Wishing our beloved friends a happy Shivaratri. Lot's of excitement in Braj. Locals are observing fast and will worship Lord Shiva with fruits, flowers, milk and delicious prasadam. As the gate keeper of Braj we pray to him to give us entrance into Vrindavan and purify our hearts of impurities. Hare Krishna.
Mahashivaratri Festival is celebrated on the 14th day of the dark lunar fortnight in the month of Phalguna (February-March). Devotees observe fast all through the day and night of Shivaratri in honor of Lord Shiva and pay a visit to Shiva temples. It is celebrated in all the Shiva temples in Mathura, Vrindavan, Govardhan and Barsana. On this day, procession of Shiva barat (drama enacting the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is performed) is made throughout the city. Drama enacting the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is performed in the temple of Bhuteshwar Mahadev and also a fair is held in evening at the temple. Devotees fasts on this day and bathe Lord Shiva with milk and water performing Rudrabhisheka in major Shiva temples throughout Brajmandal.
On Shivaratri day, Vrajavasi lovers of Radha Govinda often visit the 5 karuna kripa Shiva lingas of Braja Mandala. In 5 directions Lord Siva in his merciful linga form protects, purifies and promotes Sri Krishna's devotees doing Braja bhajana.
Braja Pala Shivas:
1. Bhuteshwara (Mathura), Eternal south area protector
2. Cakleshwara (Govardhana), Centre
3. Kameshwara (Kamyavana), West
4. Nandishwara (Nandagaon), North
5. Gopishwara (Vrndavana)
While taking darsana, either physically, mentally or visually (by looking at the pictures), please do the following Shiva puja:
1. Dandavats, chant, e.g. "Bhuteshwara Mahadeva ki Jai!"
2. Bathe Linga with milk and Ganga water.
3. Offer gael leaves (upside down) to Linga.
4. Offer flowers.
5. Offer sweets.
6. Offer aratika (incense and ghee lamp).
7. Dandavats.
8. Ardha parikrama.
9. Chant Sri Caitanya Shivastakam.
Shivaratri : Moreover, although Śrī Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva are described as non-different,
independent sentient beings, during some lifetimes of Brahmā, a jīva who
is invested with the special potency of the Lord performs the activities of
Śiva. Therefore, Śrī Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (2.27) states, “kācij jīva viśeṣatvaṁ
harasyoktaṁ vidher iva – just like Brahmā, Śiva is also sometimes a jīva
(jīva-tattva).”
The second nāma-aparādha enjoins that those who see a difference between
the names, forms, qualities and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu and those of Lord Śiva
are offenders to the holy name. Nonetheless, it has been written elsewhere:
yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ / brahmā-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
samatvenaiva manyeta / sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam
Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (1.73)
One who considers Brahmā and Rudra (Śiva) to be on an equal level
with Lord Nārāyaṇa is certainly an atheist.
Regarding Śrī Viṣṇu and Śiva as different from each other constitutes an
offence to the holy name, but one who regards them as identical becomes an
atheist. These scriptural statements appear contradictory. One may reconcile
them, however, by understanding that these statements refer to the fault of
regarding that form of Śiva who is in the category of īśvara as different from
Śrī Viṣṇu, or the fault of regarding that form of Śiva who is in the category of
a jīva as non-different from Śrī Viṣṇu.
In the same way, although Brahmā generally belongs to the category of
a jīva, scripture mentions that sometimes an expansion of Śrī Hari may also
assume the post of Brahmā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.24.29) states:
sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumān
viriñcatām eti tataḥ paraṁ hi mām
255
Third Shower of Nectar – Texts 3j–3k
A jīva who properly executes his occupational duty [within the
varṇāśrama-dharma system] for one hundred births without fruitive
desire becomes qualified to occupy the post of Brahmā.
Thus, at the beginning of creation, a qualified jīva manifests from the lotus
navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and occupies the post of Brahmā. Bhagavān
invests him with the potency of creation. In that age (kalpa), in which there
is no such qualified jīva, Śrī Hari personally takes the post of a guṇa-avatāra,
becoming Brahmā and performing the work of creation. He is then called
Hiraṇyagarbha Brahmā, or that Brahmā who is in the category of Īśvara.
3k ~ Confusing the position of Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu – the
second offence to the holy name
evam aparyālocayatāṁ viṣṇur eveśvaro na śivaḥ śiva eveśvaro na viṣṇur vayam
ananyā naiva paśyāmaḥ śivaṁ vayaṁ ca na viṣnum ity ādi vivāda-grastamatīnām aparādhe jāte kālena kadācit tat-tātparyālocana-vijña-sādhu-janaprabodhitatve teṣām eva śivasya bhagavat-svarūpād abhinnatvena labdhapratītīnāṁ nāma-kīrtanenaivāparādha-kṣayaḥ |
Bhāvānuvāda: Without thoroughly reflecting on the spiritual truths that
have been described thus far, some persons could wrangle as follows:
“Śrī Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, not Lord Śiva!”
“Lord Śiva is the Supreme Lord, not Śrī Viṣṇu!”
“We are one-pointed worshippers of Śrī Viṣṇu, and will not even
glance at Lord Śiva!”
“We are one-pointed worshippers of Lord Śiva, and will not even
look toward Śrī Viṣṇu!”
One whose intelligence is engrossed in debate in this way only makes
offences to the holy name. By the ordinance of Bhagavān, such an offender
Mādhurya-kādambinī
256
may obtain the association of an exalted saintly personality, who is
conversant with all spiritual truths. He then becomes enlightened on this
topic and develops faith that the svarūpa of Lord Śiva is non-different from
that of Lord Viṣṇu. Following this, exclusively through nāma-saṅkīrtana,
he becomes free from his above-mentioned offence to the holy name.
Pīyūṣa-varṣiṇī-vṛtti: While raising the topic that Lord Śiva’s name, form,
etc. are independent of or different from those of Śrī Viṣṇu, Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura clearly describes the cause and the method by which one
can become free from this aparādha. The root cause of offence to bhagavattattva is a lack of understanding Bhagavān’s intrinsic form and nature
(svarūpa). In regard to tattva-vastu (transcendental truth), the teaching is
that one certainly commits an aparādha when one misunderstands the nature
of tattva-vastu, taking it to be something else.
Generally, those who do not thoroughly reflect on viṣṇu-tattva and śivatattva and the correlation between them – in other words, those who do not have
the good fortune of associating with saints conversant with such transcendental truth and hearing from them about it – will commit this [second] aparādha.
Those who worship Viṣṇu think, “Śrī Viṣṇu is the one Supreme
Controller (īśvara); Śiva is not. We are His exclusive devotees and will not
take darśana of Lord Śiva.” On the other hand, those who worship Śiva
think, “Śiva is the one Supreme Controller; Viṣṇu is not. We are the exclusive
devotees of Lord Śiva and will not take darśana of Lord Viṣṇu.” Those with
such a belligerent attitude commit aparādha.
It was previously mentioned that aparādha is an act that displeases
one’s worshipful deity. When the worshippers of Śrī Viṣṇu and those of Lord
Śiva speculate about the difference between their worshipful Lords, those
Lords become displeased. Will a person be pleased by a servant who attends
to one limb, while piercing or giving pain to another? Śrīman Mahādeva is
indeed a part of Śrī Viṣṇu. To consider him different from Lord Viṣṇu will
invariably lead to aparādha.
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