OM Sri MahaSivaratri OM

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OM

Pranam

 

The book Lord Siva And His Worship by H.H. Sri Swami

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About MahaSivratri:

SIVA-THE MYSTIC NIGHT By SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDA:

http://www.dlshq.org/religions/sivamystic.htm

SHIVARATRI By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA:

http://www.dlshq.org/religions/shivaratri.htm

The RUDRA ADHYAYA or the SATA RUDRIYA of the YAJUR VEDA:

 

Daily Invocations By Sri Swami Krishnananda:

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/invoc_0.html

 

 

SHIVARATRI By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

INTRODUCTION

 

This falls on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of

Phalgun (February-March). The name means "the night of

Shiva". The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is

a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was

married to Parvati on this day.

 

People observe a strict fast on this day. Some devotees do

not even take a drop of water. They keep vigil all night.

The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night by

washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose

water, etc., whilst the chanting of the Mantra Om Namah

Shivaya continues. Offerings of bael leaves are made to the

Lingam. Bael leaves are very sacred as, it is said, Lakshmi

resides in them.

 

Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva Mahimna

Stotra of Pushpadanta or Ravana's Shiva Tandava Stotra are

sung with great fervour and devotion. People repeat the

Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya. He who utters the

Names of Shiva during Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and

concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode

of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the

wheel of births and deaths. Many pilgrims flock to the

places where there are Shiva temples.

 

THE STORY OF KING CHITRABHANU

 

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma, whilst

resting on the bed of arrows and discoursing on Dharma,

refers to the observance of Maha Shivaratri by King

Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows.

 

Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty,

who ruled over the whole of Jambudvipa, was observing a

fast with his wife, it being the day of Maha Shivaratri.

The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of the

king.

 

The sage asked, "O king! why are you observing a fast

today?"

 

King Chitrabhanu explained why. He had the gift of

remembering the incidents of his previous birth.

 

The king said to the sage: "In my past birth I was a hunter

in Varanasi. My name was Suswara. My livelihood was to kill

and sell birds and animals. One day I was roaming the

forests in search of animals. I was overtaken by the

darkness of night. Unable to return home, I climbed a tree

for shelter. It happened to be a bael tree. I had shot a

deer that day but I had no time to take it home. I bundled

it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. As I was

tormented by hunger and thirst, I kept awake throughout the

night. I shed profuse tears when I thought of my poor wife

and children who were starving and anxiously awaiting my

return. To pass away the time that night I engaged myself

in plucking the bael leaves and dropping them down onto the

ground.

 

"The day dawned. I returned home and sold the deer. I

bought some food for myself and for my family. I was about

to break my fast when a stranger came to me, begging for

food. I served him first and then took my food.

 

"At the time of death, I saw two messengers of Lord Shiva.

They were sent down to conduct my soul to the abode of Lord

Shiva. I learnt then for the first time of the great merit

I had earned by the unconscious worship of Lord Shiva

during the night of Shivaratri. They told me that there was

a Lingam at the bottom of the tree. The leaves I dropped

fell on the Lingam. My tears which I had shed out of pure

sorrow for my family fell onto the Lingam and washed it.

And I had fasted all day and all night. Thus did I

unconsciously worship the Lord.

 

"I lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss

for long ages. I am now reborn as Chitrabhanu."

 

SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RITUAL

 

The Scriptures record the following dialogue between Sastri

and Atmanathan, giving the inner meaning of the above

story.

 

Sastri: It is an allegory. The wild animals that the hunter

fought with are lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy

and hatred. The jungle is the fourfold mind, consisting of

the subconscious mind, the intellect, the ego and the

conscious mind. It is in the mind that these "wild animals"

roam about freely. They must be killed. Our hunter was

pursuing them because he was a Yogi. If you want to be a

real Yogi you have to conquer these evil tendencies. Do you

remember the name of the hunter in the story?

 

Atmanathan: Yes, he was called Suswara.

 

Sastri: That's right. It means "melodious". The hunter had

a pleasant melodious voice. If a person practices Yama and

Niyama and is ever conquering his evil tendencies, he will

develop certain external marks of a Yogi. The first marks

are lightness of the body, health, steadiness, clearness of

countenance and a pleasant voice. This stage has been

spoken of in detail in the Swetaswatara Upanishad. The

hunter or the Yogi had for many years practised Yoga and

had reached the first stage. So he is given the name

Suswara. Do you remember where he was born?

 

Atmanathan: Yes, his birthplace is Varanasi.

 

Sastri: Now, the Yogis call the Ajna Chakra by the name

Varanasi. This is the point midway between the eyebrows. It

is regarded as the meeting place of the three nerve

currents (Nadis), namely, the Ida, Pingala and the

Sushumna. An aspirant is instructed to concentrate on that

point. That helps him to conquer his desires and evil

qualities like anger and so on. It is there that he gets a

vision of the Divine Light within.

 

Atmanathan: Very interesting! But how do you explain his

climbing up the bael tree and all the other details of the

worship?

 

Sastri: Have you ever seen a bael leaf?

 

Atmanathan: It has three leaves on one stalk.

 

Sastri: True. The tree represents the spinal column. The

leaves are threefold. They represent the Ida, Pingala and

Sushumna Nadis, which are the regions for the activity of

the moon, the sun and fire respectively, or which may be

thought of as the three eyes of Shiva. The climbing of the

tree is meant to represent the ascension of the Kundalini

Shakti, the serpentine power, from the lowest nerve centre

called the Muladhara to the Ajna Chakra. That is the work

of the Yogi.

 

Atmanathan: Yes, I have heard of the Kundalini and the

various psychic centres in the body. Please go on further;

I am very interested to know more.

 

Sastri: Good. The Yogi was in the waking state when he

began his meditation. He bundled up the birds and the

animals he had slain and, tying them on a branch of the

tree, he rested there. That means he had fully conquered

his thoughts and rendered them inactive. He had gone

through the steps of Yama, Niyama, Pratyahara, etc. On the

tree he was practising concentration and meditation. When

he felt sleepy, it means that he was about to lose

consciousness and go into deep sleep. So he determined to

keep awake.

 

Atmanathan: That is now clear to me; you certainly do

explain it very well. But why did he weep for his wife and

children?

 

Sastri: His wife and children are none other than the

world. One who seeks the Grace of God must become an

embodiment of love. He must have an all-embracing sympathy.

His shedding of tears is symbolical of his universal love.

In Yoga also, one cannot have illumination without Divine

Grace. Without practising universal love, one cannot win

that Grace. One must perceive one's own Self everywhere.

The preliminary stage is to identify one's own mind with

the minds of all created beings. That is fellow-feeling or

sympathy. Then one must rise above the limitations of the

mind and merge it in the Self. That happens only in the

stage of Samadhi, not earlier.

 

Atmanathan: Why did he pluck and drop the bael leaves?

 

Sastri: That is mentioned in the story only to show that he

had no extraneous thoughts. He was not even conscious of

what he was doing. All his activity was confined to the

three Nadis. The leaves, I have said before, represent the

three Nadis. He was in fact in the second state, namely,

the dream state, before he passed into the deep sleep

state.

 

Atmanathan: He kept vigil the whole night, it is said.

 

Sastri: Yes, that means that he passed through the deep

sleep state successfully. The dawning of day symbolises the

entrance into the Fourth state called Turiya or

superconsciousness.

 

Atmanathan: It is said that he came down and saw the

Lingam. What does that mean?

 

Sastri: That means that in the Turiya state he saw the

Shiva Lingam or the mark of Shiva in the form of the inner

lights. In other words, he had the vision of the Lord. That

was an indication to him that he would realise the supreme,

eternal abode of Lord Shiva in course of time.

 

Atmanathan: So it appears from what you say that the sight

of the lights is not the final stage?

 

Sastri: Oh no! That is only one step, albeit a difficult

one. Now think of how the story continues. He goes home and

feeds a stranger. A stranger is one whom you have not seen

before. The stranger is no other than the hunter himself,

transformed into a new person. The food was the likes and

dislikes which he had killed the previous night. But he did

not consume the whole of it. A little still remained. That

was why he had to be reborn as King Chitrabhanu. Going to

the world of Shiva (Salokya) is not enough to prevent this.

There are other stages besides Salokya. These are Samipya,

Sarupya and finally Sayujya. Have you not heard of Jaya and

Vijaya returning from Vaikunta?

 

Atmanathan: Yes, I have understood now.

 

LORD SHIVA'S ASSUARANCE

 

When creation had been completed, Shiva and Parvati went

out to live on the top of Mount Kailas. Parvati asked, "O

venerable Lord! which of the many rituals observed in Thy

honour doth please Thee most?"

 

The Lord replied, "The 14th night of the new moon, in the

dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is my most

favourite day. It is known as Shivaratri. My devotees give

me greater happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial

baths and offerings of flowers, sweets and incense.

 

"The devotee observes strict spiritual discipline in the

day and worships Me in four different forms during each of

the four successive three-hour periods of the night. The

offering of a few bael leaves is more precious to Me than

the precious jewels and flowers. My devotee should bathe Me

in milk at the first period, in curd at the second, in

clarified butter at the third, and in honey at the fourth

and last. Next morning, he should feed the Brahmins first

and, after performing the prescribed ceremonies, he can

break his fast. O Parvati! there is no ritual which can

compare with this simple routine in sanctity."

 

Parvati was deeply impressed by the speech of Loid Shiva.

She repeated it to Her friends who in their turn passed it

on to the ruling princes on earth. Thus was the sanctity of

Shivaratri broadcast all over the world.

 

The two great natural forces that afflict man are Rajas

(the quality of passionate activity) and Tamas (that of

inertia). The Shivaratri Vrata aims at the perfect control

of these two. The entire day is spent at the Feet of the

Lord. Continuous worship of the Lord necessitates the

devotee's constant presence in the place of worship. Motion

is controlled. Evils like lust, anger, and jealousy, born

of Rajas are ignored and subdued. The devotee observes

vigil throughout the night and thus conquers Tamas also.

Constant vigilance is imposed on the mind. Every three

hours a round of worship of the Shiva Lingam is conducted.

Shivaratri is a perfect Vrata.

 

The formal worship consists of bathing the Lord. Lord Shiva

is considered to be the Form of Light (which the Shiva

Lingam represents). He is burning with the fire of

austerity. He is therefore best propitiated with cool

bathing. While bathing the Lingam the devotee prays: "O

Lord! I will bathe Thee with water, milk, etc. Do Thou

kindly bathe me with the milk of wisdom. Do Thou kindly

wash me of all my sins, so that the fire of worldliness

which is scorching me may be put out once for all, so that

I may be one with Thee-the One alone without a second."

 

At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the Shivaratri festival

is celebrated in the following manner.

 

 

All spiritual aspirants fast the whole day, many of them

without taking even a single drop of water.

A grand havan is performed for the peace and welfare of

all.

The whole day is spent in doing the Japa of Om Namah

Shivaya and in meditation upon the Lord.

At night all assemble in the temple and chant Om Namah

Shivaya the whole night.

During the four quarters of the night the Shiva Lingam is

worshipped with intense devotion.

Sannyas Diksha is also given on this day to sincere seekers

on the path.

Offer this inner worship to Lord Shiva daily: "I worship

the jewel of my Self, the Shiva residing in the Lotus of my

heart. I bathe Him with the water of my pure mind brought

from the river of faith and devotion. I worship Him with

the fragrant flowers of Samadhi-all this so that I may not

be born again in this world."

 

Here is another formula for the supreme worship of the

Lord: "O Shiva! you are my Self. My mind is Parvati. My

Pranas are your servants. My body is your house. My actions

in this world are your worship. My sleep is Samadhi. My

walk is circumambulation of you. My speech is your prayer.

Thus do I offer all that I am to you.

 

OM

 

 

 

 

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