Bilva
(बिल्व)Literal Meaning
Wood-apple tree
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
Sanskrit name of the wood-apple tree (Aegle marmelos).
Spiritual Insight & Context
The tree whose three-part leaves are offered to Shiva, above all on Maha Shivratri.
Where Bilva Comes Up
Maha Shivratri: The Night of Shiva
Maha Shivratri is the dark fourteenth night of Magha, kept with a fast and vigil. The article sets out the Shiva Purana's rite and which stories came later.
Topics
Pradosh Vrat: The Sacred Twilight Window for Lord Shiva's Grace
Pradosh Vrat honors Shiva and Parvati during twilight on Trayodashi, the thirteenth lunar day believed to dissolve karmic burdens and bring inner peace.
Topics
Somwar Vrat: Monday Fasting and Shiva Worship
Somwar Vrat, the Monday fast, is consecrated to Shiva as Someshwara. Worship through Jalabhishek, Bilva offerings, and Om Namah Shivaya brings mental peace, marital harmony, and spiritual grace.
Topics
Shitalanatha and the Cooling Touch
The tenth Tirthankara, born to King Dridharatha and Queen Nanda, named for a cooling touch that Jain tradition holds relieved his father's incurable fever.
Katha
Hartalika Teej Vrat Katha: Parvati’s Penance to Win Shiva
The story of Parvati’s twelve-year penance in the Himalayas to win Lord Shiva as her husband, and why married women keep the rigorous waterless Hartalika Teej fast on Bhadrapada Shukla Tritiya.
Vrat Katha
Shiva Puja Vidhi: Home Worship of Lord Shiva
A step-by-step guide to Shiva Puja, the home worship of the Shiva Lingam with bael leaves, water, and milk, performed on Mondays and Maha Shivaratri.
Puja Vidhi