Vijay Wali
On the thirteenth dark night of Phaguna, falls the auspicious occasion of the Great Night of Shiva “Maha Shiv Ratri. Shiv Ratri has great religious significance for Hindus and is celebrated throughout India with great religious giety symbolizing Great Ancient Indian culture and nationalism. People of diffierent regions celebrate this occasion according to their respective traditions and beliefs. Masses throng Shivalayas and Shiv Temples on this day and worship Lord Shiva in ancient and natural shrines associated with him.
It is said that worshipping Lord Shiva on Shiv Ratri has great merits and one who worship him with a pure heart and devotion is salvaged from the cycle of birth and death. Lord Shiva is known to be perinial ‘Amarateshwara’ and has powers of bestowing the ‘Amrita’, the nector of imortality of true knowledge to save a being from the dark death of ‘Ignorance’ or ‘Agyana’.
‘Shiv’ means auspicious bestower of blessings. He as ‘Parama Shiva is Absolute Truth, omnipresent in all existant or non-existant what so ever, limit less, infinite, beyond shape, form or human concept. He is known through his characteristics, the ‘Shakti’ with whom he is in unison, his own power, the beauty of which he enjoys, generating his playful interest in running this universe, which creates life.
Pratibhinjana School of Thought of Kashmir Shaivism symbolizing the ancient ascendence of human thought says that this whole universe is the reflection of Param Shiva and is as real as this Param Shiva himself. It is not an illusion ‘Maya’ but the form of truth, the ‘Shakti’, an in-seperable part of Shiva itself.
According to scriptures to sanitize the true concept of the human thinking the absolute Reality ‘Param Shiva’ out of his own will appeared in form of ‘Swam-bhu’ who came to be known as Shambu, Shiv Shambu, Mahadeva and Mahesha etc. The lord for humans came to be known as ‘Dev Aadi Deva’ the augmating God of Gods.
As the human brain strived to come more closer to the philosophical aspects of life and universe the concepts realized three characteristics of the God, creation, sustenance and destruction, which got attributed to three forms Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara of the lord. But out of them Maheshwara Shiva is ancient presiding diety who opted for the culminating duty of the universe in order to facalitate fresh creation for betterment of all. The appearance and dress of this form also points towards its worship since times immemorial.
‘Mahadeva’, Maheshwara, Shankra addressed with thousands of names by devotees is popularly called ‘Shiv Ji’ who rides a Bull, which is an ancient auspicious religious symbol of many cultures of world is also representation of agriculture growth and power. He wears costumes of a primitive man consisting of animal hide showing his antiquiety and that of the human belief. Shiva resides in snow bound Himalayas signifying the Nature. He has an garland of Naga Vasuki around his neck. The snake around his neck signifies the viciousness of the world we live in. He has a Trident in his hand the points of which represent command over three aspects of birth, life and death, Shiva has a third eye on his forehead which shows he sense of knowing everything and whatever is unknown. River ‘Ganga’ fountains up from his hair locks which actually is representation of his being fountainhead of knowledge. There is a small drum ‘Damru’ attached to his trident which symbolizes the rythem of life and sound which is supposed to be originating factor of this universe named ‘Shabad Brahm after it. His meditating pasture shows his perennial sustence. His consort Uma or ‘Parvati’ by his side is representation of Mother Nature which has the power of giving birth to new life forms thus keeping the clode of sustenable moment ticking. Normally there happen to be many Shiv Ratris around the year and every thirteenth dark moon is considered to be a Shiv Ratri but Maha Shiv Ratri of Phagun Krishan Paksh Triyodashi is considered to be great and auspicious of all as it is on that day many playful activities or ‘Shiv Leelas’ have come to fore on this very particular day. The prominent among these miracles of Lord Shiva is forming of the ‘Jyotir Linga’ as he appeared in form of a pillar of light. Scriptures say that it was on the night of Shiv Ratri, Shiva in order to express his absoluteness showed his limitless perennial form.
According to the story behind this, Brahma and Vishnu once had a tiff over their being the supreme. Both of them considered themselves superior over each other. As the discussions and decisions remained inconclusive they finally decided to ask Lord Shiva opinion. Shiva seeing their arrogance, formed himself as a Jyotir Linga and ordered both of them to find its beginning and end, Shiv Ji declared that one who finds his ‘Adi’ or ‘Ant’ will be installed as Supreme Diety of the universe. Vishnu who was a great devotee of Shiva asked the permission of find the feet of Jyotir Linga, but Brahma because of his arrogance by virtue of his thinking he is very learned, out of proud marched to find head of Shiva. It is said the sacred, Jyotir Linga spread in all three plains or ‘Lokas’ of universe and still there was no visible end or beginning of the pillar of light. Brahma and Vishnu exhausted themselves but were unable to find any end of the ‘Jyotir Linga’.
Finally Vishnu came back and submitted that he has failed to find tail of the light pillar. But due to false pride, Brahma thought of deceiving Vishnu and Shiva by arranging false witnesses of ‘Kartika’ flower and cow that he has found the upper end of the pillar of light. When Brahma with his witnesses claimed that he has found the tip of pillar. Shiv Ji asked the Kartik Pushpa if it is true, the flower replied in affirmative.
The Lord then asked the Cow, who wedding her head saying ‘yes’, wagged her tail saying ‘no’ with it. Shiv Ji Maharaj who is the lord of these worlds became angry and cursed Kartic Pushpa that it will not he used for worship as a punishment for telling a lie. He also punished cow by saying that her head with which she gave false witness, will ensure dirt through mouth, but as she told the truth by waging her tail it will he now worshiped by the Devotees. Brahma also in the course was punished as it is said that out of his four faces, the one which spoke be was cut off as his powers were reduced to bare minimum by Shiva. Vishnu who was a true devotee of Lord Shankra was granted the supreme position by Maheshwara. Since then the occasion of Shiv Ratri is being celebrated as reverance to great Lord of Lords, the Mahadeva. Another significant auspicious incident associated with Shiv Ratri is that the marriage ceremony of Shiva and Parvati was solomonized on this very occasion. It is said that the Shiva and Shakti were married on the same Shivratri day.
It is the matter of great pleasure that our State of Jammu & Kashmir, which is a Dev Bhoomi is closely associated with Shiva legacy.
The ‘Sati’ earlier form of Parvati used to meditate on the famous Sati Sara Lake, which later on was drained to form Kashmir valley, which as a legacy carries on the alternative name of Sati Desa. The famous lower range of Jammu region is called Shivaliks, the abode of Shiva and many legends and Shrines of this region are associated with Lord Shiva.
Further details, reveal that Himalaya Putri Parvati resided in Chenani area of Jammu region and the secluded cave in which she prayed to Shiva is still existant and known as sacred Gauri Kund. Adjacent to it the revered shrine of Shudi popularly known as Sudh Mahadev, where Shiva appeared to save the Parvati from Rakshas or evildoer named Sudhi and beheaded him. Some scores of Kilometers away in that very region, is situated, the sacred spot of Mantalai, where the marriage ceremony of Shiv and Parvati got solemnized.
Shiva is an ancient form of the Supreme absolute form, which is authenticated by various ancient premitive natural cave shrines and places associated with Lord Shiva. As Maheshwara Shiva is considered presiding diety of this region and his shrines include Amarnath Cave housing an Ice Lingam in Pahalgam area of Greater Himalayas, Shiv Khori cave housing natural Lingam in Reasi area, Hari Shwara in Nishat mountain of Zabarwan adjacent to Srinagar, Dhyaneshwara in Bandipur, Harishwara in Khonmoh, Buddha Amar Nath in Poonch, Peer Kho in Jammu, Mahadev in Harwan mounts. All these Shiva Shrines testify the Shiva worship as an ancient and most revered belief and faith of the people.
It is on the occasion of Shiv Ratri people throng Shiv Temples and Shrines as worshippng Shiva an Shivratri is considered to be most rewarding from religious and philosophical point of view.
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