Maha Shivaratri 2007 Info 4 Event at Prakashi and Surya's Devi Mandir By the Sea

[Guest guest]

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.