Mahashivratri

Today is Mahashivratri. Today is the day when Shiva had performed the heavenly "Tandav" of creation. There are different stories of Mahashivratri. One is also that this was the day when Shiva and Parvati tied the knot.

This festival also signifies love, passion, and togetherness in married life. Shiva and Shakti are two forms of one energy and it is only together that they stand complete or powerful. I remembered our visit to 64 yogini temple in November in Jabalpur where Shiv and Parvati are on a Nandi post their marriage.

The temple was attacked by the Mughals but then a swarm of bees hit the soldiers and they couldn't destroy it further.

A similar story resides in the Babulnath temple of Mumbai which I visited last year. It has a "Swayambhu" Shivling which was rebuilt many times beautifully. It is said that one shepherd called Babul observed that one of his cows would only give milk at one spot. He along with others attempted to discover the mystery of the spot and to their surprise found the Shivling when they dug it out. The temple has many carvings in marble and is at a peaceful location on the banks of the Arabian sea, very similar to Mount Kailash especially because of the small height of 110 steps.

Unlike some other kinds of festivals, Mahashivratri is not meant for making merry and feasting. It’s about praying to the Lord, visiting temples, doing Shiv puja at home, and spending time in spiritual activities. Offering Bilva leaves, white colour flowers, water from the Ganges, sacred ash, sandalwood paste, and milk to Shiva is considered auspicious. You should avoid wasting your time watching movies or gaming during Mahashivratri. Mahashivratri vrat is when Shiva’s devotees fast for the full day and stay awake all 24 hours. It is done by devotees so that their mind becomes more alert and when that happens, it is more prepared for prayer, and meditation, which is the central aspect of the Mahashivratri celebration. It is said that Lord Shiva’s grace is bestowed upon you when you observe the Shivratri vrat with sincerity and devotion; your wishes are fulfilled!  Fasting enables you to control the body’s natural processes, so you are not distracted from being one with yourself. Fasting frees the mind of negative emotions like greed, lust, anger, and anxiety. It is believed that when you fast and chant the Lord’s names, you are absolved of all your sins.

Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu once had a heated debate about their superiority. Brahma considered himself the greatest and Vishnu hailed himself as the creator. Meanwhile, Lord Shiva knew that this argument could prove destructive to the universe, and to restore peace, he emerged as a ray of light. Then he challenged Brahma and Vishnu to locate the origin and end of the light. Vishnu transformed into a boar and dug into the earth, while Brahma took the form of a swan and flew upwards, thus they both accepted the challenge. After an exhausting search, Brahma urged the flower Ketaki to give a false statement in his favor and proclaim him as the winner. However, Lord Shiva knew that none could ever locate the source or the end of the light, and hence, he was furious with Brahma for lying. Vishnu accepted defeat, but Brahma who cheated was punished(that he will not be worshipped). Thus, the Mahashivratri vrat reminds us that ego and falsehood will only lead to downfall.

Happy Mahashivratri!