Om Namah Shivay Lord Shiva Japa and Mantra

Om Nama Japam on Mahashivratri day: Shivaye all day. On Shivratri we offer Bel-Patra, Dhatura, Plum to God. Shivaratri worship is said to be of particular importance to the Shiva Linga worshiped in clay. One must meditate after worshiping Lord Shiva. After offering flowers, perform aarti and circumnavigate the Lord. When circling, remember that Lord Shiva should not turn. The water flowing through the canal should not be breached. Circulating causes vomiting. Lord Shiva should recite the Chalisa on this day. It frees the devotee from fear:

Learn Mahashivaratri, the holy time and the way of worship

How fasting

Spend all day with devotion at the feet of Lord Shiva. First, wake up in the morning and take a bath with black sesame water. After this, Bhole Shankar should anoint Shiva Lingam with milk and honey. When doing Abhishek, Om Nama: Shivaaya should be chanted. If you practice this fast, remember not to eat rice, flour, or lentils. If you can't fast without food, you can take fruits, tea and milk today. In the evening you can have Singdi, powdered flour made with sewing dough. Apart from this, potatoes and gourmet pudding can also be taken.

If you want to stay fast all day, you can fast by taking a bath the next day. Meanwhile, Bhole Shankar has to wake up one night. It is said that staying overnight on Shivaratri will give you great results.

Learn Siva Chalisa

DOHA

॥ शिव चालीसा ॥

ॐ नमः शिवाय

दोहा

जय गणेश गिरिजासुवन मंगल मूल सुजान ।

कहत अयोध्यादास तुम देउ अभय वरदान ॥

Salutation to Girijaa’s son, Ganesha, who is the source of all well being as well as of wisdom. Ayodhyaadaasa entreats you to bless him with fearlessness.

जय गिरिजापति दीनदयाला । सदा करत सन्तन प्रतिपाला ॥

भाल चन्द्रमा सोहत नीके । कानन कुण्डल नाग फनी के ॥

Glory to Girijaa’s consort Shiva, who is compassionate to the destitute who always provides protection to the saintly, the moon on whose forehead sheds its beautiful lustre and in whose ears are the pendants of the cobra hood.

अंग गौर शिर गंग बहाये । मुण्डमाल तन क्षार लगाये ॥

वस्त्र खाल बाघम्बर सोहे । छवि को देखि नाग मन मोहे ॥

Of your complexion, O Lord, you are fair and wear a garland of skulls. From your locks streams the Ganga; your body, elegantly attired in tiger skin, is all smeared with ashes. Your loveliness enchanting to beholders charms even serpents and ascetics.

मैना मातु कि हवे दुलारी । वाम अंग सोहत छवि न्यारी ॥

कर त्रिशूल सोहत छवि भारी । करत सदा शत्रुन क्षयकारी ॥

The beloved daughter of Maina, Parvati, seated on your left, presents a sight of incomparable loveliness. The trident in your hand, which has always slaughtered its adversaries, looks exceedingly beautiful.

नंदी गणेश सोहैं तहं कैसे । सागर मध्य कमल हैं जैसे ॥

कार्तिक श्याम और गणराऊ । या छवि कौ कहि जात न काऊ ॥

Nandii, your bull and vehicle, looks glorious like the lotus amid a lake. So winsome are Kaarttikeya, Shyaamaa (Parvati) and Ganesha (the chief of Shiva’s henchmen) that their beauty beggars description.

देवन जबहीं जाय पुकारा । तबहिं दुख प्रभु आप निवारा ॥

किया उपद्रव तारक भारी । देवन सब मिलि तुमहिं जुहारी ॥

Whenever, O Lord, the gods appealed to you came to their rescue and delivered them from trouble. When the demon Taaraka began to cause havoc, the celestials invoked you to challenge the fiend.

तुरत षडानन आप पठायौ । लव निमेष महं मारि गिरायौ ॥

आप जलंधर असुर संहारा । सुयश तुम्हार विदित संसारा ॥

Shadaanana (Kaarttikeya), whom you dispatched at once, felled the foe in the twinkling of an eye. The whole world resounds with your unsullied fame and knows you as the slaughter of the demon Jalandhara.

त्रिपुरासुर सन युद्ध मचाई । तबहिं कृपा कर लीन बचाई ॥

किया तपहिं भागीरथ भारी । पुरब प्रतिज्ञा तासु पुरारी ॥

By waging a war against the demon, Tripura you had the kindness to save all, and when, O Puraari, Bhagiratha underwent a severe penance, you rewarded him with the fruit of it.

दानिन महं तुम सम कोउ नाहीं । सेवक स्तुति करत सदाहीं ॥

वेद माहि महिमा तुम गाई । अकथ अनादि भेद नहीं पाई ॥

Your devotees, who never tire of hymning your glories, declare that none among the beneficent equals you in generosity. Although the Vedas glorify your name, you are nonetheless inexpressible and eternal, so that none can fathom your mystery.

प्रकटे उदधि मंथन में ज्वाला । जरत सुरासुर भए विहाला ॥

कीन्ह दया तहं करी सहाई । नीलकंठ तब नाम कहाई ॥

Great flames of poisonous fire leapt from the ocean when it was churned the panic-stricken gods and demons that were engulfed in flames began to be burnt alive. Then, showing your gracious compassion, you came to their rescue (by gulping down the venom) and assumed the name of Nilkantha thereafter.

पूजन रामचंद्र जब कीन्हां । जीत के लंक विभीषण दीन्हा ॥

सहस कमल में हो रहे धारी । कीन्ह परीक्षा तबहिं त्रिपुरारी ॥

Pleased with Raama’s deep devotion you enabled him to conquer Lanka and crown Vibhishana its king. When Vishnu desirous of propitiating you, offered an oblation of a thousand lotuses, then, O Purari, you subjected him to a grueling test.

एक कमल प्रभु राखेउ जोई । कमल नयन पूजन चहं सोई ॥

कठिन भक्ति देखी प्रभु शंकर । भये प्रसन्न दिए इच्छित वर ॥

You had, O Lord, concealed one of the oblatory lotuses, but, undeterred, Vishnu offered his own lotus-eye in place of the missing flower. Observing his unflinching devotion, you were exceedingly pleased and granted him the boon he desired most.

जय जय जय अनंत अविनाशी । करत कृपा सबके घट वासी ॥

दुष्ट सकल नित मोहि सतावैं । भ्रमत रहौं मोहे चैन न आवैं ॥

Glory, glory, all glory to you, O infinite and eternal Lord! Compassionate to every creature, you dwell in the inmost hearts of all (Show me also your customary kindness) Throngs of the wicked torment me every day, deluding me so utterly that I never have any peace of mind.

त्राहि त्राहि मैं नाथ पुकारो । यह अवसर मोहि आन उबारो ॥

ले त्रिशूल शत्रुन को मारो । संकट से मोहिं आन उबारो ॥

Hearken, my Lord, I call you for help save me! Make haste and be my protector. Bring your trident, slaughter my enemies and rescue me from my burning woe.

मात पिता भ्राता सब कोई । संकट में पूछत नहिं कोई ॥

स्वामी एक है आस तुम्हारी । आय हरहु मम संकट भारी ॥

My parents, brother, and other kinsfolk have turned a blind eye to me in my distress. You are O Lord my only hope now, come at once and set me free from this crisis.

धन निर्धन को देत सदा ही । जो कोई जांचे सो फल पाहीं ॥

अस्तुति केहि विधि करों तुम्हारी । क्षमहु नाथ अब चूक हमारी ॥

You always bestow wealth on the impecunious and let him have whatever he fentreats you for. I wonder how one should sing your praises and glorify you. Please, O Lord, forgive me my sins and transgressions.

शंकर हो संकट के नाशन । मंगल कारण विघ्न विनाशन ॥

योगी यति मुनि ध्यान लगावैं । शारद नारद शीश नवावैं ॥

You are the dispeller of all crisis, O Shankara, destroyer of all obstacles and source and cause of all well being. All yogins, ascetics and hermits meditate on you and even Saraswati and Naarada do you obeisance.

नमो नमो जय नमः शिवाय । सुर ब्रह्मादिक पार न पाय ॥

जो यह पाठ करे मन लाई । ता पर होत हैं शम्भु सहाई ॥

Homage, homage, all homage and glory to you, O Shiva, you are beyond the comprehension of Brahma, gods, and the like. O Shambhu, you are gracious to him who recites this text with full concentration of mind.

रनियां जो कोई हो अधिकारी । पाठ करे सो पावन हारी ॥

पुत्र होन की इच्छा जोई । निश्चय शिव प्रसाद तेहि होई ॥

Even he who is weighted with debt sheds his sin if he chants this hymn (those under heavy debt are transgressors of a sacred law which forbids one to be a borrower or a debtor.) When blessed by Shiva, even a sonless person, who desires an issue, begets a son.

पण्डित त्रयोदशी को लावे । ध्यान पूर्वक होम करावे ॥

त्रयोदशी व्रत करै हमेशा । तन नहिं ताके रहै कलेशा ॥

He who invites a learned priest and with full concentration offers fire oblation, regularly observing the vow of trayodashi (The thirteenth day of a lunar fortnight) is completely rid of all afflictions.

धूप दीप नैवेद्य चढ़ावे । शंकर सम्मुख पाठ सुनावे ॥

जन्म जन्म के पाप नसावे । अन्त धाम शिवपुर में पावे ॥

He who offers incense, light and naivedya (eatables presented to a deity) and chants this text in the presence of Shiva’s image is rid of all sins, however grievous they may be, committed in his present and past lives and ultimately he has his abode in Shiva’s own (celestial) realm.

कहैं अयोध्यादास आस तुम्हारी । जानि सकल दुख हरहु हमारी ॥

Says Ayodhyaadaasa: ᳚ You are now my only hope, O Lord; being omniscient, you know all our troubles; as one full of loving kindness, may you ever relieve me of my distress!

दोहा

नित नेम उठि प्रातःही पाठ करो चालीस ।

तुम मेरी मनकामना पूर्ण करो जगदीश ॥

अथ त्रिगुण आरती शिवजी की

जय शिव ओंकारा हर जय शिव ओंकारा

ब्रह्मा विष्णु सदाशिव अर्धांगी धारा ॥ टेक॥

एकानन चतुरानन पंचानन राजे

हंसानन गरुडासन वृषवाहन साजे ॥ जय॥

दो भुज चार चतुर्भुज दस भुज अति सोहे

तीनों रूप निरखता त्रिभुवन जन मोहे ॥ जय॥

अक्षमाला बनमाला रुण्डमाला धारी

चंदन मृगमद सोहै भाले शशिधारी ॥ जय॥