I am writing this post as there are only a few days left before the holy month of Shravan or Savana – which is considered the most auspicious to pray to Lord Shiva.
Shiva is one of the most ancient and significant deity of Hinduism and has been worshipped primarily in Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. Shiva is also known as The Adi Yogi – The First Yogi or the father of Yoga, and is considered the lord of the entire universe and every living beings and non-living things in it – The mountains, rivers, oceans, forests, the sun and the moon – by the adherents of Shaivism.
Shiva is without the beginning and the end, he doesn’t have a father or a mother but is rather the father of all. He doesn’t have a guru but is rather the guru of all; The Adi Guru or The First Guru.
Being sky clad, wearing only a deer skin to cover the lower part of his body, with ashes smeared all across his body signifying his complete detachment from the material world; he sits atop a tiger skin in deep meditative bliss and always smiling.
The Holy River Ganges coming out of his matted hair and a waning moon on his head, he wears poisonous snake as necklace signifying that he loves and grants protection even to the shunned and the outcast.
Both gods and demons pray to him. He doesn’t discriminate between any of his devotees and love them equally and is easily pleased and blesses everyone of those who pray to him with a pure heart. It is said that when a person is born Lord Brahma has already written his fate. Only Lord Shiva has the capacity to change the fate of his devotees, giving them everything – fortune, fame, power, supreme knowledge, devotion and ultimately moksha or liberation from the cycle of life and death.
During churning of the ocean by devatas or gods and asuras or demons, which went on for twelve days, a lot of things came out like Nectar, Maa Lakshmi or the Goddess of wealth and so on, but there was also Halahala poison, which was so strong that neither devatas nor asuras could bear it, then they both prayed to Lord Shiva and Shiva drank Halahala poison which made his neck blue. That’s why he is also called – Neelakantha or the one with the blue neck.
Lord Shiva drank Halahala poison in the month of Savana and it’s believed that his neck burns due to that, that’s why water is poured on Shiva Lingam representing Lord Shiva in Savana. People pray to Lord Shiva, especially in the month of Savana, and observe fast on Mondays of Savana, which pleases Lord Shiva and gives them Lord Shiva’s blessings.
May the blessings of Lord Shiva be with you. Har Har Mahadev!
