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Siddha Sivarathri Vows
The Siddhas have prescribed a very potent form of Sivarathri worship for those of us who are truly
interested in spiritual upliftment:
Take a vow that you'll perform Sivarathri worship according to Siddha specifications
on 48 or 60 consecutive Paksha Sivarathris or Maasa Sivarathris.
Make sure that you keep this vow irrespective of any obstacles that may arise.
Ask the Sathguru and Siddhas for help that you may be able to keep up this vow.
Another variation is to
perform Sivarathri worship according to Siddha specification
on all Paksha Sivarathris or Maasa Sivarathris in a 12 or 21 year period.
Yet another variation is to
perform Sivarathri worship according to Siddha specification
on all Maha Sivarathris over a 60 year period.
This particualar worship procedure is a maha vratham (great vow) since it
covers all the years of a 60 year cycle.
One needs determination to follow through on these vows. This can only be gotten
by a complete surrender to the Divine Will. Without this kind of spiritual determination,
spiritual upliftment is not possible. The Siddhas say that we should give up our ego
involvement, surrender to the Divine and get started on these Siddha Sivarathri vows.
Great spiritual treasures await those who execute these Siddha worship vows.
In the Still of the Night...
Humans spend their lives in one of three states:
Jaagrath or the waking state,
Svapna or the dream state and
Sushupthi or the deep sleep state.
States beyond these (like Thuriya, Thuriyaatheetha, Bagudhootha and so on)
belong in the realms of the Siddhas and other realized beings.
We spend around one thirds of our lifetimes in the dream or deep sleep state.
But it can not be said that the hours spent in this state are totally free of karma accumulation.
The Siddhas say that the concrete activities conducted in the waking state
are in the realm of our concrete bodies (sthoola sareera) and the
subtle activities of the non waking state are conducted in our subtle bodies (sookshma sareera).
These subtle activities must be brought under control too, warn the Siddhas.
But to accomplish this, one needs the guidance of a Sathguru.
Sincere devotees can align the subtle activities of their sookshma sareera with the Divine,
but those who can't do it will accumulate negative karma just like they do in the waking state.
How can we neutralize this karma?
By performing Sivarathri pooja procedures, say the Siddhas.
Furthermore, performing Sivarathri worship procedures over many years regulates the subtle
activities of the dream and sleep states and thus elevates us to a higher spiritual plane.
Hence the importance of Sivarathri worship.
Never Take the Divine for Granted
There's another reason the Maha Sivarathri night is so special.
It's a night during which the peerless Universal Mother performs worship on our behalf.
Any worship performed during this time period is sanctified
since it is deemed to have been done in the august presence of the Universal Mother.
In other words, the ordinary worship of a human gets elevated to divine status
by the grace of the Universal Mother.
Hence the importance of worship performed during the Maha Sivarathri night.
The Universal Mother performs many intense worship procedures to gain the
right to manifest Herself as the Lord's consort every time He embarks on a
new divine incarnation. When He incarnated as Kapali, She performed austere
penance to gain the right to be His consort Karpagaambika. When He incarnated
as Ekambaresvara, She performed intense pooja to be His consort Kamakshi.
One of the important worship procedures that's part of the Mother's
repertoire is the Sivarathri pooja.
There are two important lessons that the Mother teaches us by Her own
actions: (1) Never take the Divine for granted. She doesn't assume that
the role of being His consort is Hers. Again and again she proves that
She's worthy of it through intense penance. This is the attitude we must
cultivate towards the Divine. We can never be complacent about our
spirituality. This is why the great devotees always feel that they are
unworthy of the divine grace that gets showered on them. This is the
attitude that every spiritual aspirant needs to cultivate. (2) The second
lesson that the Mother teaches us is the importance of Sivarathri pooja.
She uses it as part of Her intense penance to demonstrate Her suitability
to be the Lord's consort. If Sivarathri pooja is something the Mother
holds in high esteem, imagine how much we should value it! It's our
foremost duty to meditate on these two important lessons and put them
into practice in everyday life.
The Lord of Honor
On each Maha Sivarathri, the Universal Mother chooses a particular Siva shrine
and performs Sivarathri worship in that shrine in human form. To all other shrines,
She sends Her divine potencies in human form. The shrine chosen by the
Mother for the coming Maha Sivarathri
(Feb/21/2ØØ1) is the Akshaya Naatha shrine in Thirumaandhurai
near the town of Kumbakonam.
This shrine is on the route from Sooriyanaar temple (near Kumbakonam) to Kanjanoor.
The Lord of Honor is Sri Akshaya Naatha Lingesvara accompanied by His
divine consort Mother Bhoga Nayaki.
| | Sri Akshaya Naatha Lingesvara, Thirumaandhurai |
| The Lord of Honor during Vikrama Maha Sivarathri |
Siddha Worship Procedures
The Siddhas have specified Sivarathri pooja procedures to be followed at the Thirumaandhurai Akshaya Naatha
shrine on Feb/21/2ØØ1. While there's nothing quite like being there on
Feb/21/2ØØ1, we may also follow these procedures
during Paksha Sivarathri and Maasa Sivarathri worship at this shrine.
Those who do so stand to benefit a great deal both in the material and spiritual realms.
He's the protector of farmers everywhere:
Lord Akshaya Naatha Lingesvara is the protector of farmers and the noble occupation of farming.
Those farmers who have suffered losses because of pests both in the field and in grain storage warehouses
should seek the grace of the Lord of Honor. They should perform anna abishekam for the Lord
on dhaanya days, i.e., Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Barani, Rohini, Thiruvaadhirai (Arudra),
Magam, Hastham, Visaakam, Thiruvonam (Sravana)
nakshatram
days, during Kuligai times and during Rishaba, Katakam, Simham, Vrichikam and Kumba lagnam time periods.
Devotees should mix ghee made from pure cow's milk in the food used for anna abishekam; this will increase
crop yield in their farms, say the Siddhas.
Crops listen to His commands:
Those who desire to increase crop yield in their fields and those who want to grow their farm business
in virtuous ways should worship the Lord of Honor on downward facing days,
on Vaasthu days and on plough chakram days, all of which are indicated in the panchangam.
They should bring their farm equipment to this shrine and
perform adi pradakshinam and then start the farming season or the
planting of any crop. This worship will ensure the success of their farm business.
He'll solve food and water shortage problems:
This shrine is home to the Akshaya theertham temple pond. This pond is a Deva theertham built by Sri Indra.
When the Deva Loka was in the grip of famine once upon a time, Sri Indra and Sri Varuna visited this shrine,
worshipped Lord Akshaya Naatha Lingesvara and requested Him to fix their famine related problems.
So whenever and wherever there are food and water shortage problems, the people living in the affected towns should visit
this shrine and perform anna abishekam for the Lord using rice cooked with water gotten from many
sacred rivers and worship Him with bakthi and faith. They should continue this practice over an extended
period of time.
Moreover, musicians from famine stricken towns should assemble at this shrine
and sing the Lord's praises (particularly Dhevaaram
songs) in the Amrithavarshini raaga on Mondays and Sadhayam
nakshatram
days.
If they do so, the Lord will answer their prayers just like He answered the prayers of
Indra and Varuna. By His command, sun scorched lands will get rainfall and hunger scorched stomachs will get food.
The medicine for hereditary diseases:
Those who arrange for the proper upkeep of the Akshaya theertham temple pond
will never be subject to food shortage troubles.
They will find solutions for hereditary diseases in their families,
particularly diabetes and intestinal problems.
Their children will prosper too.
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| Sri Akshaya Mangala Theertham Temple Pond, Thirumaandhurai |
Those who are in governmental positions of power should perform anna abishekam for Lord Akshaya Naatha
on Chathurthi and Chathurdasi
thithi
days and on Saturdays. They should follow this with anna dhaanam (poor feeding) on a massive scale.
This worship will counteract the bad karma resulting from bad governmental decisions and actions.
It'll also avert the occurrence of famine during their time in government.
Worship of Lord Akshaya Naatha is particularly important during times of famine.
Anna abishekam for Lord Akshaya Naatha is one of the important worship procedures that must
be performed during the six pooja times during Maha Sivarathri and Maasa Sivarathri celebrations.
Those who do this will ensure the prosperity of their progeny.
He's the guardian of restaurant owners:
Since food is the source of income for restaurant owners, coffee shop owners and others in the food business,
they should worship the Lord of food, Sri Akshaya Naatha Lingesvara.
They should perform anna abishekam for Lord Akshaya Naatha every month on those days that
are ideal for anna dhaanam, i.e., Sundays and Asvini, Karthigai, Anusham and Moolam
nakshatram. They should feed the poor on these days.
This is a very important duty for those involved in the food business, say the Siddhas.
Those farmers and restaurateurs who have sufferd losses due to pests, rodents and acts of nature like fire, hurricanes, earthquakes and
the like should perform anna abishekam for Lord Akshaya Naatha on Mondays during the Chandra
horai
time periods.
If your children don't seem to be bright :
Worship Sri Uchishta Ganapathi and His consort Buddhi Devi at this shrine.
Perform anna abishekam for the same. Give books and educational
materials, pens, etc. as gifts to poor children. Perform adi pradakshinam
around the perimeter of the shrine along with your kids. This is a Siddha solution
for those kids who do not seem that bright or who don't show interest in school.
The worship of Sri Uchishta Ganapathi is ideal for those kids who want to shine in school.
Uchishta Ganapathi Upasana::
Long term worship or upasana of Uchishta Ganapathi is not an easy task.
Those who are engaged in this unique spiritual goal should visit this shrine
regularly and perform anna abishekam for Lord Uchishta Ganapathi and Mother Buddhi Devi.
If they do this, the Siddhas will simplify the upasana procedures.
A happy family life:
Mother Bhoga Naayaki at this shrine along with Lord Akshaya Naatha
offer special blessings that ensure happy family lives for their devotees.
Married couples should visit this shrine and worship the Lord and the Mother
if they want to lead contented, peaceful lives.
Couples who are separated or who are on the verge of divorce will be reunited by the Mother if they
perform anna abishekam on Mondays and Maasa Sivarathri days.
They should perform adi pradakshinam around the shrine
and arrange for elaborate worship procedures.
But they need to do this over an extended period of time with deep belief and faith in the Mother and the Lord.
The above pooja procedure is also important for those husbands who lead lazy lives and subsist on their wives' income.
Worship of Mother Bhoga Naayaki and Lord Akshaya Naatha will rejuvenate them, bring meaning to their lives
and reduce the tension between them and their respective wives.
Those elder sisters who have not gotten married because they had to take care of their younger siblings
should worship Lord Akshaya Naatha. The Lord will bless them with a peaceful life and in some cases,
arrange for their marriage.
Sthala Vruksham: The temple tree is the mango tree.
The power of Sri Indra's Vajraayudha weapon, Sri Soorya's Baskara sakthi and Lord Uchishta Ganapthi
and Mother Buddhi Devi's Ganapathya Amrutha sakthi are invested in this temple tree.
Hence the very darshan of this tree reduces the effects of the evil perpetrated by enemies and
blesses us with peace and contentment in our lives.
What you find above are Siddha procedures for Vikrama Maha Sivarathri worship.
Since the Vikrama Maha Sivarathri occurs once in 60 years,
we should make sure that we don't miss this great spiritual event on
Feb/21/2ØØ1.
Visit the very potent Thirumaandhurai shrine and
worship the Lord of Honor, Sri Akshaya Naatha Lingesvara, Mother Bhoga Naayaki,
Sri Uchishta Ganapathi and Mother Buddhi Devi as taught by the Siddhas.
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| Om Salutations to Sri Siva |
| Om Salutations to The Universal Mother |
| Om Salutations to Maha Guru Sri Agasthiar |
| Om Salutations to the Agasthiar Lineage |
| Om Salutations to the Siddhas |
| 
Vikrama Maha Sivarathri - Feb/21/2ØØ1
