Hari Aum.
Aum Namah Shivaya.
Tonight is Maha Shivaratri (meaning the great night of Shiva; 'ratri' means night in Sanskrit) and I would like to wish all readers on this auspicious occasion. From a spiritual perspective, this is a night of great significance. There are some legends related to the festival of Maha Shivaratri-- an important one is that this is said to be the celebration of the wedding of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati (there is a whole story behind this and I might write about it one day!). However, the yogis regard this wedding to have a deeper spiritual significance, not only the union of our Divine Parents.
According to them, this 'wedding' symbolises the attainment of the great goal of human life, namely the spiritual state of Self Realisation or moksha/liberation. This involves the 'union' between the jivatma (individual soul/ the spiritual seeker, represented by Parvati) and the Paramatma (Supreme Being/God, represented by Shiva).
According to the path of Advaita Vedanta, the jiva is always one with (not different from) God ('Jiva Brahman na para' in Sanskrit) but forgets this due to the illusory power known as Maya. During Shivaratri, the devotee or yogi traditionally remains awake all night immersing him/herself in spiritual practices, attempting to realise this great truth. In Ashrams in India and in various places around the world, this practice still takes place.
Staying awake at night in worship also has a symbolic meaning according to our Gurus. Sleep represents 'tamas'- the dull principle of inertia and ignorance, and so staying awake instead of sleeping represents our conquest of tamas and development of 'sattva' - the principle of goodness. (Note- sleep is of course vital and essential for good health according to both the yogis and modern science too, and in general, we must try and sleep as well as we can-- however, on certain special occasions like Shivaratri, wakefulness at night has a spiritual significance).
I was fortunate to be able to participate in the Shivaratri celebration at my Guru's ashram in Rishikesh in 2017-- I recall the main temple being lit brilliantly with many lamps and being decorated with numerous beautiful flower garlands. Various pujas for Lord Shiva were conducted all night with recitation of sacred hymns and singing of devotional songs. It was a wonderful night and I hope to be able to participate again in the future.
In the meantime, in the midst of home and work responsibilities, I conduct worship on a much smaller scale at my own home. Today, before putting my young daughter to sleep, we conducted a puja for Lord Shiva together. (My daughter is aged 5 so cannot concentrate on worship for longer periods-- so we did a mini-puja lasting around half an hour worshipping Shiva with Shakti and Gurudev Sivananda; we offered the traditional worship with milk, yoghurt, ghee and honey to the Shiva linga with lamps, incense, sandal paste and fruit with recitation of the panchakshara 108 times).
We are at the start of the night where I live and so I hope to spend at least some more time doing a puja of my own for Shiva along with mantra recitation before heading off to sleep (unfortunately I am usually unable to stay awake all night these days as this triggers headaches and I cannot then function well the next day).
Before I conclude this post, I would like to share a link describing the teachings of my Guru, Sivananda, on the significance of Shivaratri- it is an excellent article and well worth a read:
I am also sharing a lovely depiction (via Bharatanatyam dance) of the famous hymn known as the Shiva panchakshara stothram (composed by Adi Shankara in praise of Him):
Om Namah Shivaya. May Lord Shiva bless us all.
Om Sri Durgayai Namah.
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
P.S. It was on Maha Shivaratri three years ago that I had a completely unexplainable, very vivid and detailed dream of my twin soul. We walked together and expressed our reality in silence.
(I cannot believe the timing of this was a coincidence. For one, it took place after not being in touch for some time. Also, when I discovered Pradnya, and told her about the timing, she informed me that other twin souls she knew, had also dreamt of their counterparts on the same night. So clearly this was a significant time for the broader group of people on a twin soul journey).
This love is real (no matter what you say in the waking state, twin-- your Higher Self seems to speak otherwise, and I must believe that alone) and must have a purpose. Let Shiva Himself decide that purpose (and this may take any form which is ok as it will be in accordance with Divine will and therefore dharmic).
I pray today, three years (and so many extraordinary experiences) on from that Shivaratri, that He absolutely ensures that this love (that only He could have created) fulfils His purpose. I truly do (and I know He will not ignore me-- just as He did not ignore the original 'Aparna' (His own other half) after whom I am named). May the will of God be done in entirety with regard to this situation.
Om Namah Shivaya
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
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