Kanchi Periva Forum - Maha Shivaratri Special Edition eBook

8/10/2019 Kanchi Periva Forum - Maha Shivaratri Special Edition eBook

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Maha Shivaratri Special Edition

Volume : 11Published : March 2013

E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum

The Essence of Hindu Tradition and Culture


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Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Maha Shivaratri - Overview .......................................................................................................................... 4Observance of Maha Shivaratri and its significance ..................................................................................... 4

Shri Maha Perivas discourses ....................................................................................................................... 6

Shivaratri - Deivathin Kural Volume 1 ....................................................................................................... 6

Easwaran - Deivathin kural Volume 1 .................................................................................................... 8

Greatness of Siva Naama & His grace - Deivathin kural Volume 3 ...................................................... 10

The Glory of Paramasiva ......................................................................................................................... 11

3 .............................................................. 12

................................................................................................................... 14

Shivaratri Puja Procedure ........................................................................................................................... 17

Shivratri Prayers .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Bilvashtakam ........................................................................................................................................... 19

Shiva Panchakshara stotram ................................................................................................................... 20

Lingashtakam .......................................................................................................................................... 22

Dwaadasa (12) Jyotirlingams in India ......................................................................................................... 23

Rameshwaram ........................................................................................................................................ 24

Srisailam .................................................................................................................................................. 24

Bhimashankar ......................................................................................................................................... 25

Grishneshwar .......................................................................................................................................... 26

Tryambakeshwar ..................................................................................................................................... 27

Somnath .................................................................................................................................................. 28

Dwarka .................................................................................................................................................... 29

Omkareshwar .......................................................................................................................................... 29

Ujjain ....................................................................................................................................................... 30

Vaidhyanath ............................................................................................................................................ 31

Varanasi ................................................................................................................................................... 32

Kedarnath ................................................................................................................................................ 33

Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... 35


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Shri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Saranam

Introduction

Hari Om!

We are pleased to bring you the Eleventh edition of the e-book series from the Kanchi PerivaForum.

This months ebook is a special edition on Maha Shivaratri celebrated on Sunday 10 th March2013. As we all know, our Paramacharya is none other than incarnation of the LordParameshwara Himself. Hence, the occasion of Shivaratri must be celebrated by all Perivadevotees with grandeur. It is His wish and command as well, as could be seen in thediscourses contained in this ebook.

Through this ebook, we bring you Sri Maha Perivas di scourse on Shivaratri, in addition toinformation on the significance of the festival, pooja procedure and some interesting details onthe Twelve Jyothirlingams.

We are sure that this Ebook will be a feast to your eyes and we request you to forward this toall your friends and relatives.

For those who are not familiar about our website and forum, we welcome you to visitwww.periva.org for a collection of rare videos and complete online library of upanyasams ofSri Maha Periva. Please also register on the forum www.periva.proboards.com to stay updatedon devotees experiences and to receive our regular newsletters.

We humbly submit this Eleventh e-book at the lotus feet of Shri Maha Periva. Though this bookis for restricted circulation among like-minded members of the society, this is a Free publicationlike all our other publications, which can be downloaded from www.periva.proboards.com

Any feedback or queries may be sent to us at [email protected]

Administrator

Kanchi Periva Forum

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!
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Maha Shivaratri - Overview

Shivaratri , dedicated to Lord Shiva, is celebrated on the moonless night of the month ofPhalguna, which is the fourteenth day in the krishnapaksha or dark half. Owing to a special

planetary conjunction, spiritual practices done on this day are considered to be especiallyauspicious and beneficial. Devotees observe upvas (fasting) on Shivaratri to get blessings ofLord Shiva.

In the Puranas many kathas (stories and legends) explained the origin and significance of thefestival Maha Shivaratri. As per one, during the period of churning the ocean (sagar manthan)by the gods and the demons, a pot of poison (Kaal koot) emerged from the ocean.

This sudden incident terrified the dev ganas and asuraganas as the poison was capable of creating mahapralaya(deluge), which can destroy the entire universe. To savethemselves and the universe they went to Lord Shiva forhelp. For the world s safer existence and the survival ofliving beings, Shiva drank the Kaal koot visha (terriblepoison). But, instead of swallowing he kept it in his throat(it is also said that Devi stopped the poison in His throatand did not allow it to be actually swallowed). Keeping thedeadly poison in his throat made Shivas throat turn blue.Because of this great miracle Shiva is also calledNeelakanta, the one who has blue throat.

To commemorate the event of Shiva protecting the world with his miraculous act, we celebrateMaha Shivaratri. There is a reference in one of the Puranas, where Shiva himself tells ParvatiDevi [the Divine Mother] that this day is particularly dear to him, and that those who performthe prescribed austerities on this day will be freed from all sins.

Observance of Maha Shivaratri and its significance(Source: www.kamakoti.org )

Austerities by way of day/night fasts and dedicateddevotion on Maha Shivaratri falling on KrishnaPaksha or dark fortnight of Phalguna month everyyear are considered as the sure steps to Iham andParam viz. Happiness in the current phase of Lifeand Attainment of Salvation threafter! In the earlymorning of Shivaratri day, a devotee should take avow to observe day/night austerities.
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In the night or Shivaratri, there must be Archana, Abhisheka, Japa and full fledged worshipeither at a Temple or at home depending on convenience; actually the worship by way ofcontinuous Maha Nyasayutha Abhisheka with Archana along with Shodasopacharas or thesixteen types of Services and Arti, but for the sake of convenience, the Puja may be repeated

every three hours during the night along with Laghu Nyasa Abhisheka, Archana, Arti etc.

The night long austerity must be followed by Punah Puja next morning and Bhojan (meals)along Brahmanas, who should also be satisfied with Dakshinas. After observing Shivaratri s forfourteen consecutive years, one could perform Udyapan or successful completion of theShivaratri Vratha.

Observance of Maha Shivaratri even by mistake could yield fruits, let alone proper andsystematic worship; this was illustrated by an incident said Sutha Muni at the congregation ofSages at Naimisaranya.

There was a poor hunter named Gurudruhawho became extremely hungry along with hisfamily members on a whole day and that nighthappened to be a Shivaratri. He entered aforest on the eve of Shivaratri and waited forany animal to kill and satisfy the hunger; hewaited near a water body over a bel treenearby under which there was a Siva Linga asa coincidence.

Having waited for the first Prahara (threehours) of the night, he was lucky to have

sighted a female deer along its kids approaching the water body to quench its thirst. He pulledout his bow and an arrow ready to aim at the mother deer and by a twist of fate the branch ofthe bel tree on which he sat moved, some bel leaves fell on the Siva Linga and some water in avessel carried by the hunter got spilt down on the Linga, thus performing the first Phaharapuja.The deer which was very sensitive even to small sounds of leaves and water falling fromthe tree noticed that the hunter was ready to kill it. The animal made a sincere and convincingrequest to the hunter that if allowed it desired to leave the deer kids to their father anddefinitely return back to be killed by him.

Very reluctantly, the hunter agreed and let the animals leave. The second Prahara was closingbut there was no trace of the mother deer. But the sister of the earlier deer approached thepond along her kids and the happenings of the earlier Prahara repeated viz.the hunter pulledout his bow and arrow, the bel tree l eaves as also the water drops from the hunters vessel fellon the Siva Linga, the sister deer made a similar request and the hunter let the animal leave ashe did to the earlier one, thus accomplishing the worship of the third Prahara.


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As the third Prahara was closing, the husband of the original deer came in search of the femaledeer and the kids and the earlier happenings repeated once again and the earlier Prahara pujatoo was executed successfully.

It was a great sight of all the deers of both the

families approached during the final Prahara andthe hunter was delighted that he could have afeast any time but the earlier happeningsrepeated and the fourth Prahara worship too wasimplemented.

But, after the fourth worship, Gurudruhaspsychology was transformed; he repented for hisevil thoughts and took a vow to eschew hiserstwhile acts of violence.

Bhagavan Siva revealed Himself before Gurudruha as a transformed person and blessed himthat in his next birth, he would be Nishad during Ramas incar nation and the latter would givehim the boon of attaining Vaikuntha.

Shri Maha Perivas discourse s

Shivaratri - Deivathin Kural Volume 1

In all Siva Temples, on the western wall of the, 'GarbaGraha' or 'sanctum sanctorum', you will find a statue of,'Lingodbhava Murthy', meaning, 'form arising out of linga'.Lingodbhava Murthy, is one of the sixty four forms of Siva,such as, Vrushabaruder, Ardhanareeswarar, Hariharar,Natarajar, Kaamari, Bairavar, Dakshinamurthy,Somaaskandar, Bikshanadanar, Oordvathandavar,Jalandarasura Samhaarar, Kaala Samhaarar and so on.

That is the form, on the rear / western wall, in which we

find the outlines of a Linga, within which is sculptedanother figure, whose head and feet are not seen. Below isa Varaha form and above is the Hansa form. Who is this'Lingodbhavar'? (In some temples, this spot may beoccupied by a statue of Maha Vishnu). Whenever and

wherever, Sri Rudra Abhishekam is done, by pouring oblations over a Siva Linga statue,traditionally, the following sloka is chanted:-


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apathala nabhah sthalaantha buvana brhmaanda maavispurath jyothih spaatika linga mouli vilasath poornendu vantamruthai :asthokaplutham ekam asam anisam rudranuvakan japandyaayeth eepsitha siddhaye (a)druthapadam vipro bhishincheth sivam

The sloka says, that we should do 'abhishekam', to the brilliant 'Spatika Linga', that is spreadfrom the nether worlds to limitless expanse of the skies. Spatika is a naturally occuring crystal.Crystal has no colour. Whatever is kept behind it, it will reflect that colour. It is spotless. If youkeep a green leaf behind it, the whole Linga will seem green. Same with a red flower. It is asthough reflecting our mental make up. It is transparent, pure, open as the primordial thing.

As said in the sloka, on its head is 'poornendu', meaning, total fullmoon. When Siva is in 'sakala roopa', with all body parts, then Hehas a thick matted hair, known as 'Jadha'. Then He has the Gangariver and the third night sliver of the crescent perched on the

jadha. Then He is known as 'Chandramouli'. But when He is,'nishkala tattva' as a Linga, without any form, He has the full moonon his head, from which the nectar of Amruta flows. Yogis,meditate on the 'effulgent light', in the thousand petalled lotus, inthe Chandra Mandala, in the peak of their head. Jyotir Linga isrepresentative of the entire cosmos. Abhishekam to the Linga ispaying obeisance to the whole orderly, harmonious, systematicuniverse. The above sloka says all this.

All the 'Brhmaanda', or cosmic egg, is Siva Linga, says Sri Rudram. Sri Rudram says, that

everything in the universe, good and bad, is the form of Siva. Why is the Lingam spherical? For asphere, there is no head or tail; no start or end. Lingam shows that Sivam is without an origin orfinish. Instead of being a perfect sphere, it is ellipsoidal. The universe is also ellipsoidal. TheSolar system collectively and all the planets in it individually are all similarly ellipsoidal! Whenthe sloka says 'Brhmandam aavispurath', it is borne out to be true, by modern science ofAstronomy.

We think of some relative and feel happy. The happiness is greater when you see the person.Similarly, if Siva comes in a recognizable form, it will be more thrilling. Only Gnanis canunderstand the formless form of the Almighty God. Common people would rather prefer eventhe primordial truth in some form. That is why, instead of being the shapeless shape of SivaLinga, He shows the 'Lingodbhava Murthy', within the Linga! Even here, He has no top orbottom, no start or end!

He stood as an effulgent light, of enormous immesureable proportions, on Siva Rathri night, asJyotirlinga, extending beyond the skies, in all directions. Vishnu, went down in to the Earth,looking for the lower end of the phenomenon, as Varaha, the digger. (The boar has thiscapability to dig deep, looking for roots.) Brahma, flew up looking for the top of the head of the


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Jyotirlinga, in the form of a Swan or Hansa. Neither of them could reach the end. The Swancame back and bluffed. As per belief, this is the reason that there is no Temple for Brhma theCreator!

The idea behind Vishnu and Brhma, not finding the ends, is not to decry their capabilities, but

to indicate that the "formless is limitless". This is also to indicate that, what could not be tracedby Brhma and Vishnu, cannot be approached by 'pride and prejudice'!

But that formless, limitless Siva is easily pleased. One of His names is 'Aasutosh', meaning,easilysatisfied. On the night of 'Maha Siva Rathri', let us think deeply, repeatedly, that we are in Him!

Original article in Tamil : http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part1kurall43.htm

Easwaran - Deivathin kural Volume 1

Gnani or a man of self awareness, does not see anything other than the Self or Athma or God. He knowsand is aware that it is one Being, that is seen as many. One Self appearing as all. He discards the outerappearances as Maya and sees only the inner Being and is in Bliss for that reason. Since the apparentworld is Maya, he has nothing to do with the world. For him the Seer, Seen and Seeing; is all One, and sohas no job or work or duty. The Upanishads say that He is himself Brhmam.

Brhmam has no work to perform. But those who are deludedby the Maya, think of the world as real, and pray to Easwara,for success in their endevours. When the prayer is made with agood mind, for good jobs, Easwara gets them done. This

means that, Easwara is not one without job. Even if we do notpray to Him, Easwara conducts the affairs of the Universe in anorderly manner and feeds all the life forms.

So, should we say that the Action-less Brhmam is differentfrom Actionful Easwara? No. Gnanis Brhmam is the same asAgnanis Easwara, who manages the entire Universe.

Sivas Dakshinamoorthy form indicates the Brhma stage. Thereis no work there. Only silence. The same Siva has done all the

works. He is Dancing in Chidambaram. Chidambaram is notonly a place in Tamil Nadu, but also the Chid-Ambaram, ie., the minds of all the people.

He comes as the beautiful Bikshanana to Tharuka Vana and enamours all the wives of the Rishis. InDaksha Yagnya, He knocks out Surya, with an uppercut to the jaws and breaks all his teeth. He drinks theAlahala Poison, in the battle of Devas and Asuras and becomes Neelakant, by stopping the poison in thethroat.
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Swami ever remains hidden as Brhma, and does all the work as Easwara. Common folks are swimming inthe ocean of life. On the other side Gnanis are standing in the fields. In between, is the high mound ofthe border of the ocean.

Gnanis do not see the world. Swami is also known as the Thatastha, the via -media. He knows theworld, people in the world and the gnanis. He can tell the gnanis to lift the swimming mass, from themorass of worldly involvement and bring them ashore.

Though Swami knows all to be oneself, he plays around with thepeople who think of themselves as different from Him. There is abeautiful poem by Sri Neelakanta Deekchidar, known as,Sivaleelarnava. Let me give y ou its meaning. You all know that LordParameswara came as a casual labourer and carried mud inexchange for Pittu, a sweet -meat as wages, when the Vaigai river

was in spate and the river banks were broken. He purposefullymalingered and

The Pandya King supervising the work, punished this labourer, bybeating with the cane, resulting in all the living forms, feeling thepain and have marks on their backs. By this God had revealed His allpervasiveness! The Poet says, It is alright that you revealed your all-pervasiveness. But tell me, is that only applicable for getting beatenup? You ate up the sweet pittu. Why did not all the life forms getan opportunity to partake in that pleasure?

What happens to the principle of Oneness, when there are two different rules; one when you are happyand another for sharing your pains?

Swami is the inner static being. He is the outer dynamic force. He is said to have five duties known as,pancha -krutyam, or five fold jobs. You all know, the three, namely, creation, maintenance anddestruction. All these three are of , the Maya, or apparent condition only. The fourth one is called asthirodanam, or hiding. That is, hiding the fact of reality. Hiding Maya, from being known as unreal!

The fifth one is the process of relieving us from the unreal Maya. That is Anugraham, meaningcompassionate blessings. Without this anugraham, we can never be relieved of the delusion of Maya.To pray for this compassion, believing Him to be kind-hearted and to love him with a melting heart isdevotion or Bakthi!

Original Tamil version: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/part1kurall06.htm
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Greatness of Siva Naama & His grace - Deivathin kural Volume 3

If Sivas name is extolled in Siva Purana-s, Aagama-s, Tevaaram-s and such Saivite oriented scriptures, itis only to be expected and nothing special. But, when Vaishnavite scriptures do so, then it is somethingto be noted. Similarly, if an ardent devotee of Vishnu talk s about the power of Sivas Grace, then it is tobe given serious attention! Sivas Grace and His Name have plenty of the above two attributes.

Bhagawatam came into being with the purpose of establishing the superlative importance of Vishnusexploits, power and message. In the middle of Bhagawatam is the story of Dakshayani. In it through Herwords, the value of the Name of Siva, has been explained by the author Suka Acharyal. He is BrhmaSwaroopam, known as Sukabrhmam. His words have special value as the all knowing repository ofknowledge in almost all the Purana-s. Then, the one extolling the values of the Name of Siva isDakshayani Herself, the wife of Siva! Then, it is worth the while to note the context in which she praisesthe Siva Nama!

She came there because, it was Her Father who was conducting agreat Yaaga. She came uninvited. She was Dakshayani, a namederived from the fact that she was Daksha Prajapathis daughter.Actually Her name was Sati. That was previous to Her being bornas Himavans da ughter named Parvathy. Parameswara Herhusband told Her, It is better not to go there, as you areuninvited! Without listening to Her husbands advice, She came

there, because of Her being Daksha Prajapathis daughter.

Parameswara lived the life of a recluse, neither respecting nordisrespecting others! Daksha was one of the Brhma Putra-s as aPrajapathi, who is a head of peoples clans. He always had muchpride of office, authority and position. He always looked forwardto people extending him much respect. People also did so.

Siva was a different type of being, who did not display much of respect for Daksha or anyone else forthat matter. Somehow, obedient to Brhmas words Daksha got the marriage of his daughter done andsent her to Kailasa. The father daughter relationship was cut off since then. It was Her nostalgia for herchildhood home and relatives that was possibly the cause of her coming uninvited, despite Herhusbands advice, not to go! Having invited 330 millions of Devata -s, Daksha did not invite his daughterand son-in-law that is Siva!

Having arrived, once She saw all the invited guests, the fact of Her Husband Siva not being invited, hurtHer the most! This maha pativrata (woman who is truly faithful to her wedded husband) was completelyshattered. The recurrent thought in Her mind was one of repentance for having committed the mistake


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of visiting. Then, not only that Her Father did not welcome Her, he started talking ill of his son-in-law!She could just not control her sorrow or anger!

She thought, Should I go away from here? If so, go where? Should I go to Kailas, my Husbands place?

There can be no better place than that for a wife! O K. Then why dont you go there? If, by chance if, Hewere to say, Despite my warning, you have gone there and earned fat lot of disrespect! Now, why doyou come here?, then what will I do? Is this the thought? No, no. He is the very embodiment of Love.He is compassion personified. He will not ask such questions. It is my mind that will raise these questionsand accuse me.

One more thing. In future when He is playing around with me, even if Heinadvertently happens to call me Dakshayani, that is enough! Do I needany more punishment? It is a name that I have inherited for being thedaughter of someone who talks ill of Siva. There is no bigger punishmentthan to continue to carry the burden of that name! Better than this is togive up this body, which is due to him, who is Anti-Siva! Let this body bedestroyed. I thought of where to go. Now I have the answer. Let us leavethis body and go back to Siva and merge in Him without a second!

Near the Yagna Kundam (dug out place for the purpose of lighting thefire of oblation), She sat with these thoughts and got herself sublimated,says the Bhagawatam. Other Siva Aagamaa-s and Puraanaa-s, talk of her jumping into the Yagna Kundam and immolating Herself. Before such self immolation, in Bhagawatam, there is a description of what she told HerFather Daksha, in praise of Her Husband Siva! This is the Siva N amaMahima, that I have mentioned in the title for to -days talk.

The Glory of Paramasiva

Sri Maha Periva performed the special Shivaratri pujas on February 23, 1952 at Naagangudi and gave thefollowing talk to the devotees on the glory of Paramasiva:

The ghee when melted has no colour. When it is cooled it acquires a colo ur. Sastras say that Siva hasno form. But when He is cooled by the intensity of devotion shown to Him by His devotees, He takes aform to redeem His devotees. He takes different forms and protects us. Though He has not takenavatars like Vishnu, He captures the hearts of devotees by His several charming forms.

The Lord takes the form of Bhikshandar with no jewels on and with natural beauty. He appears as thehandsome Sundareswarar. He also appears as the Bhairavamurthi who removes the fear of those whohave fear. It is the same Lord who appears as the brave Veerabhadra. To give the Devas the happinessthey desired, He dances as Nataraja in Chitsabha.


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Above all, in the Dakshinamurthi form He gives the ultimate knowledge through His silence to Sanakaand other rishis. Like this, Paramasiva has taken sixty two forms. He is Sarvesvara who is Brahma whencreating the world, Vishnu when protecting it and Siva when destroying it and absorbing it into Himself.

Of the three Murthis we have to think that Parameswara is the most compassionate. Brahma, the

creator does not need to be compassionate. He is not at fault even if he does not create. Vishnu givesthe people happiness and sorrow according to their sins and punya. But Paramasiva gives everyone alittle rest from this samsara whether they are saints or sinners during the time of Pralaya. Hence He isthe ocean of compassion and grace.

Even the first of the Vaishnava Azhwars has sung in praise of Siva asMukkannappa (Lord with three eyes). Thayu manavar appeals to theLord as Ammayappa (One who is both mother and father). Shivaratriis the day to celebrate Siva who is compassionate and is the refuge ofall beings. Even though He is formless, in response to the prayers ofHis devotees, He assumed the form of a Lingam which is neither a formin the real sense nor is it formless.

The midnight when the Lord who is without a beginning tookViswaroopam as Lingothbava is Shivaratri. Brahma who went up as aswan to see the head and Vishnu who took the form of a boar andwent down to the netherworld in search of His feet could not see thewhole form. This form can be seen in all Siva temples in the rear of thesanctum sanctorum installed facing west. The swan is seen looking upand the boar looking down.

This holy day when the Lord came out as Lingam from the Jyothi form and then attained a beautifulform is good for meditation and prayers. Paramasiva took this form at midnight. We should fast thewhole day, avoid sleep, chant His name and pray to His form in temples in memory of His havingmanifested as Lingam in response to the love of the devotees.

We have to meditate on Siva every day and especially on Shivaratri and be the recipients of Hisblessings.

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Shivaratri Puja Procedure

Fasting on ShivratriMost people fast for the entire day. But if you are unable to keep fast for 24-hours, then you

can always opt for a single vegetarian diet or fruit or juice diet.

Time of Prayer during Shivratri

The entire day is dedicated to Lord Shiva. So you can start the prayers from the morning byvisiting a Shiva temple. Most Shiva devotees start the prayers in the evening after 20:00 hrs and


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continue till 04:00 hrs in the morning. The reason is that Lord Shiva is believed to haveappeared during this period in a form that the human eye can accommodate.

First, before starting puja, chant Sankalpam for Shiva puja. In Sankalpam, the place, gothra,nama, tithi, vara, nakshatra, and some other details are chanted in mantra form. You can also

just say your name and gothra if you not much aware of Sankalpa mantra.

Start puja with Ganesh Puja. Chant some simple mantras of Lord Ganesh and pray fordestruction of obstacles during Shiva Puja.

The third step is Gauri Puja. Take approximately 5 gms of turmeric (haldi) powder and make itlike a cone shaped structure and consider it as Goddess Gauri and chant simple prayer to Gaurior Parvati. (Some devotees skip Gauri Puja). Nandishwara Puja, Veerabhadra Puja, KartikeyaPooja, Kubera Pooja, Keerthimukha puja, and Sarpa Puja are optional.

Now, the main Shivapuja begins with Dhyanam. Think of Lord Shiva and pray to Him with akshata. As the first step, Lord Shiva is offered Shuddodaka Snanam (bath with gangajal or

sanctified water) Panchamrita snan is performed as the next step. (bath with milk, ghee, curd, honey and

coconut water) Shuddodaka Snanam is performed again Jalabhishekam (pour water on linga drop by drop) is

observed. Yagnopaveetham is worn (especially in South Indian

puja procedure) Offer Bhasma (vibhooti), Gandha (sandalwoodpaste), and Kumkum to Shivalinga. Sprinkle akshataon the Lord

Flower garland is offered to the deity Bilva Puja is performed while chanting Bilvasktakam. Dhoop or agarbatti or incense sticks are lit and dhoopam is given to Shivalinga Light a lamp or deepa. Shiva Aarti is chanted Aatma Pradakshina (self circumambulation) is performed as the last step. This marks the

end of simple Shivaratri Puja.

Those who are inclined to perform a detailed and elaborate Puja, can download the belowdocument for their reference. Please note however that this should have been learnt from anappropriate Guru to avoid any unintentional negative effects in pronounciation orperformance: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwuDCferB6sJaURTUVdNWWUzdDQ/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwuDCferB6sJaURTUVdNWWUzdDQ/edit?usp=sharinghttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwuDCferB6sJaURTUVdNWWUzdDQ/edit?usp=sharinghttps://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwuDCferB6sJaURTUVdNWWUzdDQ/edit?usp=sharing


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Shivratri Prayers

Apart from fasting and keeping vigil at night, Hindu devotees also chant sacred prayers andmantras dedicated to Lord Shiva on Maha Shivratri night. In fact these slokas can be chanted on

a daily basis. Some of the Holy slokas recommended for Maha Shivaratri are given below.

Bilvashtakam

(The leaves of Bilwa(Aegle marmelos), which has multipleleaves, with each leaf consisting of three leaves is very dearto Lord Shiva.

Offering this leaf to Lord Shiva pleases him especially on theShivaratri .There are several stories how people got

salvation by offering one Bilwa leaf to Lord Shiva.)

Tridalam trigunakaaram trinethram cha triyayusham,Trijanma papa samharam Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 1

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, Which has three leaves, Which causes threequalities,Which are like the three eyes of Shiva, Which is like the triad of weapons,And which destroys sins of three births.

Trishakhai bilwapathraischa hyachidrai komalai shubai,Shiva poojam karishyami , Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 2

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, Which has three shoots, Which do not have holes,Which are good and pretty, And worship Lord Shiva.

Aganda bilwa pathrena poojithe nandikeshware,Shudhyanthi sarva papebhyo , Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 3

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For if an uncut leaf is offered, To his steed the god Nandi,We get cleaned of all our sins.

Salagrama shilamekaam vipranam jatha cha arpayeth,Soma yagna maha punyam, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 4

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For it is equal to, offering a saligrama to a Brahmin,Or the great blessing got out of performing Soma Yaga.

Dandi koti sahasrani vajapeya sathani cha,


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Koti kanya maha danam, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 5

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For it is equal to gifting thousand elephants, Or theperforming of hundred fire sacrifices, Or giving away billions of girls (kanya-daanam).

Lakshmyasthanutha uthpannam mahadevasya cha priyam,Bilwa vruksham prayachami, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 6

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva , For it is equal to giving a tree of Bilwa, Which was bornfrom the breast of Lakshmi, And which is very dear to the Lord Shiva.

Darshanam bilwa vrukshasya, sparsanam papa nasanam, Aghora papa samharam, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 7

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, As seeing and

touching of a tree of Bilwa, Washes away ones sins andalso ,Very great sins.

Kasi kshethra nivasam cha kala bhairava darshanam,Prayaga madhavam drushtwa, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 8

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, After living in the city of Kasi, Seeing the Kala Bhairawa,And also visiting the temple Of Madhawa in Allahabad.

Moolatho brahma roopaya , madhyatho Vishnu roopini

Agratha shiva roopaya , Eka bilwam shivarpanam 9

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, As Brahma resides at its bottom, Lord Vishnu lives in itsmiddle, And Lord Shiva lives in its tip.

Bilwashtakam idham punyaam, padeth shiva sannidhou,Sarva papa nirmuktha Shiva loka maapnuyath. 10

Reading this holy octet of Bilwa, In the presence of Lord Shiva, Would save one from all sins,And in the end take him to the world of Shiva.

Shiva Panchakshara stotram

Shiva is the destroyer among the trinity and is worshipped as their main deity by millions ofHindus. The holy word chant to worship him is made of five letters and is popularly called Panchakshara- Na Ma Si Va ya. In this popular stotra each of these letters is considered as himand he is praised for his great qualities.)


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Nagendra haraya Trilochanaya, Basmanga ragaya maheswaraya,Nithyaya shudhaya digambaraya, Tasmai nakaraya namashivaya. 1

My salutations to the letter Na , which is Shiva, Who wears as garland the king of snakes.

Who has three eyes, Who wears ash all over Him, Who is the greatest Lord, Who is forever,Who is the cleanest, And who wears the directions themselves as dress

Mandakini salila chandana charchithaya, Nandeeswara pramadha nadha maheswaraya,Mandra pushpa bahu pushpa supoojithaya, Tasmai makaraya namashivaya. 2

My salutations to the letter Ma , which is Shiva, Who is bathed by waters of ganges, Whoapplies sandal paste all over him, Who has Lord Nandi as his chiefton, Who is the greatest lord,And who is worshipped by Mandhara and many other flowers.

Shivaaya gowri vadanara vinda, Sooryaya daksha dwara naasakaya,Sri neela kantaya vrisha dwajaya, Tasmai sikaraya namashivaya. 3

My salutations to the letter Si , which is Shiva, Who is peacepersonified, Who is like Sun to the Lotus face of Gowri, Whodestroyed the fire sacrifice of Daksha, Who has a blue neck,And who has a bull in his flag.

Vasishta kumbhodhbhava gowthamadhi. Munendra devarchithashekaraya,

Chandrarka vaiswanara lochanaya, Tasmai vakaraya namashivaya.4

My salutations to the letter Va , which is Shiva, Who is worshipped by great sages like,Vasishta, Agasthya and Gowthama , As also the devas, And who has sun , moon and fire as histhree eyes.

Yaksha swaroopaya jada dharaya, Pinaka hasthathaya sanathanaya,Divyaya devaaya digambaraya, Tasmai yakaraya namashivaya. 5

My salutations to the letter Ya , which is Shiva, Who takes the form of Yaksha, Who has atufted hair, Who is armed with spear, Who is forever filled with peace, Who is godly, Who is thegreat God, And who wears the directions themselves as dress.

PhalasruthiPanchaksharamidham punyam, Ya padeth Shiva sannidhou,Shivaloka maapnothi, Shive na saha modathe.


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Those who read these holy five letters great, In the temple of Shiva, Would go to the world ofShiva, And be forever happy with Him.

Lingashtakam

Brahma Murari Sura architha Lingam, Nirmala bashitha Shobitha Lingam,Janmaja dukha vinasaka lingam. That pranamami sada shiva lingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which is worshipped by Brahma, Vishnuand other Devas, Which is pure and resplendent, And which destroys sorrows of birth.

Deva Murari pravarchitha Lingam, Kama dahana Karunakara lingam,Ravana darpa vinashana lingam, That pranamami sad shiva lingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which is worshipped by great sages anddevas, Which destroyed the god of love, Which showers mercy, And which destroyed the prideof Ravana.

Sarva sukandhi sulepitha lingam, Budhi vivarthana karana lingam, Siddha surasura vandhitha lingam, That pranamami sada shivalingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which isanointed by perfumes, Which leads to growth of wisdom, Andwhich is worshipped by sages, devas and asuras.

Kanaka mahamani bhooshitha lingam, Panipathi veshtithashobitha lingam,Daksha suyagna vinasana lingam, That pranamami sada shivalingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which isornamented by gold and great jewels, Which shines with the snake being with it, And whichdestroyed the Yagna of Daksha.

Kunkuma chandana lepitha lingam, Pankaja hara sushobitha lingam,Sanchitha papa vinasana lingam, That pranamami sada shiva lingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which is adorned by sandal paste andsaffron, Which wears the garland of lotus flowers, And which can destroy accumulated sins.

Deva Ganarchitha sevitha lingam, Bhavair bakthi pravesa lingam,


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Dinakara koti prabhakara lingam, That pranamami sada shiva lingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which is served by gods and other beings,Which is the doorway for devotion and good thought, And which shines like billions of Suns.

Ashta dalopari veshtitha lingam, Sarva samudbhava karana lingam,Ashta daridra vinasana lingam, That pranamami sada shiva lingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva, Which is surrounded by eight petals,Which is the prime reason of all riches, And whichdestroys eight types of poverty.

Suraguru sura vara poojitha Lingam, Sura vana pushpasadarchitha lingam, Parathparam paramathmaka lingam, That pranamai

sada shiva lingam.

I bow before that Lingam, which is the eternal Shiva,Which is worshipped by the teacher of gods, Which isworshipped by the best of gods, Which is alwaysworshipped by the flowers,From the garden of Gods, Which is the eternal abode,And which is the ultimate truth.

Lingashtakam, Idam Punyam padeth Shiva Sannidhow,

Shivalokam avapnothi shive na sahamodathe.

Any one who chants the holy octet of the Lingam, In the holy presence of Lord Shiva, Would inthe end reach the world of Shiva, And keep him company.

Dwaadasa (12) Jyotirlingams in India

The following slogam explains the twelve points in India where the Jyotir Lingams are situated

Saurashtre Somanaatham Cha Sree Saile MallikarjunamUjjayinyaam Mahaakaalam Omkaare MamaleswaramHimalaye to Kedaram Daakinyaam BhimashankaramVaaranaasyaam cha Viswesam Trayambakam GowtameethateParalyaam Vaidyanaatham cha Naagesam DaarukaavaneSetubandhe Ramesham Grushnesam cha Shivaalaye ||


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RameshwaramRameshwaram - the southernmost of the Jyotirlingas

Rameshwaram is an island situated in the gulf of manner at the very tip of the Indian peninsula.A very important pilgrim centre of the Indians. Rameshwaram is the place from where LordRama, built a bridge across the sea to rescue his consort Sita, from her abductor, Ravana.

This is also the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to cleanse away the sin of killingRavana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage which is known as the Varanasithe south.

Ramnathswamy temple was built in the 17th century. Situated close to the sea on the easternside of the island, this temple is famous for its 1200 gigantic granite columns. The 54 metre tallgopuram (gate-tower), 1220 metres of magnificent corridors and the flamboyant columnsembellish and render fame to the temple. The water in each of the 22 sacred wells in the

temple tastes different.100 metres away from the temple is Agnitheertham, where Ramaworshipped Lord Shiva, to absolve himself from the killing Ravana.

Gandamadana Parvatham:The imprint of Lord Rama's feet placed on aChakra (wheel) is found in this shrine which is atthe highest point on the island at 2 km fromRameswaram.

Dhanushkodi named after Rama's bow, is at the

eastern end of the island at a distance of 8 kmsfrom Rameshwaram. The boulders around the seabetween Srilanka and this place known as Adam'sbridge, are believed to be used by Hanuman toreach across Srilanka.

Dhhanushkodi was completely destroyed by the cyclones of 1964. Kothandaramaswamy templeis the only salvage of the cyclone. Idols of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Vibhishana(brother of Ravana), surrendered to Rama, here.

Srisailam

Srisailam - also one of the 52 Shakthi Peethams - where Sivananda Lahari was sung

Sree Sailam near Kurnool enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple rich in architectural andsculptural wealth. Adi Sankaracharya composed his Sivanandalahiri here.

Located admist the Nallamalai forests on a height of 457 mt on the southern banks of riverKrishna in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh is Srisailam also known as Sriparvata, home of the'Chechu' tribes. Srisailam boasts of India's largest tiger reserve, home to tigers, leopards,


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pangolins, panthers and around 200 species of birds and is spread over an area of 3,560 sq.kms.

The temple situated here is dedicated to Lord Shivaand is among the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. The

temple sculptures narrate in stone, epics from thregreat Hindu epics-Ramayana nand Mahabharata.

Srisailam is well connected by APSRTC bus services.The nearest railway station to Srisailam isMarkapur Road.Sri Sailam Devasthanam providesaccommodation for their pilgrims at their cottagesand choultries.

BhimashankarBhimashankar - the birth place of the river Bhima

Situated on a high peak, surrounded by thickdense forests, is a major pilgrim centre calledBhimashankar. The place has got its namebecause of the origin of Bhima, a prominentriver in Maharashtra. Near the origin of theriver, Bhimashankar houses one of the five'Jyotirlinga' of Maharashtra. The annual

Mahashivaratri fair is held in Bhimashankar inFebruary-March and attracts upto 25,000pilgrims.

Countless devotees from all over Maharashtra and from places outside the state, flock near thetemple during 'Tripuri Poornima'. Bhimashankar is more popular as a tourist place than areligious one due to its extravagant beauty and breathtaking scenery. This place is situated at aheight of approximately 3250 feet resulting in chilly weather. Being at the edge of the mountain

range, the place gives a clear view of the surrounding areas. The thick and dense forests are amajor attraction for trekkers and mountaineers as well as tourists.

The 'Shani temple' is located inside the main complex of the temple of Bhimashankar. Betweenthe two pillars outside the 'Shani' temple, one comes across an ancient huge Portuguese bell.Behind the temple, there is a small pathway that leads us to the banks of a river. The denseforest of the Bhimashankar Wild Life Sanctuary, plays abode to most of the flora and fauna. To


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name a few, there are boars, sambars, hyenas, porcupines and even the leopards. The plant lifeincludes anything and everything from mangoes to spices.

After a short climb to the west of the temple, one comes across a peak termed the 'Nagfani'.The height of all these peaks is approximately 2750 feet above sea level. The peaks reveal a

beautiful picture of all the forts and hill-stations like Matheran and even small lakes.

Two routes lead to Bhimashankar from Khandas that meet at a plateau. The Koli village issituated on the plateau. The route to Bhimashankar begins from this village. One comes acrossthe Pune-Bhimashankar road nearby. The first route is the tar route of a distance of 2kilometres. This route though longer, is less difficult than the second one. The second route isshorter but much steeper and climbs straight out to Koli village.

This place is at a distance of 265 kilometres from Mumbai via Pune by road. The nearest airportis the Pune Airport which is at a distance of 95 kilometres from Bhimashankar. The nearest rail

route is from Pune too.

Bhimashankar is situated around 260 kms and 7 hours drive from Mumbai. You could drive uptoBhivandi along Mumbai-Agra (Highway No.3), and then via Kalyan to Murbad. You have to takethe road that goes to Wada to reach Bhimashankar.

The route takes you through the fast moving highway traffic where you need to be extra carefulwhile driving. The forest road has lesser traffic and driving along this road is an experience tocherish.

GrishneshwarGrishneshwar - near Ellora

Grishneshwar also known as Ghushmeshwar isanother site revered as the abode of one of the12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. It is located at a distanceof 11 km from Daulatabad near Aurangabad inMaharashtra. The temple was constructed byAhilyabhai Holkar who also re-constructed the

Kasi Viswanatha temple at Benares and theVishnu Paada temple at Gaya.

There has to be legend associated with everytemple. This one too is no exception. There was once a devout woman Kusuma who was anardent devotee of Lord Shiva and she regularly immersed a Shivalingam in a tank, as a part ofher daily ritual worship. Her husband's first wife, envious of her piety and standing in societymurdered Kusuma's son in cold blood. An aggrieved Kusuma continued her ritual worship, and


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when she immersed the Shivalingam again in the tank, her son was miraculously restored tolife. Shiva is said to have appeared in front of her and the villagers, and ever since then theshivalingam here has been worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.

TryambakeshwarTryambakeshwar - the birth place of river Godavari

Tryambakeshwar, 30 km from Nasik in Maharashtrais revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines ofShiva. It is here that the river Godavari is born. This isan ancient shrine, but what you see today is thanksto the reconstruction efforts undertaken by thePeshwa Balaji Bajirao in mid 18th century. The otherJyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Bhimashankarand Grishneshwar.

Legend has it that sage Gowtama resided on theBrahmagiri hill here with his wife Ahalya, and seeinghis unflinching devotion received a boon from

Varuna - a bottomless pit from which he received an inexhaustible supply of foodgrains. This ofcourse enraged other sages who conspired for a cow to enter his granary, and caused it to dieas Gowtama attempted to ward it off with a bunch of Darbha grass. Because of this misfortuneGowtama therefore worshipped Shiva, to invoke the Goddess Ganga down to his hermitage topurify the premises. Ganga came down as Godavari, and Shiva took up an abode here in theform of Tryambaka. Interestingly, locals refer to the river here as Ganga and not as Godavari.

Legend has it that Brahma and Vishnu searched in vain to discover the origin of Shiva whomanifested himself as a cosmic column of fire. Brahma lied that he had seen the top of thecolumn of fire, and was hence cursed that he would not be worshipped on earth. In turnBrahma cursed Shiva that he would be pushed underground. Accordingly, Shiva came downunder the Brahmagiri hill in the form of Tryambakeshwar. The shrine enjoyed the patronage ofthe Peshwas.

The Nagara style of architecture is what typifies this temple made of black stone. It is enclosed

in a spacious courtyard and the sanctum (internally a square and externally a stellar structure)houses a small Shivalingam - Tryambaka. The sanctum is crowned with a graceful tower ,a giantamalaka and a golden kalasha.

In front of the garbagriha and the antarala is a mandap with doors on all four sides. Three outof the four doorways are covered with porches, and the openings of these porches areornamented with pillars and arches. The roof of the mandapam is formed by curvilinear slabsrising in steps. The entire structure is ornamented with sculptural work featuring running


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scrolls, floral designs, figures of gods, yakshas, humans and animals. The Shivalingam is seen ina depression on the floor of the sanctum with water constantly oozing out from the top of theShivalingam. Usually, the Shivalingam is covered with a silver mask, and on festive occasionswith a golden mask with five faces, each with a golden crown. The silver mask is equivalent tothe processional images seen in South Indian temples.

Kolhambika is a temple dedicated to Parvati, where she is believed to have slain the demonKolhasura who had swallowed the Ganga river. Also here is the Ganga Devi temple enshrining awhite marble image of Ganga. This temple was built in 1879. Other shrines here include thoseto Kedarnath, Rameshwar, Gowtameshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Jareshwar, Kanchaneshwar,Tribhuvaneshwar, Rama, Parasurama, Krishna, Balaji, Lakshmi Narayan and Hanuman.

Three worship services are carried out each day. During the night worship service sheja-aarti iscarried out and the silver mask is placed in a bed in the hall of mirrors. Each Monday, the silvermask of Tryambaka is placed in a palanquin and taken in procession to Kushavarta theertha and

given an abhisheka there. This procession with the special golden mask, happens also on Shivratris, full moon day in the month of Kartika and during other festive occasions.

SomnathSomnath - the first and foremost of the Jyotirlingas

Somnath is the foremost of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva, held in reverence throughoutIndia imbued with legend, traditions and history.It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in

Gujarat.

It is a pilgrimage centre held in great reverencethroughout India. Situated 79 kilometres fromJunagadh and 25 kilometres from Chorwad, thelegendary shore temple of Somnath is one of thetwelve most sacred Shiva shrines in India.According to the legend, Somnath is as old ascreation, built by none other than the Moon Godhimself.

It is believed that he had built this temple with gold. Later it was built by Ravana in silver, thenLord Krishna in wood and Bhima in stone. Legend has it that the Kalabhairava shivalinga atPrabhasa was worshipped by the moon and hence, the Lord is called as Somnatha. TheSomnath temple also houses the remains of the ancient Sun temple.

Towards the east of the town is the Bhalka Teertha. This is where, Lord Krishna is believed tohave been injured by a tribal arrow. Somnath was destroyed and rebuilt several times.


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Mehmud of Gazni having heard of its fabulous treasure, raided it in 1026 and carried awaycamel loads of jewels and gold. Lunch is available here in the simple dining hall in the templecompound, north of the main gate. One cannot get the cameras inside.

The temple is located by the beautiful blue waters of the Arabian Sea. The Somnath beach is a

fascinating sight. The fresh blue waters, humming waves and the cool sands, gives you a feelingof having landed in a paradise. Nearby is the Prabhas Patan Museum, which houses the 11thcentury version of the Somnath temple with 5 domes and many pillars.

Somath is located at a distance of 47 KMs from Keshod, an airport connected with Mumbai, andis about 5 KMs from Veraval Railway Station.

DwarkaNageshwar - at Dwarka

Nageshwar is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It islocated between Dwarka and the Bet Dwarka island, on thecoast of Saurashtra in Gujarat.

Legend has it that once while rowing a boat, a devotee bythe name of Supriya, was attacked by a demon Daaruka,and imprisoned him along with several others at his capitalDaarukaavana, where he resided with his wife Daaruki.Once again, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of aJyotirlingam and vanquished the demon with thePaasupata Astram.

Two other sites in India, one near Audhgram near Purna inAndhra Pradesh and another near Almora in Uttar Pradesh also enshrine temples to NageswaraJyotirlingam.

OmkareshwarOmkareshwar & Amareshwar

Omkareshwar an island in the course of the riverNarmada in Madhya Pradesh is home to theOmkareshwar Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwartemple.

Omkareshwar located in Madhya Pradesh, on theMandhata hill on the banks of the Narmada is one ofthe 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is


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located at a distance of about 12 miles from Mortakka. The river Narmada branches into twoand forms an island Mandhata or Shivapuri in the center. The shape of the island resemblesthat of the visual representation of the Omkara sound, Om. There are two temples here, one toOmkareshwar and one to Amareshwar.

Legend has it that the mountain called Vindhya once prayed to Lord Shiva - Omkareshwara andwas blessed here. Legend also has it that upon the request of the Devas, the Shivalinga splitinto two, one half being Omkareshwara and the other Amaleshwara or Amareshwar. Thetemple can be reached by ferry from the banks of the river.The Omkareshwar temple built in the Nagara style is characterized by a lofty shikhara. Thereare also shrines to Annapurna and Ganesha here.

UjjainMahakaleshwar at Ujjain

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga's shrine in Ujjain isan ancient and historic and was also calledAvanti in Madhya Pradesh.

Ujjain, a historic capital of Central India inMadhya Pradesh is a venerated pilgrimagecentre enshrining Mahakaleshwara, one of theJyotirlinga manifestations of Shiva. It wasUjjain that played a prominent role during thereign of the Mauryas and the Guptas and it

was at Avanti the capital of Ujjain that KindUdayana married princess Vasavadatta. In fact the Skanda Purana describes the glory of Ujjain(Mahakaala Vana) in great detail.

During King Vikramaditya Chandragupta, one of the Gupta kings' reign the nine gemsviz.,Dhanvantari, Kshapanaka, Amarasimha, Sanku, Vetala Bhatta, Ghatakharpara,Varahamihira, Vararuchi and Kalidasa) adorned his court. Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar,Benares, Kanchipuram, Dwarka and Ujjain are considered to be the 7 Mukti Stalas of India.Ujjain is home to the Kumbha Mela, when Jupiter resides in the zodiac sign of Scorpio.

The Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain has five levels one of which is undergound. The templeitself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls near a lake. The shikhara orthe spire is adorned with sculptural finery. Brass lamps light the way to the undergroundsanctum. It is believed that prasada (holy offering) offered here to the deity can be re-offeredunlike all other shrines.

Legend has it that a demon by the name of Dushana tormented the residents of Avanti and thatShiva appeared from the ground and vanquished the demon, and then upon the request of the


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inhabitants of Avanti, took up permanent abode here as Mahakaleshwara Jyotirlinga. Thetemple to Parvati - Harasiddhi Devi temple is also located at Ujjain.

VaidhyanathVaidhyanath - a.k.a. Baijnath

The ancient pilgrimage town of Deogarh in the Santal Parganas area of Bihar is revered as one of the 12Jyotirlingas of Shiva.

This shrine located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Bihar represents one of the 12Jyotirlingams of Shiva held in reverencethroughout the country. Deogarh is alsoknown as Vaidyanath, Haritaki Vana, KetakiVana, Ravana Vana, Chitabhoomi andHardapeetha. Some schools of thought believe

Vaidyanath near Parali in Andhra Pradesh tobe the Vaidyanatha Jyotirlingam. Some othersbelieve that Kiragram in Punjab and Dabhoi inGujarat are the Vaidyanatha Jyotirlingatemples.

The legend of Vaidyanathan goes somethinglike this. The demon lord from the Ramayan, the devout Ravana meditated hard in order toinvoke Lord Shiva, and requested him to come over to Sri Lanka, in order that his capital maybecome invincible. It is said that he attempted to lift the holy mountain, Lord Shiva's abode,

Mount Kailash and take it with him to his capital; however Shiva crushed him with his finger,and Ravana prayed to him and sought his mercy, after which Shiva gave him one of the twelveJyotirlingams with the condition that if it was placed on the ground it would take rootimmediately and hence Ravana had to carry it back on his trek to his capital. Varuna the God ofwater, entered Ravana's belly, and caused him to feel the need to relieve himself.

Vishnu then came down in the form of a lad and volunteered to hold the Jyotirlingam as herelieved himself. But before Ravana could return, the young lad placed the jyotirlingam on theground to which it became rooted. A disappointed Ravana offered severe penances to Shivahere, and cut off nine of his heads as a part of his repentance. Shiva revived him and joined the

heads to the body, like a Vaidya or a physician, hence this Jyotirlingam goes by the nameVaidyanath. The same legend holds at Gokarnam in Karnataka.

Another legend has it that this temple was re-discovered by a cowherd Baiju, and hence thename Baijnath.


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Vaidyanath is also considered to be one of the 52 Shakti Pitha shrines of Sati. It is believed thatthe heart of Sati fell here, when her half burnt body being carried by Shiva at the end ofDaksha's yagna, was chopped to pieces by Vishnu's discus.

The temple of Vaidyanath is situated in a spacious courtyard bounded by stone walls. In the

temple complex are twenty two other temples. The Baijnath or Vaidyanath temple faces east.The top of the Shiva Lingam is slightly broken, which is in keeping with the legend that it gochipped when Ravana tried to uproot it. Near the temple is the Sivaganga lake. TheChandrakoopa well, near the main entrance is said to have been built and consecrated withwater from several thirthams (thirthams meaning holy waters) by Ravana.

VaranasiVaranasi - a.k.a. - Benares

The Vishwanath temple in Benares in Uttar Pradesh is the destination of thousands of pilgrims

that visit this ancient city. Probably the most famous site not just in India, but the world over,the Vishwanath shrine is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

Varanasi - Benares - Kaasi is considered to be theholiest of all pilgrimage sites in India and in factpeople from all over the world come here to payobeisance. The name Varanasi is derived from thenames of two rivers, Varana and As and this holyplace is considered home to Shiva - Visweswara.Benares is also known as Kaasi because it is

believed that Supreme brilliance shines there, andlights the way to salvation (Kas - to shine). Thisplace is supposed to be God's favourite place andhence the name Anandakanana but it is alsoknown as Mahamasaanam where the five

elements lie in this great cremation ground as will all dead bodies at the time of the finaldeluge.

This temple was desecrated and rebuilt several times. The latest structure dating back to the18th century (thanks to the efforts of Rani Ahilyabhai Holkar who incidentally was also

responsible for the building of the Grishneshwar temple in Aurangabad) is the main centre ofattention for the millions of pilgrims who converge here, to perform an abhishekam to thesacred Jyotirlingam, with water from the Ganges. Benares is also considered to be one of theShakti Peethas of India. It is believed that the left hand of Sati fell at Varanasi, and thatAnnapurna or Visalakshi represent the Shakti Peetham here.

Apart from these temples, there are five other sacred spots in Benares. The Asi-Gangasangamam a temple to the Sun God, a shrine to Kesava, the Panchaganga Ghat housing a


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temple to Bindu - Madhava (where it is believed that five rivers Kirana, Ganga, Yamuna,Saraswati and Dhuta-papa converge) and the Dasaswamedha Ghat where it is believed that theancient kings performed the aswamedha sacrifice ten times and took a dip in the Ganga. Thelast of the sacred spots is the Manikarnika Ghat.

It is believed that when Shiva shook his head and his jeweled earring fell into the pit that Vishnuhad dug the name Manikarnika came into being. Tradition has it that those that die at Benaresand get cremated at the Manikarnika ghat, get liberated from the cycle of life and death.Mention must be made of the modern shrine to Kaasi Viswanatha elsewhere in the city.Shivaratri in the month of Aquarius is a season of great festivity at Benares.

KedarnathKedarnath - the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas

Kedarnath, nestled in the snow clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine rich in legend and tradition.It is accessible only on foot, six months in a year.

One of the most important temples in the Himalayas,Kedarnath is amongst the major Shiva temples of the country.Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, andone of the Panch Kedars and is located at the source of theriver Mandakini.

According to mythology the deity of Kedarnath temple is

identified with the rump of a bull, a form assumed by LordShiva, when eluding the Pandavas, who had come to repent forkilling their kith and kin, during the battle of Kurukshetra .When the Pandavas followed him to the site, he dived into theground leaving behind him a hump on the surface. This conicalprojection is worshipped as the idol in the temple.

The remaining parts of the body are worshipped at four othersites - the arms (Bahu) at Tungnath, mouth (mukh) at Rudranath, navel (nabhi) atMadmaheshwar and hair (jata) at Kalpeshwar. These five shrines collectively are known as the

Panch Kedar.

The Pandavas are given credit for building the temple of Kedarnath. The statue of Nandi, thedivine bull of Shiva, stands at the entrance of the temple. The wall inside the temple, isexquisitely carved with images, and the temple houses a shiva lingam, which is worshipped byhordes of pilgrims. What is truly unique about the lingam is that it is pyramidal.


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As winter dawns in the month of November, the holy statue of Lord Shiva, is carried down fromGarhwal (Kedarkhand) to Ukhnimath, and is reinstated at Kedarnath, in the first week of May. Itis at this time, that the doors of the temple are thrown open to pilgrims, who flock from allparts of India, for a holy pilgrimage.

Kedarnath is situated in very scenic locales and is enveloped by lofty, snow-covered mountainsand grassy meadows covering the valleys. The Kedar dome peak, which can be seen from greatdistance, is located immediately behind the temple. The sight of the temple and it's perpetuallysnowed landscape will take your breath away.

Kedarnath is situated at a distance of 234 Kms from Rishikesh and 251 Kms from Dehradun.Best season is from May to October except Monsoon. Heavy Woollen Clothes would berequired if travel is undertaken in winter (September November)


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AcknowledgementsWe gratefully acknowledge the following blogs and websites which contained a treasure ofinformation for compiling this Ebook on Maha Shivaratri.

1. http://kamakoti.org/ 2. http://advaitham.blogspot.in/ 3. http://www.hindupad.com/ 4. http://www.vedarahasya.net/ 5. Stotras translation - by Sri P R Ramachander

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!
http://kamakoti.org/http://kamakoti.org/http://kamakoti.org/http://advaitham.blogspot.in/http://advaitham.blogspot.in/http://advaitham.blogspot.in/http://www.hindupad.com/http://www.hindupad.com/http://www.vedarahasya.net/http://www.vedarahasya.net/http://www.vedarahasya.net/http://www.vedarahasya.net/http://www.hindupad.com/http://advaitham.blogspot.in/http://kamakoti.org/

Kanchi Periva Forum - Maha Shivaratri Special Edition eBook

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