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Thread: MahaShivratri!

  1. #1

    MahaShivratri!

    Hey guys!

    MahaShivratri is coming up in a little over 2 weeks! Whoop Whoop! Who's excited here? Every year I look forward to this day.

    Would any of you like to share your very first MahaShivratri experience?
    Jai Mata Di! Om Namah Shivaya!

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    Re: MahaShivratri!

    Quote Originally Posted by shivguna000 View Post
    Hey guys!

    MahaShivratri is coming up in a little over 2 weeks! Whoop Whoop! Who's excited here? Every year I look forward to this day.

    Would any of you like to share your very first MahaShivratri experience?
    Vannakkam: About 1980 or thereabouts, in the very beginning of the days of the temple I'm associated with and frequent, about 10 devotees, including me, I presume, stayed the night in a small rented room that was the temple at that time. On Sivaratri night, 2 years later, in 1982, we installed a Lingam, and the same one (it's small, people often ask why) is still in use today. We had Ganga water, and I remember a light bulb popping just during the midnight abhishekham. This was all very soon after we had a large puja done at Chidambaram to bless the new temple.

    So, yes, I remember. How about yourself?

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: MahaShivratri!

    hari o
    ~~~~~~
    namasté



    mahaśivarātri - what is its significance ? There is a ~big deal~ regarding the night, and one staying awake all night.
    • maha = great
    • śiva = is rooted in śī or 'in whom all things lie' ; auspicious , propitious , gracious , favorable ; the auspicious one.
    • rātri = night; stillness of night ;
      • rā = to grant , give , bestow
    Is there a possible hidden meaning to this mahaśivarātri ?

    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    MahaShivratri!

    I am especially excited always this time of year. Last year, it was my son's birthday and then this year we were surprised that it would fall on our twins birthday!

    It has been many years for me to be celebrating, but each year is always my favorite. This past year I got to sponsor our Temple's night for the very first time and sit down with my Temple family and do a pooja.

    This was a very nervous night for me and with the fasting I became quite a silly girl... cried my heart out as I sang to Him...and the pooja was my first time in front of others.

    I had the help of many many elder bhaktas that have become our wonderful family over these years and it was so confusing but also amazing because of so many diverse practices from the various origins of their spawning, that each of them began to argue with each other, in a friendly manner, over how I should do the pooja and it made me feel SO much at home to have them doing this wonderfully sweet, helpful dispute to help me as they are my long lost family.

    When the white, chubby, tall and foolish horse I am currently riding within this lifetime disappeared and I became transparent and all that remained to see was my sincere Love for Mahadeva which is all that I truly am.


    Hari om namah Shivaya


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    Re: MahaShivratri!

    Namaste

    Yes I am looking forward to the various temple activities. I wish I could be in India for it. To tell the truth, I am feeling somewhat sad of late, yet my vision of Bhikshatana is very strong right now, and soon this Great Night of Shiva is coming and it will guide my adventure. For some reason I yearn to again see one of the great Temples of Shiva in Orissa, all strung with white lights for this occasion. I am starting to wander, again. My name is ShivaFan. I am a Fan of Shiva.

    Om Namah Sivaya

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  7. #7

    Re: MahaShivratri!

    om gurave namaḥ

    Namaste,

    Oh sleepless night; I dream in wonder.

    May the white light of śiva bless us all, always ...




    Kind regards.
    Last edited by Mana; 12 February 2014 at 11:38 PM.

  8. #8

    Re: MahaShivratri!

    Hey guys! Thanks for sharing your MahaShivratri experiences with me. They all sound great!


    The very first time I celebrated MahaShivratri was nearly 10 years ago, I believe. I was young and unaware of the great importance of this day, and to be honest, offered a very simple fast and did a simple abhishekam for 21 days leading up to MahaShivratri

    What I remember is the blessing I received from Mahadev. It was pure love; as if someone gave me the greatest hug that lasted forever. It was a real, palpable feeling of transcendental love. Never ever in my life had I felt that happy, and euphoric. All the sadness, mental anguish I had felt previously was gone. It was as if I had never known sadness in my life and only joy.

    I'll never forget that day. I did not deserve the unconditional love or blessing that I received, but I still received it.

    HAR HAR MAHADEV!!!

    Feb 13th (tomorrow/today) is ShivChaturdashi!
    Jai Mata Di! Om Namah Shivaya!

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    Re: MahaShivratri!

    hari o
    ~~~~~~
    namasté



    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post



    mahaśivarātri - what is its significance ? There is a ~big deal~ regarding the night, and one staying awake all night.
    • maha = great
    • śiva = is rooted in śī or 'in whom all things lie' ; auspicious , propitious , gracious , favorable ; the auspicious one.
    • rātri = night; stillness of night ;
      • rā = to grant , give , bestow
    Is there a possible hidden meaning to this mahaśivarātri ?
    With all things we find in sanātana dharma we are given hints/symbols¹ by the wise. Our śāstra-s are so benevolent they offer the entry level or advanced adhikārin¹ knowledge for their unfoldment. Such is the case for mahaśivarātri.
    We know a few things to stitch together a reasonable meaning for night (rātri) and its symbol. Night is associated with sleep - in sleep we are nirahaṃkāra - free from egotism , unselfish , humble.
    Yet during śivarātri we are requested to stay up all night. This staying up is that of awareness, of consciousness that is one-pointed on śiva. This is the symbol/hint for us to bring about ātmasamarpaṇaṃ;
    = ātma+samarpaṇaṃ
    • ātma - Self
    • samarpaṇaṃ - handing completely over , consigning , presenting , imparting , bestowing
    It is the condition of the mind/body being fully at rest ( the symbol of night) while one remains fully awake/aware and functioning, with full attention on Being/śiva.

    It is the condition where the mind (moon) is no more; that the awareness shines in fullness of Being (śiva ) in which all things lie or reside.

    Mahaśivarātri is that ; the celebration for the human condition to rise above the smallness of ego, and regain its rightful place as fullness of Being (śiva ).

    Now, why does it occur on the 13th/14th tithi¹ of the moon (kṛṣṇa pakṣa¹) ? Is there a clue ?

    o maheśvarāya nama

    words
    • hints and symbols - parokṣa, saṃketa and śailī that offer us a deeper sense of the truth. What are these words ?
      • parokṣa- beyond the range of sight ; in an invisible or imperceptible manner; secretly , mysteriously. We can consider this word to mean subtle, beyond the initial meaning.
      • The other approach is saṃketa - a hint , sign or signal or gesture . It is rooted (√ )in kṛ meaning 'to give a signal '.
      • śailī - (2nd derivation) is a special or particular interpretation
    • adhikārin - 'fit for'; one who is fit/ready ripe for the revelation of the Self.
    • tithi - a lunar day ~time period~ based upon the moon. 15 tithi-s , during the moon's increase , constitute the light half of the month and the other 15 the dark half.
      • kṛṣṇa pakṣa - the dark half of a lunar month;
        • the first half from new moon to full moon was called pūrva or apūryamāṇa , later śukla or śuddha ;
        • the dark half or apa-kṣīyamāṇa , later kṛṣṇa or tāmisra , each fortnight consists of 15 tithi-s
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: MahaShivratri!

    Namaskar,

    This will be my first Maha Shivaratri as a practicing Shaivite. I have been so looking forward to it. Thank you all for sharing memories of your first nights.

    Pranams
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

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