:: OM Namah Shivaya ::
*** Significance of Shiva Raatri ***
Shiva Raatri is a very holy day, very dear to Lord Shiva. ShivaRaatri is of four types. According to skandha purANam thereare four shiva rAtris.The first one is nitya shivarAtri (daily shivarAtri - every night).The second one is the mAsa shivarAtri which is observed on thekRiShNa paxa chaturdasi (fourteenth moonday on the moonsdiminishing phase).The third one is the mAga prathamAdi shivarAtri which is observed for the thirteen days starting from prathama titi in the month mAga (mAsi in Tamil) and on the chaturdasi night the Lord isworshiped throughout the night.The fourth one is observed on the mAsi (mAga) month kR^iShNa paxachaturdasi. This is the one observed in a widespreadmanner. It is also called MAHA SHIVARATRI.This year 08-February-2005 is celebrated as MAHA SHIVARATRI.
How to observe Maha Shivaratri ?
Getting up early in the morning one meditates on the Infinitely Auspicious, ornated with thousands of splendid garlands, Who is in the form of the holy symbol of shiva(mahA lingam). Bathing and staying clean, the worship of Lord shiva in the form of shiva lingam is done in the four jamas of the night (four equal timeintervals of the night). (Note that the linga worship is explicitly mentioned for this vratam as this is the time the God out of Its grace for the benefit of pashus appeared in aformless-form that is a symbol (lingam) from Its true nature of formlessness.) All Shiva Temples celebrate this pooja. They divide time into four Jamas. The first pooja will be performed in the evening ataround 6.00 PM, followed by the second one in the night at around 9.00 PM, then the third one at the stroke of Mid-Night.This time pooja is very auspicious, as Lord Shiva and Parvati will come down to earth to bless the devotees who perform this pooja. And the final one at early morning of the next day, aroundthe sun-rise time.
Fasting and Bilva Pooja
Bilva PAtra is considered to be very auspicious and sacred. This is very dear to Lord Shiva. I will tell you a few stories about the significance of Bilva Patram. There was once a Monkey in Kailasam, where Lord Shiva Resides. Once Lord Shiva sat in meditation under a tree and this monkey was sitting on that tree exactly on top of Lord's Head. This happened to be a Bilva tree and that was a Shiva Ratri Day. Unknowingly this monkey plucked the leaves from bilva tree and threw it on the Lord. Even though the monkey did this out if its ignorance, Lord was immensely pleased and granted a boon to the Monkey that in its next birth it will be born as King who will have immense wealth. He will have so much wealth, that one day Lord Vishnu, who is the Husband of Sri Maha Lakshmi will also come to this King toborrow some money. This Monkey in its next birth will be born as Kubera, and Vishnu as Sri Venkateswara will come to Kubera to borrow money for his wedding.
I will now explain the some more significances of Bilva Pooja and the History of LORD GOKARNA MAHABALESHWARA at Gokarna in Coastal Karnataka, towards Maharashtra border. This place is famous for the Atma Linga of Lord Shiva. This story is as told by Lord Ganesha, to the Pramatha Ganas of LordShiva, and then re-told By Lord Dattatreya in his incarnation of H.H.Sripada Vallabha to his devotees.
In the most ancient times in the Treta Yuga, there was a great Brahmin sage by name Pulasthya in the kingdom of Lanka, His wife's name was Kaikasi. They had a son named Ravana, who was the ruler of the kingdom. Ravana had ten heads and twenty arms and he was unusually mighty and strong. Kaisaki was a great devotee of Lord Shankara, and she offered worship to Shivalinga every morning. She would not take food until she finished her worship. For her worship, she must daily find a new and original Shivalinga. If she failed in finding a new Shivalingas she would fast for one day. For that day, when she did not get an original Linga, she would prepare a Mrithika Linga (the Lingaform moulded out of clay) and would do her worship to it and would fast for the whole day.
One day, as Kaikasi did not get an original Shivalinga, she was doing her worship to a Mrithika Linga which she had prepared.Ravana saw this and felt in his pride and conceit that it did not befit of her, the mother of a mighty person like him, to have to do worship to a mere Mrithika Linga, instead of an original Shivalinga. He said that he would bring down the Kailash itself along with Shankara into Lanka for his mother's worship. He made a vow to this effect and set out for Kailash. Reaching there, he tried to put out the Kailash mountain, for taking it to Lanka. The mountain began to totter; the Devas-Ganas and even Goddess Parvati were being tossed about. Even the heavens and the neither worlds became shaky and all became extremely panicky. Goddess Parvati asked Shiva what was happening and Shankara told her that Ravana, the son of his great devotee Kaikasi, was trying to pull out Kailash to take it toLanka for his mother's worship. He said that even Ravana was a great devotee of his, and hence he was refraining from doing anything in the matter. But with further pleading of Parvati, Shankara intervened and pressed down with just the mere toe of his right foot, which nearly crushed Ravana under themountain.
Ravana realised his folly and started praying to Shankara for His mercy and grace. In his rich musical voice hebegan singing Sama Vedic hymns in praise of the Lord. He undertook penance; he made a new musical instrument (YantraKarkamalika - Rudra Veena) with his head, veins and nerves andstarted playing on it rich and enrapturing music to please the Lord. He was cutting off his heads and offering as sacrifice inoblation to the Lord. It was a penance unprecedented and never undertaken by any one, ever before. Shankara was very much moved by his devotion and austerities of Ravana. He appeared before Ravana and told him that he would give him whatever boon he would wish for. Ravana prayed he wanted Kailash itself for his mother's worship. Shankara said that it was an impossible wish; but he would, instead, give him his Atma-Linga, which is the Divine Core and Essential Principle of Lord Shiva himself. He said the Atma-Linga embodied in itself the Highest Divinity, and whoever worshipped it for just three years, would himself become like Shankara. He, however, warned and cautioned that the Linga should not touch the ground till it reached Lanka and was enshrined there.Ravana was elated at winning the Atma Linga, but all the Gods were frightened because the new power which Ravana won through the possession of the Atma-Linga would make him the mightiest person and unconquerable even by Gods and unconquerable even bythe Trinity. Ravana had already subdued and enslaved the Five Elements and the Nava Grahas. Now his pride and power wouldhave no bounds and restraints.
The Gods started shuddering in fright and prayed to Vishnu to save them and the worlds from impending doom. Lord Vishnu approached Ganesha and together with Narada, they planned out how to deprive Ravana of theAtma-Linga. Ravana was still mid-way and had not reached Lanka yet. Vishnu would create an artificial dusk by covering the orb of the sun with his Sudarshan Chakra. Ravana would then break his journey, wherever he be, to perform his Sayam Sadhya(evening oblations). Ganesha should then appear there as a rusticboy. Ravana would then request Ganesa to hold the AtmaLinga in his hands till he (Ravana) would finish his Sandhya-Vandan. Narada would then appear and draw Ravana into conversation and delay the latter in completing his Sandya-Vandan, Ganesh should ground the Atma-Linga in the meanwhile there itself. Such was the plan.
Ravana was midway to Lanka, but proudly carrying the Atma-Linga. The sun suddenly dimmed down due to the contrivance of Vishnu, and giving the impression that it was already nearing dusk. Ravana was a meticulous observer of the daily ritualsand, therefore was keen on doing his Sandya-Vandan before sunset wasover. But what to do with the Atma-Linga while doing theSandya-Vandan? Shiva told him not to keep it on the ground before hereached Lanka. While he was in a dilemma, there appeared nearby a shepard boy playing around who looked so guileless and innocent. It was Lord Ganesa himself in that guise. Ravana called out to the boy and pleaded with him to hold the Shiva-Lingafor him till he finished his evening oblations to theSun-Deity. The boy pretended that he was in a hurry to get back homeas it was getting dark. On Ravana's further pleading,the boy said that the Shiva-Linga seemed to be too heavy for him, and anyway he would hold it, but Ravana should return soon. He said "If you delay I shall lay it on the ground and go away." Headded "However, I shall count to thrice before putting iton the ground before leaving". Ravana, placing the Shiva-Linga in the hands of the boy, hurried to the river. There he was accosted by Narada, who went on complimenting and congratulating him for winning the Atma-Linga which is the most powerful Linga in the world. He said "it will make you the mightiest person in the world, and you will forever rule all the gods".
Narada thus delayed Ravana,engaging him in conversation. Before Ravana took it easy, but neverthe less completed the Sandhya-Vandana fast and hurried back. Lo! by the time he reached back, the boy had already grounded the Shiva Linga. Ravana was furious with the boy, but the boy pleaded "it was too heavy for me, I called out for you thrice.As you did not return I couldn't help laying it on the ground".Ravana tried with all his might to pull out the Shiva-Linga, the more he pulled the more firmly it was getting stuck in theground.
However, with the pull of Ravana, the Linga got twisted and elongated in the shape of a cow's ear (Go-Karna). As it withstood the mighty strength of Ravana, the Shiva-Ling came to be know as "Gokarna Mahabaleswar" and it is deemed most holy,as the Shiva Linga was installed there by Lord Ganesha, the foremost of Deities and further more, the installation was done at the instance of Lord Vishnu Himself.
It is said that Ravana did severest penances at this place only, and attained all the boons from Lord Shiva. All the gods also are said to have done great penances at this holy place.The power of this place has been described in detail in Skandhapurana. The story goes thus.
In the Ikshwaku race, there was once a king by name of Mitrasahu. He was very pious, noble and kind hearted king. He treated his subjects as his own children and was ever engaged in promotingtheir welfare. Vasishtha Maharishi was his family guru andpriest. The king, however, had one weakness (vice), viz., his crazeand over fondness of hunting. The king once went out for hunting, he killed many wild animals. Thereafter, he confronted a wicked Rakshasa and wounded him mortally. The Rakshasa, before falling down dead, told his brother that he should take revenge on this king. The brother Rakshasa then took the guise of a human form; he went to the king's palace and managed to become a palace cook.
One day therewas a Shraddha ceremony in the royal family (the annual ceremony inmemory of the departed soul of a family elder andritualistic offerings of food and water with chant of the Mantras,on the anniversary day of death of the person). Meat is forbidden on such a day, as the Brahmin priests and Rishis wouldcome to partake of the food. The vicious Rakshas asurreptitiously cooked human flesh on that day, and taking everyone unawares, served it to the Brahmin priests, instead ofthe vegetarian food which was supposed to be served. The priests got enraged and were furious, and the spur of the moment,without waiting to know the truth, cursed the king that he should become a Brahma Rakshasa.
The king was about to curse thepriests in revenge taking water in his palm for the purpose, when the queen restrained him saying it was not proper foranyone to curse the priests. The king then let the water from hispal drop on his own feet. The feet got charred and because of this , he came to be know as Kalmashapada. Vasishtha Maharishi, realising that the king was really innocent, felt sorry for the curse uttered, and told the king that he was blessing him that the curse would last only for 12 years, and at the end of 12years, he would get back his normal form.
The king because of the excurse, became a Brahma Rakshasa, and made the forest his habitation. He used to kill and eat whichever or whoever came by that way, whether they be animals, beasts or human beings. One day, a Brahmin couple happened to be passing through the forest. The Brahma Rakshasa caught hold of the Brahmin, and ignoring the requests and plaintive pleadings of his wife, - who was imploring him to consider her as his own daughter and spare her husband's life - mercilessly killed the Brahmin and devoured him.
At this, the wife of the Brahmin, who was suddenly widowed because of the blood-thirstiness of the Rakshasa, cursed him saying, "Although after the expiry of the 12 years you are going to get back your human form, if you try to court the pleasure of your wife, you will instantly drop down dead and your queen would become a widow like me".
Thereafter the woman, along with the bones of her dead husband did Sahagamana and ended her life also.The king, after the expiry of the curse period of 12 years, was rid of the form of Brahma Rakshasa. Having become normal again, he returned to his kingdom. He confided to the queen the curse of the Brahmin woman. Hearing it, the queen was heart broken as the prospect of her getting a son was now doomed. Seeing her grief, the king consulted the wise men of the court and priests, to find out whether they could suggest any way of him escaping for the operation of the curse. They advised him,that if the royal couple could make pilgrimages to holy places and do their offering to Gods, the power of the curse would atleast get mitigated and with Divine Grace, it would perhaps even be overcome altogether.
The king and queen set out on pilgrimage to almost all the holyplaces of the land, doing severe penances at those places.They came to Mithilpur at last. They were exhausted and sat down under the shade of the tree to rest. At this juncture, the king saw an illustrious sage Gautama passing by, along with a group of other Rishis. The king ran towards them and fell prostrate at the sage's feet and prayed that he should save him from the curse of the Brahmin woman and show him the way to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya. Sage Gautama told the king that he should visit the holy Gokarna; his pilgrimage to the holy place would expiate his sin for certain.
The sage said that all the gods, even the celestial beings make pilgrimage to Gokarna for expiating their sins andto earn merit. He said that even Brahma and Vishnu visited the holyplace and did penances for a long time in order to earn merit. The sage citied the instances of incomparable redeeming power of theholy place. The greatest sins like killing or causing the death of a Brahmin, cow, etc., could be expiated by pilgrimage to and worship a Gokarna, he said.
He narrated the following incident, which he himself had witnessed just a few daysago. The sage saw a low cast woman at Gokarna; she was blind and was suffering from a dreadful disease. She was very exhausted andwas very hungry. She begged for food, but could not manage to get anything. Due to exhaustion and hunger, she died. As soon as she died, messengers of Siva came near her in celestial Vimana to take her to Kailash, but, at the same time, the messengers of Yama also arrived there, both the groups laying claim to the Jiva of the dead woman, Gautama inquired of them as to why this conflict and confrontation should arise between them.
The Yamadootas said the woman was a very sinful person;the sins she committed in her life were gravest and what she deserved were only the tortures and fire of hell. But the Shivadhootas said that, although she committed many a sin but yet as she died at the holy Gokarna, Lord Shiva had granted her Kailash Pada and sent them to fetch her.
Her past story was as follows:The woman in her previous birth was born in a Brahmin family. Her name was Saudamini. She was very beautiful and charming. When she was ten years old, she was married, but her husband died only few years after her marriage. In course of time, unable to control her sensuous desires and passions of youth, she yielded to and started living with a Wani (a grocer) from her neighbourhood. She also got addicted to drink and other evil habits and once after taking wine, in her intoxication, she killed a calf for food, mistaking it for a goat. At that time the husband was away. When she came to her senses, it was time for milking the cow , and she went for milking. But the cow, not finding her calf nearby, did not yield any milk. The women felt dead scared as to how her husband and neighbours would react towhen they would come to know what she had done. She pretended to be weeping, telling that a tiger came and killed the calf and ran away with it. Everyone believed it to be true. After some years, the woman died and she was taken to hell. She was put to great torture there. The woman was late born as Chandali (in a very low caste). She was very ugly. As she grew up, she lost her sight and became blind. She was overtaken by leprosy also. As long as her parents were alive, they took care and looked after her. After she lost her parents, there was no one to take care of her; she never had enough food to eat. She was suffering great misery. Once, in the holy month of Magha, she had heard that some people ofthe place were going to Gokarna for the Shivaratri festival. She thought if she accompanied them, they would give her something to eat during the journey. Hoping thus, she accompanied the party of pilgrims, but the pilgrims did not take to her kindly.
On Shivaratri day too, as no one had given her anything to eat, she also had to fast. Then Bilwa leaves, were being distributed by someone there to do pooja to Shiva. They gave her also some Bilwa leaves, but in anger, she flung them away. Lo! the Bilwa leaves although she never intended it, fell right on the ShivaLinga. And in a few moments after this, the woman famished and exhausted and died. Even the least worship, either done with devotion or without devotion, knowingly or unknowingly is enough to please Shiva.
Thus the Chandali woman earned the favour and grace of Shiva. The merit earned by her was all the more because it happened tobe the done at Gokarna the abode of Shiva's Atma Linga, and besides that day was Holy Shivaratri Day. Therefore no sooner that the woman died, than Lord Shankara sent his messengers to bring her to Kailash. Hearing the narrative of Shivadhootas, the men of Yama beat a retreat, leaving the woman in the hands of the Shivadhootas.
Such being the power and glory of Gokarna, Gautama Rishi advised theking to go to Gokarna and to do penance there, and assured him that thereby freed from the curse. The king advised by Gautama Rishi, made a pilgrimage to Gokarna, did penance there, and thereby got rid of the curse. Thereafter, he lived happily with the wife, was blessed with sons and lived for along time.
The Oneness of Hari and Hara
Even in Tirumala, Lord Sri Venkateswara is fond of Bilva Patra. So even he is worshipped with Bilva Patram on every friday during the Archana and also on the Maha ShivaRaatri day, the lord is worshipped with Bilva Patrams. This signifies that both Hari and Hara are one and the same.
Hara Hara Mahadeva...Shambo Shakara...
Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu
Om Shanthi
Sarvam Sriman Narayanaarpanamasthu
