On July 26, Hindus across the world are celebrating the first Somvar (Monday) of Shravan month. Former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad shared a video of himself singing verses of Goswami Tulsidas’s Rudrashtakam written in praise of Bhagwan Shiva.
https://twitter.com/venkateshprasad/status/1419539428704325632?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwPrasad narrated the first two verses of Rudrashtakam with their meaning in English.
नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं
विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम् ।
निजं निर्गुणं निर्विकल्पं निरीहं
चिदाकाशमाकाशवासं भजेऽहम् ॥ १॥
“I adore you, ruler of the entire universe, eternal bliss personified, the omnipresent and all pervading Brahma manifest in the form of the Vedas. I worship Lord Shiva, shining in his own glory, devoid of material attributes, undifferentiated, desireless, all-pervading consciousness, and the enveloping ether itself.”
निराकारमोंकारमूलं तुरीयं
गिरा ज्ञान गोतीतमीशं गिरीशम् ।
करालं महाकाल कालं कृपालं
गुणागार संसारपारं नतोऽहम् ॥ २॥
“I bow to the Supreme Lord, who is devoid of form, transcendent and extra-cosmic, who is beyond the approach of the voice, wisdom and the senses; Master of Kailash; veritable nemesis for evil-doers but kindhearted to devotees and the noble; the seed of the mystic syllable Om; the devourer even of Time; the mine of all virtue; and the redeemer from mundane existence.”
Netizens shower praises on Venkatesh Prasad
Netizens praised Prasad for staying connected to the Sanatan roots. Some thanked him for the video as a gift on the first Monday of Shravan month.
https://twitter.com/MauraLeeKorrupt/status/1419543083553738754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/007nikhilsharma/status/1419540766062379017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/aloktil/status/1419541941872578562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/sanskariLadka99/status/1419539974681022476?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwImportance of Shravan month and vrat (fast) on Shravan Mondays
Shravan is the fifth month of the Hindu calendar. According to Puranas, Samudra Manthan took place in the month of Shravan. During the churning of the sea, fourteen divine items emerged from the sea and Halahal, the deadly poison, emerged as the by-product. Bhagwan Shiva swallowed the poison to save the universe. As the poison did not pass the throat, his throat turned blue, thus the name Neelkanth.
The month of Shravan is celebrated as the month of Bhagwan Shiva since then. Mondays are considered to be the day of Shiva. During the month of Shravan, Mondays pose even more significant among the Shiva devotees. The majority of Shiva followers keep fast on Mondays, and those who cannot keep fast for all the Mondays observe the fast at least on the first Monday.
On this day, the devotees visit temples and serve bel patra, milk, datura, sweets, and fruits etc. on Shivalinga.
Venkatesh Prasad, a proud Hindu
This is not the first time Prasad proudly showcased his Hindu roots or raise his voice for Hindus who are proud of their religion. Recently, he slammed a Hinduphobic Twitter handle for targeting a NASA intern over a photo with Gods.
Prasad has been making interesting posts on his Twitter account in recent times. For quite some time now, the accomplished medium-fast bowler has been making Hindu-centric posts on his Twitter account.