is din shiv ling ka pradurbhav hua tha. is karan yah mahashivratri mani jati hai. is vrat ko varn aur varnetar sabhi saman rup se kar sakte hain. vrat ka palan nahin karne vala dosh ka bhagidar hota hai. is varsh mahashivratri ka pavan parva 24.02.2017 shukravar ko nishchit hai. mahashivratri vrat nirnay shiv ling ke prakat hone ke samyanusar falgun krishn chaturdashi ki ratri mahashivratri ke nam se jani jati hai tatha anya mason ki krishn chaturdashi shivratri ke nam se. siddhant rup men suryoday se suryoday paryant rahne vali chaturdashi shuddha nishith (ardharatri) vyapini grahya hoti hai. yadi yah shivratri trisprisha (trayodshi-chaturdashi- amavasya ke sparsh ki) ho, to parmottam mani gayi hai. masik shivratri men, kuch vidvanon ke matanusar, trayodshi viddha bahut rat tak rahne vali chaturdashi li jati hai. ismen jaya trayodshi ka yog adhik faldayi hota hai. smrityantre'pi pradoshavyapini grahya shivratriah chaturdashi. ratrau jagrnan yasmantasmantan samuposhyet.. atra pradosho ratriah . uttarardhe tasyan hetutvokteah. smrityantar men bhi kaha gaya hai, ki shivratri men chaturdashi pradoshavyapini grahan karen. ratri men jagaran karen. atah usmen upvas karen. yahan par pradosh shabd se matalab ratri ka grahan hai.
uttarardh men uska karan bataya gaya hai: kamke'pi- adityastamaye kale asti chedya chaturdashi. tadratriah shivratriah syatsa bhavedanutmottama.. kamik men bhi kaha gaya hai ki surya ke ast samay men yadi chaturdashi ho, to us ratri ko shivratri kahte hain. vah uttamottam hoti hai. adhi rat ke pahle aur adhi rat ke bad jahan chaturdashi yukt ho, usi tithi men hi vrati shivratri vrat karen. adhi rat ke pahle aur adhi rat ke bad yadi chaturdashi yukt n ho, to vrat ko n karen, kyonki vrat karne se ayu, aishvarya ki hani hoti hai. madhav mat se ishan sanhita men kaha gaya hai, ki jis tithi men adhi rat ko prapt kar chaturdashi ki prapti hoti hai, usi tithi men hi meri prasannata se manushya apni kamnaon ke lie vrat karen. adhi rat ke bad chaturdashi ko sada vrat karne vale vrat karen. nishith ke pahle din aur pradosh men dusre din ekdesh ki vyapti men to purva hi grahan karen, kyonki jaya yog ki prashansa hai. anyanya vidvanon ka bhi yahi mat prashansniya hai. shiv pujan vidhan chunki yah vrat sabhi varnon (brahman, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra) aur achut samuday ke stri-purush aur bal, yuva, vriddh ke lie manya hai, atah avashyak nahin ki pratyek vyakti mantron aur puja vidhi ka gyan rakhta ho.
atah apne bhakti bhav aur shraddha ke anusar hi shiv pujan karen. dhan ka samathrya ho, to vidvan brahmanon se vidhi-vidhan se pujan sanpann karaen. rudrabhishek, rudri path, panchakshar mantra ka jap adi karaen. sadharntya vrati ko chahie ki vrat ke din pratah snanadi ke bad din bhar shiv smaran karen aur sayan kal men fir snan kar ke bhasm ka tripundra tilak aur rudraksh ki mala dharan kar ke, gandh pushpadi sabhi prakar ki pujan samagri sahit, shiv ke samip purva ya uttar mukh baith kar shiv ji ka yathavidhi pujan karen. ratri ke pratham prahar men sankalp kar ke dudh se snan tatha ‘un hraun ishanay namah’ ka jap karen. dvitiya prahar men dadhi snan karen evan mantra ‘un hraun aghoray namah’ ka jap karen. tritiya prahar men ghrit snan evan mantra ‘un hraun vamdevay namah’ tatha chaturth prahar men madhu snan evan ‘un hraun sadyojatay namah’ mantra se pujan aur jap karen.
un namah shivay evan shivay namah mantra se bhi sanpurn puja vidhi tatha dhyan, asan, padya, aghrya, achaman, snan, payah snan, dadhi snan, ghrit snan, madhu snan, sharkara snan, panchamrit snan, gandhodak snan, shuddhodak snan, abhishek, vastra, yagyaopvit, upavastra, gandh, sugandhit dravya, akshat, pushpamala, bilva patra, nana parimal dravya, dhup, dip, naivedya, karodvartan (chandan ka lep), ritufal, tanbul-pungifal, dakshina- un bhurbhuv svah shri narmadeshvar sanbsdashivay namah- uparyukt upcharon ka, jaise dhyanan nam le kar ‘samarpayami’ kah kar puja sanpann karen. punah arti kapur adi se purn kar pradakshina, pushpanjli, sashtang pranam kar pujan karm shivarpan karen. charon prahar ka pujan karen. shivratri vrat parna vichar parna ke lie ‘vratante paranam’,‘tithyante paranam’ aur ‘tithibhante ch paranam’ adi vakyon ke anusar vrat ki samapti men paran kiya jata hai. kintu shivratri ke vrat men yah visheshta hai, ki ‘tithi namev sarvasamupvasavratadishu. tithyante parnan kuryadvina shiv chaturdashim’.. (smrityantr) shivratri ke vrat ka paran chaturdashi men hi karna chahie aur yah purvaviddha (pradoshnishitho bhayavyapini) chaturdashi hone se hi ho sakta hai.
ek samay naimisharanya tirth men shaunkadi rishiyon ne sut ji ko pranam kar shivratri vrat ke sanbandh men prashn kiya ki he sut ji ! purva kal men kisne is uttam shivratri vrat ka palan kiya tha aur anjan men bhi is vrat ka palan kar ke kisne kaun sa fal prapt kiya tha ? iska uttar unhen aise mila: ek bar ek dhanvan manushya kusangavash shivratri ke din shiv mandir men gaya. ek saubhagyavti stri vahan bhaktipurvak pujan men lin thi. tab dhanik ne uske abhushan chura liye. vahan upasthit janon ne uske kritya se kshubdh ho kar use mar dala. kintu chori ke lie vah ath prahar bhukha-pyasa rah kar jagta raha tha, isi karan svatah vrat ho jane se shivji ne usko sadgati di. shivratri vrat ka labh anek vidvanon ne is vrat se hone vale labhon par prakash dala hai, yatha ah ‘mam bhaktastu yo devi shivratri muposhkah. ganatvamakshayan divyamakshayan shivshasanam. sarvan bhuktava mahabhogan tato mokshamavapnuyat.. iti skandat. skand puran men kaha hai ki he devi, jo mera bhakt shivratri men upvas karta hai, use kshay n hone vala divya gan banata hun.
yah shiv ki shiksha hai. vah sab mahabhogon ko bhog kar ant men moksh ko prapt karta hai. ‘dvadsha dvikmetasmachchatu rvinshadvikan tu va. iti tatraiveshansanhita vachnat kamyata. ishan sanhita ka vachan hai ki yah barah varsh ya chaibis varsh ke papon ka nash karta hai. isse ismen kamyata hai. ‘tatraiv- shivratri vratan nam sarvapap vinashanam. achandal manushyanan bhukti mukti pradayakam.’ shivratri nam vala vrat sab papon ka shaman karne vala hai. achandalant (chandal paryant) manushyon ko bhukti tatha mukti donon dene vala hai. ‘tatha akhandit vrato yo hi shivratri muposhyet. sarvan kamanvapnoti shiven sah modte.’ jo manushya akhandit vrat ko, vrati ho kar, shivratri men upvas karta hai, uski sari ichchaen purn hoti hain tatha shiv ke sath vah anand karta hai. ‘kashchit punyavisheshen vrathino'pi yah puman. jagran kurute tatra s rudra samtan vrajet.. ityadi skandan, tadnukalpatvadashakt param.’ jo purush vrat se hin bhi kabhi punya vishesh se shivratri men jagaran karta hai, vah rudra ke barabar hota hai.
ityadi skand puran ka vachan hai, vah anukul hone se, ashakt vishayak hai. sanpurn shastron tatha anek prakar ke dharmon ke vishay men bhali bhanti vichar kar ke is shivratri vrat ko sabse uttam bataya gaya hai. is lok men anekanek prakar ke vrat, vividh tirth, nana prakaren dan, anek prakar ke yagya, tarh-tarah ke tap tatha jap adi bhi is vrat ki samanta nahin kar sakte. atah apne hit sadhnarth sabhi ko is vrat ka avashya palan karna chahie. yah shivratri vrat param mangalamay aur divyatapurn hai. isse sada sarvada bhog aur moksh ki prapti hoti hai. yah shubh shivratri vrat vratraj ke nam se vikhyat hai evan charon purusharthon ko dene vala hai. ho sake to ukt vrat ko jivan paryant karen ; nahin to chaidah varsh ke bad, purn vidhi-vidhan ke sath, udyapan kar den.