How is Maha Shivaratri Celebrated by Ruchi Dutta?
Compiled by “Ruchi Dutta” (India) from Maha Shivaratri 2024 Webinar
Maha Shivratri is a pan India Hindu festival celebrated with great fervour in honour of Lord Shiva. It falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Phalguna. It is observed by fasting, offering prayers, and performing rituals dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Maha Shivratri is celebrated for various reasons. One significant reason is to commemorate the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is believed that on this night, Lord Shiva performed the Tandava, or the cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction. Devotees also observe Shivratri as the day when Lord Shiva manifested in the form of a lingam, known as the Lingodbhava. Another significant reason is that on this night Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma made salutations to Lord Shiva and offered him a seat with great honour.
This day is of spiritual significance for devotees to seek blessings, cleanse their karma, and attain spiritual growth through meditation, fasting, and prayers to Lord Shiva.
Devotees believe that observing Maha Shivratri with devotion and sincerity helps in seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva and obtaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Devotees observe this pooja with deep devotion and reverence, seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva for spiritual upliftment and fulfilment of desires. On this day some devotees observe a Nirjala fast– without food and water or by consuming only fruits. By doing so they get the blessings and virtues equivalent to worship done for a whole year.
On this night prayers are offered to the full Lord Shiva family of Shiva himself, Goddess Parvati, Ganesha and Kartikeya along with Nandi. Devotees should light a diya between 11:30 PM – 12:30 AM with ghee or clarified butter and place it on the right side of the temple for good health, blessings, and good fortune. To remove any troubles, evil eye, for relief from enemies, light a diya with mustard oil and place it on the left side of the temple. For the night of Maha Shivratri there are some rules to be observed. Some do’s and don’ts. These are:
Do:
1) Eat only fruits if you can’t keep a complete fast.
2) Pray to Lord Shiva and his Family, not just him. Pray to Nandi ji, Lord Shiva, Parvati ji, Ganesh ji, and Kartikeya ji.
3) Put Bhasma or ashes on the forehead. This pleases Lord Shiva. 4) When you do Abhisheka, pour water from the conch shell or a Horn made of bronze. This is because the horn symbolizes Nandi ji.
5) When you do Abhisheka with milk and water, this pleases Lord Shiva because milk represents the Moon. And Lord Shiva placed the Moon on his head.
6) Do offer Bael Leaves, even 1 bael leaf pleases Shiva, though always use the 3 leaf triangulation. 7) Recite : HARAYA NAMAHA, MRIDAYA NAMAHA, SHANKARAYA NAMAHA- 3 TIMES AND THEN SADASHIVA NAMAHA.
After reciting say, ‘Any wrongs done by me in this life or previous life against any living thing, please forgive me. Please forgive my sins’.
DON’T:
1) Don’t collect the water from the water flowing down when you offer the milk and water to Lord Shive. This is because underground there is supposed to be Kshetrapal. He, too, deserves abhisheka and if he doesn’t get it, he gets angry. Let the water flow naturally.
2) Don’t pluck flowers from the temple to offer to God or decorate you home.
3) Always dust your feet when you come out from the temple. Don’t carry the dust back home.
4) The number of Pradakshina to be done is 3. Never do a full circle. Start from the left ( the God’s are to your right) from behind to the right till the place where the water flows out and then back to the left from there. Do not cross the water outlet.
Another very powerful remedy for any unfulfilled wishes or for any trouble being faced in life, is to Light a diya with ghee or clarified butter on the night of Maha Shivratri. Take it in your right palm, and pray to Lord Shiva, asking for your wish to be fulfilled or for your trouble to be removed. After praying, ask for forgiveness for any sin committed in this or previous lives. At the end, ask Lord Shiva to bless everybody by chanting ‘Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu’ . Translated, This means : May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all. Do this between 12:25 a.m to 1:13 a.m on in between night of 8th and 9th.
To Please Lord Shiva Devotees Can Offer the Following:
- A Trishul made of copper or bronze.
- A Damru
- A Trinetra or the 3rd eye made of silver. Offer this on the shivalinga.
- If you suffer from a Rahu Ketu dosha offer a Snake made of silver on this night to Lord Shiva.
- It’s also good to serve Cows especially black ones with food because they represent Nandi. As it is it’s good to serve cows on Monday and Saturday.
- For devotees who can’t go to the Temple, even if they mentally pray to Lord Shiva and offer all the Bael leaves present in the world to Lord Shiva, this also pleases him.
On the night of Maha Shivratri devotees stay up whole night and pray to Shiva. But did you know that you should pray to him according to your Moon Sign viz. The sign your Moon is in.
Starting at sunset around 6’o clock divide the night into 4 quarters or Prahar.
See which sign your Moon is placed in. You should pray to Lord Shiva in the prahar your Moon sign falls in.
6-9 p.m : This represents the Fire element. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius moon signs should pray in this Prahar. Shiva, in this element has the Ishaniya form so we should offer Milk to Lord Shiva.
9-12 p.m :This represents the Earth element and Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn moon signs should pray in this prahar. Shiva appears in the Aghora form in this element and to appease him we should offer Yoghurt or curd to Lord Shiva.
12-3 a.m : This represents the Air element and Gemini, Libra and Aquarius moon signs should pray in this prahar. In the Air element, Shiva takes the Vama Deva Form and we should offer Ghee or clarified butter to the Shivlinga.
3-6 a.m : This represents the Water element and Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces Moon signs should pray in this prahar. Here Shiva takes the Sadyojata form. Here we should offer Honey to Lord Shiva. This is also the prahar where the Brahma Mahurata falls. After every offering, Offer water to Lord Shiva, Bael Leaves, fruits, sweets etc.
When offering prayers to Lord Shiva at home, Invoke him and invite him to your house to bless you. After your prayers are over send him back by requesting him to go back to his Abode. This is a good practice which many don’t follow and this way even if you don’t pray for a few days in the middle, he’s in his abode.
While praying to Lord Shiva you can chant any of these mantras to appease him:
i) ॐ नमः शिवाय। Om Namaha Shivaye.
ii) ॐ ह्रीं ह्रौं नम: शिवाय॥ Om Hreem Hrom Namaha Shivaye.
iii) ऊँ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्। ऊर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् || Om Trayambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam. Urvarukamiv Bandhanan Mrityur Mokshiya Mamritat.
iv) Shiva Mahimna Stotra
v) You can also chant the Mahesvara Sutrani. This is because all the alphabets in the Hindi Varna Mala came out from the sounds of the Damru and this pleases him a lot
Some basic principles to observe Astrologically are, If your Maha Dasha or Antar Dasha running, is associated with the maraka houses, i.e 2nd house or 7th house you should definitely worship Lord Shiva during that time.
If Rahu or Ketu associate with the Lords of the 2nd or 7th house, or are placed in the 2nd or 7th house, you should pray to Lord Shiva.
If your Moon has any malefic aspect, Pray to Lord Shiva. But especially if Saturn associates with Moon, you must offer prayers to Lord Shiva on all 11 monthly Shivratri known as Masik Shivratri and the Maha Shivratri.
To please Lord Shiva some offerings that can be made to him are:
- Water, milk, and a tender coconut.
- Water, Milk, Bael leaves, and flowers.
- The Panchamrita- curd, ghee, milk, honey and sugar
- Juice of Sugarcane
- Pomegranate juice
- Wheatgrass juice
- Coconut water
- Holy ash or Bhasma
- Pour water on the horn of a cow, collect that water and offer to Lord Shiva.
The Nishith Kaal or the best time to pray to Lord Shiva and to present him your offerings for 2024 is between the night of 8th and 9th March at 24:25-25:13 p.m. on the 8thor the 9th early hours of 0:25 am-1:13 am.
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