On Shivarathri

 

On Shivarathri

 

For the list of sadhan that one can do during shivarathri https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/2023/02/on-shivarathri.html 

Now, why we do Shivarathri is known to most of you through various discourses that you hear/heard or you must have read somewhere. So, let’s let it slide…

Reasons through Puranic stories are of course interesting. But, many times, the real purpose is lost in blindly following the stories or the rituals.

We are asked to fast and be awake the whole night. Many do it sincerely. They don’t eat anything or eat at their convenience and then are awake by watching some devotional movies on the TV or cinema.

Few of you would want to fast as per your regular way. Good for you.

Others may want to do but can't for various medical reasons or health conditions be it acidity or any other one.

For those who want to and yet can't go the "full fasting way" - relax, there is a middle path!

Pick easily digestible food like sabudana khichdi, idli, fruits, and juices - something that is preferably steamed and with as good as no oil. Don't take any meat, masala items or fried items. Eat a little less than usual. The trick is to keep your system light so that you can observe all the energies that come with your sadhan completely. If your body's energies go to digesting your food, then you will not be able to do sadhan the right way. That actually is the reason for fasting. So, now you can do the needful keeping in mind the reason. 

Fasting in any of these forms will detoxify your body which is also a primary benefit of fasting. 

“Upavasamu” means “to sit near” – upa – near and vasamu – is to sit. Then what does upavasamu mean? It means to sit near “Guru” who will give you knowledge that can dispel the darkness within called ignorance and take us from death to immortality.

So, depending on the “festival and its Deity form”, upavasamu would mean “be or sit near the Vishnu/Shiva/Mother Goddess” and so on.

So, the whole day we need to be sitting near “Shiva”.

What does that mean?

Do we have to go to some Shiva temple?

No! it just means we have to be with “Shiva consciousness” the whole day!

And that happens easily and effortlessly when we are in Pooja or some ritual singing and talking of HIM or His grace! And so, we end up doing every Pooja that we consider special for HIM.

For those who don’t or can’t do Pooja, just be with sadhan. Nothing can equate to that!

And the list of sadhan is already given at the start of this post.

Throughout the day, be with some sadhan as much as you can. That way you benefit more today as the energies today will magnify your sadhan and thereby you benefit more than on ordinary days with the same sadhan!

Contd....

# shivarathri, fasting, rituals of India, Vedic philosophy and culture of India, 

Just visit old posts to recollect that which is already told, experienced, or observed https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=shivarathri