Out of all the months, Shravan is considered to be greatest & the most favorite of Lord Shiva. Among the things dearest to Lord Shiva is bilvapatra.
Lord Shiva, Maa Lakshmi, & Tripurasundari all reside in Bilva tree. By offering bilva to Lord Shiva or using it for havan in Lakshmi Upasna, one gets freedom from all sins and earns unsurmountable wealth & prosperity. By offering bilvapatra to Lord Shiva, one gets rid of all his sins speedily by the day and night and shines bright like molten gold.
Now, a lot of sadhaks regularly offer bilvapatra to Lord Shiva while chanting Shiva naam mantras. However, it is said that the sadhak who offers belpatra chanting the following ashtak, attains everything that I have mentioned above speedily and earns punya equal to 1 crore kanya daan.
The vidhi for this is that starting from any Somvar, you must offer 1 bel patra for every verse. This way, you will offer 8 bilva patra for every ashtak path. You can offer bilvapatra for as many ashtak repetitions as you like.
Every day, the sadhak must offer for at least 3 ashtak recitations i.e. 24 bilva patras for at least 21 days.
Other than this,, those desirous for getting a particular wished fulfilled can also get the same with the help of this prayog.
Bilva Ashtak -
।। ॐ त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनेत्रं च त्रयायुधम् ।
त्रिजन्मपाप-संहारमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।1।।
त्रिशाखैर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च ह्यच्छिद्रै: कोमलै: शुभै: ।
शिवपूजां करिष्यामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।2।।
अखण्डबिल्वपत्रेण पूजिते नन्दिकेश्वरे ।
शुद्धयन्ति सर्वपापेभ्यो ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।3।।
शालिग्रामशिलमेकां विप्राणां जातु अर्पयेत्।
सोमयज्ञ-महापुण्यमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।4।।
दन्तिकोटिसहस्त्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च ।
कोटिकन्या-महादानमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।5।।
लक्ष्म्या: स्तनत उत्पन्नं महादेवस्य च प्रियम्।
बिल्ववृक्षं प्रयच्छामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।6।।
दर्शनं बिल्ववृक्षस्य स्पर्शनं पापनाशनम्।
अघोरपापसंहारमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।7।।
मूलतो ब्रह्मरूपाय मध्यतो विष्णुरूपिणे ।
अग्रत: शिवरूपाय ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।8।।
विल्वाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं य: पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ।
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्त: शिवलोकमवाप्नुयात्।।9।।
इति बिल्वाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्।।
One more important thing I want to talk about today is:
There has been a lot of speculation regarding which paksha comes first and which comes second. After reading multiple shastras, It has been observed by me that the paksha's rules have changed in different yuga.
Initially, when Lord Chandra was cursed by Prajapati Daksha, the month started with Shukla Paksha.
However, In treta yuga, Lord Rama, who ruled India for 10,000 years made a lot of changes.
Initially, a month started from a Shukla Paksha pratipada and the 1st month was considered Margashrisha.
However, In treta yuga, Lord Rama changed this rule. First, the month was changed from Margashirsh to Chaitra.
And the paksha was changed from Shukla to Krishna paksha.
Lord Ram's kingdom was more from northern India to lands after the end of Ganga.
That is why the majority of the northern states follow the new rules. and the states from Gujarat up to southern India still follow olden rules.
And that is why Gujarat & all the southern states follow Shukla-Krishna paksha period.
Now sadhaks, there is no such hard and fast rule about what you should follow. If you want, you can follow the old rule, or you can follow the new rule.
Sadhaks there are multiple statements about what started first. But as of now, this the best reason I believe for the existence of this difference.
Jay Shri Rama
Lord Shiva, Maa Lakshmi, & Tripurasundari all reside in Bilva tree. By offering bilva to Lord Shiva or using it for havan in Lakshmi Upasna, one gets freedom from all sins and earns unsurmountable wealth & prosperity. By offering bilvapatra to Lord Shiva, one gets rid of all his sins speedily by the day and night and shines bright like molten gold.
Now, a lot of sadhaks regularly offer bilvapatra to Lord Shiva while chanting Shiva naam mantras. However, it is said that the sadhak who offers belpatra chanting the following ashtak, attains everything that I have mentioned above speedily and earns punya equal to 1 crore kanya daan.
The vidhi for this is that starting from any Somvar, you must offer 1 bel patra for every verse. This way, you will offer 8 bilva patra for every ashtak path. You can offer bilvapatra for as many ashtak repetitions as you like.
Every day, the sadhak must offer for at least 3 ashtak recitations i.e. 24 bilva patras for at least 21 days.
Other than this,, those desirous for getting a particular wished fulfilled can also get the same with the help of this prayog.
Bilva Ashtak -
।। ॐ त्रिदलं त्रिगुणाकारं त्रिनेत्रं च त्रयायुधम् ।
त्रिजन्मपाप-संहारमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।1।।
त्रिशाखैर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च ह्यच्छिद्रै: कोमलै: शुभै: ।
शिवपूजां करिष्यामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।2।।
अखण्डबिल्वपत्रेण पूजिते नन्दिकेश्वरे ।
शुद्धयन्ति सर्वपापेभ्यो ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।3।।
शालिग्रामशिलमेकां विप्राणां जातु अर्पयेत्।
सोमयज्ञ-महापुण्यमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।4।।
दन्तिकोटिसहस्त्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च ।
कोटिकन्या-महादानमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।5।।
लक्ष्म्या: स्तनत उत्पन्नं महादेवस्य च प्रियम्।
बिल्ववृक्षं प्रयच्छामि ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।6।।
दर्शनं बिल्ववृक्षस्य स्पर्शनं पापनाशनम्।
अघोरपापसंहारमेकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।7।।
मूलतो ब्रह्मरूपाय मध्यतो विष्णुरूपिणे ।
अग्रत: शिवरूपाय ह्येकबिल्वं शिवार्पणम्।।8।।
विल्वाष्टकमिदं पुण्यं य: पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ।
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्त: शिवलोकमवाप्नुयात्।।9।।
इति बिल्वाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्।।
One more important thing I want to talk about today is:
There has been a lot of speculation regarding which paksha comes first and which comes second. After reading multiple shastras, It has been observed by me that the paksha's rules have changed in different yuga.
Initially, when Lord Chandra was cursed by Prajapati Daksha, the month started with Shukla Paksha.
However, In treta yuga, Lord Rama, who ruled India for 10,000 years made a lot of changes.
Initially, a month started from a Shukla Paksha pratipada and the 1st month was considered Margashrisha.
However, In treta yuga, Lord Rama changed this rule. First, the month was changed from Margashirsh to Chaitra.
And the paksha was changed from Shukla to Krishna paksha.
Lord Ram's kingdom was more from northern India to lands after the end of Ganga.
That is why the majority of the northern states follow the new rules. and the states from Gujarat up to southern India still follow olden rules.
And that is why Gujarat & all the southern states follow Shukla-Krishna paksha period.
Now sadhaks, there is no such hard and fast rule about what you should follow. If you want, you can follow the old rule, or you can follow the new rule.
Sadhaks there are multiple statements about what started first. But as of now, this the best reason I believe for the existence of this difference.
Jay Shri Rama
