Mahashivratri

Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Falgun often in March.

The Creation is based on three eternal processes: the birth, the survival and the end. Now that the working agent for the processes is energy which is also considered to have female characteristics, our ancient thinkers modelled the icons of three Mahadevies to represent it in its three different roles. But when they thought that the everlasting and senseless parts of the energy engaged in the three different jobs could do nothing unless they were operated by something that knew what to do and not to do and found them violating no law, though they had been able to, they continued the search and found a great mind controlling and running them. They then contrived the idols of two Mahadevas to symbolize that great mind. The first of the Mahadevas is called Sadashiv, the husband of the two Mahadevies called Maa Durga, who was witnessed by the thinkers as a big blast, creating universes, and Mahakali as a black thing in the centre of universes, devouring everything which was unnecessary. Now the things that a universe is made of are interdependent and therefore useful; and all that is useful has value. Then everything that is valuable is wealth and wealth is called Mahalaxami, the third of the Mahadevies and the consort of Narain, the second of the Mahadevas, who like a king rules the universes and enforces unalterable laws favourable to the entities in terms of their survival and lust for life. Those who worship Shiva enjoy a harmless life and finally a comfortable journey to Heaven. Om Namah Shivay.... Mahashivratri ki sabko shubhkaamnayen!  Thus the idols of gods and goddesses are personified as natural and paranormal phenomena.

There was neither matter nor its absence,

Neither the sense nor the absence of sense,

The indistinguishable whole and no duality –

Both ‘was’ and ‘was not’ reveal the reality.

Meanwhile... oh no, not meanwhile even,

Shivaaay, Shivaaa.y, Shivaaa..y, reverbrated

And the ‘Only’ by dam......m, dam, dam was riven.

All we have sensed for so long was thus created.

- Ramesh Tiwari

Shiv represents the supreme mind that pervades the universe and handles the great energy (Maa Duga and Maa Kali) to make the cosmos work. The sculpture of Shiv represents the universe as the shape of the universe and Shiv sculpture are alike. Bhole nath is a sensible mahadev, so kind, affectionate and fair. Those who worship Him with clean hearts, having implicit faith in Him lead fearless life, achieve what they want to, or in a word enjoy the world. Today is Mahashivratri i.e. the great day when Lord Shanker (Sadashiv) was married to Pravati (Maa Duga and Maa Kali), stopping all His activities, sitting still in yogic gesture like Mount Kailash. The worshipers fast, give up sleep, live as an ascetic, offer Bilv patr and white flowers to Him and bathe him with panchamrit on this holy day.