Krishna Das continues his celebration of Mahashivratri by chanting the Shiva Stuti and answering questions about meditation, abstinence, emotional attachments, and much more.
In the conclusion of this “Hanging in the Heart Space” session from March 11, 2021, Krishna Das continues his celebration of Mahashivratri, which is a Hindu holiday in honor of Lord Shiva. Listen to part one of this session in Pilgrim Heart Ep. 106.
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The Shiva Stuti
In celebration of Mahashivratri, Krishna Das introduces and sings a chant called Rudraashtakam, which is also known as the Shiva Stuti. He talks about how this chant is connected to the Tulsidas version of the Ramayana and that it is a prayer from a man who was turned into a crow by Shiva to witness all the Lilas of Ram in all the different universes.
“I bow to the Ruler of the Universe, whose very form is Liberation,
the omnipotent and all pervading Brahma, manifest as the Vedas.
I worship Shiva, shining in his own glory, without physical qualities,
Undifferentiated, desireless, all pervading sky of consciousness
and wearing the sky itself as His garment.” – From the English Translation of the Shiva Stuti
Raghu Markus, Krishna Das, and Rameshwar Das discuss the Ramayana in Mindrolling Ep. 191
Meditation for Children (21:40)
Krishna Das tackles a wide range of questions, including ones about meditation for children, whether or not yogis should practie abstinence, feeling like a slave to emotional attachments, feeling unworthy of the divine, and whether it’s neccessary to sit with enlightened souls. He talks more about Mahashivratri and how it’s celebrated in India, plus shares a story about KC Tewari, who was an incredible devotee of both Maharajji and Lord Shiva.
“I was with Tewari for many different Shivaratris and it was incredible. For Shivaratri, he and his wife would do four Shiva Pujas in a row, and it would take them about 12 hours. And they would sit there and not get up. And he would be chanting the mantras, and she would be ringing the bell and making the offerings and doing all kinds of things…” – Krishna Das
Mingyur Rinpoche illuminates the neuroscience of meditation in BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 82
I Bow Down to Shiva (43:45)
Krishna Das closes out this session by chanting an extended version of Om Namah Shivaya.