Thus Spake the Divine - Worship Tirumal in Morning; Mahadeva in Evening

Thus Spake the Divine

Worship Tirumal in Morning; Mahadeva in Evening

There are some defined set of rules for worshipping both Shiva and Vishnu respectively. To lead a virtuous life adhering to Codes of Dharma, we should worship Maha Vishnu, the Protector. And, to drive our mind inward towards dispassion and move on to the Substance of origin, we should worship Shiva, the Destructor.

Similar to our outlook and objective of worship, Maha Vishnu is the Emperor of all three worlds, whereas Shiva is a Pauper! Let us take stock of the properties owned by them! Shiva’s properties are

ashes, erukkam poo (crown flower), thumbai poo (a herbal, white, tiny flower), skull bone, elephant skin and snake! Nobody would ever pay any price for these objects.

Whereas, Maha Vishnu owns a diamond crown, ear rings, chains, silk clothing, garland with precious stones (Kausthubam) etc., which are all high-value products! What Shiva owns have no value at all and what Vishnu owns are invaluable!

Over and above all these, the Goddess of Wealth, Mahalakshmi, is the wife of Vishnu, whereas Aparna (creeper without a single leaf) is the Consort of Shiva! (It is Parvati, who in Her penance towards Lord Shiva, renounced even the leaf). What do we infer from this? To adhere to Dharma and lead a happy life, worship Vishnu and to get absolute willpower and fortitude, worship Shiva!

Considering this, every morning on waking up, we should chant the name of Vishnu “Hari Narayana” for some time. And, every evening, we should chant Shiva’s name “Shiva, Shiva”. Very easy mode! All should adhere to this without fail. In the morning, the whole world awakens from sleep and feels agile. Sun rises; all the activities in the world commence in the morning.

This is the time to chant with great enthusiasm the name of Vishnu, Protector of Universe. In the evening, there is exhaustion after every action and day-long stress. All living beings return home. Sun sets; cattle return to their sheds and birds return to their nests. This is the time to chant the name of Shiva, Embodiment of Wisdom, when all our actions come to a halt and we need inner peace.

Since Microcosm (Andam) and Macrocosm (Pindam) are fundamentally from the same substance, there is significant association between external activities of the world and internal emotions and feelings of living beings. When the day dawns and birds start squeaking, it is easy to pray to Lord Vishnu for global well being. When there is culmination of activities, we should chant the name of Shiva for inward serenity.

Finally, one reminder to all of you! Though we worship both Shiva and Vishnu based on our traditional outlook, we should remember that both Gods are one and the same.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.