🌿स तु दीर्घकाल नैरन्तर्य सत्काराअदराअसेवितो दृढभूमिः ॥१४॥

Success can definitely be achieved via continuous practice over an extended period of time, carried out in a serious [devoted] and thoughtful manner.

~Patanjali Yoga Sutras, 1.14

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Wise are the ones who never put their key of happiness in someone else's pocket.

@God_is_here_and_now

🍃🌸Shubh Mahashivratri🌸🍃

This auspicious event falls on the 14th day of the dark half of Phalgun [Feb-Mar]. The name means "the night of Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day.

People observe a strict fast on this day. Some devotees do not even take a drop of water. They keep vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night by washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, etc., whilst the chanting of the Shiva's Mantras continues. Offerings of bael leaves are made to the Lingam. Bael leaves are very sacred as, it is said, Lakshmi resides in them. Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva Mahimna Stotra of Pushpadanta or Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotra are sung with great fervour and devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra.

He who utters the Names of Shiva during Mahashivaratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths.

🍃Lord Shiva's Assuarance🍃

When creation had been completed, Shiva and Parvati went out to live on the top of Mount Kailash.

Parvati asked, "O venerable Lord! which of the many rituals observed in Thy honour doth please Thee most?"

The Lord replied, "The 14th night of the new moon, in the dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is my most favourite day. It is known as Shivaratri. My devotees give me greater happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths and offerings of flowers, sweets and incense. The devotee observes strict spiritual discipline in the day and worships Me in four different forms during each of the four successive three-hour periods of the night. The offering of a few bael leaves is more precious to Me than the precious jewels and flowers. My devotee should bathe Me in milk at the first period, in curd at the second, in clarified butter at the third, and in honey at the fourth and last. Next morning, he should feed the Brahmins first and, after performing the prescribed ceremonies, he can break his fast. O Parvati! there is no ritual which can compare with this simple routine in sanctity."

Parvati was deeply impressed by the speech of Lord Shiva. She repeated it to Her friends who in their turn passed it on to the ruling princes on earth. Thus was the sanctity of this occasion broadcast all over the world.

🍃Spiritual Significance🍃

The two great natural forces that afflict man are Rajas [the quality of passionate activity] and Tamas [that of dullness and inertia].

The Shivaratri Vrata aims at the perfect control of these two. The entire day is spent at the Feet of the Lord. Continuous worship of the Lord necessitates the devotee's constant presence in the place of worship. Motion is controlled. Evils like lust, anger, and jealousy, born of Rajas are ignored and subdued. The devotee observes vigil throughout the night and thus conquers Tamas also. Constant vigilance is imposed on the mind. Shivaratri is a perfect Vrata.

The formal worship consists of bathing the Lord. Lord Shiva is considered to be the Form of Light [which the Shiva Lingam represents]. He is burning with the fire of austerity. He is therefore best propitiated with cool bathing.

While bathing the Lingam the devotee prays: "O Lord! I will bathe Thee with water, milk, etc. Do Thou kindly bathe me with the milk of wisdom. Do Thou kindly wash me of all my sins, so that the fire of worldliness which is scorching me may be put out once for all, so that I may be one with Thee-the One alone without a second."

~Swami Sivananda

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🌿May this gracious and auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri bestow upon you the highest good, wisdom andhmm realisation of the truth. May Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati shower upon you all, good health, prosperity and happiness.🌿

🌷@HinduismAsItIs🌷
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Namaste everyone! 🙏😇

On this divine and auspicious night of Mahashivaratri, sharing the below live celebration/puja links with you all, to keep you up and alert with full zeal and fervour for the night :-

🌿2022 Maha Shivaratri [Live from Sringeri Mutt] : https://youtu.be/ETQ-lFHWb6A

🌿Maha Sivaratri 2022 Celebrations - Sri Ramanashram Live : https://youtu.be/JH5dJSj-SFo

🌿MahaShivRatri 2022 - Live Webstream with Sadhguru : https://youtu.be/u00mLlQ93VE

May Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati bless us all and continue to shower their grace on us. Har Har Mahadev! ❤️

🌷@HinduismAsItIs🌷
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🌿 मैत्री करुणा मुदितोपेक्षाणांसुखदुःख पुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातः चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥३३॥

The mind becomes purified by cultivation of feelings of friendship towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and indifference towards the wicked ones.

~Patanjali Yoga Sutra, 1.33

🌷@HinduismAsItIs🌷
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Those blessed ones with great faith in you, O Lord, never feel concern for the needs of their life, because they are so sure that you will never abandon them. They're steadfast on the notion that, "He who has planted this tree [of life], will also water it".

Even when they are not provided with their needs, they do not feel that they are afflicted; they simply endure and accept it patiently, feeling that it is only you who has to suffer by seeing them troubled. Hence on all occasions they remain happy. ✨

@devotee_of_you

🌿किञ्चित् परस्व न हरेन्नाल्पमप्यप्रिय वदेत्। प्रियञ्च नानृतं ब्रूयान्नान्यदोषानुदीरयेत्॥

Do not grab even a bit of other’s wealth and do not say words that are even slightly unpleasant. Do not speak good words that are false and do not speak about the defects of others.

~Vishnu Puran, 3.12.4

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🌿भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवा भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः। स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवां सस्तनूभिर्व्यशेमहि देवहितं यदायुः॥

O, Lord! May we hear auspicious words from our ears, may we see the auspicious things from our eyes, may our body limbs remain stable and strong, and may we spend our lives properly by performing beneficial actions.

~Samveda Samhita, 1874

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We should focus on words worth hearing, scenes worth seeing and actions worth performing. Let us become impervious to the negativity of our surroundings. When we are living our life thus, it becomes fulfilled in every way and we can attain any worthwhile goal. Let us make it a point to ourselves that we will try to see something good in everything around us. When we see good qualities in others, we purify ourselves and help the existence, as a whole.

🌷@HinduismAsItIs🌷
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Never think, "I am weak".
Never say, "I cannot".
Never feel, "I am limited".

You have the infinite power of the universe within you; and that can be harnessed through a loving heart, steadfast faith and a positive outlook. Your imagination is your only limit. So, never think otherwise.

@God_is_here_and_now

🌿 आनृशंस्यं परो धर्मः क्षमा च परमं बलं। आत्मज्ञानं परं ज्ञानं न सत्याद् विद्यते परं॥

Non-violence towards everyone is the supreme righteousness and forgiveness is the supreme strength. Knowledge of Self [Atman] is the ultimate knowledge and no other virtue is superior to truthfulness.

~From: Mahabharat, Shanti Parva

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[Not thinking evil for anybody from our mind, speech and body, is the most righteous, for it purifies one's mind in the best possible way. Forgiveness is the true strength because it occurs when being kind and compassionate becomes important than ego's tendency to hold grude and blame. It makes one heart bigger and more accepting and embracing to the existence as a whole. Knowledge of Self or Atman is the ultimate knowledge because once we gain it, we gain everything, nothing else remains to be attained. Truth is the greatest virtue because it is the foundation of all other virtues. All good qualities come to a truthful person automatically.]

🌷@HinduismAsItIs🌷
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A child may run around, visit different places in order to play and seek fun throughout the day; but later in the evening he must return home, and embrace his mother.

Your children too, O Lord, are going around, playing in the world, seeking fulfillment. And they too eventually will return to their true "home", to you - as true fulfillment lies only at your feet.

@devotee_of_you

Let go and be at peace.
Or get dragged and suffer.
Decision is entirely yours.

@God_is_here_and_now

🌿🌸Holi and its Significance🌸🌿
🪔Explained by: Swami Sivananda🪔

Holi begins about ten days before the full moon of the month Phalgun [February-March], but is usually only observed for the last three or four days, terminating with the full moon. This is the spring festival of the Hindus. In the spring season all the trees are filled with sweet-smelling flowers. They all proclaim the glory and everlasting beauty of God. They inspire you with hope, joy and a new life, and stir you on to find out the creator and the Indweller, who is hiding Himself in these forms.

Holi is celebrated as Kamadahana in South India, the day on which Kamadeva was burnt by Lord Shiva. There is this famous legend of the demon Holika is Bhakta Prahlad’s devotion to Lord Narayana, and his subsequent escape from death at the hands of Holika. Prahlad’s father, Hiranyakashipu, punished him in a variety of ways to change his devotional mind and make him worldly-minded. He failed in his attempts. At last he ordered his sister, Holika, who had a boon to remain unburnt even in fire, to take Prahlad on her lap and enter into the blazing flames. Holika did so. She got burnt and vanished, but Prahlad remained untouched and laughing. He was not affected by the fire on account of the Grace of Lord Narayana. This same scene is enacted every year to remind people that those who love God shall be saved, and they that torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ashes.

In North India, people play joyfully with coloured water. The uncle sprinkles coloured water on his nephew. The niece applies coloured powder on her aunt’s face. Brothers and sisters and cousins play with one another. Huge bundles of wood are gathered and burnt at night. People stand in the streets and sprinkle coloured water on any man who passes by, be he a rich man or an officer. There is no restriction on this day.

Festivals like Holi have their own spiritual value. Apart from the various amusements, they create faith in God if properly observed. Hindu festivals always have a spiritual significance. They wean man away from sensual pleasures and take him gradually to the spiritual path and divine communion. People perform havan and offer the new grains that are harvested to the gods before using them. There should be worship of God, religious gatherings and Kirtan of the Lord’s Names on such occasions, not merely the sprinkling of coloured water and lighting of bonfires. Abundant charity should be done to the poor. Then only can Holi be said to have been properly celebrated. The devotees of the Lord should remember the delightful pastimes of the Lord on such happy occasions.

The religious element in the Holi festival consists of worship of Sri Krishna. An image of Sri Krishna as a baby is placed in a little swing-cradle and decorated with flowers and painted with coloured powders. The pure, innocent frolics of little Krishna with the merry milkmaids [Gopis] of Vrindavan are commemorated. Devotees chant the Name of Krishna and sing Holi-songs relating to the frolics of little Krishna with the Gopis.
The social element during Holi is the uniting or “embracing” of the great and the small, of the rich and the poor. It is also the uniting of equals.

Holi also means “sacrifice”. Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and purity through the fire of Yogic practice. This is the real spirit of Holi. Rise from the mire of stupidity and absurdity and dive deep into the ocean of divinity. The call of Holi is to always keep ablaze the light of God-love shining in your heart. Inner illumination is the real Holi. The spring season is the manifestation of the Lord, according to the Bhagavad Gita. Holi is said there to be His heart.

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@HinduismAsItIs wishes a very auspicious and cheerful Holi to you and your loved ones. May the Lord shower upon us the colors of love, happiness, knowledge and wisdom. 🙏😇

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