Mahashivratri

February 21, 2020

Shiva at night, Rishikesh, India

Why are we not able to accept mortality with ease? Accepting the ephemerality of life puts one through a test time after time - days, months, years it takes to succeed can vary but it is still a test. Some of the profound words I recently heard said that if mortality was our nature, we would be able to accept it without doubt - but that isn't so! While the mind was still accepting the flow of life and death, Mahashivratri appeared to remind the truth.

Today is Mahashivratri (महा-शिव-रात्रि) - the great night of Shiva. Every lunar month has 2 pakshas (पक्ष) - krishna paksha (dark fortnight, towards new moon - अमावस्या), shukla paksha (bright fortnight, towards full moon - पूर्णिमा). Every krishna paksha's 14th day (चतुर्दशी - day before new moon) is considered as Shivratri. So there are 12 Shivratris in a year. Among these the one in the month of Falgun (फाल्गुन) is called Mahashivratri.

In the common language, this day is considered as the 'wedding' day of Shiva and Parvati. And then it is also considered as the 'birth' day of Shiva. There are many pauranic stories describing the origin of this day. 

Growing up we celebrated Shivratri with fasting on this day and visiting the main Shiva temple in the small town I spent part of my childhood - the Moteshwar mahadev temple. It use to be crowded with visitors from all nearby towns. This was one of those days when everyone in our home would fast. The habit has continued till date. This year I decided to take a day off - a day free from eating, talking, meeting!

Another aspect of Mahashivratri that we saw during childhood was 'Kaanwar' (कांवर) - created from a bamboo stick with cane baskets at both ends. Devotees carry Kaanwar to the holy places like Haridwar where river Ganga flows. Water is brought from river Ganga in cans inside the cane baskets.  People start their journey with their kaanwars long before the Mahashivratri day to travel and get Gangajal (water from river Ganga). They return with the Gangajal before mahashivratri and offer that to Lord Shiva. They travel on foot and by the time they get back home, it is not uncommon to have sores on the soles.

Closing with these words from Adi Shankaracharya's Nirvana Shatakam (निर्वाण षट्कम्) which say, I am none other than Shiva. May you see the truth in you and others. Happy Mahashivratri!

न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जातिभेदः

पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।

न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यं

चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥