would occassionally ask me to take his coat/hat

and cane, as he walked between the main temple and Napeshwar.

>

> After greeting everyone, Maa and Swamiji requested us to do an

Arati to commence the proceedings. All the assembled devotees took

turns to wave the lights at the deities. Then Swamiji said that he

and Maa would take the sankalpa for the evening puja and requested

devotees to participate offering at the fire "Om Namah Shivaya

Swaha". They (Maa and Swamiji) went to Satyeshwar, took the sankalpa,

proceeded to do their first puja, and offered milk to the Shiva

Lingam. They then handed off to a disciple and requested him to take

charge of the main puja. (We had a system of one disciple at one

altar during the 4 pujas). After offering at Yajneshwar and

Napeshwar, they made their way back to the main temple.

>

> Several devotees were waiting in line to do their first puja,

which involved offering milk, water, flowers. They also got a thread

tied to their wrists (kushasane sthito brahma...) and a Rudraksha

mala for their efforts. They then proceeded with the

Yajneshwar,Napeshwar route.

>

> At about 7pm, Maa started her Kirtan. The assembled crowd went

wild - dancing to her songs. Maa asked twice - "More?" and we cheered

her to go on!

>

> At 9 pm - we had the second puja, and offered yoghurt to the

three deities and then sat down to chant the Shiva Sahasranam. After

this, Maa sang a few more songs - and then a song which she said "is

different from rock and roll" - Jaya Jayadeka. This is a song the she

had written many years ago - and it put us all into a peaceful and

meditative mood.

>

> The evening wore on - and several people left after the first or

second pujas.

>

> At midnight, we did the third puja and offered ghee. We then sat

down for the Rudrashtadhyayi at about 1 am. Even though this is my

favorite text for chanting, and I was sitting right behind Maa,

perhaps it was the fasting that I had done that day, or the lateness

of the hour ... but I promptly dozed off during the Chamakam. I came

to a few mins later and resumed where I left off - but I was

wondering why I could not keep up my resolution to stay awake.

>

> When I walked back with Swamiji, I mentioned it to him and

asked "When the body really needs the rest,how does one keep going on

at the Sadhana?" And then Swamiji said (and I paraphrase)," That is

when Tapasya begins! When everything is fine, and we are able to keep

at the sankalpa, then its just a good party to be in. Its when the

body is crying for sleep, its when we are so tired that we cant go

on, and we need the food... and YET we keep going at our sadhana...

that tapasya starts".

>

> At 3 am, we finished the final puja, the assembled devotees

performed Arati again and formed a line to get Maa and Swamiji's

blessings. Maa handed out the paran ( a deeelicious concoction of

milk and honey and other goodies that Parvati knows more about) and

for most of us that was the first liquid/solid food in over 30 hours.

Maa also blessed each person with either "Shuddha Bhakti Pradayakam"

(may you be blessed with pure devotion) or "Jnana Dristi

Pradayakam"(may you be blessed with pure knowledge"

>

> And then everyone went to the kitchen (at 4 am) for a hearty

Shivaratri dinner/breakfast! We cleaned up and then some of us went

to bed and the others stayed up to keep at their sadhanas.

>

> Maa of course came back to do her morning puja and Swamiji his

chanting.

>

> You were all fondly remembered when I did each of the offerings.

I took it as a sign of blessing for the entire group, when one of our

group members that specifically came for the event, was asked to

offered a coconut to the fire at the end of the puja.

>

> JAI SHIVA

> Nanda

>

>

>

>

> Mail

> Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze.

>