In the trinity of gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – Lord Shiva is the one who destroys that which is old and impure in order to make room for a new creation of that which is pure and divine. Lord Shiva annihilates our egos, our attachments and our ignorance. Many fear Lord Shiva’s destructive capacity, and yet it is destruction for the purpose of regeneration. Without death, life cannot begin a new. Without the annihilation of old habits, attachments and ego, we cannot progress toward the goal of God realization. Unless our “vessel” has been emptied of all that is old, negative and impure, it cannot be filled with divine qualities.
Shivaratri or Maha Shivratri is one of the major Hindu festivals celebrated with gaiety. Shivaratri is one of the holiest nights of the year. It is the night dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. Literally, Shivratri means, “The great night of Shiva.” It is celebrated on the 13th or 14th day of the dark half of the month of maaga masam (February - March). Maha Shivaratri 2010 date is February 12, 2010. Devotees observe upvas (fasting) and Jagran (Keep vigil during night) on Shivratri to get blessings of Lord Shiva.
Mahashivaratri is not only a ritual but also a cosmic definition of the Hindu universe. It dispels ignorance, emanates the light of knowledge, makes one aware of the universe, ushers in the spring after the cold and dry winter, and invokes the supreme power to take cognizance of the beings that were created by him.
How to celebrate Shivrathri:-
Shivrathri is the day when rituals and worship are given more importance. It is a day of renunciation and prayer. It is a day to realize the knowledge and cleanse ignorance. Shiva is believed to have appeared in the form of ‘Lingodabhavamurti’ or Jyotir Linga (A lingam which had no end and beginning and it symbolizes Brahman) on the Shivratri night.
It is said that one should practice non-violence on this day. Then are things like not to lie, strict, be compassionate etc. But these things should be practiced on all days. So one need not wait for Shivaratri to be compassionate.
Generally most people fast on Shivaratri day by chanting Panchakshari mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya.’ Next is keeping vigil all night by worshipping Lord Shiva. Worshipping Shiva with Bilva leaves is considered highly auspicious.
It is said that the offering of Bel leaves on the occasion of Shivratri is so auspicious that even one who offers them unknowingly (as in the case of the hunter Suswara) will attain liberation.
Some people keep on bathing Shivling at night with milk, curd, sugar, honey and ghee. But for some people this would be hard to do. So, simple water will do. Remember, Shiva accepts anything when given with utmost devotion.
If you are unable to observe fast or Keep vigil during night, you can observe the day by chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya.’
The Mahashivratri fasting begins on the morning of Shivratri and ends next day morning or the Amavasya morning. Since it is a long Upvaas or Vrat, many people consume a special meal known as ‘phalar.’
Some people observing fast consume a mid-day meal consisting of non-cereal food such as boiled potatoes which is made into a curry without onion, garlic. Most devotees go for a fruit diet and drink lots of water. No meal is eaten after sunset. Next meal is taken on the morning of Amavasi after doing puja and giving alms.
The entire night is spend in a nearby Shiva temple or by chanting Mantras or listening to stories related to Shiva. Some of the important mantras that are chanted on the day include: Shiva Panchakshari Mantra – Om Namah Shivaya or chanting the sacred names of Lord Shiva.
All the rituals on the night of Shivratri are meant to cleanse the ignorance and realize the Brahmn manifest in you. The fasting, rituals and chanting are meant to kill desire, greed, illusion, arrogance, jealousy, and anger. This will make you a better person and prepare you to face the challenges.
Puranas contain many stories and legends describing the origin of this festival. The stories and the messages of Bhagwan Shiva are innumerable; one of the most important is the story of how He – for the sake of humanity – swallowed the poison which emerged from the ocean.
The story says that the devas and the demons, were churning the ocean in search of the pot of the nectar of immortality. However, after a great deal of effort, what emerged was not nectar, but poison!! This happens frequently in life as well. When we embark upon a divine plan or when we undertake a noble challenge, frequently before the success comes, before our effort bears fruit, we face failure or condemnation or seemingly insurmountable hurdles. Yet, we must never give up.
The devas and demons knew that in order to continue churning, and ultimately to unearth the Divine nectar, they could not simply toss the poison aside. Someone had to drink it. But, naturally, no one was willing to drink the poison. Everyone had some excuse for why he or she was too valuable to be sacrificed. Finally, Bhagwan Shiva came forward, very calmly and with serene poise. He said “I will drink the poison if it will preserve peace in the family and enable my brothers and sisters to attain the nectar of immortality.”
After drinking the poison, and thereby enabling the churning to continue, Bhagwan Shiva held the poison in his throat –This made his throat turn blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.
After drinking the poison, and thereby enabling the churning to continue, Bhagwan Shiva held the poison in his throat and sat peacefully in meditation for eternity. In our lives, in our families, so much poison emerges – between parents and children, between husband and wife, between in-laws. We wait and wait for the divine nectar to emerge, but it seems that only poison comes. So many times people complains, “why should I always be the one to compromise? Why should I always be the one to sacrifice? Why should I always say I’m sorry? It’s not fair!”
Bhagwan Shiva went to the Himalayas, to the land now called Neelkanth to meditate after he drank the poison. The message is that when poison emerges in the home, when poison emerges anywhere in our lives, when we feel like if we swallow it we will die, but if we don’t drink it then the fight will continue – the secret is to meditate! You don’t have to go to the Himalayas. Just create your own Himalayas. Wherever you are. First, be the one to accept the poison. Be the one to sacrifice, apologize and concede humbly. Then go, sit and meditate peacefully. This is not weakness, but strength.
Poison always comes; obstacles always come. When we work for good causes, when we embark upon divine work, the poison always comes before the nectar. However, we must never get discouraged. We must never give up. If the devas and demons had forfeited the churning at the sign of poison, the nectar of immortality would never have emerged, and it would have been a tragedy for the world. Similarly, we must always have faith that the nectar WILL come. It is only a matter of time. We must be willing to churn and churn, no matter what comes – be it poison or nectar.
On the night of Shivratri as we remember the churning between the devas and demons for the nectar of immortality, we must take another lesson to heart. After the nectar emerged, the demons tried to abscond with it. Thus they would be ever more powerful and ever more able to destroy their brothers, the devas. However, through a series of divine interventions, the devas emerged the victors and the ones with the gift of immortality.
On this night of Shivratri, as we worship Bhagwan Shiva, it is also the night that we must pray for the strength to take his message to heart! Let us not only worship him, but let us emulate him. He who is willing to peacefully swallow the poison, he who is willing to sacrifice for the family, for the community and for humanity is the true Mahadeva.
The night of Shivratri is especially auspicious for winning this same battle within ourselves – the battle between good and evil, between right and wrong, between poison and nectar, between death and immortality.
Let us use our puja, our prayers, our meditations on this night to pray for divine intervention so that within ourselves the good might vanquish the evil, the nectar within us might emerge, rather than poison, and that we too may be carried from death to immortality.
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