MahaShivratri, a different perspective

Why shiv ratri, why maha shivratri, why stay awake at night during maha shiv ratri? Some questions, that arose today...

Read many stories about maha shivratri date, some as...

1. It is celebrated as the anniversary of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

2. It is also celebrated as a day when Shiva saved the world from the pot of poison.

3. And also, this day marks when Brahma and Vishnu got involved in an argument about their supremacy...

none of these made any sense to me...logically, so I turned to yoga and astronomy to explore further.

It is observed that during full moon, excitement and in New moon, depression is experienced by many people, who have a sensitive mind. No wonder the word lunatic and lunar, which have their root in the moon, are both related to the mind! It is also advised not to take important decisions during full moon, as they are mostly emotional, and not rational. And during new moon, in ancient times, there was a holiday from work to rest and rejuvenate.

Mind is closely related to the moon, according to yogic path. According to yoga, mind is not the brain, but it's very subtle with Its identity, memory, feelings and intellect, as 4 parts. The base, being the one true identity, which is different from the many different roles.

As most of the people are still in world of desires, driven by attachment to roles, which are created by the mind, which it assumes is real, the question is how to get clarity by silencing the train of thoughts that rumble in the mind?

The goal of any spiritual path is to silence the mind. Only then, can one go beyond the mind, and realise the true self.

New moon indicates full silence of the mind. The whole objective is to realise that I am not my mind. To transcend the manomaya kosha into vigyanmaya kosha and anandmaya kosha. To get here, first the mind has to be silent. Hence the importance of shiv ratri, just one day before the new moon. Not in the night of new moon. But one day before to be in slight activation state, which is close to zero, but not zero.

As the darkness sets in, one can not see anything. Everything dissolves, becomes one with shivoham. It comes very close to the nature of consciousness that is formless, all pervading, eternal. This is the nirguna rupa, the one without any form.

When there is light, one can see all the forms separately. This is the sagun rupa. The manifested form.

In ancient times, there was no electricity. Moon was the source of light, stars being used for navigation. Hence to silence the mind, it's influencer, the moon has to have the minimum possible impact.

Shiva is formless, like the darkness, dissolving everything...the silence of the mind dissolves the forms, memories, biases, opinions, rights and wrongs in the mind.

A night before the new moon is the perfect dark night, when the effect of the moon is minimum, but not zero. hence the impact is also minimum. This is the shivratri night. 12 months. 12 shivratris. The night of shiva. The night of nirguna, the night of dissolution. One of these is nights is the greatest of all. The mahashivratri.

Staying awake at night of shivratri. And taking rest on the next day of amavasya was the norm.

In maha shivratri, the darkness of moon is the maximum. Due to the distance of the sun, as it happens after sankranti, after winter season. Hence effect of the moon is minimum.

So on this night, as the mind is the most silent, it is recommended to go inward, detach from the mind, it's roles, identities etc. And focus on the true identity. In a form that is the purest form of the self. The shiv lingam. The puja within, is the shiv manas puja.

As our mind responds to visual and audio clues the most, at night, both are dissolved. There is no light and complete silence at night.

For people who identify themseLves with body and mind, physical presence in temples and other areas where puja of shiv lingam, chanting, activities, singing and dancing happens. The keeps their mind focused on the shiv lingam or the symbol. Taking it away for the time being from the roles it is used to play. They are still largely in the first annamaya kosha.

For the more advanced seekers, it is meditation, chanting in solitude, away from the crowds. They are mostly in the pranamaya and manomaya koshas.

For the tiny fraction, who know that I am not my mind, it does not matter. They are in vigyanmaya kosha, Sitting any place, any time, they will be in their inner shiv lingam form doing manaspuja, in anandmaya kosha, while being eternally immersed in aum.

(There are other blogs that describe shiv lingam manas puja etc. You can read them as needed)

Shiva is dissolution of roles, keeping a single identitY, the consciousness.

Ratri is night. Without light, when everything is formless and one.

Together it is shivratri, a perfect time to realise the true self.

Om namah shivaya.

Dissolving into just Aum, With abundance of being, awareness of sound and acceptance of having.

Thats all.