Shiv Sahasranama
Every question on the site tagged Shiv Sahasranama, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
Notes from our sources
Shiv Sahasranama with a lotus for long-stalled work
The best vidhi for making Shiv Sahasranama siddh, or for Sadashiv's kripa through it, is the lotus, the speaker says. Bring one lotus, bathe it, tilak it with kesar, take a Sankalpa holding it — "this work of mine has been stalled a long time, Sadashiv, bring it to fruit" — and recite the whole Sahasranama at least once (5 or 11 times if there is time) still holding it; then offer the flower on the Shivling. Before this, as in every vidhi: two ghee lamps on akshat, one for Shiv ji (all devatas) and one for Parvati ji (all shaktis, since the ten Mahavidyas came from her body); abhishek — one lota per family member if you wish; bel-patra, Tripundra, shringar, dhoop and naivedya with sweet water; yellow cloth and a yellow asan. If the Shiva temple has no Ganpati murti, place the durva meant for Ganpati on the shivling's argha — he accepts it. Do this for the nine days. Rules for the lotus: on a Thursday do not pick it yourself; and before taking a flower from any pond, garden or lonely place, fold your hands and ask the yaksha or devata guarding it for leave — who knows what someone has seated under that tree — or you go for dosh-nivritti and come back with a new dosh. Later, to a listener who found the Sahasranama too hard, he says: do the Rudrashtak for nine days instead.
What is the Akhand Deepak and Japa requirement across the four Prahars?
Light an Akhand Deepak from the morning of Mahashivratri to the following morning (or from the first evening Prahar until 7 AM), ideally with a night vigil (Ratri Jagran) — chant at least 5 malas per Prahar if 108 isn't possible, or alternatively Shiva Sahasranama or Rudrashtakam with devotion.
May the twelve-name stotra be used in place of the Sahasranama?
Asked whether, since the Sahasranama takes long, one may do the stotra of twelve names, he answers: do it, what problem would we have? If your work is getting done with a five-rupee note in place of a five-hundred-rupee note, then manage with it — what problem is it to us?
Is there any problem in listening to the Shiv Sahasranama?
Asked whether the Shiv Sahasranama can be listened to, he says there is no difficulty at all — if one listens to the Shiv Sahasranama, that is only good.
Can the Shiv Sahasranama path be done in Shravan?
Absolutely it can be done, the speaker answers — that can be done at any time at all.
How should an ordinary person keep Mahashivratri?
An ordinary man should keep Mahashivratri in the beginner's way, he says. Do not take yourself into the idea that Mahashivratri has a great scientific importance, and that one should stay awake that night playing the veena and dancing, doing the big disco dancing of the foundation people. Those people have become jeevan mukt and a great deal of money has come to them. You should do the abhishek of Shiva in the four prahars and the path of the Sahasranama, seated near him in solitude.
Which Shiv Sahasranama should be recited?
The speaker says you may do whichever Shiv Sahasranama you wish. In the Shiv Mahapuran discussion the subject of many Shiv Sahasranamas came up. But the stuti by the thousand names of Bhagavan Shiva that was made by Bhagavan Shri Hari Narayana — if you do that one, it is greatly divine, because in it the Bhagavan obtained a great deal. Bhagavan Shri Hari Narayana is the greatest bhakta of Bhagavan Shiva; do the Shiv Sahasranama stuti made by him.
Which Shiv Sahasranama should be recited?
Besides all these, if you wish to go further, then recite the Shiv Sahasranama, the speaker says. Now the Shiv Sahasranama exists in many kinds: among them do whichever you wish, but look at this — if it is written in the phalashruti that reciting it without deeksha will cause difficulty, then do not do that one; do the ordinary one.
Which Shiv Sahasranama did Narayan himself recite?
You all know, the speaker says, that the paath of the Sahasranama of Shiva ji was done by Bhagavan Shri Narayan when he obtained the Sudarshan chakra. So the Shiv Sahasranama paath done by Bhagavan Shri Narayan that is described in the Shiv Mahapuran — do the paath of that.
Pronunciation mistakes in Shiva Sahasranama: learn slowly
To a listener who has begun reading the Shiva Sahasranama at a temple and finds the Sanskrit hard, the speaker says mistakes in speaking are no problem — correct them gradually. Do not rush the paath in the beginning; read slowly, learn the pronunciation properly, and then do it.
What should be recited at sandhya for a householder's prosperity?
He says: the stuti made by Vishnu ji of Shiva ji, by the thousand names — recite it at the time of sandhya. It is wonderful, he says, for the attainment of dhan and dhanya, for a householder's happiness.
One paath of the Durga Sahasranama, the Shiv Sahasranama if possible, on the sankalp of a single problem
Do one paath only — but the paath of the Durga Sahasranama, and if possible the paath of the Shiv Sahasranama, in these three days. Take the sankalp of only some one problem: that yes, this is the problem and it is not being solved; O Bhagavati, do grace. And do it at night.
Can Rudrabhishek be done every Monday without seeing the panchang, and havan with coconut oil?
A listener asks whether Rudrabhishek can be done every Monday without seeing the panchang, and whether a havan can be done with the Shiv Sahasranama using coconut oil. Why, brother, he asks — why do you wish to do it with coconut oil? Do you want the attainment of Lakshmi? Do you want to do akarshan, or what is the reason that you wish to do it with coconut oil?
What destroys an old and powerful Abhichar?
Take an ordinary Shiva Sahasranama that you recite daily, and recite that same Sahasranama from the beginning of an eclipse to its end. However powerful the Abhichar, it will be shaken — it will reach the brink of destruction.
What is the vidhi for reciting the Shiv Sahasranama stotra?
Asked the vidhi for the Shiv Sahasranama stotra paath, he says the vidhi of a sahasranama paath is exactly the same as the manner in which we do pujan paath: having done achman and the rest, sitting on your asan, then making the sankalpa, do the paath of his sahasranama.
Can the abhishek of Bhairav ji be done with the Shiv Sahasranama at home?
Do it with Bhairav ji's own names, the speaker suggests. It can also be done with Shiv ji's, and there is no difficulty in that.
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