Significance of Maha Sivaratri
June 24, 2008
Shivaratri or Maha Shivaratri, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is celebrated on the moonless night of 13th or 14th in the month of Phalguna (February – March). It is believed that a special planetary conjunction on this day makes all spiritual practices performed on this day especially auspicious and beneficial. One of the Puranas mentions that Shiva himself told Parvati Devi, the Divine Mother that this day was particularly dear to him, and whosoever performed prescribed austerities on this day would be freed from all sins.
A popular story from the Puranas tells of how Suswara, a poor hunter from Varanasi wandered into deep forest in search of more game. Beset by darkness and unable to find his way home, he climbed a tree to be safe from the wild animals. Attracted by his scent, animals came lurking under the tree and hoping to scare them away, Suswara plucked some twigs from the tree and threw them at the animals, but to no avail. Unable to sleep a wink, he kept vigil throughout the night, plucking leaves from the tree, which happened to be a bilva tree, and droping them to the ground. Unknown to Suswara, there was a Shivalinga at the foot of the tree; and without being aware of it his droppings of the sacred bilva (bael) leaves in whom Lakhsmi is supposed to reside, Suswara was making a sacred offering to the kept a night-long vigil and worshipped Shiva.
According to the Shiva Purana, worship on Maha Sivaratri should incorporate six items: offering bilva leaves to the deity after giving it a ceremonial bath, which represents purification of the soul; applying vermilion paste on the linga after bathing it, which represents virtue; offering food, which is conducive to longevity and the gratification of desires; lighting incense, which yields wealth; lighting an oil lamp, which signifies the attainment of knowledge; and offering betel leaves, which marks satisfaction with worldly pleasures.
An allegory, the above story tries to teach us that just as the hunter sought to kill wild animals, the spiritual seeker should try to overcome lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred. Our mind is the jungle full of negativities which a spiritual aspirant must overcome to be free.
The Indian festival of Maha Shivaratri, or the night of Lord Siva is also believed to be the night when he married the Goddess Parvati. This night is celebrated with great fervour and devotion, even as Shiva devotees fast all day, some even forgoing to have even a drop of water, while they worship the Shiva Lingam through the night, washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, offering Bael leaves and chanting hymns in praise of Lord Siva. It is widely believed that chanting Om Namah Shiva with concentrated devotion during the traditional festival of Maha Sivaratri frees one from all sins and liberates the chanter from the cycle of birth and death.
A favorite day of Lord Shiva, Siva Rathri is celebrated with the performance of a grand havan asking for peace and everyone’s welfare and the day is spent in chanting Lord Shiva’s name. Shiva temples across the sub-continent conduct special poojas and Sannyas Diksha is given to seekers who earnestly seek it on this most hold and auspicious of days.
There is great universal message behind the celebration of Maha Sivaratri is to remain true and steadfast in a world full of evils, without letting them influence or sway you.
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