MahaShivratri – the festival of auspiciousness

MahaShivratri – the festival of auspiciousness
This universe is not eternal. It is created; it is sustained for a certain period and it is destroyed to be recreated. The fact remains, everything in this universe is mortal. Modern physicists have also proved that the whole creation comes out of nothing and will go into nothingness. Widespread emptiness is the basis of existence and the fundamental property of the universe. ... This vast emptiness is what we call Shiva. The celebration and remembrance of Shiva is done on Mahashivratri.

Mahashivratri is one of the major festivals in Hinduism, and this festival is solemn and marks a remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and the world.

Scientific relevance:
Astrologically, the gravitational pull of the Moon is maximum on the new Moon and full moon day, resulting in the rise of full body fluid in an upward direction towards the brain. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on 14th day/chaturdashi of Krishna paksha of magha month. Around Maha Shivaratri, the Sun and the Moon are aligned in such a way that the Vata component of our body gets activated. The activity is maximum during this time of the year.

As per Ayurveda, Vata is one of the three constituents of the body, the other two being Pitta and Kapha. Anything related to movement in the body has a direct connection with Vata. Vata directly impacts the following –

1. At the physical level (Sthula), Vata impacts the nervous system, and controls all bodily movement.
2. At a cellular level (Sookshma), Vata “moves” nutrients into the body, and at the same time “moves” the wastes out of the cell.
3. In the natural plan (Karana), Vata helps in retrieving information from the memory, and enables cause and effect analysis.

Even a minor imbalance of Vata drastically affects the points mentioned above. In case of a Vata imbalance, the person will experience issues like lethargy, demotivation, forgetfulness, bad temperament, depressed, aggressive, mood swings and in extreme cases anti-social and suicidal tendencies. A key characteristic of Vata is dryness. Most of us would have noticed that during this time of the year, the body becomes very dry more so during the night.

Medically, the night of Shivaratri is the best time for us to balance the Vata in ourselves. As Yogis, we identify 5 types of Vata - Prana Vata (responsible for inhalation), Apana Vata (responsible for removal of waste), Udana Vata (responsible for exhalation), Samana Vata (responsible for consolidation) and Vyana Vata (responsible for locomotion). If one performs the Vata Kriya during the week of Maha Shivaratri, or at least on that one day, all the above Vatas as cleansed and lubricated. A person with a balanced and cleanses Vata will exhibit a positive behaviour and extrovert, happy, clam and have presence of mind.

Fasting on Maha Shivaratri make you more stable to combat with the effect of moon (religiously/ and scientifically as it is said that moon much like sea effects state of mind).

When celebrated:
Maha Shivratri is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva. It falls on the Chaturdashi Tithi during Krishna Paksha. While Shivratri occurs every month, Mahashivratri is the great night of Shiva that occurs only once a year in the month of Magha.
 
How Celebrated:

1. The celebration includes "jagaran", an all-night prayer because it is believed that all through the night doing japa is like "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in one's life and the world through Shiva. Offerings of fruits, leaves, sweets and milk to Shiva are made, some perform all-day fasting with Vedic or tantric worship of Shiva, and some perform meditative Yoga. "Om Namah Shivaya", the sacred mantra of Shiva, is chanted throughout the day. Devotees praise Shiva through the recitation of Shiv Chalisa.
2. Shiva Linga puja - incorporate following items:
3. Bathing the Shiv Linga with water, milk and honey. Wood, apple or bel leaves are added to, representing purification of the soul;
4. As Bel leaves have the capacity to absorb maximum frequencies of Shiva principle, these leaves are offered to Lord Shiva. The leaves should be offered with their stalks facing oneself and the leaf should be placed upside down on the pindi. When the Bel leaves are offered upside down on the pindi, the nirgun frequencies are emitted in greater amount from them and the devotee is benefitted by it. Bilva (Bel) leaves contain chemical compounds – Furocoumarins and Flavonoids. The Bilva leaves are the preventive medicine for respiratory diseases and cardiac problems.
5. Vermilion paste is applied to the Shiv Linga after bathing it. This represents virtue; (Do not use turmeric and Kumkum. Turmeric and Kumkum represent evolution, hence do not offer turmeric and kumkum to Lord Shiva, who is a Deity of dissolution.)
6. Offering of fruits, which is conducive to longevity and gratification of desires;
7. Burning incense, yielding wealth;
8. The lighting of the lamp which is conducive to the attainment of knowledge;
9. And betel leaves marking satisfaction with worldly pleasures.
10. White rice (Akshata) is offered to Lord Shiva.
11. Nishagandhi, mogra and other white flowers are offered in tens or multiples of ten to Shivalinga. The flowers should be offered with stalks facing towards Shivalinga.
12. Udbatti and Attar: Kevda and Jasmine Udbattis and Kevda attar is used in Shiva puja.
13. Tripundra refers to the three horizontal stripes of holy ash applied to the forehead by worshipers of Lord Shiva. These stripes symbolise spiritual knowledge, purity and penance (spiritual practice of Yoga). They also represent the three eyes of Lord Shiva.
14. Wearing a mala (rosary) made from the rudraksha seeds of the rudraksha tree (said to have sprung from the tears of Lord Shiva) when worshiping Lord Shiva is ideal.
15. When circumambulation of Shivalinga, one should begin on the left-hand side and continue till the channel of the shalunka from where the water offered during the ritualistic bathing (abhishekam) flows. Without crossing it one should complete a circumambulation by moving in the reverse direction upto the other side of the channel (source). This rule applies only if the Shivalinga is installed or created by man; it does not apply to a svayambhu or a chala linga (kept in the house). Lot of energy flows from the channel of Shalunka, which a normal person may not be able to bear if he crosses it repeatedly. Hence, only ardha pradakshina is offered to Shivalinga.
    
16. During the Shri Rudram Shivlinga puja, one invokes the deity within him before they can pray to the deity outside them (the process is called Anganyas). The person performing the puja offers flowers to all the gods and then puts some on their own head. This act is done to recognize that there is the energy of Rudra in themselves. Only after the invocation of Rudra in oneself, one becomes eligible to perform the Rudra Puja.
    
17. After Anganyas, the abhishekam (worship) of the Shiva Lingam is done with the panchamrut. The elements of the panchamrut represent the pancha-tattvas (the five elements of which the universe is made - space, air, fire, water, and earth). Shivalinga itself is the symbol of this existence, including all manifest and unmanifest universe. All the tattvas in this existence are pacified by offering the five components of the panchamrut. These components are - milk, curd, jaggery, honey, and ghee. Offering a mixture of these five over a Shivalinga is symbolic of pacifying the five elements across the existence. It is the harmony within these five elements that allows peace to pervade. So, the Shri Rudram is not done for the benefit of self because worshipping a Shivalinga is like worshipping the entire existence. Since Vedic times, it has been known that Rudra Puja is the most powerful tool to bring peace in the environment.
    

Why Celebrated – Spiritual Significance:
Different legends describe the significance of Maha Shivaratri. According to one legend, this is the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. The chanting of hymns, the reading of Shiva scriptures and the chorus of devotees joins this cosmic dance and remembers Shiva's presence everywhere. According to another legend, this is the night when Shiva and Parvati got married. A different legend states the offering to Shiva icons such as the Linga is an annual occasion to get over past sins if any, to restart on a virtuous path and thereby reach Mount Kailasha and liberation.
 
Shiva Purana, chapter 6 has explained the creation of universe. Brahma ji explained to sages that at the ti
me of Great Dissolution, all the mobile and immobile objects of the world were dissolved and no celestial body existed. No demarcation of the day and the night existed.  There was no fire, no wind, no earth and no water. There was no unmanifest primordial being. The whole firmament was one complete void. The manifest form of the formless Being is Shiva. Isvara then created the physical form Shakti from his body. This Shakti is called by various names - Pradhana, Prakriti, Maya, Guṇavati, Para. Shakti is the mother of Buddhi Tattva (The cosmic Intelligence), the mother of material world.
 
In Vidhyeshwara Samhita (First Samhita) of Shiva Purana, it is mentioned that in the first cosmic cycle (kalpa) Shiva assumed huge column of fire to decide the superiority between Brahma ji and Vishnu ji. But neither of two could find the upper or lower end of the huge column. Finally, Shiv ji came out of the column of fire and took visible form and declared, “O dear Vishnu, I am pleased with you, as you strictly adhered to the truth in spite of your desire to be supreme. Hence among the general public you will have footing equal to mine. You will be honoured likewise. Hereafter, you will have separate from me having separate temple, installation of idols, festivals and worship.” Brahma and Vishnu, both adored Shankara. Shiv Ji said, “he is delighted with the worship on this holy day. Henceforth this day will be famous as Shivratri. He who performs the worship of my phallic emblem and embodied image on this day will be competent to perform the task of creation and maintenance. The devotees who will observe fast on Shivratri during day and night, he shall restrain sense organs. He shall adore to the extent of his strength. He shall not deceive anyone. Fasting, worship of phallic emblem and festivities on the day bring ample results including liberation.”    

Those with worldly ambitions see that day as the day Shiva conquered all his enemies.