Glories of Mahashivaratri
ādyantamaṃgalamajātasamānabhāvamāryaṃ tamīśamajarāmaramātmadevam | paṃcānanaṃprabalapaṃcavinodaśīlaṃ saṃbhāvaye manasiśaṃkaramambikeśam || "I meditate on Śiva, the lord of Ambikā, the auspicious one from beginning to end, having no one parallel to him, the noble lord, who is unaging and undying, the lord of souls, the five-faced lord, who is the dispeller of the five powerful sin." The great festival of Mahādeva, Mahāśivarātri is here! on this auspicious day let us know about the significance of Śivarātri and see how mahādeva graces his devotees and by reading Śiva kathā. __________________________________________________ Why is Śivarātri celebrated? The Kāmika āgama says, anuṣṭhitaṁ purā devyā yadanyairapyanuṣṭhitam | mayā saha mudā sārdhaṁ ramantīpsitamāyayuḥ || na bādhyante yamādeśāt kiṅkaraiḥ krūradṛṣṭibhiḥ | yamaṁ cāpi na paśyanti narakāṇi ca no yayuḥ | "This vowed observance (Mahāśivarātri vrata) was duly accomplished earlier by Devī (the Śakti of Śiva) and was pe...