Today is the auspicious Maha Sivaratri , a day to honor and pray to lord Siva. Lord Siva is known as Ashutosh, one who is pleased very easily, so somehow if we can please him on this Maha Sivaratri then we can make rapid progress in Krishna consciousness
Who is lord Siva?
He is the greatest of all devotees. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Sambhu, or Lord Siva, is the ideal Vaisnava. He constantly meditates upon Lord Rama and chants Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Siva has a Visnu-Svami-sampradaya, which is called the Visnu Svami-sampradaya.
(SB 3.23.1p)
All devotees are dear to lord Siva
Lord Siva continued: Any person who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the controller of everything — material nature as well as the living entity — is actually very dear to me.
(SB 4.24.28)
You are all devotees of the Lord, and as such I appreciate that you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. I know in this way that the devotees also respect me and that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to the devotees as I am.
It is said, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Lord Siva is the best of all devotees. Therefore all devotees of Lord Krsna are also devotees of Lord Siva. In Vrndavana there is Lord Siva’s temple called Gopisvara. The gopis used to worship not only Lord Siva but Katyayani, or Durga, as well, but their aim was to attain the favor of Lord Krishna. A devotee of Lord Krsna does not disrespect Lord Siva, but worships Lord Siva as the most exalted devotee of Lord Krsna. Consequently whenever a devotee worships Lord Siva, he prays to Lord Siva to achieve the favor of Krishna, and he does not request material profit.
Because Lord Siva is a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he loves all the devotees of the Supreme Lord. Lord Siva told the Pracetas that because they were devotees of the Lord, he loved them very much. Lord Siva was not kind and merciful only to the Pracetas; anyone who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very dear to Lord Siva. Not only are the devotees dear to Lord Siva, but he respects them as much as he respects the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, devotees of the Supreme Lord also worship Lord Siva as the most dear devotee of Lord Krsna. They do not worship him as a separate Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the list of nama-aparadhas that it is an offense to think that the chanting of the name of Hari and the chanting of Hara, or Siva, are the same. The devotees must always know that Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that Lord Siva is His devotee.
A devotee should be offered respect on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sometimes even more respect. Indeed, Lord Rama, the Personality of Godhead Himself, sometimes worshiped Lord Siva. If a devotee is worshiped by the Lord, why should a devotee not be worshiped by other devotees on the same level with the Lord? This is the conclusion. From this verse it appears that Lord Siva blesses the asuras simply for the sake of formality. Actually he loves one who is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(SB 4.24.30+p)
Maha Sivaratri
Siva + ratri, ratri means night, so Sivaratri means the night of lord Siva.
Maha Sivaratri comes in the month of Phalgun (February-March). This ceremony is observed in the honor of lord Siva, who was married to mother Parvati ( or Durga) on this day, it culminates in the night.
Vaishnavas pray lord Shiva on this day in order to receive his blessings to become attached to Lord Krishna.
Lord Siva tells mother Parvati as below in Padma Purana-
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
“O Devī, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Greater than that is the worship of tadīya, or anything belonging to Viṣṇu.” Śrī Viṣṇu is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Similarly, the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master, and all devotees of Viṣṇu are tadīya. The sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, guru, Vaiṣṇavas and things used by them must be considered tadīya and without a doubt worshipable by all living beings.
(CC Madhya 12.38p)
How can we please lord Siva on Maha Sivaratri?
By serving Krishna and His devotees, and by chanting extra rounds of Hare Krishna mahā-mantra on Maha Sivaratri.
But another very beautiful way to please lord Siva on Maha Sivaratri is by reciting the prayers lord Siva himself sings in glorification of Krishna in Srimad Bhagavatam, also known as Rudra Gita (song of lord Siva). As per lord Siva this is the best prayer for anyone aspiring for the lotus feet of Krishna.
Now I shall chant one mantra which is not only transcendental, pure and auspicious, but is the best prayer for anyone who is aspiring to attain the ultimate goal of life. When I chant this mantra, please hear it carefully and attentively.
(SB 4.24.31)
There are great benedictions given for those fortunate devotees who will faithfully recite these very sweet verses by lord Siva.
A devotee of Lord Krishna whose mind is always absorbed in Him, who with great attention and reverence chants this stotra [prayer], will achieve the greatest perfection of life without delay.
Although rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and worshiping Him are very difficult, if one vibrates or simply reads this stotra [prayer] composed and sung by me, he will very easily be able to invoke the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the dearmost objective of all auspicious benedictions. A human being who sings this song sung by me can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee, being fixed in the Lord’s devotional service, can acquire whatever he wants from the Supreme Lord.
(SB 4.24.74,76,77)
By investing few thoughtful and attentive moments to recite these verse we can easily please lord Siva on maha Sivaratri and get his blessings. Below is the link from where we can read these prayers, they are from verses 33 to verse 68. ( SB 4.24.33-68)
https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/4/24
All glories to lord Siva
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Your servant,
Giriraj dasa
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