Om Namasivaya

Significance of Maha Sivarathri:

by Panchamee Hewavissenti

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The beginning of the year 2008 was marked with the great spiritual and cultural precursor - Thai Pongal, one of the greatest cultural and religious festivals marked on the top of the calendar right after two weeks of the beginning of the new year.

The third month of the calendar doesn't remain insignificant for Hindus to uplift themselves with spiritual blessedness, engaging in religious and cultural observances.

Here comes another great spiritual festivity on March 6, Maha Sivarathri - the great night dedicated to Lord Siva, who is Supreme to Hindus. Maha Sivarathri is celebrated to mark the day on which Lord Siva consumed Alakala Visham -the deadly venom to save the world. It is also believed that on that day Lord Siva got married to Parwati.

According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Maha Sivarathri falls on the 14 day of the dark half, Maasi, from February to March. The night prior to the new moon day, of every month has a special importance.

The new moon day is called Amavasya day according to the lunar calendar. When we look in to Hindu mythology, twelve nights of the year, one night each month is believed that goddess Parvathi incarnates a mortal to worship her spouse Lord Siva.

Among all these 12 nights there is a very special night, the one that falls in the month of Maasi is considered the most important day to venerate Siva that is Maha Sivarathri. Many interesting connotations around Mahasivarathri are weaved in Hindu mythology.

Once there was a controversy between deities Vishnu and Brahma about their supremacy. Lord Siva tried his best to sort out that dispute by becoming a huge fire - Amalagni.

He asked Brahma and Vishnu to find out his head and feet. Taking the form of a swan, Brahma went in search of Siva's head and Vishnu in the form of a huge boar, dug the earth to discover Siva's feet. Neither of them was able to do that.

When Brahma went in the search, Ketaki flower -Thazhamboo in Tamil, misled him to locate Siva's head. This triggered Siva's ire and he cursed the flower to be the abode of a cobra. Then the flower fathomed its folly and asked pardon.

Siva pardoned the flower and let it be used for his deification only on the Maha Sivarathri day. Eventually the other two counterparts of the trinity accepted their defeat and prayed to Maheswara. They were anyway blessed by Parameswara, and were asked to continue their duty - creation and protection without fighting over supremacy.

The auspicious one

The name Siva, bears the meaning of auspicious one. Siva, the destroyer is considered one of the principal deities of Hinduism and part of Hindu trinity including Brahma - creator and Vishnu - preserver. It is also believed that the three spikes of the trident which Siva holds in hand depicts three fold qualities of nature - creation, preservation and destruction.

One of the conspicuous attributes of Lord Siva is the coiled cobra around his shoulder and the neck. Hindus believe that it symbolises Hindu dogma of reincarnation.

Cobra's natural process of malting skins denotes of human soul's transmigration of bodies from one life to another.

Maha Sivarathri rituals

Those who have invincible faith in Lord Siva are called Sivaities. Sivaities all over worship and glorify Lord Siva on that distinctive and sanctified night of Maha sivarathri. Devotees do not waste that auspicious night sleeping, because virtues of that significant night are immense.

Devotees throng at temples dedicated to Siva on Maha sivarathri.

They pray and invoke blessings from Lord Siva with utter certainty that the Lord will bestow on them a merriment life with spiritual purification. On Maha sivarathri day, in addition to these six time rituals, four special rituals will be conducted starting from 11.30. p.m. to 4.00 a.m. The wee hour is the time for Lingodhbhava (birth of linga). At 4.30 a.m. the Lord will be taken to Palliyarai - the rest room in a shrine dedicated for deities.

Devotees keep vigil in order to get blessing from Lord Siva because they believe that Siva grants their wishes they make on Maha Sivarathri. Devotees will engage in religious observances among them the most prominent practice is bathing 'Siva Lingam' every three hours chanting "Om Namasivaya". They use milk, curd, honey and rose water to bathe 'Sivalingam'.

They offer sacred betel leaves where the goddess of prosperity - Luxmi, is believed to reside. The house of a devotee can be seen shining with great spiritual atmosphere on Maha Sivarathri day.

Hymns can also be heard which produce an euphonious melody. Hindus believe that he who utters the names of Siva such as Mahesh, Parameswara, Shankar, Bholenath, Neelakanth, Shambu Kailashehwar, Umanath, Natraj etc, with absolute adoration will be freed from all sins. He is also believed to reach the abode of Siva and live there with perfect devotion and exult. The person will be released from the wheel of birth and death in order to attain the supreme bliss.

The holy Sivarathri night comes to an end with the sunrise and the devotees who observed the night with greater reverence will immerse themselves in the temple tank known as `theertham' ending the vigil and the fast.