Maha Shivaratri in Abheda and India

For ABHEDA

Mahashivaratri means “the sea” or “giant” night of Shiva.

Shiva’s most important night of the year.

But what is it for abheda-yoghini “Shiva’s night”?
It is that night when, because it is very close to the New Moon, it is very easy for us to transcend our conditionings of any kind.

We can also not call it Shivaratri, but only the night of divine transcendence or the night of Infinity.. .

Why the night? Because the night is easier to meditate, to approach our soul.

Human boundaries exist, but appear and intensify (when
manifested) in the mind. Even emotions manifest themselves (on a more refined level) still in the mind.
The substance of human boundaries is the mind.

That’s why these nights called “Shivaratri” are precious.
Because it’s a time when, besides the fact that we can transcend our boundaries, we can know what for some is important, for others it’s not, because they still don’t know that there are– The grace or effect of amplification of spiritual efficiency.

Grace
it is a burning effect of karma, an opportunity to make the transition more easily from ignorance to knowledge, from finite to infinite, from passerby to non-transient.

In our opinion, we can consider every moment, every day of our existence as Shivaratri. All the more so, if there is such an astrological aspect that sustains us in this direction, it is wise to use it, if we can.

What can we do to use this spiritual moment?

Meditation. Any kind of meditation, but especially fundamental meditations

with various aspects of consciousness: atma vidara, meditation give mplification of power and new people, meditation with the present moment, zen meditation, Vypassana meditation, isihast meditation, meditation with AUM, devotional meditation

.

Any kind of mental practice,but especially the practices by which we seek to transcend our limits.

We have the opportunity to do meditation that we direct towards solving one or more problems that we consider important.

Being Mahashivaratri is the most powerful opportunity,the most full of possibilities and opportunities.

It is the night when the one who has an affinity for devotional processes (bhakti) and for the adoration of Shiva, chooses to love no matter how much the eternal male, the yogi of yogis, the master of the universe, the one who cares for and sustains the life and spiritual evolution of any being, better or less good. The one who manifests, who is the very source of grace, and who, in fact, represents this facet of the Infinity within us.

If you choose to enjoy this opportunity, to turn it into real visible effects in everyday life, I wish you success!

Leo Radutz

Maha Shiva Ragri in India at a popular level

It is one of the most important Hindu religious holidays, dedicated to the god Shiva, also having great spiritual value for the Indian people.

MahaShivaratri is the night when the god Shiva is celebrated and worshipped. This event happens every year on the 14th night with the new moon, from the month of Phagun. According to this indene popular belief, the god Shiva, is the one who performed the ritual ‘Tandava Nritya’ during this night.

‘Tandava Nritya’ is a form of divine art and represents the dance of creation, maintenance and destruction, which the god Shiva dances this night, Shiva is also known as Shiva Nataraja Or The God of Dance,and according to legend, the world is created in the multitude of its forms through Shiva’s continuous dance.

The significance of maha Shivaratri

Apart from the significant aspect of Tandava that the god Shiva realized on this holiday, it is said that this is the night when the marriage between him and his counterpart, the goddess
Parvati,
took place. It is said that on this night Parvati prayed fervently for her lover.

Another legend says that on this day, the god Shiva and the god Vishnu had a dispute over the beginning and end of the god Shiva, then Shiva manifested himself in the form of a
“Lingam Cosmic” infinite up and down
to convey that there is neither the beginning nor the end of his being…

According to legend, when Parvati asked his beloved Master Shiva which ritual he preferred more, he proclaimed that the rituals and offerings brought by his devotees on the 14th night of the month of Phagun are the most charming for him.

Rituals of Maha Shivaratri

In the morning, those who worship the god Shiva, get bathed and head to shiva’s temple, to receive his blessing and to offer him offerings.

The offering,
traditional Puja Shiva-Linga,
is performed symbolically with a Shiva Lingam, in which it is soaked with milk, rose water, ghee, honey and sandalwood paste. This Puja (offering) is performed every three hours!

People also makeofferings

of milk, gangaajal (holy water), sticks of tamai, bel leaves, fruits and flowers. Devotees strictly perform all the rituals of Maha Shivaratri, because it is considered to be an auspicious day, for the worship of Shiva and it is also believed that by performing these rituals some of their karma will be burned.

Maha Shivaratri celebrations are performed by married women who pray for the well-being and long life of their husbands.

Also, since Shiva is considered to be an ideal husband, unmarried women pray to receive a husband like him.

Over the night, devotional songs (kirtans) are intoned and lyrics and mantras dedicated to Shiva are recited.

The mantra most often stoned on this day is “Om Namah Shivaya”.

This mantra does not have a direct translation, Namah Shivaya being the holiest name of the god Shiva, found in the teaching of the Vedas.

Na is the mysterious grace of the god,

Ma is the world manifested,

And it representsShiva,

It is his grace revealed and

Ya represents the soul.

The five elements are also embedded in this ancient invocation formula: Na is the earth, Ma is water, And it is fire, You is the air and Ya is the ether or Akasa.

Namah Silaya is considered to have a special power, so that only by his mere intonation, she fully rewards the one who recites it, saving her soul from the bondage of the mind, and repeating it (jpa) makes the wisdom from within pour as a blessing on the one who recites it.

Apart from these rituals, devotees remain on standby throughout the night of Maha Shivaratri being in a permanent state of vigilance.

Black fasting only with water is also recommended, during the whole day before the holiday, as well as during the night; it interrupts the morning of the next day when the devotees can eat the “prasada” orthe offering they have offered to the god Shiva.

Thus ends this grand celebration, dedicated to the god Shiva.