Celebrating Mahasivaratri
This year, the monastery enjoyed another beautiful celebration of Mahasivaratri. The night began at 7 o'clock, as devotees walked the torch-lit path up to Kadavul temple. There they sang bhajans together until 7:30 when the special Siva homa began. From that very first arati to Ganesha, it was obvious that this would be a powerful night. With everyone gathered around the crackling flames, the monks chanted Sri Rudram with an intense and indomitable cadence. Siva's unlimited and all-pervasive energy and love, swelled through the minds of all present, drawing them inward toward the Self of themselves.
There the eye goes not, nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot understand how He can be explained. He is above the known, and He is above the unknown. Thus have we heard from the ancient sages who explained this truth to us. Sama Veda, Kena Upanishad 1.3
As the Homa reached its crescendo, and the final arati had passed, the Siva kumbha was placed upon Satguru Bodhinatha's head, and was paraded around Nandi and the Kodimaram, then brought to Siva's inner sanctum for the night's abhishekam.
Like the household fire, devotees seek the glory of the Lord even from afar and enshrine it in their inner chamber for enlightenment. The glory of our Lord is full of splendor, all-illuminative and worthy to be honored in every heart. Rig Veda 7.1.2
Soon after, everyone sat and listened to a talk given by Gurudeva on that same night 24 years earlier. Following the talk, a short and serene, silent meditation on the Absolute. After a quick break, Bodhinatha gave an absolutely incredible talk, which we hope to have online soon. He discussed the nine stages of merging with Siva with his usual simplicity and grace.
Namah Sivaya has such power, the mere intonation of these syllables reaps its own reward in salvaging the soul from bondages of the treacherous instinctive mind and the steel bands of a perfected externalized intellect. Gurudeva
The small and sometimes unnoticed crystal lingam, which sits Nataraja's feet in Kadavul, parallels the often unnoticed and silent power reverberating through it. The abhishekam soon began, and the monks took turns bathing the lingam. In pairs, they poured milk, yogurt, citrus, vibuthi and others, over the perfectly clear crystal Lingam. Offering their prana to Siva's formless unevolutionary perfection.
With love and tireless devotion to our great God, the source of all things and the core of our being, Aum Namah Sivaya!
Be unknown. God is unknown. Siva Yogaswami
68 Responses to “Celebrating Mahasivaratri”
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March 2nd, 2014 at 7:24 pm
beautiful!
March 2nd, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Auspicious moments.
March 2nd, 2014 at 7:40 pm
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March 2nd, 2014 at 8:26 pm
Ganapathy Thunnai!
Aum Namasivaya!
Vanakkam to ALL Siva Devotees!
Aum! “Be Unknown. God is unknown!”……Siva Yogaswami
In the words of Saint Manickavasagar, in the “THIRUVASAGAM”
Poems, “THIRUVEMBAVAI” poem starts with the following, first line:
“AATHIYUM ANTHAMUM ILLA, ARUL PERUM JYOTHI”
means, “THE GREATEST SIVAN’s BLESSINGS, IN THE FORM OF JYOTHI, HAS NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END” (JYOTHI means BON FIRE) !!!
“RUTHRAM PASUPATHY NAMO NAMA!
SIVA SIVA SANKARA NAMO NAMA!
THILLAI NADARAJAH NAMO NAMA!
SIVA SIVA SANKARA NAMO NAMA!”
……………….SIVAN THUTHI.
Aum Shanthi!
March 2nd, 2014 at 8:34 pm
AUM! Vanakkam! Aum Namasivaya! “THENN NAADUDAIYA SIVANE POTTRI”, EN NAATAVARKUM IRRAIVA POTTRI! Aum Shanthi! T. Sivayogapathy, Toronto.
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March 3rd, 2014 at 1:13 am
om namah shivaya…om blessed shiva om <3
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March 3rd, 2014 at 5:10 am
Aum Namah Sivaya..thank you very much for sharing.
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March 3rd, 2014 at 12:56 pm
Thank you for posting.
Aum namahsivaya .
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