Mahashivratri information 2020 - Spiritual Significance and Shivratri image
Mahashivratri information - 21 February
Mahashivratri, “The
Great Night of Shiva” is the most significant event in India’s spiritual
calendar. In the Indian
culture, at one time, there used to be 365 festivals in a year. In other words,
they just needed an excuse to celebrate every day of the year. These 365
festivals were ascribed to different reasons, and for different purposes of
life. They were to celebrate various historical events, victories, or certain
situations in life like sowing, planting, and harvesting. For every situation
there was a festival. But Mahashivratri is of a different significance.
Why Mahashivratri Is Celebrated
The fourteenth day
of every lunar month or the day before the new moon is known as Shivratri.
Among all the twelve Shivratris that occur in a calendar year, Mahashivratri,
the one that occurs in February-March is of the most spiritual significance. On
this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way
that there is a natural upsurge of energy in a human being. This is a day when
nature is pushing one towards one’s spiritual peak. It is to make use of this,
that in this tradition, we established a certain festival which is nightlong.
To allow this natural upsurge of energies to find their way,one of the
fundamentals of this nightlong festival is to ensure that you remain awake with
your spine vertical throughout the night.
Importance of Mahashivratri
Mahashivratri is very significant for people who are on the
spiritual path. It is also very significant for people who are in family
situations, and also for the ambitious in the world. People who live in family
situations observe Mahashivratri as Shiva’s wedding anniversary. Those with
worldly ambitions see that day as the day Shiva conquered all his enemies.
But, for the ascetics, it is the day he became one with Mount
Kailash. He became like a mountain – absolutely still. In the yogic tradition,
Shiva is not worshipped as a God, but considered as the Adi Guru, the first
Guru from whom the science of Yoga originated. After many millennia in
meditation, one day he became absolutely still. That day is Mahashivratri. All
movement in him stopped and he became utterly still, so ascetics see
Mahashivratri as the night of stillness.
Spiritual Significance of Mahashivratri
Legends apart, why this day and night are held with such
importance in the yogic traditions is because of the possibilities it presents
to a spiritual seeker. Modern science has gone through many phases and arrived
at a point today where they are out to prove to you that everything that you
know as life, everything that you know as matter and existence, everything that
you know as the cosmos and galaxies, is just one energy which manifests itself
in millions of ways.
This scientific fact is an experiential reality in every yogi.
The word “yogi” means one who has realized the oneness of the existence. When I
say “yoga,” I am not referring to any one particular practice or system. All
longing to know the unbounded, all longing to know the oneness in the existence
is yoga. The night of Mahashivratri offers a person an opportunity to
experience this.
Shivratri – The Darkest Night of the Month
Shivratri, is the darkest day of the month. Celebrating Shivratri
on a monthly basis, and the particular day, Mahashivratri, almost seems like
celebration of darkness. Any logical mind would resist darkness and naturally
opt for light. But the word “Shiva” literally means “that which is not.” “That
which is,” is existence and creation. “That which is not” is Shiva. “That which
is not” means, if you open your eyes and look around, if your vision is for
small things, you will see lots of creation. If your vision is really looking
for big things, you will see the biggest presence in the existence is a vast
emptiness.
A few spots which we call galaxies are generally much noticed,
but the vast emptiness that holds them does not come into everybody’s notice.
This vastness, this unbounded emptiness, is what is referred to as Shiva.
Today, modern science also proves that everything comes from nothing and goes
back to nothing. It is in this context that Shiva, the vast emptiness or
nothingness, is referred to as the great lord, or Mahadeva.
Every religion, every culture on this planet has always been
talking about the omnipresent, all-pervading nature of the divine. If we look
at it, the only thing that can be truly all-pervading, the only thing that can
be everywhere is darkness, nothingness, or emptiness.
Generally, when people are seeking well-being, we talk of the
divine as light. When people are no longer seeking well-being, when they are
looking beyond their life in terms of dissolving, if the object of their
worship and their sadhana is dissolution, then we always refer to the divine as
darkness.
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