Siva

Traditional Vedic
Yagyas & Pujas

Pandit D.N. Sharma

MAHASHIVARATRI

^{Wednesday February 18th}

7:30 pm until dawn
Performed by Vedic Pandit D. N. Sharma at

Morning Star Studio

51 South Court in Fairfield , Iowa

Rudrabhishek,

Mrityunjaya Homa,

and ShivaSahasranam

This year MahaShivaratri takes place on Wednesday February 18th and Vedic Pandit D.N. Sharma will perform four traditional Vedic Yagyas to invoke the blessings of Shiva beginning at 7:30 pm and lasting until dawn. The location is Morning Star Studio at 51 1/2 South Court Street in Fairfield.

Shivaratri is considered to be the most powerful time of the year to perform Yagyas to Shiva and traditionally Yagyas for world peace, neutralization of negativity, improvement of health or recovery from disease are conducted at this time. For background information on MahaShivaratri, please click here.

Schedule:

There are four ceremonies. You may attend one or all of them.

The first, Rudrabhishek, starts promptly at 8 pm and attendees are requested to arrive at 7:30 pm in order to prepare and be settled at the start of the Yagya.

Rudraabhishek involves the traditional bathing of the Shiva Lingam accompanied by chanting of Sri Rudram.

Mrityunjaya Homa is a fire ceremony that starts at 11 pm; If this is the first Yayga you attend please arrive no later than 10:45 pm.

‘Mrityunjaya’ is a name of Shiva that means ‘victory over mortality’ and this Yagya is said to have great benefits for creating good health or overcoming disease or planetary afflictions. ‘Mrityunjaya’ mantra is considered to be the greatest healing mantra and Parashara in his treatise on Jyotish cites the recitation of the ‘Mrityunjaya’ mantra as an effective antidote for a variety of planetary problems.

Shiva Sahasranam Yagya starts at 2 am and includes the recitation of the thousand names of Lord Shiva.

The final performance of Rudrabhishek will begin at 5 am.

It is traditional to spend the whole night of MahaShivaratri doing worship of Lord Shiva, which may take the form of performing Yagyas, meditating on Shiva, or simply being awake all night on the level of pure consciousness, which is the essential nature of Lord Shiva.

Guidelines:

Attendees are asked to bring washed fruit and some flowers as an offering and to arrive at least 15 minutes earlier than the given starting times to allow time to get settled. The fruits should not touch the floor before offering. Flowers should be cut from their stems. They should not touch the floor or be smelled before offering.

Participants should take a bath or shower the morning of the Yagya and the mouth, hands and face should be washed immediately before commencing the Yagya.

Traditionally, participants in Vedic Yagyas dress in fresh, clean clothing (lighter colored clothes are preferred, with nothing in solid black or dark blue or dark purple.)

On the day of the Yagya, it is customary to fast or to eat only very light food before the Yagya. At the least you should not eat any meat or egg products all day on MahaShivaratri.

Fruit juice or milk are recommended drinks. If food is needed, yoghurt, fruit or cooked vegetables are recommended. Cooked grains (breads, rice, etc.) are traditionally avoided until after the ceremony. Pregnant or nursing mothers and children (or a sick or injured person) may eat their normal foods. After the Yagya, a sumptuous meal may be enjoyed.

During the Yagya, it is customary to drink only water if necessary. If the toilet facilities are used, hands are washed before returning to the Yagya.

In the Vedic tradition, ladies attend Yagyas or assist in preparations only after a minimum of four days has elapsed since the start of their monthly period. Also, if there has been a birth or death of a blood relative in your family within the last 13 days, it is traditional to abstain from attending the Yagya.

There is no fee for attendance at the Yagya, but sponsorships of the Yagya or contributions to cover Pundit Sharma’s expenses are gratefully appreciated.

Individuals or families may help to formally sponsor the ceremony and thereby directly enjoy the blessings of the Mahashivaratri Yagya. The names of all sponsors will be recited as part of the “Sankalpa” or “Resolution” at the outset of each of the four Yagyas. Sponsorships are available at a variety of levels:
$36 for one Yagya for an individual; $54 for a family. $108 for all 4 Yagyas for an individual; $151 for a family.

Please call 472 9952 to arrange for sponsorships.

Private Appointements

Pundit Sharma will be in Fairfield and is available for private Vedic Yagyas during this time. These include Graha Shanti Yagyas for neutralizing the effects of negative planetary influences and traditional Pujas and Homas for the various Devas and Devis. Please call 472 9952 to arrange for private appointments. For more details on the types of Yagyas available, please click here to return to the main web page.

Who is Shiva?

Shiva is stillness.

Shiva is Nataraja – the Lord of the dance of creation.

Shiva is eternal silence.

Shiva is the never-ending song of creation.

Shiva is pralaya – dissolution.

Shiva is immortality.

Shiva is kaivalya -- the transcendent.

Shiva is the world.

Shiva is the depth of the ocean.

Shiva is the play of the waves.

Shiva is purusha.

Shiva is prakriti.

Shiva is the rudra the destroyer.

Shiva is source of creation.

Shiva is the source of all.

Shiva is the goal of all.

Shiva is Truth.

Shiva is Beauty.

Shiva is panava (Om).

Shiva is the Lord of the five elements.

Shiva is the past.

Shiva is the present.

Shiva is the future.

Shiva is Shiva.

MAHA SHIVARATRI (Great Night of Shiva)

There are many Puranic traditions associated with the celebration of Shivaratri. One of the most famous revolves around Shiva’s drinking of the poison, which threatened to destroy the universe: The Devas and Asuras decided to collaborate in an arduous procedure for deriving the nectar of immortality from the vast ocean of milk. They needed to churn the ocean until the pure nectar would separate out. To accomplish this, they employed Mount Meru as the churning stick and whirled it round and round. The first substance to emerge was a virulent poison, the toxic fumes of which were so hot that they threatened to destroy all the Worlds. None of the Gods or sages were able to handle this, so in desperation they all prayed to the Great Lord Shiva for help. In response to their prayers, Shiva swallowed the poison and held it in his throat. The poisonous fumes however, were unbearable even for Shiva, so the holy river Ganga poured her waters uninterruptedly upon Shiva’s matted locks to cool him. Even with this, Shiva was only partly relieved, so the cool New Moon was placed upon his forehead to give him further relief. Thus, with the help of Ganga and the Moon, Shiva was able to dance the Ananda Tandava; and the churning of the ocean delivered up the nectar of immortality, which was distributed among the Gods. Many details of the traditional depiction of Lord Shiva reflect this tradition: the dark blue color of his throat, the crescent moon upon his brow, the ceremonial pouring of ablutions in the Rudra Abhishek, etc.

In another tradition, Shiva was married to Mother Divine as Sati, but Sati’s father Daksha slighted Shiva by not inviting him to a yagya. Sate felt ashamed to have given Shiva such an unworthy father-in-law, so she gave up her body through yogic means, allowing it to fall into Daksha’s ceremonial fire. Shiva then retired to the Himalayas to meditate; and Mother Divine took another birth as Parvati, daughter of the great mountain king Himavat.

Sage Narada visited Himavat and prophesied that Parvati was destined to marry the Mighty Lord Shiva; so Himavat sent Parvati and her maidens to wait upon Shiva in the nearby grove where he was practicing his austerities. Meanwhile, Indra and the Devas, having suffered defeat at the hands of the Asuras and their was leader Taraka, petitioned Lord Brahma for assistance. Brahma could not help them, since it was his own boon that had given Taraka his victory; but told them that a son born of Shiva and Parvati would lead them in vanquishing Taraka.

Indra despatched Kama, the God of Love, to encourage Shiva to think amorously of his beautiful young attendant; but just as Kama’s arrow reached its mark, Shiva perceived what was happening, and the anger shooting out of his third eye burnt Kama to ashes. Without even looking back, Shiva left the grove to pursue his austerities elsewhere. The grief-stricken Parvati then undertook her own program of austerities, thinking only of union with her beloved Lord Shiva.

One day after many years, a young hermit came to see Parvati. When he spoke disparagingly about her Lord, Parvati angrily turned to leave; but the hermit blocked her way. Looking up, she perceived that it was none other than Shiva himself, who had come to declare of his love, being unable to further resist her unswerving devotion. Parvati sent Shiva to her father Himavat to properly ask for her hand in marriage, and their wedding was joyously celebrated. Soon they had a son, Kartikeya, who grew up and conquered Taraka, thereby restoring Indra and the Devas to their heavenly cities. Many aspects of the Maha Shivaratri observances commemorate this tradition, especially the wedding of Shiva and Parvati.

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To schedule a Traditional Vedic Yagya,
or for information on appropriate timing, ingredients or fees, please call Pundit Sharma at:

1-630-428-7777
e-mail: vedicyagya@hotmail.com