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