Pradosha puja (puja performed at the pradosha time - one and a half hours before dusk and half an hour thereafter), especially Shanipradosha puja, is a powerful ritual that is usually performed for having progeny with all good qualities. Mother Yashoda, in her previous birth, witnessed pradosha puja of Lord Shiva, performed by her, the then, son. The effect of that was, in her next birth i.e. in the birth as Yashoda, she became a mother of God himself.
As story goes, there was a king named Chandrasena in the kingdom of Ujjain. He had a friend named Manibhadra. Both Chandrasena and Manibhadra were ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. Being pleased with Manibhadra’s worship, Lord Shiva offered Manibhadra a precious stone named Chintamani. The stone was so bright that its brightness was comparable to brightness of thousands of Suns. That stone had power of fulfilling any wish of the person who wore that stone. By hearing the fame of that stone the kings in neighborhood of Ujjain developed a desire to acquire that stone and so they approached King Chandrasena and started luring him by offering him money in lieu of Chintamani stone. When they realized that King Chandrasena wouldn’t fall prey to their plans, they challenged King Chandrasena to enter into the war. Chandrasena, paying no heed to those challenges, continued his worship of Lord Shiva as usual on Trayodashi falling on Saturday (Shanipradosha). It so happened that few of cowherd kids in his kingdom saw Chandrasena performing worship of Lord Shiva. Excited by seeing that ritual, those kids went back to homes and decided to play a game of worship and so they collected few stones and built from it a Shivalinga. While engaged in that game of worship, one of the cowherd boys got fully involved in the game. At dusk, all parents came and took their children back to their home, but this boy was not ready to go home. He was totally engrossed in the game of worship of Lord Shiva. His mother came to take him back to home, but he refused to go with her. Out of anger his mother broke all his game and went away. The boy was very upset as his mind was totally captured by Shivalinga. Unable to bear that sorrow of Shivalinga being broken he fainted. At the very moment Lord Shiva, being pleased by the devotion of that boy appeared at the place. The shivalinga, that those boys built out of mere stones, started shining with extraordinarily bright. Due to that bright light, the boy woke up. Lord Shiva asked that boy what he wished. Boy pleaded Lord Shiva to forgive his mother who unknowingly broke that game of worship. Lord Shiva assured him that his mother will receive benefits of witnessing His worship and will enjoy divine motherhood by becoming the mother of incarnation of Lord Vishnu in her next birth. Meanwhile the kings who challenged Chandrasena were mesmerized to see that bright Shivalinga and they realized that it was wrong to fight with such King whose kingdom is blessed by Lord Shiva. And so they returned to their kingdom without fighting.
This story was narrated by Shripad Shrivallabh to a woman named Ambika who was about to commit suicide due to the agony she was going through because of a dumb son. Shripad Shrivallabh saved her from committing that ghastly sin of suicide. Ambika prayed to Shripad Shrivallbh to bless her with a son like Him in her next birth. Shripad Shrivallbh told her to spend her remaining life in performing Shanipradosha vrat and assured her that she will give birth to son like Him in her next birth. He blessed her dumb son with all wisdom and Ambika spent her remaining life very happily with her son and his family. In her next birth Ambika became mother of Shri Nrusimha Saraswati, who was no one else but Shripad Shrivallabh in other form of Guru.
One who wants all pleasures of life such as good health, good children, good profession, they should consider worshipping Lord Shiva at pradosha time.
Depending on the day the trayodashi falls on, the pradosha puja is named as such. When Trayodashi (13th Lunar day falling in Krishna and Shukla Pakshas) falls on Saturday then the pradosha puja is called Shanipradosha puja, when it falls on Monday then it is called Somapradosha puja and when it falls on Tuesday, then it is called Bhoumapradosha puja. Out of all these Shanipradosha is most popular and considered as very powerful in fulfilling the wishes.
How to perform Pradosha vrat?
- First have a look at calendar (panchang) and locate Trayodashi day. And then see if it is falling on Monday (Somapradosha), Tuesday (Bhoumapradosha) or Saturday (Shanipradosha).
- On chosen day one should, if health permits, observe fast throughout the day. At the pradosha time – i.e. one and a half hours before dusk and half an hour thereafter perform shodashopachar (16 steps/rituals) puja of shivalinga
- Take a bath
- Wear clean sacred clothes
- First perform puja of Lord Ganapati
- Perform shodashopachar puja of Shivalinga.
- Avahanam – invite God for puja
- Asanam vidhi – offer seat
- Arghyam vidhi – offer gandha, akshata and water
- Achamanam vidhi – offer water for performing achaman
- Snanam vidhi – perform abhishek to Shivalinga – At this time there is practice to chant Rudra Namakam and Rudra Chamakam through a Brahmin. If Brahmin is not available then chant “Om Namah Shivay” 108 times.
- Vastram vidhi – offer clothes
- Yadnyopavitam vidhi – offer a pair of sacred thread
- Gandham vidhi – offer gandha
- Pushpam vidhi – offer flower
- Dhoopam vidhi – ignite and wave agarbatti or dhoop
- Deepam vidhi – ignite and wave lamp (niranjan)
- Naivedyam vidhi – offer naivedya (sacred food)
- Mukhavasam vidhi – offer beatle leave
- Suvarnapushpa dakshina vidhi – offer money or gold as dakshina
- Perform aarti
- Chant mantrapushpanjali and let all present offer flowers
- Partake food with all present
- At pradosha time
- Take a bath and chant Shiv Manas Puja stotra, sing aarti, distribute and eat prasad
- Or visit any Lord Shiva temple and witness a puja in the temple.
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