Shiva can be approached in one or more of the below ways:
- Arta (distressed) - invoking Shiva for help with problems - health, entities, protection, etc.
- Artharthi (seeking material benefits) - job, prosperity, money, manifestation, etc.
- Jignasu (Seeker) - A seeker who wants to understand the bigger picture and is curious like the child, enabled by sincerity. He wants to understand who Shiva is, or what reality is like?
- Jnani (the Wise) - Already knows that Shiva is the effulgent Self (self) - and is found Within as one’s own Divinity and All-Pervading Consciousness.
This hymn, a favorite of mine, is representing the fourth approach, where the ecstatic saint affirms again and again, “Shivoham” - “Shiva is I”.
Shivoham - Shiva is I
Shiva-svarupoham - Shiva is my True Nature
Nityoham - I am Eternal
Shuddoham - I am ever Pure
Buddoham - I am fully Awakened
Muktoham - I am ever Free (liberated)
Advaitam - I am non-dual consciousness
Anandarupam - I am ever expanding Bliss
Arupam - I am Formless (nameless, attribute-less consciousness)
Brahmoham - I am the Supreme, non-dual Divinity
Chidoham - I am the Blissful Consciousness-Vibration (called Chit-Shakti or Divine Mother)
Sacchidanandoham - I am Truth-Consciousness-Bliss personified
Also, on Shivaratri, one can invoke various forms of Shiva. It is one Shiva energy but manifests as different forms with different utilities (like the very same electricity performing different functions via different gadgets).
- Rudra, the Cosmic Destroyer who recycles the creation at the end of celestial cycles
- Dakshinamurti, the ever-silent Teacher figure who grants all knowledge - secular and spiritual
- Sharabha, the mystical lion-bird that destroys foes, internal and external
- Mrityunjaya, the death-destroyer who protects from diseases and untimely death, and grants immortality
- Nilakantha - grants immunity from poisons, internal (emotional) and external
- Nataraja - the cosmic dancer, who grants awareness of the subtle vibration inherent in creation, and the knowledge of Ajapa (the science of breath)
- Bhairava, from who all branches of Tantra originate and who protects those that invoke him
- Kalabhairava - the personification/guardian of Time
- Mahakala - the aspect which transcends time and grants one Timelessness (and consort of Goddess Kali, the state of transcendence of time and space).
- Vyomavyapi - the aspect which grants awareness of transcendence over Space
- Or ultimately as Kameshvara, Love personified, love that is free of lust, desire, wants, but unconditional and liberating.