Table of Contents
Important Aspects of the Shiva Manas Pooja
- Purification of the mind.
- Sharpened intelligence and improved memory.
- Connection with spiritual goals.
- Visualized offerings without material requirements.
- Liberation and fearlessness.
- Enhanced productivity.
- Service in Kailash, Lord Shiva’s eternal abode.
Mind Visualization of the Shiva Manas Pooja
Mind is the cause for bondage or liberation. Hence mental worship or Manas Pooja is the highest form of sadhana. Sri Adi Shankaracharya, a renowned Sage who propounded the Advaita philosophy, composed the great hymn known as Shiva Manas Pooja.
The Shiva Manas Puja consists of five verses, which are arranged very scientifically. Before going to the benefits, we should know that every activity has a purpose. We should not chant the stotram without setting a goal. While visualizing the Lord, we should think of it as a real experience and not mere imagination. This should be the foundation of our Faith. With this firm conviction, the devotee should start the recitation.
Advantages of Manas Pooja
Manas Pooja is advantageous in many ways. The greatest advantage is that one may offer expensive articles in the mind without actually having to buy them. Note that the stotram starts with the line Ratne Kalpita Masanam.
Ratna is the Sanskrit word for jewels. Not everyone can afford jewels. Evidently, the Manas Pooja gives you the freedom to offer lavish gifts to the Lord. You may also like our video titled Manas Puja of Ishta Devata How to do Mental Worship of Ishta Devata.
Shiva Manasa Puja purifies the mind and sharpens our intelligence. It improves memory as it includes visualization techniques, which are far superior and more scientific compared to other visualization techniques. This is because these techniques of Sanatana Dharma are the original ones designed by the self-realized sages of the Dharma and can guarantee liberation.
The puja curtails the sexual energy, helping one become more productive at home and work. It fulfills one’s wishes, especially spiritual ones, and finally grants one service in Kailash, the eternal abode of Lord Shiva. This puja is of a very superior kind.
Expecting material benefits from it is just like asking for a piece of glass while turning down a treasure of gems. At home, we have to first master the stotram and then try to visualize and recite it simultaneously. This dual approach is very powerful. However, it comes with a lot of practice. It will grant you immense fearlessness and the assuring hand of Mahadev. This happens for certain.
Guided Meditation to Approach Lord Shiva
Now I shall start the guided meditation of Lord Shiva. First meditate on Guru and seek his blessings. Then imagine Lord Shiva seated on a jeweled throne. You are bathing him with the fresh waters of the Himalayas. After bathing him, you offer him a jeweled studded divine garment to wear.
You are applying sandalwood made of saffron musk on his body. Then you offer him a handful of Jasmine, Champa, and bale leaves. After showing all types of incense to the Lord, you ask him to accept this offering. In a gold jewel-studded bowl, you offer kheer or pudding, milk, curds, and five different types of delicacies.
Also, you present bananas, vegetables, sharbat or fragrant drinks, herbs, camphor, and flavored pure water. Along with Betel leaves, you ask the great Lord Mahadev to accept your feelings.
You place an umbrella over his head and fan him with the Chamara (Whisk Tail Fan). Then you present him with a spotless mirror that shows him his handsome form. Devotees of the Lord play the Veena, Mrudanga, and Dundubhi, whose sweet sounds entertain him.
After reciting this prayer, you perform Sashtang Dandavat to Him. Then you urge the Lord to accept your prayer. The first verse symbolizes the sense of touch and smell, represented by actions such as bathing, offering flowers, bilva leaves, and incense.
7/8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma
The scores generated in this Quiz may or may not be absolute. There may be right or wrong answers to each Question. A percentage towards 100 indicates that you are more aligned to the overall subject matter.
Second, Third and Fourth Verses of Shiva Manas Puja
The second verse is a little subtler, covering the sense of taste as one offers bananas, scented water, vegetables, and betel leaves. The third verse focuses on the sense of hearing, such as the sounds of the drums, kettle drums, Veena, and Mridanga. The fourth verse becomes esoteric, which compares one’s entire self to the attribute of Lord Shiva.
The devotee should feel one with the meaning of this verse, which says Lord Shiva engulfs me entirely. Mother Parvati is my intelligence, while Shiva ganas are my life forces. My body is Lord Shiva’s temple. The sense objects are his paraphernalia. My sleep is his state of samadhi. My walk is his pradakshina(His Circumambulation). My words praise Lord Shiva. All my actions are to honor Him alone.
The Fourth verse focuses on becoming Shivamaya, which means being totally possessed by Lord Shiva. When one is in love, the lover becomes one with the thoughts of his beloved. Similarly, Lord Shiva is our object of worship. We should become one with him. In this regard, you may find our video titled What is the Meaning of I am Brahman? The Soham Mantra is interesting.
Fifth Verse of the Shiva Manas Pooja
The fifth verse is very important. It urges Lord Shiva to forgive one’s sins, whether committed intentionally or unintentionally, by one’s hands, feet, voice, body, actions, ears, eyes, or mind. Every second a human being commits an offense. Hence, these verses request the Lord to forgive one’s crime just as a father forgives his children without delay.
Conclusion of this Great Hymn Called the Shiva Manas Puja
One must Remember that the Shiva Manas Puja is a way to connect with the Samasthi Guru. The Origin, the Guru of All Gurus, Bhagawan Himself. Without Guru, knowing and experiencing the Grace of Bhagwan is impossible.
Be it Vaishnavas, Shaivites, Shaktas, Ganpatyas, Sauryas or the Kumaras, everyone has to connect to Guru Tattva, the Guru Principle before one can know, understand and experience Bhagawan. Bhagawan Shiva is the Ultimate Guru Tattva whose direct manifestation is a God-Realized Physical Guru on the Material Plane is the Individual Guru, the Vyeshthi Guru, who connects you through Bhagawan Shiva to the Ultimate Reality Bhagawan.
The Shiva Manas Pooja is one of the easiest ways to connect to your eternal Vyeshthi Guru who appears again and again on the material Plane to take you to your Original Source Bhagawan. So it is advisable that every sincere Sadhaka connects to Lord Shiva through this wonderful work and the Process described here which is the heart of the Shiva Manas Pooja.
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