Pradosha

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Pradosha or Pradosham (IAST: Pradoṣa) is a bimonthly occasion on the thirteenth day of every fortnight in the

naivedya
(food offerings).

Etymology

Pradosha is indicative of day names in the calendar. Pradosha was the son of

Krishna Paksha". During every month and during every paksha, the point of time when Thrayodashi (the 13th day of the lunar fortnight) meets the end of Dwadashi (the 12th day of the lunar fortnight) is called Pradosha.[4][5]

Legend

The

Nandi
, Shiva's sacred bull. Shiva aided them in killing the asuras, which is why the practise of worshipping Shiva on Thrayodashi along with Nandi emerged and continues in Shiva temples.

Observances

Shiva and Parvathi sitting on Nandi - called Vrishaba Vahana

Pradosha vrata (vow) is performed on pradosha with sacred ritual steps following the tradition.[7] During pradosha, the bull Nandi in all the Shiva temples in South India is worshipped. The festival idol of Shiva with his consort Parvati in a seated pose on Nandi is taken as a procession in the temple complex.[8]

The Pradosha worship is done in the evening twilight or sandhya kala. The performance of the vrata involves a fast followed by a

vigil. A bath is taken one hour before sunset and the deities Shiva, Parvati, their sons Ganesha and Kartikeya, and Nandi are worshipped. Following this, Shiva is invoked. The Pradosha story is read out after the formal worship is concluded.[9][10]

Types

Shani Pradosha is the pradosha falling on a Saturday, while Soma Pradosha is the pradosha on a Monday.

Maha Pradosha is the Pradosha which falls before or on

Maagha
.

Shani Pradosha

Shani Pradosha, the pradosha falling on a Saturday corresponding to the planet Saturn, is considered important among other pradosham.[11] The importance of Shani Pradosha is closely associated with Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, a town in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.[11] The city of Ujjain was called Avantika and was famous for its devotional epicenter. It was also one of the primary cities where students went to study holy scriptures.

According to legend, there was a ruler of Ujjain called Chandrasena, who was a pious devotee of Shiva and worshipped him all the time. He was blessed with a celestial gem which could create miracles. Rivals of Ujjain, king Ripudaman and king Singhaditya of the neighboring kingdoms, decided to attack Ujjain and take over the treasure.

Kshipra. Shrikhar continued to pray, and the news spread to a priest named Vridhi. He was shocked to hear this, and upon the urgent pleas of his sons, he started to pray Shiva inside the river Kshipra. The enemy kings chose to attack, and it happened to be a Saturday and Triyodashi.[12] With the help of the powerful demon Dushan, who was blessed by Brahma
to be invisible, they plundered the city and attacked all the devotees of Shiva. Upon hearing the pleas of his helpless devotees, Shiva appeared in his Mahakala (form of light) and destroyed the enemies of king Chandrasena.[13] Upon the request of his devotees Shrikhar and Vridhi, Shiva agreed to reside in the city and become the chief deity of the kingdom. From that day on, Shiva resided in his light form as Mahakal in a Lingam that was formed on its own from the powers of the Shiva and his consort, Parvati. It is believed that people worshipping Shiva on a Shani Pradosha will be free from the fear of death and diseases. They would also be granted worldly treasures.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ Aiya V. 1906, p. 103
  2. ^ Subramuniyaswami 2006, p. 265
  3. ^ Garrett 1871, p. 461
  4. ^ Bhargava 2006, p. 454
  5. ^ Subramuniyaswami 2006, p. 117
  6. ^ Sehgal 1999, p. 703
  7. ^ Sehgal 1999, p. 704
  8. ^ Srinivasan 1988, p. 87
  9. ISBN 81-7182-076-X
    .
  10. ^ pp. 60–61, Hindu Fasts & Festivals, Sri Swami Sivananda, Uttar Pradesh: The Divine Life Society, 8th ed., 1997.
  11. ^ a b Samarth 2009, p. 41
  12. ^ a b Samarth 2009, p. 42
  13. ^ Samarth 2009, p. 43
  14. ^ Jagannathan 2005, p. 67

References

External links

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