shiv ka shabdik arth kalyankari hota hai. is drishti se mahashiv ratri ka arth hua kalyankari ratri. tithiyon men chaturdashi tithi ke svami shiv hain. yah tithi unki priya tithi hai. jaisa ki nimn shlok men varnit hai. chaturdashyan tu krishnayan falgune shivpujanam. tamuposhya prayatnen vishyan parivarjayet.. shivratri vratan nam sarvapapapranashanam.
-shivarahasya mahashivratri ka vrat falgun krishn chaturdashi tithi ko kiya jata hai. vaise to pratyek mas ki krishn chaturdashi ko shiv bhakt mas shivratri ke rup men vrat karte hain, lekin is shivratri ka shastron ke anusar bahut bara mahatmya hai. ishan sanhita ke anusar shivlingtyodbhutah koti suryasamaprabhah arthat falgun krishn chaturdashi ko arddharatri ke samay bhagvan shiv param jyotirmay ling svarup ho gae the islie ise mahashivratri mante hain. siddhant shastron ke anusar shivratri ke vrat ke bare men bhinna-bhinn mat hain, parantu sarvasadharan manyata ke anusar jab pradosh kal ratri ka anrabh evan nishith kal (arddharatri) ke samay chaturdashi tithi rahe usi din shiv ratri ka vrat hota hai.
samarthajanon ko yah vrat pratah kal se chaturdashi tithi rahte ratri paryant tak karna chahie. ratri ke charon prahron men bhagvan shankar ki puja archana karni chahie. is vidhi se kie gae vrat se jagaran, puja, upvas tinon punya karmon ka ek sath palan ho jata hai aur bhagvan shiv ki vishesh anukanpa prapt hoti hai. vyakti janmantar ke papon se mukt hota hai. is lok men sukh bhogakar vyakti ant men shiv sayujya ko prapt karta hai. jivan paryant is vidhi se shraddha-vishvas purvak vrat ka acharan karne se bhagvan shiv ki kripa se manovanchit fal ki prapti hoti hai. jo log is vidhi se vrat karne men asamarth hon ve ratri ke aranbh men tatha arddharatri men bhagvan shiv ka pujan karke vrat purn kar sakte hain.
yadi is vidhi se bhi vrat karne men asamarth hon to pure din vrat karke sayankal men bhagvan shankar ki yathashakti puja archana karke vrat purn kar sakte hain. is vidhi se vrat karne se bhi bhagvan shiv ki kripa se jivan men sukh, aishvarya ki prapti hoti hai. shivratri men sanpurn ratri jagaran karne se mahapunya fal ki prapti hoti hai. grihasth janon ke alava sannyasi logon ke lie is maharatri ki sadhna evan gurumantra diksha adi ke lie vishesh siddhidayak muhurt hota hai. apni guru paranpra ke anusar sannyasi jan is ratri men sadhna adi karte hain. mahashivratri ki ratri maha siddhidayi hoti hai. is samay men kie gae dan punya, shivling ki puja, sthapna ka vishesh fal prapt hota hai.
is siddh muhurt men parad athva sfatik shivling ko apne ghar men athva vyavsay sthal ya karyalay men sthapit karne se ghar-parivar, vyavsay aur naukri men bhagvan shiv ki kripa se vishesh unnati evan labh ki prapti hoti hai. parmdyalu bhagvan shankar prasann hokar manovanchit fal pradan karte hain. parad shivling: prachin rishi-maharshiyon ke anusar parad svayan siddh dhatu hai. iska varnan charak sanhita adi mahatvapurn granthon men milta hai. shivpuran men parad ko shiv ka virya kaha gaya hai. virya bij hai jo sanpurn jivon ki utpatti ka karak hai. isi ke dvara bhautik srishti ka vistar hota hai. virya ki raksha karne se vyakti ko amaratva ki prapti hoti hai tatha apavyay karne se vyakti baranbar jivn-maran ke chakkar men parta hai.
marnan vindu paten jivan vindu rakshanat . parad ka shiv se sakshat sanbandh hone se iska apna alag hi mahatmya hai. parad shiv ling ke shraddha purvak darshan matra se hi punyafal ki prapti hoti hai. grihasth vyaktiyon ke lie anya dhatu ke lingon ki apeksha parad athva sfatik shivling ki puja evan sthapna adhik siddhidayak hoti hai. iske nitya pujan, abhishek aur darshan matra se manokamna purn hoti hai. jin vyaktiyon ke pas dhan ki vishesh kami n ho lekin svasthya thik n rahta ho unhen apne ghar men parad shiv ling ki puja archana karne se achchi ayu, arogya ki prapti hoti hai. sfatik shivling: jinke pas dhan ka abhav ho, adhik dhan, yash ki ichcha ho to unhen nitya apne ghar men sfatik shivling ki puja-archana karne se manovanchit fal ki prapti hoti hai.
sankshipt pujan evan sthapna vidhi: shivratri ko pradosh kal (ratri ke aranbh) men athva nishith kal (arddharatri) men samay shuddhavastha men parad shivling athva sfatik shivling ki sthapna karni chahie. sabse pahle gangajal athva shuddh jal se snan karaen aur tab dudh, dahi, ghi, madhu, shakkar se kram anusar snan karakar chandan lagaen fir ful, bilvapatra charhaen aur dhup aur dip se pujan karen. shighra fal prapti ke lie nimn mantron men se kisi ek mantra ka mahashivratri se jap praranbh karke ling ke sammukh baithakar nitya ek mala jap karen. mantra: ¬ namah shivay ¬ tatpurushay vidmahe mahadevay dhimhi tanno rudrah prachodyat. ¬ trayambakan yajamhe sugandhin pushtivardhanam urvarukmiv bandhnanmrityormukshiya mamritat.