Mahesh Navami

Mahesh Navami is celebrated on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha. On this day, special worship and water offerings are performed for Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to religious beliefs, it is said that Lord Shiva created the 'Maheshwari community' on this day. The Maheshwari community is a group whose origin is believed to be blessed by Lord Shiva himself. Lord Shankar is believed to have created the Maheshwari community on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeshtha, which is why this day is celebrated as ‘Mahesh Navami.’ The Maheshwari community is considered to be a branch of the Rajput lineage. Some of the common surnames among the Maheshwari community include Malpani, Kakani, Partani, Gaggar, Sabu, Somani, Soni, Birla, Jhanwar, Rathi, Kalyani, Bajaj, Damani, Jaju, Mundada, Biyani, Samdani, Binani, Kabra, and Pachisia.

On Mahesh Navami, devotees visit Shiva temples to perform water offerings (Jalabhishek) to Lord Shiva and worship Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Kartikeya. Fruits, flowers, and offerings are presented to the deities with devotion. Chanting of hymns dedicated to Lord Shiva takes place at the temples. It is believed that by doing this, Lord Shiva fulfills the wishes of his devotees and blesses them with happiness and prosperity. Taking a bath with Ganga water on this auspicious day purifies the body and mind, preventing negative thoughts from entering. With Lord Mahesh’s blessings, devotees are said to attain purity of mind and constant protection. Additionally, devotees who perform charitable acts on this day are believed to attain salvation and, after death, journey to Shivlok.

How to Please Lord Mahesh

To please Lord Mahesh, members of the Maheshwari community perform various rituals, chants, penance, sacrifices, worship, and devotion. On this day, devotees who visit Lord Shiva’s temple and have his darshan receive special blessings from him. Performing the Rudrabhishek ritual on this day is considered highly auspicious for pleasing Lord Shiva. Those devotees who conduct Rudrabhishek for Lord Shiva on this day find their desires fulfilled, as Lord Shiva, pleased with their devotion, grants all their wishes.

Worship Method

On the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeshtha month, after completing all morning activities, bathe and wear clean clothes. If you wish to fast, take a vow to do so. First, offer water (Arghya) to the Sun God. Then, either in Lord Shiva’s temple or at home, offer flowers, fruits, rice, dhatura, kumkum, milk, curd, panchamrit, and other offerings to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and worship them with sincerity. If possible, read or listen to stories of Lord Shiva and recite the Shiva Chalisa. If time is limited, chant "Om Namah Shivaya" 108 times, and, if possible, make this a daily practice, as this mantra holds a unique power that strengthens the senses, fostering mental and spiritual growth. Offer food to the deity, perform aarti, and pray to the Lord for happiness and prosperity. Observe the fast throughout the day and, in the evening after the aarti, you may eat fruits. Break the fast only the next day upon completion.

This is a simple method of worship. There may be differences between the simple method and the traditional method. A devotee should perform Lord Shiva's worship according to their traditional method. The method of worship may vary depending on the region. If you also wish to please Lord Shiva, you can do so through worship, chanting, rituals, and sacrifices according to your traditional practices. This article describes a simple method for worshipping Lord Shiva. You can perform the puja using this method as well to please Mahadev.

Origin Story of the Maheshwari Community

Once upon a time, there was a generous and devout king named Khandelsen in the village of Khandel in Rajasthan, India. He had two very beautiful wives but no children, which deeply troubled him. Despite performing many rituals and giving to the poor and needy, the king received no benefit, and his wish for a child remained unfulfilled. Despairing, one day he shared his sorrows with the sage Maharishi Yajnavalkya. Seeing the king’s pitiable condition, the sage took pity on him and revealed that he was childless due to a curse.

Maharishi Yajnavalkya explained that in his previous life, the king had killed several animals and made a living by selling their meat. Among these, he had hunted a pregnant doe, who, in unbearable pain, died but cursed him to be childless. Later, feeling deep remorse for this deed, he went to the holy site of Pushkar to atone for his sins. It was due to the power of this sacred place that he was born as a king in his current life.

The sage then offered a remedy to free him from the curse. He advised the king to travel a short distance to the kingdom of Bhaskar, where a large Peepal tree stood. Beneath this tree, a Shivalinga was buried. Maharishi Yajnavalkya instructed the king to unearth this Shivalinga, construct a grand temple, install the Shivalinga within, decorate it with devotion, and worship it daily.

Following the sage’s guidance, the king did exactly as instructed. He built the temple, installed the Shivalinga, and began performing daily worship with sincere devotion. After some time, pleased with the king’s devotion and worship, Lord Shiva granted him the blessing of a son. The king named his son Sujansena. He raised his son with great love and care, and when the prince reached adulthood, the king arranged his marriage to Princess Chandravati, the daughter of Yudhveer. The king then handed over the throne to his son and retired to the forest to live a life of renunciation.

One day, King Sujansena went hunting in the forest with 72 of his soldiers. After a while, the king and his men grew hungry and thirsty. Wandering through the forest, they noticed the aroma of delicious food being prepared. Following the scent, they arrived at a place where some sages were performing a yajna (sacred ritual) for Lord Shiva. Overcome by hunger and thirst, the king and his soldiers began to eat the offerings meant for the ritual and drank water from a pond reserved for the ceremony. They even washed their stained bows and arrows in the pond. The noise and disruption broke the sages’ concentration, and in their anger, they cursed the king and all his soldiers to turn into stone.

The queen and the soldiers’ wives waited for a long time for their husbands to return. When they could wait no longer, they went together to Maharishi Jabali. The sage informed them of the entire situation and advised them that if they worshiped Lord Shiva with true devotion, their husbands would be restored to them. Impressed by the sages’ penance, Lord Shiva said to Goddess Parvati, "Devi, it is time for me to go to Earth, as my devotees are worshipping me with great devotion for a special purpose, and I must fulfill their prayers." However, Goddess Parvati did not want to be separated from Lord Shiva, so she insisted on accompanying him. Despite Lord Shiva’s efforts to persuade her otherwise, she remained firm, and he eventually agreed to take her along.

Thus, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati set out towards the sages’ ashram. On their way, they reached the place where the queen and the soldiers’ wives were worshipping Lord Shiva, praying for the return of their husbands. Goddess Parvati stopped and asked Lord Shiva why these women had gathered together in such deep devotion. Lord Shiva explained the entire situation to her. When Parvati understood the plight of the women, she was moved by their sorrow and insisted that Lord Shiva revive their husbands who had been turned to stone.

Though Lord Shiva tried to dissuade her and urged her to move forward, Parvati was adamant. With heartfelt words, she pleaded, “My Lord, just as I cannot bear a moment without you, how can you expect me to leave these sorrowful women here in their distress? You must bring their husbands back to life.” Overcome by Parvati’s compassion, Lord Shiva finally agreed, saying, “Devi, when you decided to accompany me, I feared this might happen, and it has.”

Thus, Lord Shiva revived King Sujansena and his 72 soldiers. He then addressed the king, saying, "O child, you have endured hardships due to your sinful and unrighteous deeds, and you have misused your power. I am giving you another chance at life, but from this day forth, you and your people will be known as the ‘Maheshwaris.’ You will now abandon the warrior role and adopt that of the Vaishya, living a life of non-violence and following the path of peace.”

Significance of Mahesh Navami

On the day of Mahesh Navami, devotees who worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and visit Shiva temples for their darshan find relief from all sorrows and hardships, and their wishes are fulfilled. Performing Rudrabhishek on this day holds special significance. Chanting Shiva mantras and reading the Shiva Chalisa on Mahesh Navami is considered extremely auspicious and beneficial.