Shiva Ratri

By Smt.Meera Tadipatri

Sketch by Smt.Vani Rao , Baton Rouge,LA

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Vasu-Rudra-Aditya
Songs on Rudra / Shiva

Shri Rudra in Shri Harikathamrutasara

ENG     KAN     DEV     TELUGU     TAMIL

vR^iddhAchala kR^itvAsaH sadyojAta trilochanaH

advaiva j~nAna nayanam vardhayatvachalam mayi

harAya bhajakAnishhTAya puravairine

bhavAya bhavate bhUyAchchhivAya shiranamaH ||

वृद्धाचल कृत्वासः सद्योजात त्रिलोचनः
अद्वैव ज्ञान नयनम् वर्धयत्वचलम् मयि
हराय भजकानिष्टाय पुरवैरिने
भवाय भवते भूयाच्छिवाय शिरनमः
Shiva Ratri

It is not clear as to what is the origin of this particular day -- some sources claim it as the day when Rudra did the cosmic dance and from his damaru, all varnas got manifested inside the brahmanda. Some say it is the day when "linga" form of worship came into practice. While some claim it as the day Shiva got married to Parvati.

No matter what, puja of Shiva is of utmost importance to all bhaktas of Sri Hari. The question is regarding the mode of worship.

quotation from puranas -- puranas are written in guhya samadhi and darshana bhasha and whatever the quotes talks re bhasma, jaagarana upavasa, that has been  seen as "darshana bhasha" and not a pramana.

Shiva is worshipped as a "Vishnu parivaara" along with Sri Vishnu everyday and especially so during "pradosha kaala [ just before  and after sunset] and krishna paxa chaturdashi of every month as he is the abhimani of that period. Thus, these times, it is mandatory to think of Sri Vishnu along with Uma-maheswara. This we do by lighting the lamp in the evening. Shiva is abhimani devata for vidya.

He is the controller of the mind and should gives us the mental capacity to meditate on him as a supreme Vishnu Bhakta. Bhagavata says that for a productive married life,  He is to be worshiped along with Parvati. He shows the right way to worship the Lord thr' guru mukhyaprana. Rudra is manobhimani and Parvati is the vaak devata. Vaak reflects the "bhavana" in the mind. Thus vaak and mind go together and so also  should be the married life.

He is the one who gives us the awareness of our "very existence"

as "I am" and also he removes our bad aham-kaara -- ownership of what is not ours.

He gives us the reality of the world -- anityatva/ impermanence of every single perishable entity around us and the nityatva of Bhagavan as our soul companion. This is vairagya.

He gives us the "mind" to do the right sankalpa as he is the presiding deity of the mind and dhyana. While invoking the "panchanga" sankalpa, [tithi, vaara, naxatra, yoga and karana], he as the controller of "karana", give us kaarya siddhi of whatever we do when thought with gratitude.

The 11 karanas and the special rupas of Rudra:

No.	Karanas	Rupas of Rudra
1.	Kimstughna	Shooli
2.	Bhava	Sadyojaat
3.	Baalava	Vamadeva
4.	Kaulava	Aghora
5.	Taitila	Tatpurusha
6.	Garaja	Ishaana
7.	Vanik	Shiva
8.	Bhadra	Parvathi Pathi
[9.	Shakuni	Virupaksha
10.	Chatushpaat	Neelakanta
11.	Nagava	Umapathi ]

Shiva Shrushti:

Outside the Brahmanada, he was born with ahankaara-tAttvka sharira and pervaded in the three branches of this tattva as vaikarika, taijasa and taamasa. From these, he creates the lesser tattvabhimanis like Indra and every panchabhuta deha including ours.

Inside the brahmanda, He is born from Chaturmukha who created him from his brow quickly, and thus He got the name Sadyojaata. He looked bluish red when he was born so he is called Neela Lohita. Immediately upon birth, he cried wanting to know the "naama" of Bhagavan who is within him, the special places where he should do his sadhana and the companion for his sadhana. Chaturmukha, thus called him Rudra meaning the "one who cried" [ for the sake of seeking God]. Also, he teaches how to offer our tears [of devotion] to God meaning that God accepts even our tears if given with pure bhakti.

"vidhinA devadeveshaH shaN^khachakradharo hariH  |

 phalaM dadAti sulabhaM salilenApi pUjitaH  ||" -- KM # 15

विधिना देवदेवेशः शङ्खचक्रधरो हरिः ।
 फलं ददाति सुलभं सलिलेनापि पूजितः ॥

The following are the 11 rudraani rupas, rudra's names and places which he controls by staying there along with Parvati.

No.	Rudraani rupas	Rudra Rupas	vAsasthAna
1.	Rudraani	Rudra	Hrudaya
2.	Dhi	Manyu	Indriyas
3.	Vrutti	Manu	Praana
4.	Ashaloma	Mahaanaasa	Akaasha
5.	Niyut	Mahaashiva	Vaayu
6.	Sarpi	Rutudhvaja	Agni
7.	iLa	Marureta	Jala
8.	Ambika	Bhava	Prithvi
9.	Airavati	Kaala	Surya
10.	Sudha	Vamadeva	Chandra
11.	Dixa	Dhrutavrata	Tapas

Mode of worship:

He is to be meditated as having shubhra varna with flawless brilliance with five faces -- Tatpurusha, Aghora, Sadyojaata, Vamadeva and Ishana with the colors of "lightning, black, white, red and blue. He has [upper right] parasu, mruga/deer, vara, and abhaya in his four hands. He is the dikpaalaka of North East direction and also stays inside our hrutkamala dala giving us punya buddhi to do various daana.

These rupas in turn worship the five rupas of Mukhyaprana Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana corresponding to the 5 rupas of Sri Hari -- Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradhyumna, Aniruddha and Narayana.

Direction	Rudra names	color (mukha)	Vayu Rupas	Bhagavan
East	Tatpurusha	Lightning color	PrAna	Vasudeva
South	Aghora	bluish black	apAna	Sankarshana
West	SadhyojAtha	White/ shubra	vyAna	Pradhyumna
North	Vaamadeva	Reddish	UdAna	Aniruddha
Center	IshAna	ShyAma/ spatika	SamAna	Narayana

Sri Vadirajaru gives the laxanas of Shiva:[ pashchima prabandha #21-25, also purva # 37, 39, 40,

1. He has 28 svarupa laxanas and thus very good looking.

2. He is mangala and sampat pradha -- giver of auspiciousness.

3. He is having trishula, tri-netra and tripuraari.

4. Has Ganga and Chandra and naaga bhushana around his neck.

5. He is Neela Kanta and davala [white] varna
6. Gowripriya, worshipped by Indra, Kaama and other devatas plus Naarada, and other sadhus.

7. He is paapa nashaka -- he drives away the paapa and the asura shaktis that give paapa chintane in our mind.

8. a. He has Vishnupadodhaka Ganga in his head.

b. Vishnupaada renu/dust in his forehead;

c. Vishnunaama katha he constantly hears with his ears

d. his mouth utters Vishnu naama

e. his hrudaya folds Vishnu rupa constantly

f. his stomach only has Vishnu naivedya

g. his hip doesn't have any clothing as a sign of tapas.

h. for such a tapas, he sits on vyagraajinam reflecting vairagya.

i. whose feet runs towards Vishnu's xetras.

Such is the laxana of a real Vishnu devotee. Those who think on these lines that Shiva is a "Vishnu kinkara" also become Vishnu devotee by his grace.

The prayer to Vruddhachala vaasi is to stay firm like a mountain in our mind and to bloom the right thoughts in the right direction to open the "inner eye" "jnana chaxu" right away without delay to see the Bhagavan inside us.

Forgetting Shiva as Parivaara of Narayana:

During prajeshvara satra, Nandi, the vahana of Shiva, curses those who insult and fail to worship Shiva, will not have proper jnana of Narayana. They will just remain obsessed with karma and the superficial material benefits it offers along with laukika jnana. 

On the other hand, those who worship incorrectly as Shiva Sarvottama, will have viruddha acharane leading to veda viruddha paakhanda way of life opposing veda, its followers and the very Brahman Himself.

Shri KrishNArpaNamastu !!

Other links about Shiva Ratri

Link to Shri Vishnu Tirtharu Page