Dear readers,
I have a karmic debt to fulfill- replying to my numerous fellow Shiv bhakts on the mahima of infallible Solah Somvar Vrat and its katha.
I have completed this vrat once and have completely achieved a goal which not only seemed impossible to me but was regarded by many great advisers of mine. The whole credit goes to Kaleshwar Devadidev Mahadev's blessings, blessings of my pitrs, my grand-parents, my parents, and my elders and Gurus, well-wishers, relations and friends.
Even during this vrat, I faced many obstacles, temptations which were forcing me to break my vrat, but with Kalptaru's blessings I succeeded in vanquishing such hindrances.
I have recently started this vrat the second time and thus it is karmic debt that I reply to the queries of all my fellow Shiv bhakts on this matter.
I am no scholar. I have very minuscule understanding of spirituality and religion compared to most learned Gurus around. So, please pardon my lack of understanding in this article. I am just putting forth what I think is right and what I practice for the great Solah Somvar Vrat, which in incomparable in its results and the completion of which gives the greatest pleasure to Umapati.
In today's age and time, most of the readers who will read this blog article either have a business or are office-goers. However, there may be women readers who are home-makers. In either cases it is highly improbable that the bhakt will stay at home the whole time. So, I shall write my views on this in as much practical sense as possible.
Q) Can anyone do this?
A) Yes.
Just as Shiv is in every living soul, just as every life is a proof of Shiva's existence, so can any living soul do this vrat and gain His blessings.
Q) What is the procedure of doing this vrat?
A) Can there be any fixed procedure for showing one's compassion to one's Aaradhya? So, there is no fixed procedure to do this procedure, atleast none that I know of. However, I will share how I perform this vrat.
Every Monday I wake up filled with joy that today I get to do something for my Shiva, my soul. I wake up with Aum Namah Shivay mantra. I look at the rising Sun and raise a glass of water and ask Shiva to give me strength to complete today's vrat and drink the glass of water remembering Him. Then I finish off toilet, have my bath and go to work.
At work I avoid any confrontation on Mondays, avoid bad words, avoid group gossip. I have my ipod which I listen to Shiva mantras while working. I don't go for lunch with my work colleagues on Mondays. I talk as little as possible. I concentrate on my dharma, which at that moment is my work, my assignments for the day. If I have meetings, I stick to my agenda and generally tend to talk less. The reason is that speech is the source of all trouble (remember Dakshinamurthy teaching through silence).
At around Madhyanya (mid-day around 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm depending on the zone of Earth where one resides), I have some fruits. Sometimes I even skip this and just carry on with water. I generally leave work at 5:00 pm on Mondays and come home before sunset. At sunset I remember if I have objected my Lord in anyway during the day and seek forgiveness for all sins done. I pray to Shiva with MahaMrityunjaya mantra and take some fruits and a glass of milk.
In the evening I skip social get-together on Mondays and avoid lies. I generally try to do something that pleases the Lord very much. I generally call up my grandparents and chat with them, I call up my parents and tell them how much I miss them. One should remember the story of Ganesha's parikrama of his mother and father as He regarded them as the Universe and how much it pleased Shiva and Parvati. Karma is the best way to appease the Lord, much superior than elaborate rituals. Doing something good for elders, Gurus and parents and pleasing them pleases the Lord automatically.
I sleep around 10:00 Pm peaceful, placid and contended and with a prayer that the Lord keep showering His merciful blessings on His bhakts.
I try to observe satwick lifestyle during the vrat and avoid lies. Satya or truth is loved Shiva and thus one should avoid telling a single lie during the vrat.
Q)How is this vrat possible for women if it has to be continuous?
A)Menstrual cycle shouldn't matter - This is the one word answer to this question.
Mother who is the Jagadjanini, who we worship daily -have we asked if we should avoid worshiping her during certain days? If mother can be worshiped, then mother-kind can worship too. I strongly oppose this idea of banning women from worship on certain days of the month. The reason that it was brought in place was very different - places of worship would become untidy as most modern measures used today were not present. Those days have long gone and makes ZERO sense in today's age and time. So mother-kind, please do not hesitate to do this vrat.
Q)The question of upvas-What should we eat and what we shouldn't?
A)Anything that makes you feel that you are sacrificing something by not eating it, shouldn't be eaten.
Lets us understand the word Upvas and the meaning associated with it. Upvas means living with the Lord. If the Lord comes to your house, you will be so pre-occupied by attending to Him that you will forget to attend to yourself i.e. your dress, your food, your laundry, your movies, your social functions, your meetings etc.
Eating is just a part of living. During this vrat, the essence of Upvas has to be lived-which is control of instincts. If you cannot live without non-veg food, the you cannot eat it during this vrat. If you are a vegetarian, then you have to sacrifice what you eat normally. If you eat cronflakes every morning, you have control your instinct and avoid eating it during this vrat days. If you eat rice, roti etc. as a habit then you have to control it during this vrat. This is the essence of upvas that we should all understand. However, please remember that control of instincts doesn't mean killing oneself or punishing one's body beyond tolerance. Gastractive patients should eat what is necessary for them. Shiva is also one's own self. So to punish one's own self to the point beyond tolerance is also annoying Shiva. The intention is not control one's natural instinct without causing harm to typical bodily functions.
I don't eat fruits much on usual days so during this vrat, I take only fruits and milk once. One should make this judgement himself/herself and in accordance with one's own conscience.
Q)What mantras should I chant?
A)Anything that pleases your soul.
The word mantra means something that pleases the maan, the mind. Even if you donot chant a single mantra and at the end of the day said "I love you" to your parents, that is much more pleasing to the Lord than even a Rudrabhishekam. The single teardrop of joy from your grand-father's eyes when he receives your call will send your vrat message directly to Shiva more than reciting any Rudra Chamakam. Deeds please the Lord more than any ritual. However, if you are interested in the sanskrit mantras, you can use a variety of options available on the web. I always beileved in keeping it simple, so I have only chanted Panchaksari mantra during the sixteen Mondays. Although I do listen to a lot of bhajans and stotras during the day.
Q)Do I have to fast?
A)No, you don't need to do. Please refer to my earlier explanation of upvas.
Q)Can women do this vrat?
A)Very much. Monthly cycles is a natural phenomenon and how can Pashupatinath (the ruler of all animal kingdom, human included) have a problem with that?
Q)What do I do on the 17th. Monday?
A)Whatever you do, make sure you are seeking blessings of your elders. Without that you shall not receive the blessings of Shiva, the Adi Guru.
I shall mention what I did. I called my friends (as I was away from home) to my place. I performed Rudrabhishekam. I made the Shivlinga out of atta, turmeric and chandan. I called my elders at home to seek their blessings. I shared the story of Solah Somvar Vrat with them.
My friends had brought cooked food with them. We all sat and ate together chanting Aum Namah Shivay.
Q)Where can I find the story of Solah Somvar Vrat Katha?
A) http://satyamshivamsundaram.blogspot.com/2005/11/aaradhana.html#comments
Spread the word, please the Lord and be Happy!
~ Souvik
I have a karmic debt to fulfill- replying to my numerous fellow Shiv bhakts on the mahima of infallible Solah Somvar Vrat and its katha.
I have completed this vrat once and have completely achieved a goal which not only seemed impossible to me but was regarded by many great advisers of mine. The whole credit goes to Kaleshwar Devadidev Mahadev's blessings, blessings of my pitrs, my grand-parents, my parents, and my elders and Gurus, well-wishers, relations and friends.
Even during this vrat, I faced many obstacles, temptations which were forcing me to break my vrat, but with Kalptaru's blessings I succeeded in vanquishing such hindrances.
I have recently started this vrat the second time and thus it is karmic debt that I reply to the queries of all my fellow Shiv bhakts on this matter.
I am no scholar. I have very minuscule understanding of spirituality and religion compared to most learned Gurus around. So, please pardon my lack of understanding in this article. I am just putting forth what I think is right and what I practice for the great Solah Somvar Vrat, which in incomparable in its results and the completion of which gives the greatest pleasure to Umapati.
In today's age and time, most of the readers who will read this blog article either have a business or are office-goers. However, there may be women readers who are home-makers. In either cases it is highly improbable that the bhakt will stay at home the whole time. So, I shall write my views on this in as much practical sense as possible.
Q) Can anyone do this?
A) Yes.
Just as Shiv is in every living soul, just as every life is a proof of Shiva's existence, so can any living soul do this vrat and gain His blessings.
Q) What is the procedure of doing this vrat?
A) Can there be any fixed procedure for showing one's compassion to one's Aaradhya? So, there is no fixed procedure to do this procedure, atleast none that I know of. However, I will share how I perform this vrat.
Every Monday I wake up filled with joy that today I get to do something for my Shiva, my soul. I wake up with Aum Namah Shivay mantra. I look at the rising Sun and raise a glass of water and ask Shiva to give me strength to complete today's vrat and drink the glass of water remembering Him. Then I finish off toilet, have my bath and go to work.
At work I avoid any confrontation on Mondays, avoid bad words, avoid group gossip. I have my ipod which I listen to Shiva mantras while working. I don't go for lunch with my work colleagues on Mondays. I talk as little as possible. I concentrate on my dharma, which at that moment is my work, my assignments for the day. If I have meetings, I stick to my agenda and generally tend to talk less. The reason is that speech is the source of all trouble (remember Dakshinamurthy teaching through silence).
At around Madhyanya (mid-day around 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm depending on the zone of Earth where one resides), I have some fruits. Sometimes I even skip this and just carry on with water. I generally leave work at 5:00 pm on Mondays and come home before sunset. At sunset I remember if I have objected my Lord in anyway during the day and seek forgiveness for all sins done. I pray to Shiva with MahaMrityunjaya mantra and take some fruits and a glass of milk.
In the evening I skip social get-together on Mondays and avoid lies. I generally try to do something that pleases the Lord very much. I generally call up my grandparents and chat with them, I call up my parents and tell them how much I miss them. One should remember the story of Ganesha's parikrama of his mother and father as He regarded them as the Universe and how much it pleased Shiva and Parvati. Karma is the best way to appease the Lord, much superior than elaborate rituals. Doing something good for elders, Gurus and parents and pleasing them pleases the Lord automatically.
I sleep around 10:00 Pm peaceful, placid and contended and with a prayer that the Lord keep showering His merciful blessings on His bhakts.
I try to observe satwick lifestyle during the vrat and avoid lies. Satya or truth is loved Shiva and thus one should avoid telling a single lie during the vrat.
Q)How is this vrat possible for women if it has to be continuous?
A)Menstrual cycle shouldn't matter - This is the one word answer to this question.
Mother who is the Jagadjanini, who we worship daily -have we asked if we should avoid worshiping her during certain days? If mother can be worshiped, then mother-kind can worship too. I strongly oppose this idea of banning women from worship on certain days of the month. The reason that it was brought in place was very different - places of worship would become untidy as most modern measures used today were not present. Those days have long gone and makes ZERO sense in today's age and time. So mother-kind, please do not hesitate to do this vrat.
Q)The question of upvas-What should we eat and what we shouldn't?
A)Anything that makes you feel that you are sacrificing something by not eating it, shouldn't be eaten.
Lets us understand the word Upvas and the meaning associated with it. Upvas means living with the Lord. If the Lord comes to your house, you will be so pre-occupied by attending to Him that you will forget to attend to yourself i.e. your dress, your food, your laundry, your movies, your social functions, your meetings etc.
Eating is just a part of living. During this vrat, the essence of Upvas has to be lived-which is control of instincts. If you cannot live without non-veg food, the you cannot eat it during this vrat. If you are a vegetarian, then you have to sacrifice what you eat normally. If you eat cronflakes every morning, you have control your instinct and avoid eating it during this vrat days. If you eat rice, roti etc. as a habit then you have to control it during this vrat. This is the essence of upvas that we should all understand. However, please remember that control of instincts doesn't mean killing oneself or punishing one's body beyond tolerance. Gastractive patients should eat what is necessary for them. Shiva is also one's own self. So to punish one's own self to the point beyond tolerance is also annoying Shiva. The intention is not control one's natural instinct without causing harm to typical bodily functions.
I don't eat fruits much on usual days so during this vrat, I take only fruits and milk once. One should make this judgement himself/herself and in accordance with one's own conscience.
Q)What mantras should I chant?
A)Anything that pleases your soul.
The word mantra means something that pleases the maan, the mind. Even if you donot chant a single mantra and at the end of the day said "I love you" to your parents, that is much more pleasing to the Lord than even a Rudrabhishekam. The single teardrop of joy from your grand-father's eyes when he receives your call will send your vrat message directly to Shiva more than reciting any Rudra Chamakam. Deeds please the Lord more than any ritual. However, if you are interested in the sanskrit mantras, you can use a variety of options available on the web. I always beileved in keeping it simple, so I have only chanted Panchaksari mantra during the sixteen Mondays. Although I do listen to a lot of bhajans and stotras during the day.
Q)Do I have to fast?
A)No, you don't need to do. Please refer to my earlier explanation of upvas.
Q)Can women do this vrat?
A)Very much. Monthly cycles is a natural phenomenon and how can Pashupatinath (the ruler of all animal kingdom, human included) have a problem with that?
Q)What do I do on the 17th. Monday?
A)Whatever you do, make sure you are seeking blessings of your elders. Without that you shall not receive the blessings of Shiva, the Adi Guru.
I shall mention what I did. I called my friends (as I was away from home) to my place. I performed Rudrabhishekam. I made the Shivlinga out of atta, turmeric and chandan. I called my elders at home to seek their blessings. I shared the story of Solah Somvar Vrat with them.
My friends had brought cooked food with them. We all sat and ate together chanting Aum Namah Shivay.
Q)Where can I find the story of Solah Somvar Vrat Katha?
A) http://satyamshivamsundaram.blogspot.com/2005/11/aaradhana.html#comments
Spread the word, please the Lord and be Happy!
~ Souvik
15 comments:
Amazing blog...thanks bhai....Lord Shiva is such a timeless and infinite..Shiv-Aaradhana should be the only goal of life.
Thank you for sharing a small part of your spiritual life with us. It did help me understand a few things.
Thank you so much
this is the first time im doing this vrat and totally had no idea whether i was doing things correctly but with your this explanation im really feeling good and light that shivji will accept my this fast
n yes your explanation about what is a upvas is really beautiful
thank u so much once again :)
A very inspiring blog indeed. What if I had to skip one monday. Do I need to start over or just carry on and do one extra monday ?
I started somwar vrat in the month of june (for a tamil month of Vaikash), but in krshna paksha thithi. After reading many websites i found that the vrat should started in sukhla paksha thithi (That is after amavasya). Whether the vrat started during krsna paksha will give any harm? Any how I am continuing my vrats bcoz i don want to break my 16 weeks sola somwar vrat. But it will be too helpful if you clarified my doubts on starting period of somawar vrat.
For how many years should we do this vrat once started?
Planning to perform vart from tomorow. But my problem is I am having 16 month baby. I am still breatfeeding her. Due to which I have lost weight and also weakness. So can I perform vart by eating fruits and wht we eat during fast and at night can have dinner. Also can I hv non veg on other days thn Monday. Coz my family will dnt allow me to do so.coz all r concerned abt my health. And if I will nt eat non veg dey will won't allow me for vrat coz of my weakness.
what we do our relatives are died ?12 mondays are completed in solah somavar vrat,if we restart from begining or next monday continiues as 13monday !
please answer me
Hiii cn i know what was done with the shivling made of atta turmeric and chandan after pooja. Also what al pooja was done after making it...im tryn to do
Hi
This is my fourth year of doing the fast and last monday i consumed my breakfast and lunch unknowingly later i observed the fast for second half..
Now my question is am i elegible to continue the fast
today would have been my 15th monday, i forgot that today was monday and accidently broke the fast by eating sprouts and sweets what should i do should i continue or start again kindly help
Is non veg prohibited only on Monday or for whole 4 months
So pure and in depth
Can we drink tea in this fast?
I want to know what was it that u thought was so impossible and u still kept faith and the vrat worked for u. I am doing the vrat and I feel the same. I have faith in bolenath but I still want to knw what was your problem If you feel comfortable
Post a Comment