Puja To Lord Shiva

How to do Shiva Puja

Lord Shiva is the unchanging consciousness or the soul in man. Parvati is the maya sakthi or the illusive power that appears as mind and matter.

Syllable `sh’ means permanent bliss, `I’ stands for male energy, `va’ stands for female energy.

Merits Of Shiva Puja

Worship of Lord Shiva removes distress and poverty, grants learning and wealth, bestows all desires. It also gives the devotee transcendental knowledge, by elevating the power of thought and en-kindling the light of discrimination.

Vedas declare that worshiping Shiva in the linga form helps one gain highest merit in this life and in the future lifetimes. Accumulated sins of many lifetimes get washed away by sincere devotion and prayers to the lord.

It is said that nothing is as holy as Shiva puja.

Simple Puja To Lord Shiva

• Buy a new Shiva linga and install it at a prayer altar. Monday is an important day to do Shiva puja.
• He can be worshipped during Pradosham, the 13th day of every bright and dark phase of the moon, every fortnight.
• Take bath in the morning and wear neat, clean clothes.
• Shiva is worshipped by offering or pouring water, milk, honey, curd, ghee, vibhuthi or sacred ash and sandalwood paste. This is called abhisekam.
• He should be offered bilwa leaves and flowers like lotus, sankhapushpi and jasmine.
• Food offerings should be made to the lord.
• Light an incense and burn a lamp with oil or ghee.
• Mantras to be recited:

"Om namah shivaya" and maha mrityunjay mantra

Om Trayambakam Yajaamahe,

Suganthim Pushtivardhanam

Urvaarukmiva Bandhanaan

Mrityor Moksha Mamritaat

• Rudraksha beads should be kept during worship. Mere sight of rudraksha creates auspiciousness. When one wears a rudraksha, his sins are destroyed.
• Then light or camphor should be waved before the linga along with ringing of bells and conch shells.
• Partaking of food offerings or Prasad bring peace and prosperity. Likewise, Water of abhisekam is very sacred and destroys many sins and purifies the heart. It should be taken with great devotion and faith.
• Incurable diseases can be cured when abhisekam is done to the lord. All desires get fulfilled.

Material Benefits of Offerings

1. Milk is offered, one is blessed with purity and piousness

2. Curd gives the blessing of good children and prosperity

3. Honey gives one the gift of melodious voice

4. Sugar gives happiness and removes enmity

5. Ghee gives the blessing of salvation and victory

6. Water grants one the purity of mind

7. Sandal wood paste gives one the grace of Goddess Mahalakshmi

ASTROLOGY AND SHIVA PUJA

One enjoys good fortune of Shiva Yoga in a horoscope, when the lord of the 10th house is in the 5th house, the lord of the 9th house is in the 10th house, and the lord of the 5th house is in the 9th house. Due to this yoga, the native would be a commander of armies or enjoy high position, a big business magnate and also possess divine wisdom.

Hara Yoga is formed in a horoscope when there are favorable planets in the 4th, 8th or 9th houses from the lord of the 7th house. This yoga gives victory over enemies and all sorts of material pleasures.

To secure the blessings of Planet Jupiter, one has to do abhisekam to Shiva linga daily for a week with Ghee.

One attracts victory in endeavors when Shiva is worshipped on Arudra nakshatra.

When planets like Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Rahu are not placed well in a horoscope, Lord Shiva has to be propitiated.

Mondays in the month of Karthik (mid Nov- mid Dec) and in the month of Shravan (mid July – Mid August) are auspicious to worship Lord Shiva.

Women pray to Shiva for welfare of their husbands and sons.Unmarried women pray for getting a loving husband.