THE GLORY OF SHIRDI SAI--Issue 4 / 2006

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THE GLORY OF SHIRDI SAI

Fourth Year of Publication

Published as Bi-Weekly

Issue 4 / 2006

16-02-2006

Maha Shivarathri Special

 

Please visit our Web site: http://www.saidarbar.org

 

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GURUR-BRAHMA, GURUR-VISHNUH; GURU-DEVO MAHESWARAHA;

 

GURUR-SAKSHATH PARAM BRAHMA; THASMAI SREE GURAVE

NAMAHA:

 

http://www.saidarbar.org/dattatreya/saidatta.htm

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Maha Shivarathri day- 26th February 2006

 

http://www.saidarbar.org/sarwam/shiva.jpg

 

Shivarathri is a very auspicious day for all. It is

the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight when the

moon is waning and the sun is in the sign of Aquarius.

The festival is, however, related to the moon rather

than the sun. That is the reason why it is called

Shivarathri, the night of Shiva. Unlike other nights,

this particular night is the night of consecration, of

dedication, of illumination.

 

On this night there is just a minute part more to be

conquered and that can be done by keeping vigil and

dwelling on the glory of God. The vigil that is

prescribed is symbolic of the eternal vigil one has to

observe, while the rite of fasting is symbolic of

divesting the senses of the pleasures for which they

crave. The nightlong devotional singing is significant

of the life-long consciousness of the Divine Presence

that every one should cultivate.

 

You must realize that devotional singing, reflection

on the name of God, and offerings at the lotus feet

are not for pleasing or propitiating God, but for our

own spiritual progress. God does not shower grace on

people because they sing His praises. Nor does He come

down upon them because they do not deify Him.

Recitation of the Divine attributes only enables us to

dwell on elevating ideals and approximate ourselves

more and more to the Divinity that is our nature. We

become what we contemplate. When we fix our thoughts

on the evil that others do, the evil pollutes our

mind. When, on the contrary, we fix our mind on the

virtues or well being of others, our mind is cleansed

of wrong and entertains only good thoughts. No evil

thought can penetrate the mind of a person wholly

given to love and compassion. It is said "He who knows

Brahman (God) becomes Brahman." The only way to become

Brahman is to be ever immersed in contemplation of

Brahman. With a lump of candy on the tongue, how can

the taste of salt and savory be known?

Immerse your mind in good thoughts and the world will

be good; soak it in bad thoughts and the world will be

bad for you. So, recollect only good; do, think, and

plan only good; speak and act only good. Then as a

result you will approximate God, the source of all

good. This is the message for the coming Shivarathri.

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