Maha Shivratri - The festival of Lord Gauri Shankar

Lord GauriShankar

Maha Shivratri is a HINDU festival celebrated annually in reverence of the god SHIVA. It is the day Shiva was married to the goddess PARVATI. The Maha Shivratri festival, also popularly known as 'Shivratri' or 'Great Night of Shiva', marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti. Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the day is Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Hindu calendar month PHALGUNA which falls in Feb. or March as per the Western Calender. Of the twelve Shivaratris in the year, the Maha Shivarathri is the most holy.

The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of BAEL leaves and Abhishek of Milk or Water to Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-Jagran . All through the day, devotees chant "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA", the sacred MANTRA of Shiva.Many Sadhus, devottes of Lord Shiva smoke Bhang & Ghota (made by doodh, bhang, dry fruits and shugar) which is mean as Prasad of Lord Shiva on this day. On this day, in the Northern hemisphere planet positioned in such a way that there is natural upsurge of energy in human being. This is the day when nature is pushing one towords one's spritual peak. It is to make use of this, that in this tradition, we establish a certain festival which is night-long. Yogic Kriyas, Tantra and Mantra Kriyas are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of YOGA and meditation, in order to reach life's highest good steadily and swiftly. The benefits of powerful ancient Sanskrit mantras such as MAHA MRITUNJYA MANTRA and many other spiritual and beneficial Matras increase greatly on this night.

The Legends of GouriShankar

Puranas contain many stories and legends describing the origin of this festival. According to one, during the samudra manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. This terrified the Gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world, and they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deathly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This made his throat turn blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

Shiva While Taking Halahal Poison

According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once the other two of the triads of Hindu Gods, Brahma and Vishnu, were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as the witness.

At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie , and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a Linga, the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri. Worshipping Shiva on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and prosperity.

Some other legends-

For the ascetics, it is the day he became one with Mount Kailash. He became one with Mount Kailash. He became like a Mountain - absolutely still. In the Yogic tradition, Shiva is not worshipped as God, but considered as the Adi Guru, the first Guru from whom the knowledge originated. After many millennia in meditation, one day he became absolutely still. That day is Maha Shivratri. All movement in him stopped and became utterly still, so ascetics see Maha Shivratri as the Night of Stillness.

HAPPY MAHA SHIVRATRI. OM NAMAH SHIVAYA