SIGNIFICANCE OF SIVARATRI

[Adusumilli Bharathi]

 

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF SIVARATRI

 

 The existence of God or the omnipresent force in creation can be described in two ways: one is the omnipresent force within living beings, and the other, the background force or background consciousness which exists even before and after creation.

The omnipresent force that exists within living beings is known as Vishnu, the one force that exists in different forms. At the end of creation, living beings disintegrate and merge with the one background consciousness. This background consciousness is known as Siva. The concept of merging with the one exists only to the mind that identifies itself as a separate entity at the time of creation. In fact, the omnipresent force remains as the one even before and after creation. The Moon merges with the Sun on the New Moon day. The day before the New Moon is known as Chaturdasi, the fourteenth phase of the moon, and every fourteenth phase of the moon before the New Moon is known as Masa Sivaratri or Sivaratri that occurs every month.

The last astrological sign in the Zodiac is Pisces. Every astrological year begins with Aries and ends with Pisces. The fourteenth moon phase before the New Moon that occurs in the month of Pisces in known as Maha Sivaratri. On the day of Maha Sivaratri at the stroke of midnight, symbolically a great 'linga' is born which time is known as the time of lingodbhava.

When human beings drop the physical body, they retain the traces of their previous birth in the causal body or linga sarira. The causal body acts as a bridge between two incarnations. Similarly, traces of creation exist in 'Parama Siva linga' when the total creation merges with the omnipresent force to come again into creation.

The deeply spiritual experience of the presence of Siva on the day of Sivaratri can be had by spending the night in worshipping Rudra, the one form of Siva that dwells in the ether (Rodasi). Those beings who have experienced the presence of Siva come out of the causal body or the Linga Sarira to live with the light body or Anthahkarana Sarira. These beings transcend the cycle of birth and death and live in the presence of God, attaining the Eternal Kingdom

Courtesy

Mihira

Regards

Bharathi.