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Shiv rathiri

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drb

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Dear all:
I would appreciate if people can share information on Shivrathiri. Its history, significance, rituals, pooja, vratam, slokas or mantras to chant etc.

This would help me (mostly) and maybe other naive people like me.

I visited mahashivrathiri.org website. But I feel there are more learned people here in the forum whose information is accurate and resourceful.

Thank you so much,

drb
 
Shivarathri stories

1. The kradha (hunter) who did sivapooja unknowingly got mukthi and the group of deer turned into the star of Mrighasheersha in this day.

2. Devi parvathi did shivapooja and attined his half portion in this day.

3. The whole world was created in a shivarathri day.

The speciality of this year shivarathri is "the month MASI itself borns in a shivarathri, so we have actually two shivarathris this year".

Pranams
 
On the Shivarathr day, it is enjoined that one should do Shiva pooja and fully engrossed in thought about Lord Shiva, recite and hear slokas about Him and read Shivapurana. During the entire night one should keep himself awake and spend in activities linked to Shiva pooja, sloka chanting etc., His Holiness the Jagadguru Sri abhinava Vidyatheertha Swamiji of Sringeri used to tell about a sloka in Shiva Mahimna Stotra of Pushpadanta. The sloka is addressed to the two eyes of the bhaktha. The meaning of sloka is : O! 2 eyes, an auspicious night falls today. Be on vigil and keep awake through out this night. If you do this you will get a new friend like yourselves, who will sit in between you two."

The sloka says that if one keeps awake through out night on this day, he will get another friend of his two eyes (friend of eyes is another eye) and third eye will be in between his existing two eyes. So the person gets a third eye and becomes three eyed. There are four kinds of moksha. Salokya, Sameepya, Saroopya and Sayujya. This sloka says that the person gets sarupya moksha. (the person gets the rupa as that of Lord Shiva. Because after being awake throughout Shivarathri night the person is three eyed like Lord Shiva who is also three eyed).
 
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:Cry:

Thank you for the information provided so far. I hope people can provide more information.

I basically trying to gather information on how to start and end the day on shiv rathiri.

This is my plan (please correct/add me if I am wrong):
1. Fasting - whole day. Can I eat fruits alone?
2. Slokas/mantras - please let me know what to chant especially during night. If I know what it is - i can either try to find mp3s and lyrics on net.
3. how do you divide the night into yamas? And when does the prayers end?
4. How do you end the fasting and prayers?


I request people to help me out as days are running out.

Thank you,
drb
 
Dear Durgadasan ji,
I thought I covered all links by googling. Still I have a long way to go, as I see from your links.

Those were quite informational and nice, I missed it.

Thanks so much.

Balaji.
 
Dear all:

One thing I couldn't verify is about 'fasting':

Can one take fruits and water alone on that day? If so is there restriction on kind of fruit? and quantity?

TIA
 
Nirjala upavaasa whole day is utthamam during fasting.However,if this is found to be difficult,one can at least avoid solid food (especially cooked food) on this day.One can chant Sri Rudram as many times as possible during the day.If one is not conversant in reciting this, one can at least listen to this in the recorded form.One can join the group doing Sri Rudra parayanam in the temple in the night and have food the next day.
 
If not possible we can powder the vilvam and mix it with water and drink. If the concerned person is a patient (I mean diabetic or something like), even they can consume fruits or milk also. The main aim is to chant holy names of shiva, doing bhajans, keeping awake. Fasting is also essential at the same time no need to harm our body. Some persons will feel drowsy in empty stomach (Not PASI MAYAKKAM), in this case also they can consume something.

Pranams
 
Hari Om Namashivaya.
Usualy on Mahasivaratri day, i use to pray shiva japam with rudraksha wearing, and earlymorning go to shiva temple and offer prayers.
 
Dear DrB

The persons who got proper dhiksha from a guru alone should chant "panchakshara". Otherwise everyone can chant the shiva nama.

"Siva siva engilar theevinaiyalar
siva siva endrida theevinai maalum
siva siva endrida devarumaavar
siva siva enna sivagathi dane"

"சிவ சிவ என்கிலர் தீவினையாளர்
சிவ சிவ என்றிட தீவினை மாளும்
சிவ சிவ என்றிட தேவரும் ஆவர்
சிவ சிவ என்ன சிவகதி தானே"

By chanting the shiva nama, all your sins will be washed-off, you will become demi-god, whatelse by chanting shivanama, you yourself will turned to shiva.

Pranams
 
Durgadasan ji,
Thanks so much. I thought panchakshara (Om Namashivaya) can be said by everyone.

drb
 
Thirumoolar's Thirumanthiram for Sivarathri

உள்ளம் பெருங்கோயில் ஊனுடம்பாலயம்
வள்ளற் பிரானார்க்கு வாய் கோபுர வாசல்
தெள்ளத் தெளிவார்க்குச் சீவன் சிவலிங்கம்
கள்ளப்புலனைத்துங் காளா மணி விளக்கே

- திருமந்திரம்
உள்ளத்தை கோயிலாக்கி அங்கு இறைவனை விளங்கச் செய்து உண்மை பக்தியுடனும், அன்புடனும் வழிபட்டால் நல்லுடலும், நல்லறிவும் வாய்க்கப் பெற்று மண்ணில் நல்ல வண்ணம் வாழலாம்.


All the best

 
Dear RVR ji,
Wonderful.
I understood the first 2 sentences. but not the last 2.

Could you please explain the last 2 ?

drb
 
Dear RVR ji,
Wonderful.
I understood the first 2 sentences. but not the last 2.

Could you please explain the last 2 ?

drb

Once you attain clarity of thoughts (probably mind), you will know that the `Jeevan' inside you is `Lord Shiva'

All the five organs are eternal lamps bringing light to your life.

- Saint Thirumoolar is the second poet after Saint Agasthiar migrated from Mount Kailash to South. His composition `Thirumandiram' is a wonderful masterpiece in the Tamil literature.

I have seen pamphlets and writings in other religions where they call humans beings like us as `Sinners'. Thirumoolar says human body is the biggest temple. Lord Shiva is seating in our heart . I earnestly feel that it is the highest compliment to the human fraternity by one of the greatest saint Thirumoolar.

All the best
 
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Sathya Sai Speaks
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Shivarathri is indeed a very auspicious day. It is the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight, when the Moon is waning and the Sun is in the sign of Aquaries. The festival is, however, related to the Moon rather than the Sun. That is the reason why it is called Shivarathri (the night of Shiva). Unlike other nights, this particular night is the night of consecration, dedication and illumination.
The mind is intimately associated with the Moon. Chandhra (the deity of the Moon), is the presiding deity of the mind. He loses one sixteenth of his brilliance every day after the Full Moon day and continues waning until on this night when he is left with just one sixteenth of his power. The waned Moon maybe taken to stand for the mind with all its vagaries and waywardness reduced after it has been conquered by sadhana (spiritual discipline).
Have high ideals. Strive to elevate yourselves; endeavour for the Highest Goal - God. Whatever the obstacle or opposition, do not be disheartened. Give up the animal in you, stablise yourselves in human virtues and proceed boldly towards the achievement of Divinity.

On this night there is just a minute part of the mind left to be conquered and that can be done by keeping vigil and dwelling on the Glow of God. The vigil that is prescribed is symbolic of the eternal vigil one has to observe, while the rite of fasting is symbolic of divesting the senses of the pleasures they crave for.​

The night-long bhajan (congregational singing of devotional songs) is significant of the life-long consciousness of the Divine Presence that every one should cultivate. The rites and vows laid down for Shivaraathri being absent on other nights of the year, their observance on this day comes as a reminder that they are useful.​

There are three types of men - the multi-centred, the uni-centred and the non-centred. The first group, who allow their senses, mind and intelligence, to wander where they will, is a very populous group. So also is the third group, which comprises people who flit from one object to another, hop around from one thing to another in listless flippancy.

For earning the concentration and single-centredness which is characteristic of the second group, the festival of Shivarathri is very propitious. The bhajans and the ceaseless flow of keerthans (songs) and namasmarana (remembering God's name) on this occasion help in the attainment of single-centredness.

You must realise that bhajan, naamasmaran and puja (ritualistic worship) are not for pleasing or propitiating God, but for our own spiritual progress. Frequently people flatter the rich and the powerful - especially when they are in their employment or are beholden to them for some precious help - in order to induce them to shower gifts on them.

But God does not shower Grace on people because they sing His praises. Nor does He come down upon them because they do not deify Him. Recitation of the Divine attributes only enables us to dwell on elevating ideals and approximate ourselves more and more to the Divinity that is our true nature.
Think, plan and do only good; speak and act only good. Then as a result you will approximate God, the source of all good. This is the message of Shivaraathri.

We become what we contemplate. By constant thought an ideal gets imprinted on our heart. When we fix our thoughts all the time on the evil that others do, our mind gets polluted by the evil. When, on the contrary, we fix our mind on the virtues or well-being of others, our mind is cleansed of wrong and entertains only good thoughts.

No evil thought can penetrate the mind of a person wholly given to love and compassion. The thoughts we indulge in, shape our nature; along with others, they affect us too. For example when a flash is fired to photograph someone, his face is lit; but so, too, to a certain extent, is the face of the photographer.
The only way to become Brahman is to be ever immersed in contemplation of Brahman.With a lump of salt on one's tongue, how can anyone relish the sweetness of honey or fruits? With a lump of candy on the tongue, how can the taste of salt and savoury be known?

When a municipal truck full of refuse passes by, you are affected by the bad smell even though you may be standing afar. Similarly, a thought may be momentary or trivial, yet its effect on the mind cannot be avoided. It was because the ancient sages knew this important truth that they declared: "He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman." The only way to become Brahman is to be ever immersed in contemplation of Brahman. With a lump of salt on one's tongue, how can any one relish the sweetness of honey or fruits? With a lump of candy on the tongue, how can the taste of salt and savoury be known?


Let us connect to the Source of all Goodness​


and sanctify our lives​

Immerse your mind in good thoughts and world will be good; soak it in bad thoughts and the world will be unpleasant for you. So, recollect only good; think, plan and do only good; speak and act only good. Then as a result you will approximate God, the source of all good. This is the message of Shivaraathri.
According to numerology, the first three syllables of the word Shivarathri - shi, va and ra - connote the numbers 5, 4 and 2, and the fourth syllable, thri, means 'three.' 5, 4 and 2 make one whole; one composite picture of the eleven rudhras.

Rudhra means "the one who makes man weep." The eleven rudhras are: the five senses of perception, the five senses of action, and the mind. These, by leading him astray in pursuit of trivial and transitory pleasures, ruin him and make him weep.

But the aathman, if it is sought and relied upon, sheds its rays on the eleven and makes them meaningful partners in the progress of man towards self-realisation.

The rays from the aathman illumine the intelligence, the illumined intelligence alerts the mind and the alerted mind gets control of the senses, making the path clear for the person to proceed through knowledge to wisdom…
Have high ideals. Strive to elevate yourselves; endeavour for the Highest Goal - God. Whatever the obstacle or opposition, do not be disheartened. Give up the animal win you, stablise yourselves in human virtues and proceed boldly towards the achievement of Divinity. Do not waver, going today to bhakthi (devotion), tomorrow to sensual gratification and the day after again to bhakthi.



When everything is successful you are all for devotion; when something goes wrong you are filled with despair; when discipline is enforced you start holding back and when love is showered, you are foremost. This dual attitude must be given up.
Have auspicious thoughts, speak auspicious words and do auspicious deeds. And as a result of this, attain the Embodiment of Mangala (auspiciousness), Shiva Himself.

- Divine Discourse on Maha Shivarathri, Brindavan, March 7, 1978
Dear Reader, how did you like this excerpt from His Divine Discourse? Please share your reflections with us by writing to [email protected] mentioning your name and country. Thank you for your time.

- Heart2Heart Team​

 
Dear all

Vayasi, vasiya, namasi, yasiva, and you can in any means go like "Ganam" of vedams. Every "Padha" will have its own meaning except "Nasiva", it gives the wrong meaning of "na+siva" and there is no siva at all. At the sametime, without the proper teaching from guru, one is not advised to chant in these ways, as these are the manthras for "Sthambana, aakarshana, uchhadana, and even maarana" and these have their own vibrations which are not sathvic like "sivaya" and hence this should be avoided.

Of the three vedams (Veda thrayi- Atharvana is included in later days only), Yajur veda is in middle. In the yajur veda, rudram is in middle. In rudram, Panchaksharam is placed in middle.

Of the dravidian tamil thirumurais of thevaram, appar swami thevaram is in middle. Of which, his namachivaya pathigam is in middle. Of which also, panchaksharam is kept in middle.

Hence, this "panchaksharam" is known as precious gem, kept in "Rathna pezhai" (Jewelled box).

Pranams
 
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