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How To Worship Shivling On Monday In Hinduism - A Comprehensive Guide

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 Comprehensive Guide to Worshipping the Shivling on Monday in Hinduism

Worshipping Lord Shiva, especially in the form of the Shivling, is considered highly auspicious in Hinduism, particularly on Mondays. Monday is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and it is believed that offering prayers on this day helps one attain blessings for health, wealth, success, and inner peace.

This guide will provide a step-by-step outline of how to perform a simple yet spiritually enriching Shivling Puja on Monday using eco-friendly, traditional items.

Preparation and Cleanliness

  1. Personal Cleanliness: Before beginning the puja, ensure you are clean by taking a bath. Cleanliness is not just physical but also mental; approach the puja with a pure heart and mind.

  2. Altar Cleanliness: The area where the puja will be performed, especially the space where the Shivling is placed, should be thoroughly cleaned. Use natural cleaners like water mixed with a few drops of Ganga Jal or Tulsi leaves.

  3. Clothes: Wear fresh clothes. Preferably, wear white or light-colored cotton clothes, as these symbolize purity and simplicity, which resonate with the qualities of Lord Shiva.

Puja Items Required (Eco-Friendly Traditional Products)

  1. Shivling: You can use a small Shivling made of eco-friendly materials like stone or clay.
  2. Panchamrit (a mixture of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar) made from organic products.
  3. Water: Ideally from a clean source, mixed with Ganga Jal.
  4. Bilva Patra (Bael leaves): These leaves are sacred to Lord Shiva and should be fresh, natural, and untreated with chemicals.
  5. Natural flowers: White flowers like Datura, jasmine, or lotus are ideal. Avoid artificial flowers.
  6. Akshat: Unbroken rice, which can be sourced from traditional, non-pesticide fields.
  7. Sandalwood paste: Organic sandalwood paste (chandan) without synthetic additives.
  8. Incense sticks (Agarbatti): Use hand-rolled, eco-friendly incense sticks made from natural ingredients.
  9. Camphor: Organic camphor for the aarti.
  10. Pure ghee: For lighting a ghee lamp (diya).
  11. Prasad ingredients: Organic fruits, especially seasonal fruits, and milk-based sweets like kheer or pedas prepared at home.

Simple Steps to Perform Shivling Puja

  1. Set up the altar: Place the Shivling on a small pedestal or a clean surface in the altar area.

  2. Lighting the Diya: Light an eco-friendly ghee lamp and some natural incense sticks to purify the surroundings.

  3. Invoke Lord Shiva: With folded hands, chant "Om Namah Shivaya" and invite the divine presence of Lord Shiva.

  4. Abhishek (ritualistic bathing):

    • Water: Gently pour water on the Shivling, symbolizing purification.
    • Panchamrit: Offer the mixture of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar, representing nourishment.
    • Water again: Finally, pour water again to cleanse the Shivling after offering Panchamrit.

  5. Offering Bilva Patra: Offer three-leafed Bilva Patra to Lord Shiva. Ensure that the leaves are fresh and clean. Avoid using dry or cracked leaves.

  6. Offering Akshat (Rice): Sprinkle a few unbroken rice grains over the Shivling.

  7. Sandalwood paste and flowers: Apply a small amount of sandalwood paste to the Shivling and offer white flowers, preferably Datura or jasmine.

  8. Chant Mantras: While offering each item, chant the mantra "Om Namah Shivaya" or recite the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra:

    Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat

  9. Aarti: Light the camphor and perform aarti, moving the flame in a circular motion around the Shivling. Sing the Shiva Aarti (Jai Shiv Omkara) while doing this.

  10. Prasad Offering: Offer homemade kheer, milk sweets, or fruits as prasad.

Concluding the Puja

  1. Prayers of Gratitude: Thank Lord Shiva for his blessings and protection. You may recite a simple prayer like:

    Karacharana Kritam Vaa Kaayajam Karmajam Vaa
Shravana Nayanajam Vaa Maanasam Vaa Paradham
Vihitam Avihitam Vaa Sarvamet Kshamasva
Jaya Jaya Karunabdhe Shree Mahadeva Shambho

  2. Distributing Prasad: Share the prasad with family members or offer it to the poor, if possible.

Importance and Benefits of Worshipping Shivling on Monday

  1. Spiritual Growth: Worshipping Lord Shiva enhances your spiritual connection and fosters mental peace.
  2. Health and Healing: Abhishek with water and Panchamrit is believed to help alleviate health issues.
  3. Overcoming Obstacles: Regular worship on Mondays helps in removing obstacles from one's life, bringing prosperity and success.
  4. Karmic Cleansing: Offering prayers with a sincere heart can reduce the burden of past karmas, leading to liberation (Moksha).

What to Do with Puja Leftover Items

  1. Panchamrit: After the puja, distribute the remaining Panchamrit as a blessing to family members or consume it yourself. Do not discard it.

  2. Flowers and Bilva Patra: These should be collected and respectfully returned to nature. You can bury them under a tree or in a garden, but ensure they are not disposed of in polluted areas.

  3. Water and other offerings: The water used for Abhishek can be poured into the roots of a plant or a tree. This helps recycle the sacred water in an eco-friendly manner.

  4. Incense ash: The ash from the incense or camphor can also be scattered in a clean natural environment, like a garden, as a symbol of purification.

By using eco-friendly, natural products, we not only honor Lord Shiva but also contribute to the protection of the environment, which is a form of reverence for the creation Shiva himself represents.