Maha Shivaratri 2007 Info for Event at Prakashi and Surya's Devi Mandir By the Sea on Thursday, 2/15

February 13, 2007

Here is the info for the event we are hosting here in the San Diego Coastal Area. All are most welcome!

BOM BOM SHIVA SHAMBO MAHADEV!

Event: Maha Shivaratri 2007

Thursday, February 15th from 5:00PM to 7:00 AM Next Day

Location: Prakashi and Surya's Devi Mandir By The Sea--1550 Lorraine Drive, Leucadia, CA 92024

Directions: I-5 to Leucadia Blvd. West on Leucadia to Hwy 101. North on 101, 6 streets to Avocado St. (Leucadia Donuts on corner). Left on Avocado to Loraine Dr. , 3rd house on right.

Please Park on Neptune Ave , just past Loraine or at Grandview Beach Parking Lot on Neptune , North of Avocado about 1½ blocks away.

Thursday, February 15th we will be celebrating Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva, the One Consciousness That is Pure Goodness, Pure Auspiciousness, where traditionally Shiva is worshiped and celebrated from sundown to sunrise. This tradition has gone on since before recorded time and it is mentioned in the Puranas. Everyone is invited to Prakashi and Surya's Devi Mandir By The Sea (our home) for an incredibly nectarous and Shiva-Shaktified night of worship through continuous chanting of bhajans, mantras, stotrams, ashtottara shatanaamaavalis and sahasranams, dancing, aratis, abhishekams, meditation, readings and more, beginning promptly at 5:30 pm (Sundown) and ending a little after dawn the next day. We will be preparing all day and you are encouraged to show up as early as 4:30-5 PM, to purify and center/ready yourself for the opening worship. We will perform a traditional opening Shiva Puja starting at about 5 PM for those that are interested.

You are welcome to come and stay for as long or as short a time as you like.. It is said if one worships Shiva in the four quarters of this night, without sleeping, that one is assured Moksha. I am just the town fool, so I don't know about such things, but I can tell you that it is always a very high and memorable event where Amma Mahadev's presence is VERY noticeable and easily felt. Please make sure you take some of the prasadam before you leave! There will be extra special prasadam for all those at the end of the program the next day.

FOOD: It is traditional to fast the whole day and night, but certainly not required. Some people just drink water, some allow juice and/or tea. Another type of fast consists of just eating "fasting foods", which are all fruits, nuts, milk products, sugar, honey, potatoes, carrot, beets, and spinach. We will have some of these available as well as plenty of chai of different types. Hey coffee too if you want/need it.

If you want to contribute food, please bring light snacks/ finger food, fruits, nuts, potato chips, etc that can be left out for people to snack on, or dishes that can be eaten for breaking the fast after the night is over. Traditional dishes for prasad like Kheer and Halva would be most welcome. Juice is also nice. We will have bottled water available for everyone, but more is always welcome. If you want to commit to contributing any of these things, that would be great--email (mahamuni (AT) cox (DOT) net) or give me a call (760-632-1226). If you don't or you just show up with something unplanned, that is okay too. Again, please make sure you take some of the prasadam before you leave!

UTENSILS: We are always happy to provide all sorts of cups, plates, utensils, etc., but since people have been asking what they can bring to help, if someone wants to supply more of these that is also welcome. If this interests you, email (mahamuni (AT) cox (DOT) net) or give me a call (760-632-1226) so we don't have an overflow of these.

MUSIC: Please feel free to bring musical instruments and please, please, please come and share leading a Shiva bhajan or two or three or more with us.. Any style, any form, any way you like. Longer style is certainly encouraged. Many people are converting other bhajans they normally sing to Shiva bhajans by substituting Shiva's names in. Never a bad idea to bring songsheet copies of your bhajans if possible. Or just come and sing along or dance or just sit and meditate and share your bliss and holy presence with us. Regular kirtan leaders that want to fill an hour slot or more, are very welcome. Please just let me know your interest and time constraints, if any.. Again, email (mahamuni (AT) cox (DOT) net) or give me a call (760-632-1226).

PERSONAL PUJA ITEMS: If you have a special Shiva Lingam or Picture, etc, that you would like to have worshiped on the altar, that is encouraged, but I would prefer if at all possible, that you drop it off with me by Tuesday, Feb. 13. If you have been to our house before for Satsang, you might have noticed that I tend to make elaborate altars, that take hours to put together, and I would prefer to design this one in the same manner to give the highest respect to all items being worshipped. But if this isn't possible for you, then just bring it when you come and we will find a righteous place for it

FLOWERS: Flowers and flower petals (especially rose petals) are most welcome. White is best, but all are good. Datura flowers are very traditional and most welcome. Jasmine would be awesome. Orchids and Plumeria would be spectacular. Other special flowers are Hibiscus (especially red), roses, and bel leaves (which I really don't expect to see). Traditionally Shiva is worshiped with white flowers and offerings.

SANSKRIT: If you are comfortable chanting Sanskrit and familiar with certain Shiva stotrams, please let me know. I am sure people would like to hear more than just my voice. Also if you would like to read some of the English translations of some of the stotrams we will chant during the night, please also let me know. Once again, email (mahamuni (AT) cox (DOT) net) or give me a call (760-632-1226).

This is the schedule of the night's events on top of the all night kirtan/bhajans and interspersed readings/chants:

5:30 Start of Opening Arati and Puja. This is a very extended type of arati, where we will be ringing bells, blowing conches, offering light, incense, flowers, etc to open up the energy and space of the altar and the room. As always, I will be blasting a recording of the performance of the arati in one of the holiest temples in India, the Mayadevi temple, during the night of the Sannyas Initiation of the Nagas at the 1998 Kumbh Mela in Hardwar, one of the holiest cities in India. Hardwar , literally the door of Har(a), a name of Shiva, is a place saturated for millenia with Shiva Consciousness and Worship, and is one of the four places that Amrit, the nectar of Immortality, fell. If you can make this, I would HIGHLY suggest it. It is incredibly powerful! I can't stress this enough!

5:45: Brief Explanation of Maha Shivaratri, Recitation of Maha Shivaratri Vrat Sankalpa (Vow to stay up and worship the entire night), Chanting of Shiva Kavacham (Putting on the Armor of Shiva and His Mantra), Purifying/Sanctifying the body through Nyasa Mantras--These are short, easy and palpably powerful. I plan to email these to those that answered that they would worship from beginning to end.

6:00 First Abhishekam--Bathing of the Lingam(s). This is traditionally done 4 or 5 times throughout the night. First Milk, then yogurt, then ghee, then honey, the sugar or sometimes other items instead. In between the baths, the Lingam gets a rinse with Ganga Jal, water from Maa Gangaji, combined with Amma's Holy Water. At the end, you have Panchamritam, nectar of five items. Pure bliss, especially considering that Amma's Padukam will be on that tray too, on either side of the Maha Lingam! Shiva's favorite Bael/Bilva leaves will be offered throughout the night as well.

6:10 Mata Amritanandamayi Ashtotarra Shata Namavali (Amma's 108 Names) followed by 1 or 2 Bhajans to our Beloved Guru Amma,

Ganesh Ashtotarra Shata Namavali followed by 1 or 2 bhajans to Ganapati Mahadev,

Shiva Dhynam (Meditation on Shiva) and Shiva Sahasranam Namavali (1000 Names of Shiva)

9 PM Second Abhishekam followed by Sanskrit and English reading of Adi Shankararcharya's Shiva Panchakshara Stotram and Shiva Sadakshara Stotram

12 AM Third Abhishekam followed by Sanskrit and English reading of Shivashtakam and/or Rudrashtakam and/or Patanjali's Sadashivashtakam

4 AM Fourth Abhishekam followed by Sanskrit and English reading of Shiva Ashtotarra Namavali (108 Names),

Sage Vasistha's Daridraya Dahana Shiva Stotram (Prayer to Burn Poverty)

and Adi Shankararcharya's Shivaparadha Kshamapana Stotram (Forgiveness For all mistakes)

6:15 ish 108 repetitions each of Om Namah Shivaya, Maha Mrtunjaya Mantra, and Om Amriteshwaryai Namah

Followed by Closing Arati and short meditation

Then distribution of the MahaPrasad (and other special, secret treats)!!!

So please email (mahamuni (AT) cox (DOT) net) or call Surya at 760-632-1226 if you have any questions or comments or something you want to share. Otherwise we hope to see you there! NAMAH PARVATI PATE! HARA HARA MAHADEV! BOM!!!

I do believe that the more people that can commit to the sadhana of observing the vrata (vow) of worship for the entire night, the more powerful it will be for all involved. The more you give, the more you get! The greater the Tapas, the greater the Shakti! We'll all be filled with Love anyway from Valentine's Day the day before, so why not let this Love spill over into the next night. After all, Shiva is also known in His "Preserver" aspect as Vamadeva--the Lord of Love and all things pleasing. I mean what else preserves this world but Love and what else is truly pleasing?

The world is always there and always calls. I speculate it will still be there the day after Maha Shivaratri. Let us let go of focus on the outer world for just one night and praise the Lord with full fervor and devotion. Let us enjoy and live like the Yogis on the High Himalaya and the rest of India for just one night. Let us taste the Bliss, the Nectar, the Amrit. One of the main Commandments that I have observed throughout all major religions for those that want to attain God/Goddess is"You should love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, all thy soul, and with all thy might". This is an opportunity to go just this. Life is short and is over before you know it. Who knows if the next breath, let alone tomorrow will come for us. For the sake of the upliftment of all Creation, let us praise the Most High for at least this one night.