Every year we observe and celebrate Maha Shivarathri,by worshipping Lord Shiva,chanting shlokas,visiting Shiva temples,fasting and so on....Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji has so beautifully explained to us the importance of Shivarathri and the significance of this day.Tomorrow is Maha Shivarathiri and let us live in this unbelievable knowledge and celebrate Maha Shivarathiri the way Guruji has shown us.Read on.....
The 13th day after the full moon or two days before the new moon is Shivaratri. If it falls on a Monday or Saturday, it is considered very auspicious. People chant and sing a lot of Shiva bhajans in the evening and meditate.
One of the names of Lord Shiva is Virupaksha - meaning one who is formless yet sees all. We know that there is air all around us and we can feel the air as well. But what if the air also starts feeling you? Space is all around us, we identify space. But what if space also recognizes and feels your presence? This happens. Only we don’t know it. Scientists know this and they call it the theory of relativity. The one who sees and that which is seen are both affected when seen. The Divine is all around you and is seeing you. He doesn’t have a form. He is the formless core of existence and the goal. He is the seer, sight and the scene. This formless Divinity is Shiva. To simply wake-up and experience this Shiva tattva is Shivratri.
Usually when there is celebration, awareness is lost. Deep rest in celebration with awareness is Shivratri. When you face some problem, you become aware and alert. We are at rest when everything is well; on Shivratri we rest with awareness. It is said that a yogi remains awake when everybody else is sleeping. For a yogi, everyday is Shivratri. Lord Shiva is beautifully explained in a verse by Adi Shankaracharya (Sri Sri recites a few lines from the verse).
We also worship nature. Divinity permeates everything in this Earth. Puja is not complete without honoring the trees, mountains, rivers, Earth and the people living on the Earth. Honoring everyone is Dakshina. Da means to give and Dakshina means giving something that will cleanse us of all impurities. Offering with which all your sins vanish. No puja is complete without Dakshina. When we act in society with skill and free from the distortions of the mind, all negative tendencies like anger, worries, sorrow are destroyed. I will say give your tensions, worries and sorrows as Dakshina. And how does that happen? With Sadhana (spiritual practices), Seva (service) and Satsang (company of the truth).
Shiva is the lord of panchabhoota, the five elements. We honour him by not polluting nature, by not insulting it with chemicals and fertilisers, judiciously using fuel.
‘Prados ha’ is the time when divine energy dawns on the planet and redeems all the spirits. There are so many spirits. For people who die and exist as spirits, the day of pradosha redeems them, frees them. Freedom not just for the spirits but also for human beings. Desires are fulfilled and mind gets cleared. Shivaratri that comes once a year, known as ‘Maha Shivaratri’, is very special, the great night of Lord Shiva.Every month, there is a special day of Shivratri. When you find there is festival every month, you become busy with the festivity, then you have no time to worry or do anything else.
Shivaratri is the day of Lord Shiva. Shiva is the lord of meditation and therefore the lord of awakening. Shiva Tatva means to be awakened. Shivaratri is thus an occasion to awaken one's self from all sorts of slumber.
Shivaratri is not a night to be slept over. One should try and be up through the night. It signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives a depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivaratri.
For the pious, the following method of Shiva worship is advisable – sit down in lotus posture, do some Pranayam to stabilize your breath, then indulge in Dhyana (meditation) , followed by chanting of "Om Namah Shivay". It is the greatest mantra and the devout should drown himself in its Kirtan.
Shivaratri worship leads to fulfillment of a devotee's wishes. There are certain days and time frames in a year that enhance one's mental and spiritual faculties. In such times, whatever one wishes, materializes. Shivaratri is one such day. All this is very scientific.
Importance Of Shivaratri
We are either in the sleeping, waking or dreaming state. Shiva is the fourth state of consciousness - the meditative state. On that particular day, just before the new moon arises people stay awake all night and celebrate. The belief is that whatever you wish for comes true. For the general public, the night of Shivaratri is the night of celebration. For the wise seekers who are on the spiritual path, every day and every night is a celebration.
Om Namah Shivaya
The sound of ‘Om namah shivaya’ includes all the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Hinduism is not a religion as such. People have been chanting this for thousands of years. Mantras are those sounds which you hear from deep within during meditation and the aim is to bring one back to the source. During later days, people started putting faces and drawings to these mantras. Mantras have got certain vibrations/ energy. They are universal.In India everybody easily connects with ancient mantras. Take any language you want but along with it take this also. How many feel singing and chanting these mantras creates some vibrations? (All raise hands in affirmation) It’s obvious. In Vedic chanting, many times you don’t know even the meaning but it has some effect.
Jai Gurudev.
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