Shivaratri And Its Secrets

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Shivaratri And Its Secrets

 

By Braham Kumar S.B. Ayer

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Pashupatinath temple area lit up on the eve of the Hindu festival of

Mahashivaratri.

Photo: Ramesh Chhetri/TRN

 

Every year, the incarnation festival of the Supreme God, Shiva, is

celebrated as Shivaratri. If we were to realise the hidden spiritual

secrets of Shivaratri, then world transformation would become an easy

proposition. Shivaratri is not just a festival of Shiva?s devotees

alone, but one of all the souls of the world, of all religions,

civilisations and cultures.

 

It is mentioned in the Gita that the thumb-shaped kindle light, the

Jyotirlingam of Shiva, emerged at the beginning of creation when the

world was fully plagued by extremities of impurities and darkness.

And it is this Jyotirlingam that became the main instrument for the

establishment of a new age by giving valuable sermons of knowledge

which gave birth to Prajapita Brahma through spiritual yogic power.

 

In the beginning of the world, an oval shaped light emerged in the

world, which shone and threw flames like thousands and thousands of

suns, as mentioned in the Manusmriti scripture. It is mentioned in

the religious code of conduct in the Shiva Puran that during the last

moment of the destruction, a unique Shivalingam emerged, which shone

like a killing fire. And from that came into existence the world.

 

Significance

 

In a day, during its 24 hours, there comes a time we call night. But

in the lives of the people of Aryavarta, three nights are important:

Shivaratri, Nawaratri and Deepawali. As regards Shivaratri it is also

celebrated as a night when the blessings of God are received by

staying awake and keeping vigil throughout the night.

 

This festival is celebrated to remember God Shiva?s divine birth, His

divine descent into the world from the incorporeal world. But then

why is the festival of Shiva connected with the word ratri (night)?

Did Shiva?s birth take place in this particular night? Actually,

there is no relation to that night which comes once during the 24

hours of a day. The night here denotes a symbol of the darkest age of

ignorance, extreme impurity and the sinfulness and laziness. Such a

time comes during the last moments of the Iron Age, or Kali Yug.

 

As we all know, the Supreme GodFather, Shiva, is beyond the cycle of

birth and death and is, thus, fully detached from the worldly karmic

bondage. Therefore, the question of His rebirth does not arise. As

mentioned in the Scriptures, it is, however, His duty to come to the

corporeal world during the last moments of the Kali Yug. Kali Yug is

signified by ignorance and absence of moral values - everywhere there

is absence of goodwill and honesty, use of science and technology

without wisdom, ruthless exercise of sovereign power without any

sensitivity, devotion based on blind faith, violence in the name of

so-called religion, and use of one?s daughter in illicit purposes to

earn a livelihood by the father. It is a period when there is

prevalence of disharmony, injustice, violence and war, adulteration,

corruption, and the five negative tendencies - sex and lust, anger,

greed, attachment and ego, which make human beings insensitive to the

devil-like nature of the world.

 

Therefore today, we find the blatant misuse of science and

technology, for example, in the manufacture of weapons of mass

destruction such as hydrogen, atom and chemical bombs and missiles.

Nobody knows which will be the last moment for the world.

 

The period between the end of the above mentioned Kali Yug and the

beginning of Satya Yug (Golden Age, the age of the enlightened state

of human souls due to spiritual empowerment), is the time when God

descends in a reincarnated form in the human body, whom people

symbolically refer to as Nandigan (the Bull), the vehicle of God.

This Nandigan (Bhagirath) is, in fact, manifest in the Brahma.

 

Through His reincarnation in the physical body of Brahma, God

purifies the whole world for the welfare of humanity, by bestowing

divine wisdom based on spiritual knowledge and power of purity. For

this noble cause of His benevolence, the Supreme GodFather is forever

known by the name Shiva.

 

It is this very time when, on the one hand, there is enormous decline

in values, and Shiva transforms the human soul for the betterment of

the world. Thus, against this backdrop of extreme impurities in human

character, there is the emergence of a ray of hope in the world. And

if we follow the cycle of creation, it is such that ?if any end were

about to come, then a new beginning is just approaching.?

 

Shiva?s divine birth night is celebrated in different ways throughout

the world as per people?s faith and belief in the incorporeal God.

Those who get up from the sleep of ignorance in this dark night and

try to understand real spiritual knowledge receive the blessings of

God.

 

Meditation

 

During this festival, intense meditation is practised in a bid to

burn and destroy the past that is useless and all negative karmic

accounts accumulated during the previous births. Lighted lamps are

offered to God in devotion to Him and as a symbol of spiritual

enlightenment. In the same manner, intoxication of limitless

attainment can be experienced through the remembrance of God.

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