Milk and water abhishek of Shivling

I have always followed my heart in doing spiritual practices. As I progress in my path, I keep getting different instructions to follow. At one point in time I was instructed to do milk and water abhishek for Shivling on Mondays. So on Monday mornings, after bath, before my routine puja rituals, I do this. I was having a small silver pot to take water for the purpose. For taking milk, I bought another silver pot.

Abhishek is a means of praying to the God, of connecting and communicating with the almighty. Milk is a sign of purity. Every drop of milk poured on the Shiva Lingam cleanses us and relieves us from difficulties and sorrows. So the practice is not to clean the Ling but the person itself. It washes all the sins from oneself and purify one's life.

Once my husband talked about this practice of mine to a relative who is well versed with shastras and puranas. He told that it is a serious practice and it is important that whatever quantity of milk is used, one has to pour 21/2 times water over the Shivling. On hearing this, I checked my silver pots. 

To my astonishment and joy, I saw that the larger pot that I was using for water carried two and a half times the quantity of the smaller pot, used to take milk. Whenever I buy things, I go by my feel, and I got the guidance to buy the exact sized pot for the milk!!