Significance of Pradhosham
The Dhevas wished to be immortal so as to oppose the Asuras. If they
got the panacea called ‘Amirdham’ , they would fight against the mighty Asuras.
But the divine medicine lay deep in the sea of milk.(Paarkadal)
So they started churning the sea of milk. The snake Vasuki was used as
the cord for churning and the mountain Meru was the chosen churn. Lord Vishnu
in the form of Turtle served the base. The Dhevas and the Asuras stood on each
side of the sea and started churning.
The Dhevas , in their hurry to get the Amirdham had forgotten to worship
Lord Siva. They thought that they could get the Amirdham merely by their own
strength and efforts. . This thought had made them forget the divine grace of Siva
without which nothing could happen in this world.
Due to the process of churning, Iravatham, Karpagam, Chinthamani Sri
Lakshmi etc surfaced out of the sea of milk. But even then there was no sign of
Amirdham. Even at that moment they did not think of Siva. Still they continued
the churning process hardly knowing that they were opening the Pandaora’s box.
Deadly Poison (aalakala nanju) started coming out of that sea. Both the
parties were simply stupefied and feared that there was going to be mass killing
due to the poison of very high power. They were simply terrified. Now only did
they realize their mistake of forgetting Lord Siva. Immediately they rushed to
Him and fell down on His Feet and prayed to help them. It was enough that if
they were saved from the effects of the poison, even if they could not get the
panacea., they requested Him.
It was a Dhasami Thithi when the sea of milk was churned.
Siva was pleased by their prayers and drank the heavy poison the next day
that is on the Ekathasi Thithi. for their welfare. Goddess Parvathi was very
much shocked to find her spouse’s reckless act. Immediately She gently pressed
the neck of Siva to prevent the poison from gliding down into the Lord’s body .
The region of the neck became blue in colour due to the stagnated venom in the
Ganta. Hence Siva is called, Neelagantan. This happened in a Saturday.
The poison could not move down. Due tp its presence , Siva became tired
and this happened on the immediate Dhuvadhasi Thithi.
The Dheva groups were moved by the actions of Siva. So they again
prayed to Him. Moved by their prayers, Lord Siva started performing the Dance
called Anantha Thandavam between the two horns of Nandhi Dhevar. The time
when :Lord Siva performed this dance to protect his devotees’ distress was
Pradhosha Kaalam i. e. between 4.30 pm and 6.00 pm in the evening. It occurred
on the immediate Thirayodhasi Thithi day.
Hence Pradhosham is the most auspicious period when Lord Siva saved
his devotees from disaster by his readiness to sacrifice Himself.
Efficacy of Pradhosha Worship
Pradhosham denotes the end of day time and the beginning of night. This
is also called the period of Asuras( Rakshasa Vaelai). So during this period one is
forbidden to eat or drink. One is advised to perform Siva Pooja at this period.
The duration between 4.30 pm and 6.00 pm is called Nithya Pradhosham
The same duration of time on the Thrio Dhasi day immediately following the
New Moon day is called Monthly Pradhosham(maassa pradhosham) and the
same duration on the Thrio Dhasi day following the Full Moon day is called
Paksha Prashodham.
The Pradhosham that falls on any Saturday is called Maha
Pradhosham.(Sani Pradhosham) Worshipping Siva on this day is bound to give
the efficacy for a period of 5 years. Worshipping the Pradhosha Utsava Moorthys
(procession of the idols along the corridors) is equal to witnessing the
rejuvenation of three temples (Kumbabishekam) and also equal to visiting 100
holy shrines.
Worshiping Mode
Take early bath and perform daily rituals with full concentration. Go to
any Siva Temple in the morning and worship the deity there. If possible one can
undertake fast also. Holy scriptures such Thevaram, Rudhra Japam etc. can be
chanted.
In the evening go to the Siva temple with archana materials such as
arugampul garland for Nandheeswarar, flowers, bilva garland for Siva. Lighting
ghee lamps , distributing free prasathams to the devotees, supplying sugar added
hot milk to the vedic pandits, sivachariars and odhuvaars etc. are bound to have
the very significant effect on the devotee.
The devotees are advised NOT TO TOUCH ANY IDOLS/ STATUES
etc. If anyone touches them out of curiosity, it would have a negative effect
instead. The respective Sivachariars are the ONLY authorized people to either
touch or perform abishekam or adorn the flower garlands on such idols.
Special Benefits
Devotees who worship Lord Siva with Goddess Parvathi on the
pradhosham will have the blessings equal to that of performing thousand
Aswametha yagnam. Especially witnessing the Deepa Aaradhanai showing to the
Idols at the Easanya Moola during the second round would relieve the
devotees from their sickness, debts, poverty, sin, deadly pains etc. Offering
Kaapparisi, arugampul , vanni leaves to the Nandheeswarar would keep the them
from the evil effects of Saturn.
Vendhan Patti Nei Nandheeswarar
Last week we had a rare chance to worship the Nandheeswarar in
Vendhan patti village (near Ponnamaravathi) which is 40 km from Pudukottai in
Tamil Nadu, India. Generally Nandhi Devar could be seen in any Siva temple .
Here the Nandheeswarar is very significant and unique as he is rightly called
Nei Nandheeswarar.(Nandhi Coated with Ghee). The Nandhi Statue is fully
covered with ghee. Devotees worshiping this Nandheeswarar are bound to have
unlimited wealth and happiness.
The ghee offered by the devotees is smeared on the statue of the Nandhi
daily. Normally, if ghee is scattered in our houses, we can see ants and flies
attracted to the scattered ghee. Curiously, not a single ant nor even a fly is
attracted to the statue plastetred with ghee. On pradhosham days, people flock
this temple and the quantity of ghee offered is so great that ghee abishekam is
performed. This is a feast for the eyes of the devotees. The pradhosham pooja is
being celebrated in a grand manner with austerity.
Two Nandhi statues were brought from Kodumpalur in Trichy district.
One was installed in Tanjore Big Temple and the other in Vendhanpatti. .During
the Pradhosha Pooja, abishekams with milk, curd, tender coconut water , ghee
etc. are performed on the Nei Nandheeswarar .
There goes a story about a Chettiar blessed by this Nei Nandheeswarar. He
was a staunch devotee of Chockalingeswarar and Meenakshi, the presiding deities
of this temple and the Nandheeswarar.(lataer came to be celebrated as Nei
Nandheeswarar).
The Chettiar was suffering from severe stomach pain. No medicine could
be of use to him. One night as he was sleeping, he dreamt of the Nandhi of the
temple. He was told to apply a coat of ghee on the Nandheeswarar and he simply
obeyed. Miraculously, his stomach pain vanished. So the Nandhi came to be
celebrated as Nei Nandheeswarar later on.
People suffering from various diseases thronged the temple. They
consumed the abisheka ghee and were healed. But again the Nandhi appeared in
the dream of the devotees and warned that the prasatha ghee should not be
consumed.
From then onwards the ghee so accumulataed is being collected in
buckets and stored in a well of 6feet depth called Nei Kinaru( Well of Ghee).
To the astonishment of all, even in this well of ghee, which is located on
the Easanya moola of the temple, no single ant nor a fly could be seen. Indeed it
is a wonder which speaks volumes of the grace of the ever helping Lord Siva.
A visit to this temple is bound to have an indelible impression on our
minds.l.
OM NAMASIVAYA…… OM NAMASIVAYA
