How can one pray to Shiva?

[Onkara]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast� ganeshprasad,




Yes I see what you say. The pickle you offer is in the word ~knowing~. Knowing infers a subject and an object to be known. If there is two then the fullness of śiva (maheśva) is missed and a partial experience is had. Yet when there is no two , then the knower and known are one and the same. Knowing no longer takes place and Being , Pure Being then resides.

It is quite profound on how the wise offer this for our comprehension.
We can leave this for another time.

praṇām

Namast�
May I pick up on your post Yajvanji, if you feel like expanding on being over knowing, I would be interested in what you offer, as it helps me to challenge my current thinking

[Jainarayan]

Namaste saidevoji!

namaste adevotee.

Praying only to Shiva?
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...2&postcount=21

This is perfect:

"Every Hindu has an iShTa-devata--preferred deity, which is supreme over other deities. However, wise Hindus know that all Godforms are of only Brahman, so he/she should do-stotra--adore, all deities. A Hindu might belong to an exclusive religious sect like Shaivism, VaiShNavism, ShAktism and so on, but most Hindus pray to all deities, cutting across sectoral barriers. The SmArtha sampradAya--tradition, established by Adi Shankara BhagavadpAda, is a convenient atmosphere that gives a Hindu the wisdom to pray to all Gods, chiefly six: Shiva, ViShNu, Shakti, GaNesha, SUrya and Shanmukha. My suggestion for new Western Hindus to follow this sampradAya, as the temples abroad house all deities."

I wondered about that too (seems every post of mine contains "I wondered about that too ). Your post clears things up and puts me at ease.

I've been drawn to Sri Krishna as my ishta-devata, but I feel an affinity for other devas and devis for various reasons: to Saraswati Maa for Her musical inspiration; to Mahalakshmi for the good fortune She bestows: wealth, prosperity (both material and spiritual), light, wisdom, fortune, generosity and courage, and of course to Lord Vishnu as protector and preserver; to Sri Ganesha because He makes life easier when you have things tough (He doesn't do it for you, He shows you how to do it); Lord Shiva because He conquers and is peaceful, and the destroyer of negativity. I love Them all.

[srinidhi]

Namaste!

You can treat God as a friend. Definitely talk to Him and He will listen. He will love you and accept you and show you the right path. You can chant slokas, offer your pujas, do Abhishekams, sing bhajans and meditate and recite Om Nama Shivaya. These are different ways to express your gratitude to Shiva.