SHİVA RATRİ

***For English please read below***

Bugun Siva Ratri. Bu Siva festivali phalguna ayinda Ay’in batma evresinin chaturdasinde meydana gelir. Siva’nın merhametiyle, Tanrı’nin bir adanani, Sri Krsna’ya olan adanmisligini gelistirebilir. Vaisnavalar, oruc vratasını ve gece Siva ibadetini takip etmezler fakat bu vesileyle sadece Siva’nın merhametini rica ederler. Bu günde Vrndavan’da bir cok Gaudiya vaishnava cicekten celenkleri sunduklari ve Linga’ya Ganj suyu verdikleri Gopesvara Mahadeva tapinagini ziyaret ederler.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’nin Bhagavad Gita As It Is Aciklamasi 7.15 ten alintilanmistir

.…Mam yalnızca Krsna’ya (Visnu’ya) demektir. Brahma ve Siva oldukca yuksek olduklari ve neredeyse Visnu seviyesinde olduklari halde, raj0-guna (tutku) ve tamo-guna (cehalet) nin bu gibi enkarnasyonlarinin kosullanmis ruhu mayanin pencelerinden serbest birakmasi mumkun degildir. Diger bir deyisle, hem Brahma hem de Siva mayanin etkisi altindadir. Sadece Visnu mayanin efendisidir; bu yuzden yalnizca O kosullanmis ruhu serbest birakabilir. Vedalar (SvetaSvatara Upanisad 3.8) bunu tam eva viditva deyisiyle pekistirir veya “Ozgurluk yalnizca Krisna’yi anlamakla mumkundur.” Lord Siva bile ozgurluge alnizca Visnu’nun merhameti ile erisilebilecegini dogrular. Lord Siva der ki, mukti-pradata sarvesam visnur eva na samSayah: “ Hic suphesiz Visnu herkes icin kurtulusu verendir.”

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’nin Srimad Bhagavatam Aaciklamasi 1.3.5. ten alintilanmistir .…Lord Siva siradan bir canli varlik degildir. O Lordun mutlak parcasidir, fakat Lord Siva dogrudan maddi dogayla temasta oldugundan tam olarak Lord Visnu ile ayni askin pozisyonda degildir. Fark sut ile kaynak arasindaki fark gibidir. Kaymak sutten baska birsey degildir ama yine de sutun yerine kullanilamaz.

***Read below for English***

Today is Siva Ratri . On the chaturdasi of the waning phase of the moon in phalguna month occurs this festival of Shiva. By the mercy of Shiva, a devotee of the Lord, one can develop devotion to Sri Krishna. The vaishnavas do not follow the vrata of fasting and worship of Shiva at night, but simply request Shiva’s mercy on this occasion. In Vrndavana many Gaudiya vaishnavas visit the temple of Gopesvara Mahadeva, where they offer flower garlands and pour ganges water on the Linga on this day.

Quoted from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is Purport 7.15

…Mam means unto Krsna (Visnu) only, and not Brahma or Siva. Although Brahma and Siva are greatly elevated and are almost on the level of Visnu, it is not possible for such incarnations of rajo-guna (passion) and tamo-guna (ignorance) to release the conditioned soul from the clutches of maya. In other words, both Brahma and Siva are also under the influence of maya. Only Visnu is the master of maya; therefore He alone can give release to the conditioned soul. The Vedas (SvetaSvatara Upanisad 3.8) confirm this in the phrase tam eva viditva. or “Freedom is possible only by understanding Krsna.” Even Lord Siva affirms that liberation can be achieved only by the mercy of Visnu. Lord Siva says, mukti-pradata sarvesam visnur eva na samSayah: “There is no doubt that Visnu is the deliverer of liberation for everyone.”

Quoted from A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam Purport 1.3.5

…Lord Siva is not an ordinary living being. He is the plenary portion of the Lord, but because Lord Siva is in direct touch with material nature, he is not exactly in the same transcendental position as Lord Visnu. The difference is like that between milk and curd. Curd is nothing but milk, and yet it cannot be used in place of milk.