Mahashivratri Puja

Mahashivratri Puja

According to shivpuran there was a misunderstanding between Guru brahma and guru vishnu as to who was bigger and powerful. They both confronted each other and to solve this problem LORD SHIVA placed a long iron pillar between them which stopped their arguments and then a akaashvani was heard that whoever finds the bottom end or the top end of the longpillar is bigger than the other.Brahma immediately sat on his wahan and flew upwards to find the top end and after spending a considerable time he couldn't find the end of the never ending pillar so he decided to take a rest.Vishnu took form of a boar and dug his way to find the bottom end and after digging for a long long time he too was very exhausted and gave so he came back on top to wait for Brahma's return.Brahma after resting decided to come to earth but the minute he moved he saw ketaki coming down from the top end and then and there brahma decided to tell a white lie that he found the top endbecause assuming that ketaki knew the top end so he took ketaki as a witness to fool Vishnu.Upon reaching earth Vishnu was surprised to see ketaki with brahma who introduced him as a witness of finding the top end so Vishnu gave in and said that ok you are bigger and param bhagwan and that you have created me instead ofme creating you. As soon as he said that the pillarcracked and out came bhairo and cursed brahma for lying and said that from hence forward no one will pray to you or there will be any mandir made in your name on earth. As you know brahma heard 5 heads thehead which told the lie bhairo with his fingernail cut that head offand told brahma i have done this because this is the head and mouth which told lies.

To ketaki he cursed that the flowers will loose its sughand andthat shiva will from henceforward will not accept it from devotees.To Vishnu he embraced him and gave blessing due to his sat of telling brahma that he could not find the bottom end and therefore he lost the battle. Bhairo then gave his blessings that he will be worshipped on earth and there will be many mandirs built in his name by his devotees. Bhairoalso provided Vishnu with his weapons.After this there was another akaashvani telling bhairo since he chopped off one of brahma's head he had committed brahm hatya and to washhis sin he will have to carry brahma's chopped offhead through trilok and gave instruction to brahmhatya a very frightening devi to chase bhairo untilhe reaches kashi and that she will not be able to enter kashi. Bhairo after running the entire loks finally reached kashi and got rid of brahmahatya chasing him. As soon as he entered kashi brahma's chopped off head fell from his hand andstuck to the ground where today is the famous Bhairo mandir at kashi and thus bhairo became the kotwal of kashi to punish anyone doing any sin at the pavitr stan.The pillar which cracked lost its height and became the first shivling and the first shiv ratri was celebrated and the very night LORD SHIVA MARRIED PARVATI MATAWhat sadhana to do ?fasting 06.3.16 miss one meal 6pm-7.30pm -RUDRA ABHISHEKAMCHANTING OF RUDRAM, DURGA SUKTHAM, PURUSHA SUKTHAM,SHIV ARADHANAART AND PRASAD.07.3.16 8.00am-12.00 LALITHA HOMAM11.00AM RUDRA ABHISHEKAM (SHIV PUJAN)12pm kalash sthapana1pm arti & pushpa mantra (pushpanjali)miss 2 meals08.3.16 MAHA SHIV RATRI nirajal varth ( no eating or drinking)For those who are sick or diabetic you are allowed to eat one coconut only for the entire 4 pahar or 24 hrs. Eating fruits or drinking milk your wrath will be broken. Once mata parvati asked shiva that your mahashivratri vrat is very difficult and not everyone can do it especially those who are sick. So she asked shiva if he could create a fruit which has both water and fruit. To make this story short i hope you know that shiva used his trisul to chop off the original head of ganapati. After cutting ganapati's head his trisul carried the original head to brahm lok this was also one of the reason why he chopped of ganapatis original head. To please and provide parvati such a fruit the trishul came back with a coconut and it fell at mata parvati feet.

Shiva then said here is your fruit and for those who are sick drinking and eating the gari their wrath will not be broken. The original head of ganapati thusbecame a coconut and is offered as a vali in puja ceremonies. You see how generous our shiva is by chopping off his son's head for the kaliyan human beings10am Trishati archana11am Shiva Mahima Stotra5PM MAHA MRITYUNJAYA JAPAM6PM RUDRAM ABHISHEKAM- 108 KALASHA ABHISHEKAM7PM AARTI & BHAJANS8PM AARTI AND MAHA PRASAD9M BHAJANS10pm-11.30pm reading of shiv purana11.30pm sharp dhyan sit comfortably and concentrate on anyshiva murti or picture because at sharp 12 am SHIVA praveshes in all shivlings, murtis and pictures of his and a devotee who has strictly followed his vrat and puja can get darshan of bhole nath as per shivpuran or he will surely give you some ishara by sound, belpatras falling of shivling or flowers offered on shiva or ling flying off and falling as aashirvaad. Everyone will experience his/hers own experienceof shiva.As you know shivaratri is done in 4 pahars. according to hindu religion a day is made up of 60 ghati which is equivalent to 24 hrs. a period of 3 hours is called a pahar and therefore there are 8pahars in one day with 4 during the day and 4 during the nightday time : 6am,9am,12am,3pmnighttime :6pm,9pm,12pm,3amSo you can see if we started our puja on maha shivratri at 6 pm then we must actually end the puja at 3am and go home if you are celebrating it at a temple.For those who do not know what to do at home. Simply offer shiva with devotion a lota of jal, then a lota of milk with lowa (puffed up unbroken rice) then again a lota of jal. Since our dhyan will be ofpaachmuki shiva on this day we should give him 5 lotas of jal for a very simple puja.For those who want to do alittle more then offer dhatura, dhaturaleaves and flowers, small pices of sugercane, belpatra pushpanjali of white sughandith flowers.One can also mix a lota of water,milk,sugar honey,flowers and few drops of perfume and offer shiva with devotion.If you have shiv puran you can read chaar adhiaye per pahar so when the last 4th pahar ends you would complete 16 adhiyaye.

A simple jaap ofOM NAMAH SHIVAYA OR NAKARAYA NAMAHSHIVAYA, MAKARAYA NAMAHSHIVAYA,SHIKARAYA NAMAHSHIVAYA, VAKARAYA NAMAHSHIVAYA, YAKARAYA NAMAHSHIVAYANA-MA-SH-VA-YA.I hope this simple method will be some benefit to you.