Mahashivratri, also known as “The Great Night of Shiva,” is a holy night for Hindus. Mahashivratri is a great opportunity for us to learn more about ourselves and the world around us, according to Sadhguru.
There used to be 365 festivals celebrated in a year in Indian culture. As a matter of fact, they were simply looking for a reason to celebrate every day of the year. These 365 celebrations were held for a variety of causes, and for a variety of objectives in life. A variety of historical events, military triumphs, and everyday occurrences like as sowing, planting, and harvesting were to be celebrated. There was a celebration for every scenario. Mahashivratri, on the other hand, has a special importance.
What is Mahashivratri and Why it is Celebrated?
In India, Mahashivratri, or “The Great Night of Shiva,” is the most important festival in the year’s religious calendar.
Shivratri occurs on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, the day before the new moon. Mahashivratri, the February-March occurrence of all twelve Shivratris in a year, is the most spiritually significant. When the northern hemisphere of the earth is aligned correctly, a person’s energy levels naturally rise. On this day, nature is urging you to reach your highest spiritual level. To take advantage of this, we’ve organised a nightlong event in this tradition. In order to enable this natural rush of energy to find their course, it is essential that you keep your spine upright during the whole night.
Importance of Mahashivratri
For those seeking enlightenment, Mahashivratri has a special place in their hearts. Families, as well as the world’s most aspirational individuals, should take note. Mahashivratri is celebrated as Shiva’s wedding anniversary by those who are married and have children. Those with aspirations for the material world consider that day to be the day on which Shiva defeated all of his foes.
In other words, for the yogis, it is the day he became one with Mount Kailash. He took on the appearance of a mountain, standing perfectly motionless. Shiva is not revered as a deity in the yogic tradition, but rather as the Adi Guru, the original Guru from whom the philosophy of Yoga was developed. He had been meditating for millennia when all of a sudden he was still. Mahashivratri falls on that day. As a result, ascetics refer to Mahashivratri as the Night of Stillness since it marks the end of all activity in him.
Spiritual Significance of Mahashivratri
Legends aside, the significance of this day and night in the yogic traditions is due to the spiritual opportunities it offers. They are trying to show to you that everything you know as life, everything you know as matter and existence, and even the universe and galaxies are all simply one energy that expresses itself in millions of ways.
Every yogi can attest to this scientific truth. To be a “yogi” is to have attained enlightenment about the unity of all things. When I use the word “yoga,” I’m not referring to a specific method or set of practises. Oneness in existence is yoga, and every craving for this realisation is yoga. The night of Mahashivratri provides a chance for this.
Shivratri – The Darkest Night of the Month
Shivratri, the darkest day of the month, occurs on this day. Shivratri is celebrated on a monthly basis, with Mahashivratri being the most significant day. Logic dictates that a person’s natural instinct is to prefer light over darkness. “Shiva,” on the other hand, is a term that meaning “that which does not.” Existence and creation are referred to as “that which is” (that which is). Shiva is “that which is not.” “That which is not” suggests that if you open your eyes and look around, if your vision is focused on the tiniest details, you’ll witness a plethora of creative expression. The largest presence in the universe is a huge nothingness, which may be seen if you have a vision that seeks for the really enormous.
The enormous expanse that houses the galaxies that we name galaxies is typically not recognised by most people. In Hinduism, Shiva refers to this awe-inspiring nothingness. Modern science also demonstrates that everything begins and ends in the same place. Shiva is referred to as the big lord, or Mahadeva, in this sense because he is the immense void or nothingness.
In every religion and every culture, the divine’s omnipresence and all-pervading nature has always been emphasised. A genuinely all-pervading, all-encompassing, and all-encompassing entity may be nothing but darkness, or emptiness.
The divine is often referred to as light when individuals are looking for inner peace. The divine is usually referred to as darkness when individuals no longer desire well-being, when they focus on dissolving as the goal of their devotion and sadhana.
Significance of Shivratri
In your head, there is a flash of light that you can only see. Light is finite because it occurs and then fades away; it cannot exist indefinitely. As far as we know, the sun is the planet’s most powerful source of light. Even the sun’s brightness might be dimmed or obstructed with the wave of a hand. Darkness, on the other hand, has engulfed the whole area. The devil has long been associated with darkness by those who lack maturity. Because only darkness is all-pervading, when you define the divine as all-encompassing, you are clearly referring to the divine as dark. It’s all around you. It doesn’t require any help from anybody or anything to function.
The only thing that can give us light is a dying flame. Beginning and ending are clearly defined. In every case, it comes from a single source. There is no beginning or end to darkness. It’s a source of its own. It is ubiquitous, encompassing, and pervasive. As a result, the word Shiva connotes a sense of nothingness. All creation has taken place in the midst of this enormous nothingness. We call it Shiva because it’s a place of total nothingness.
All the old Indian prayers were not about rescuing oneself, defending oneself, or improving one’s life. Rather, they were all about helping others. God, please demolish me so that I might become like myself in your image. On Shivratri—the darkest night of the month—we have a chance for ourselves and others to transcend our limitations, to encounter the unlimited wellspring of creation that is inside us.
Mahashivratri – A Night of Awakening
That immense nothingness that is the root of all creation, Mahashivratri is a chance and a potential to bring oneself to. Shiva is revered as a destroyer in Hindu mythology. On the other hand, he has a reputation for being the most caring. He is also regarded as one of the most generous people in the world. Shiva’s compassion is well-known in the yogic tradition. At the same time, his kindness has been awe-inspiring and astounding in equal measure. As a result, Mahashivratri is a very auspicious night for giving as well. The enormity of this nothingness, which we refer to as Shiva, is something we want you to experience at least once throughout this night. Be awake, but don’t simply wake up. Let this night be one of awakening in your life!
