Anyavati Sadhana For Worshipping Lord Shiva
"In this Anyavati Sadhana, the Divine is worshipped on the basis of certain insignia in a particular form like that of Vishnu or Shiva. Shiva, for instance, is envisaged as a deity with trident, the Damaru, three eyes, and is worshipped in this form. Similarly Rama is pictured as one bearing the Kodanda bow and Krishna as the Lord with the flute, wearing a peacock feather on His head. In this manner, each deity is distinguished by certain special insignia for purposes of worship." Sai Baba, SS, 8/88, p. 201
Purpose Of The Shiva-Ratri Festival
"Darkness prevails at night. But during Shivaratri, the night is not dark but full of light. That light is experienced by contemplating on the glorious form of Shiva, meditating on the Divine, reminding oneself of unity with the Divine and attaining a state of pure holiness." Sai Baba, SS, 11/94, p. 289
"The holy night of Mahashivaratri is intended to serve as a sacred occasion for turning the mind firmly towards God. You are surrounded by Rudras and all your happiness and sorrow are caused by them. When you bring them under your control, your life becomes secure. You will be successful in every endeavor." Sai Baba, SS, 4/94, p. 91
"Festivals like Shivaratri are intended to make people cultivate auspicious godly qualities. To listen to divine discourse on Shivaratri day and forget all about its message after leaving the hall is not the way to observe Shivaratri. It may be called "Shavaratri" (The Night of Death). The difference between "Shiva" (auspicious) and "Shava" (a lifeless corpse) can be understood from the process of breathing and cessation of breathing. The process of inhaling and exhaling conveys the message of union with God ("So-Ham"-"He is I"). It is the consciousness of the oneness that is auspicious. When consciousness is absent, inauspiciousness (or death) sets in. There has to be complete absence of body consciousness. It was by forgetting the body completely while chanting the Name of Rama that Ratnakar, the dacoit, became Vaalmiki, the supreme_poet (who gave the Ramayana to the world). He was completely absorbed in chanting the name that he was oblivious to the anthill that had grown over him.
"Shivaratri is the day that is devoted to the contemplation on God. It does not come only once a year. Even' night can be Shivaratri. Even if you arc not able to contemplate on God all through the night, it is enough if you think of God before going to bed and when you wake up in the morning." Sai Baba, SS. 4/98. p. 65
"The main thing, about which all should be concerned today, is how to get rid of the negative thoughts in their minds. The six cardinal enemies of man - the six basic vices - have found their abode in the hearts of human beings. There is no room in their hearts for love or kindness. The foremost task is to fill the hearts with love. Then their entire life will be transformed and every act will be suffused with love." Sai Baba, SS, 3/98, p. 60
Vigil On Shiva-ratri
'Every human being experiences three kinds of night. One is a moonlit night. A second is a dark night. The third is night half-dark and half-lit by the moon. But, apart from these three, there is one night, which is more sacred and unique. That is Shivaratri. That is the night devoted to the chanting of the sacred name of Shiva. That means that the entire night should be devoted to the recitation of the auspicious name of Shiva." Sai Baba, SS, 4/92, p. 62
"Devotees are expected to keep awake this night by chanting the sacred name of Shiva. Keeping awake in other way is purposeless. Spending the night reciting the Lord's name sanctifies one's life. In the Gita, the 'Sthita-prajna' is described as one who keeps awake when others sleep and for whom the daytime, when others are awake, serves as night. The inner meaning of this is that the Sthita-prajna (the realised person who is in a slate of constant integrated awareness) contemplates on God when others are oblivious." Sai Baba, SS. 3/98. p. 59 .
"Unfortunately, in this Kali age, people observe the vigil of Shivaratri by seeing three cinema shows all through the night or playing cards or seeing some dramas. This cannot be called Shivaratri. What is true vigil on "Shivaratri night? It is to devote every moment of the night to thoughts of God and recite His name. This alone is Shivaratri (vigil)." Sai Baba, SS, 4/92, p. 63
"You will be immensely benefited if you keep awake and sing the glory of God at least on this night (of Shivaratri). Moon is the presiding deity of the mind. Moon has 16 Kalas (phases). On the Shivaratri, 15 Kalas merge in God and only one remains. By constant remembrance of God, the 16th phase also merges in God. Can you not spend a single night in the whole year singing the glory of God? Sanctify this night by participating in Bhajans. The bliss that you get in Bhajans, the sweetness you experience in the divine name, the happiness you derive from visualizing the divine form cannot be obtained elsewhere." Sai Baba. SS. 3/99. p. 66
"Unfortunately, in this Kali Age, people observe the vigil of Shivaratri by seeing cinema shows or playing-cards all through the night. This cannot be called Shivaratri. Every moment of the night should be devoted to the thoughts of God and chanting of His name wholeheartedly. The chanting should come from within. This is what is called the reflection of the inner being." Sai Baba. SS, 4/2000.pp.101&102
