Indian holidays. Mahashivaratri is the main holiday in Hinduism.

"Ratri" means "night" in Sanskrit; Shivaratri is the night of Shiva.

Mahashivratri is one of the most significant Vedic festivals.In general, the Shivaratri holiday is celebrated several times a year, but this one is considered the most important, which is why it bears the prefix “maha” - great, main.The festival begins at sunrise on the day of Shivaratri and continues all night long in temples and at home altars. This day is spent in prayers, reciting mantras, singing hymns and worshiping Shiva. Every three hours on the night of Mahashivratri, a large full puja is performed to worship Shiva. P about the tradition throughout the night - every 3 hours - a fire ceremony (yagya) is held in honor of Shiva. In addition to the fire puja, abhisheka, or water puja, is also performed on this night. The Shiva lingam is doused with various nectars and drinks, including necessarily wine, oil, milk and water. Their connection symbolizes bliss and cleansing of the soul from sins.

This is the day when the connection with the relative side of existence is most animated in Pure consciousness, which is symbolized by the marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

It is said that this holiday is a very good time to revive the connection between the relative and the Absolute. The impulse of this day can improve both areas of life: spiritual development and material life, especially in relation to those aspirations in life that are aimed at important achievements and which are difficult to achieve.Shiva is that aspect of Natural Law that overcomes resistance to evolution and development and destroys ignorance on the path to pure knowledge.

The Puranas reveal the history and significance of this festival.

One day, when everything in all the worlds was absorbed by Shiva, nothing was present in that darkness, Parvati worshiped Lord Shiva with great devotion. Parameshvara (Shiva), satisfied with Her prayer, decided to reward Her. She asked for the benefit of all creatures: that in the future, whoever worships the Lord on the day of Shivaratri with devotion, everyone should be awarded Moksha - final liberation, enlightenment. When Brahma and Vishnu were arguing among themselves: “who is the greatest,” Shiva appeared before them like a pillar of fire. They could not find the beginning and end of this pillar. Then Brahma and Mahavishnu repented for their mistake and asked Shiva to forgive them, and began to worship the Shiva Linga, which is one of the forms of flame. On the night of Shivaratri, Shiva appeared before them and blessed them. Therefore, devotees of Shiva turn to him throughout the night of Shivaratri by performing Abisheka, chanting mantras and performing other holy acts.

There are many stories about the greatness of this day. According to one of the most popular legends, Shivaratri marks the wedding day of Shiva and Parvati. There is a version that inthat night Shiva performed his Cosmic dance Tandava - a dance that gave rise to the cycle of “creation-preservation-destruction” in the universe. God Shiva, in the ecstasy of dance, gains enormous power and uses it first for creation and then for destruction.With this dance, Shiva maintains the necessary rhythm for the process of creating life.

During this dance, Shiva is represented with 4 arms and with his left leg raised to half of his body. Shiva's right leg, which he holds half-bent, tramples the dwarf Apasmara, the demon of ignorance.In the hands of Shiva are a damaru drum and a flame.The head of the god is decorated with peacock feathers, a crescent moon, a skull, and the Ganges flows in Shiva’s hair.

And here another legend is about Shivaratri from Linga Purana.

One day a man in the jungle was very tired. When evening came, the tiger began to chase him. While running away from the tiger, the man climbed a tree. It was a Bilva tree. The tiger was sitting under a tree, waiting for the man to come down. And the man was sitting on a tree branch and trying not to fall asleep. And in order to drive away sleep and do something, he plucked the leaves of the tree and threw them down; Below under the tree was a Shiva Linga. The whole night passed like this. Shiva was pleased with the fast and puja that the man and the tiger performed without even knowing it. He became very supportive: Shiva gave the man and the tiger Moksha - enlightenment.

In the Shiva temple on the day of Mahashivratri, the lamp on the altar began to burn very dimly. At this time, the mouse, which had come to find its prey, touched the lamp. Thanks to this, the lamp was lit and the altar was well illuminated. Pleased with this, Shiva made the mouse Mahabali the famous king of the asuras.

On this day, the temples are full of people, people come with families, sit around the temple or line up waiting for the opportunity to perform puja. People sing bhajans and Om Namah Shivaya mantra and ring bells to make the atmosphere religious and pious.

Many lamps and garlands are lit in shivmandirs (Shiva temples) and on their grounds, and live brass and percussion bands play in large temples.

All offerings on this night please Shiva, and he blesses everyone who takes part in pujas and spiritual practices.

In the 9th century, the Kashmiri saint poet Utpaldeva, describing Shivaratri, wrote: “When the Sun, Moon and all the stars are simultaneously established, the shining night of Shiva comes, spreading its own radiance.” Kashmiri Pandits usually celebrate Shivaratri for 23 days. First, six days are dedicated to cleaning the house and purchasing items for the Puja. Then 2-3 days are spent in prayer. One day they give gifts; then the Bhairavas are worshiped for two days. One day is reserved for worshiping Shiva. The next day, the oldest person in the family gives gifts to all family members. Then again - the day of worship of Shiva. The next day, prasadam of nuts and rice cakes is distributed. The celebration often continues until Ashtami. The last day, moreover, marks the end of winter; people put on new and better clothes, families get together.

What is asked of Shiva on this day?

But Mahashivratri has special significance for women and sadhus. On this day, Indian women come to ask Parvati (after all, Parvati’s husband Shiva is considered an ideal husband) to give them a successful marriage and beautiful children, as well as family well-being and prosperity in the new year. Sadhus also consider Mahashivratri their holiday, because Shiva is the patron of ascetics, so sadhus drink thandai to the glory of Shiva.

“When the Sun, Moon and all the stars are simultaneously established, the shining night of Shiva comes, spreading its own radiance.” So says one of the main religious texts of Hinduism of the 9th century.

Ritual dances at the Mahashivaratri festival

Shaivism

The great night of Shiva or Mahashivratri is one of the main religious holidays in India. It belongs to the tradition of Shaivism (Shaivism), a direction of Hinduism, which in turn includes many schools, the philosophies of which are often quite different, but at the same time have a common basis - the worship of Shiva as the supreme deity.

It is worth noting that the traditions of worshiping Shiva are strong not only in India itself, but also beyond its borders, for example in Sri Lanka and even in predominantly Buddhist Nepal.

When is Mahashivratri celebrated?

Like other Hindu holidays, the date of Mahashivratri “floats” depending on the dynamic lunar calendar. As a rule, the Great Night of Shiva falls in February-March; the time of celebration also depends on the moon and varies in different latitudes.

According to one of the legends, it was on this night that the wedding of Shiva and Parvati took place, one of the manifestations of the power of God - Shakti, according to another - it was on this day that Shiva performed Tandava - the dance of creation and destruction: two contradictory at first glance but essentially united components of one - any process that can be characterized as birth.

What does the name of the holiday mean?

Maha- is translated from Sanskrit as “great”, “ratri” means “night”. It is interesting to note that the prefix “Maha” itself, which is often used in the names of Hindu holidays, indicates that in addition to the main holiday, there are also its secondary analogues in the form of rituals performed at certain intervals, usually nightly and monthly.

But only once a year, the worship of Shiva has special power.

Devotees throughout the day leading up to the holiday and the following night They fast, pray, meditate and perform japa, that is, they recite special mantras. On this night, the Panchakshara mantra “Namah Shivaya” or its variation “Om Namah Shivaya” sounds throughout India - one of the main mantras of Hinduism (mantra of 5 syllables), dedicated to Shiva.

Each of the syllables of this mantra has a special power. It is believed that its repetition unites all the elements of existence (earth, fire, air and ether) and all the potencies of Shiva (creator-preserver-destroyer-savior) together and returns the soul, captivated by the habitual reactions of the mind “samskaras” to the Absolute.

On this day, it is also customary to drink a special drink “bhang”, the main ingredients of which are milk, almonds and hemp. Contrary to popular belief, this practice (like other practices of Shaivism associated with the use of cannabis) is not used everywhere - “bhang” is usually drunk only by sadhus - leading a strict ascetic lifestyle and dedicating their lives to serving Shiva.

Like any religious holiday, Mahashivratri also has a naive folk form. For example, on this day, married Indian women pray to Shiva for family well-being and prosperity at home, and unmarried women ask for a successful marriage.

This holiday is given particular importance in traditionally Shaivist cities - Varanasi, Gokarna; this should be taken into account when planning a visit to India during the period of its celebration.

February 13th, 2018

On this night, Shiva performed his Cosmic dance Tandava - a dance that gave rise to the cycle of “creation-preservation-destruction” in the universe. God Shiva, in the ecstasy of dance, gains enormous power and uses it first for creation and then for destruction.

With this dance, Shiva maintains the necessary rhythm for the process of creating life.

There are several varieties of Tandava - Ananda-tandava, Rudra-tandava, Tripura-tandava, Sandhya-tandava, Samhara-tandava, Kali-tandava and Uma-tandava. Sometimes the number of tandavas is increased to 9 or even 16.

The most famous is the Ananda Tandava, a dance that symbolizes the five functions of Shiva in their unity: srishti (creation), sthiti (preservation), samhara (destruction), tirobhava (illusion/concealment) and anugraha (mercy).

In Hindu iconography, during this dance, Shiva is represented with 4 arms and with his left leg raised to half of his body.

Shiva's right leg, which he holds half-bent, tramples the dwarf Apasmara, the demon of ignorance.

In the hands of Shiva are a damaru drum and a flame.

The head of the god is decorated with peacock feathers, a crescent moon, a skull, and the Ganges flows in Shiva’s hair.

Sometimes there is a ring of fire around the figure of the god.

THE LEGEND OF THE COSMIC DANCE OF SHIVA

A very interesting legend is associated with the dance of Shiva and Chidambaram.

Once upon a time in prehistoric times, sages rishis lived in the Daruvanna forest. Engaged in mystical practices, they achieved enormous power, but fell into pride and disdained the Gods, not understanding the importance of Sacred grace. Then Shiva and Vishnu decided to show them that human strength and knowledge are worthless without Divine grace. To do this, they decided to use the power of Maya (illusion).

Shiva took the form of a beautiful man, Bhikshatana, and all the wives and daughters of the Rishi lost their heads and fell in love with him.

Vishnu transformed into a beautiful woman dancer named Mohini. Seeing her beautiful dance, they were mad with love and... forgetting about everything, they rushed after her like mad.

When some of the rishis realized what had happened, they became furious and, using spells, awakened powerful magical fire, directing it against Shiva-Bhikshatan.

First, they summoned a tiger from the fire, which rushed at Shiva, but he killed the terrible animal with a smile, tore off its skin and made a loin cloak from it.

Then the rishis sent poisonous snakes at him, Shiva wrapped them around his neck and arms, making them into a necklace and bracelets.

After this, Shiva began to prepare to perform the Cosmic Dance. Two more hands appeared, and a third eye shone between his eyebrows.

Enraged even more, the rishis materialized a ferocious dwarf demon from the fire, but Shiva knocked him down with one foot and used him as a dance floor.

Finally, the rishis sent the magical fire itself so that it would destroy the Great God. Shiva took it in his left hind hand, and from the mantras that the rishis used against him, he made anklets.

After this, Tandava - the Cosmic Dance - began. His gigantic energies threw the rishis to the ground, Vishnu froze in shock, and even Shiva’s wife Parvati was petrified with fear.

But when they saw the smile on God's lips, his rising feet, they felt Divine Grace and achieved realization. And everyone started dancing with him.

Shiva Nataraja - King of Dance

Much later, when many civilizations had changed on Earth, Vishnu reclined on his snake Shesha. Suddenly Shesha felt that Vishnu had become many times heavier. He asked him what happened, and Vishnu replied that he remembered the Cosmic Dance of Shiva, which he witnessed in ancient times and told him this story.

After this, Shesha could no longer think of anything else but the desire to see Shiva dance. Vishnu gave him permission to leave him for some time to fulfill his dream.

Shesha went into deep ascetic meditation (tapas) for many centuries, and when he reached the highest concentration, Shiva appeared before him and said that he could fulfill any of his desires. Shesha replied that he had only one desire - to see the Cosmic Dance.

Shiva replied that this dance could only be performed at a certain time and in a certain place on Earth - at the natural linga in the Tilai forest. Since this is the middle point of the Earth, where its heart center is located - the Lotus Space. The main energy channel (nadi) of our planet passes through this place, it is called Cit Ambara.

To witness the dance, the serpent Shesha had to be born on Earth in a human body under the name Patanjali. When he grows up, he should come to the Tilai forest and, meeting another saint Vyaghrapada there, perform tapas and then perform puja. And then Shiva will appear and perform his dance.

Then, when all this became a reality, the Cosmic Dance began at the lotus pond in the Tilai forest.

In addition to the two saints, it was witnessed by 3,000 hereditary Brahmin priests, the Muvariyavars, who later began to be called Dikshitars. It was they who became the guardians of the tradition of the city of Chidambaram - “The City of the God of Cosmic Dance”.

It was not by chance that they appeared in the forest; the community of these priests has been associated with Shiva since ancient times.

According to one legend, one day they were invited by the Creator God Brahma to conduct worship in heaven. When they went to heaven there were 3000 of them.

Having returned, they counted to check if everything was in place, and there were 2999 of them. Then a voice came from the Sabha and said that the 3000th was Shiva himself.

Dikshitars are a special caste of Brahmins who live in an isolated community and do not marry with anyone from outside. Even marriages with other Brahmins are prohibited.

Now there are about 3,000 of them, together with their family members. Of these, 300 are priests.

The order of the holiday in honor of the great night of Shiva

The festival begins at sunrise on the day of Shivaratri and continues all night long in temples and at home altars. This day is spent in prayers, reciting mantras, singing hymns and worshiping Shiva.

Shaivaites fast on this day, do not eat or drink, and do not even drink Maha Shivaratri prasad. It can only be eaten the next day.

Many Hindus participate in jagran, an all-night vigil, at various Shiva temples across the country.

Saivaites believe that sincere observance of rituals and performing Maha Shivaratri puja all night frees them from all their sins and gives the grace of Shiva in the form of liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

After a ritual bath, preferably in the sacred waters of the Ganges or another holy river, Shaivites put on new clothes. They then proceed to the nearest Shiva temple to offer him traditional milk, water, bilva leaves, fruits, incense, oil lamps, etc. as offerings.

And towards the end of Maha Shivaratri, rivers of milk literally flow from the temples in different directions.

On this day, the temples are full of people, people come with families, sit around the temple or line up waiting for the opportunity to perform puja.

People sing bhajans and Om Namah Shivaya mantra and ring bells to make the atmosphere religious and pious.

Many lamps and garlands are lit in shivmandirs (Shiva temples) and on their grounds, and live orchestras of wind and percussion instruments play in large temples.

What is asked from Shiva on Maha Shivaratri?

Maha Shivaratri has special significance for women and sadhus.

On this day, Indian women come to ask Parvati (after all, Parvati’s husband Shiva is considered an ideal husband) to give them a successful marriage and beautiful children, as well as family well-being and prosperity in the new year.

Sadhus also consider Mahashivratri their holiday, because Shiva patronizes ascetics, so sadhus drink thandai - a cocktail bhang made from milk, cannabis and almonds - in honor of Shiva.

Sequence of worship to Shiva

On this holy night, a large full puja (worship) is performed every three hours. The service begins with an introductory rite - a short prayer and worship of Ganesha (the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati); the deity who removes obstacles, the god of wisdom and intelligence, the giver of success and good luck in any endeavor.

Following this, the 1st will begin - Vaidika Puja (Vedic Puja) to Shiva.

In the Vedic worship of the ancient Aryans, the main thing was the worship not of idols, not of murti (holy images), not of icons, but of the sacred fire, and it is with the lighting of the sacred fire, with a short agnihotra (fire sacrifice, pouring sacrificial oil into the fire) that this puja will begin, in During such sacrifices, ghee is poured into the fire, and branches of a certain tree are thrown in.

Vaidika Puja

In Vaidika Puja, mantras from the Vedas are repeated and exclusively sattvic (having the quality of goodness) offerings are offered.

Prayers during this period of time - from approximately 19.00 to 22.00 - should also be said only with good intentions, no selfish desires or petty material requests.

For example: “Lord! Grant me faith, grant me saving knowledge and a true guru! - such prayers are praiseworthy in this first watch (the first three hours). It is useful at this time to pray for others: “God! Heal all the sick, feed all the hungry, establish peace, prosperity and well-being in our city, village, country, everywhere..." etc.

Linga Puja

During the process of Linga Puja, abhisheka is performed - a continuous, long-term libation of water on the Shivalinga. At the same time, everyone can approach the altar, make dhena mudra over the Shivalingam - the position of the hands, reminiscent of the udder of a cow, and concentrate on those desires and aspirations that they need.

Meanwhile, the priest (priest) pours a continuous stream of water through the fingers of those who approach the Shivalinga.

Rajasika Puja

Closer to midnight, the 2nd rajasika puja will begin. Rajasic means "passionate, active, dynamic."

This puja will be accompanied by mantras from the Puranas and Tantras of the “right hand”. This is the most magnificent service with an abundance of all kinds of offerings and gifts, accompanied by ecstatic singing, joy and fun.

And the prayers here are about prosperity, about wealth, fame, career, with personal (selfish) motivations in the guna of rajas (passion). But this does not mean at all that it is necessary to ask Shiva for something. You can simply praise him, enjoy the very process of worshiping him.

Tamasic puja

The third stage (3rd puja) is tamasic. Here Shiva is worshiped in His formidable aspects along with His consort Mahakali.

And it will begin with an animal sacrifice, after which sacrificial blood will be poured onto the Shivalinga.

Offerings for this puja are also tamasic, heavy: strong drinks, wine, meat, fish, heavy foods, etc.

During this service, prayers and mantras of the “left hand” Tantras are said. Here, spells and prayers are already allowed for Shiva to inflict reprisals on demons, evil spirits, enemies, envious people and ill-wishers.

During this stage, you need to meditate so that everyone who creates problems (for you) in this life is dealt with by the Shivagans (devoted warriors of Shiva):
“Strike my enemy, strike him! Devour, devour! Kill, kill! Drive it out, drive it out!”

But in this situation, the enemy can be not so much a specific person, but also internal enemies, vices and shortcomings.

Thus, donating a coconut (splitting it in front of the altar) symbolizes the breaking of one’s ego (ahamkara) and meditation is aimed at what qualities in oneself a person would like to break into pieces.

Just like a coconut, the human ego has a strong, thick shell, but empty space inside.

Pride and self-importance are as false as a coconut: hard on the outside, but empty and liquid on the inside.

When the sacrificial animal is slaughtered, they meditate: it is the pashu-bhava (bestial nature) in ourselves that is killed, and not the goat, rabbit, rooster - they are only symbols, but our delusion, our ignorance.

At the same time, the soul of the animal, having received the blessing, is reborn in better forms, and the sacrificial meat will be prepared and distributed in the morning as communion.

There is no reliable data regarding the description of tamasic puja. So it is not known whether this ritual is carried out in full in the modern world, or is omitted / replaced by a more humane imitation. It is also not known whether this fully corresponds to the Vedic scriptures, or whether this information has received distortions over time. The following is especially questionable: Vedic culture (Hinduism) presupposes complete vegetarianism (in general, this idea has a broader meaning: the law of ahimsa), then the preparation of a sacrificial animal as a sacrament does not seem possible or logical. Although animal sacrifices were still carried out. For example, Ashwamedha Yagya, described in detail in the ancient epic Ramayana, was introduced by King Dasaratha so that he could have children.

Fourth Puja

The last - 4th puja is associated with the veneration of Shiva as Parashiva (Absolute), located beyond all qualities, names and forms.

What is important here is not so much external veneration as deep meditation and the discovery of inner unity with Shiva.

The time of Brahma Muhurta (muhurta is the time equal to 1/30 of the day, from about 3 to 5 am) - the pre-dawn time, when amazing silence and peace reign in nature, is precisely conducive to such meditation. This is the period between sleep and wakefulness.

It is believed that this time allows one to enter the highest state of consciousness (turiya) and turyatita (a state above turiya), the one that is above thought, above the mind, the one in which the immanent (manifested) consciousness is connected with the transcendental (Absolute, Divine).

The fourth and final puja makes it possible to feel Shiva as the Soul of your soul, as your Higher Self.

Homa (agnihotra, fire sacrifice) will be performed here. Written prayers will be burned in the fire. They can be written in advance or during the service.

The word Shiva has several meanings. Here are some of them. Shiva is the eternal ocean of the Supreme Divine Consciousness, the one God. Shiva is one of the three main gods of the Indian pantheon (the other two are Vishnu and Brahman). Shiva symbolizes one of the three aspects of Divine perfection - the aspect of Divine power (with Vishnu symbolizing Divine love, and Brahman - Divine wisdom). Shiva is the name given to the Force that destroys the Universe at the end of its existence (while Brahman is the Force that creates the Universe, and Vishnu is the Force that maintains its existence). Shiva is the cosmic masculine principle. Shiva is the highest consciousness of man. Shiva is the name given to the force that destroys our delusions in the process of spiritual improvement.

Why is the night of Mahashivratri so significant?

Shivaratri is a favorable opportunity to concentrate the mind on God. Dedicate at least one night to the contemplation of the Lord, excluding all other thoughts and worries.

The reason is the sacred meaning underlying this holiday. This night falls on the night of the new moon. And the moon symbolizes our mind. The Moon is the ruler of Manas or our primitive mind (not to be confused with the intellect). Mind, like a pair of fish playing in a pond and constantly moving. One fish is always looking to the future, the other is always looking to the past. This is how our lives pass, between regrets about the past and worries about the future.

Probably each of us has experienced a state in which the mind is torn apart by many thoughts. It is impossible to stop their running, and worries and fears about the future, constant playback of pictures of the future in the imagination - turns everything inside into a hot desert. Our mind is like a stormy ocean, constantly moving and generating ebbs and flows of thoughts. We constantly conduct internal dialogue, talk and discuss, think, worry. And very rarely there is silence inside us...

So, the ebb and flow of the activity of our mind is controlled by the Moon. On the night of Shivaratri, she disappears from the visible horizon, the mind becomes quiet. His wanderings through the vastness of the future or immersion in the abyss of the past are suspended. We have a unique opportunity to “catch” the moment of the present. Therefore, spend at least part of this night devoting time to your inner world. You can perform your own rituals or use the recommendations in the article “”.

In one of the legends, Shiva promises his help to those who devote this night to spiritual practice - this is its uniqueness and sacred meaning. For this reason, it is recommended to spend this night staying awake in meditation, prayer or spiritual practice. As an aspect of transformation, Shiva helps spiritual seekers overcome obstacles on the spiritual path and experience inner bliss and peace.

Legends of Shivaratri

According to the Puranas, one day two gods from the Hindu Divine Trinity, Brahma and Vishnu, fought each other to prove their valor. The other gods were horrified by the scale of their battle, and asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their struggle, Lord Shiva took the form of a flaming Linga between Brahma and Vishnu and challenged both of them by asking them to measure the giant Linga (symbol of Lord Shiva).

Overawed by its size, Brahma and Vishnu decided that they would each find one edge to find out the superiority of one over the other. Brahma took the form of a swan and flew upward, while Lord Vishnu took the form of Varaha - a boar - and went underground to the lower worlds. Both searched for thousands of miles, but neither could find the end.

On his way up, Brahma approached the Ketaki flower. Exhausted and confused after his efforts to discover the top end of the fiery column, Brahma secured Ketaki's agreement to lie about seeing the top of the column where the flower was located at that time. Accompanied by his accomplice, Brahma appeared before Vishnu and declared that he had indeed found the beginning of the cosmic column.

At that moment, the central part of the column opened, and Shiva appeared in all his splendor. Feeling awestruck, both Brahma and Vishnu bowed before Shiva, recognizing his superiority. Shiva explained to them that both of them originated from himself and then split into three different aspects of divinity.

However, Shiva became angry with Brahma due to his false statement. The Lord cursed Brahma so that no one would ever pray to him. (This legend explains why there are so few Brahma temples in India.) Lord Shiva also punished the Ketaki flower for giving false testimony and forbade offering her flowers to the gods during worship.

Since it happened on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Phalguna, when Shiva first appeared in the form of Lingami, this day is very auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivratri, the great night of Shiva. To mark this occasion, devotees of Lord Shiva fast, stay awake and offer their prayers to the Lord throughout the day and night. The Puranas say that worshiping Shiva on Shivaratri gives a person happiness and prosperity. This day is very favorable for spiritual practice, since on such special days any efforts in sadhana bring hundreds of times greater effect than on ordinary days.

Wedding of Shiva and Shakti

One day, Lord Shiva and his consort Sati were returning from the ashram of Sage Agastya after hearing the Rama Katha, or the story of Rama. On the way, they passed through a forest and Shiva saw Lord Rama, who was looking for his wife Sita, who had been kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka. Lord Shiva bowed his head in respect to Lord Rama. Sati was surprised by Shiva's behavior and inquired why he offered his obeisances to a mere mortal. Shiva told Sati that Rama is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. However, Sati was not satisfied with his answer, and the Lord invited her to go and make sure that this was so.

Using her shape-shifting power, Sati took the form of Sita and appeared before Rama. The Lord immediately recognized the true identity of Devi and asked, “Devi, why are you alone, where is Shiva?” After this, Sati came to know the truth about Lord Rama. But Sita was like a mother to Lord Shiva and since Sati took the form of Sita, her status changed. From that moment on, Shiva began to treat her dispassionately and distanced himself from her as a wife. Sati was upset by this change in his attitude towards her, but she remained at Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva.

Later, Sati's father Daksha organized a yajna, but he did not invite either Sati or Shiva there, since earlier there had been a quarrel between them before the court of Brahma. But Sati, who really wanted to take part in the yajna, went there, despite the fact that Lord Shiva did not approve of this idea. To her great grief, Daksha ignored her presence and did not even offer prasad to Shiva. Sati felt humiliated and, as if from a blow, experienced severe pain from such an insult. She jumped into the sacrificial fire and burned herself.

Hearing the news of Sati's self-immolation, Lord Shiva became furious. He picked up Her body and carried it in his arms, beginning to perform the dance of Rudra Tandava, the dance of destruction. He razed Daksha's kingdom to the ground. Everyone was terrified because Shiva Tandava was capable of destroying the entire universe. To appease Lord Shiva, Vishnu divided Sati's body into twelve pieces and threw them on the ground. Those places where Shakti's body parts fell became Shakti Peethas, including Kampur Kamakhya in Assam and Vindhyavasini in Uttar Pradesh.

Left alone, Lord Shiva devoted himself to severe penances and retired to the Himalayas. Sati took rebirth as Parvati in the family of the God of the Himalayas. She performed penances to disrupt Shiva's meditation and attract his attention. It is said that Parvati found it quite difficult to disturb Shiva's meditation, and she asked for help from Kamadeva, the God of Love and Passion. Kamadeva asked Parvati to dance in front of Shiva. As Parvati danced, Kamadeva shot his arrow at Shiva, interrupting his penance. Shiva was very angry and, opening his third eye, turned Kamadeva into ashes. And only after the prayer of Rati, Kamadev’s wife, Shiva agreed to resurrect him.

Later, Parvati performed severe austerities to win Shiva. Through her devotion and support of the gods and sages, Parvati, also known as Uma, was eventually able to seduce Shiva to give up his austerities and marry her. Their wedding was solemnly celebrated the day before Amavasya, in the month of Phalguna. This day of divine union of Lord Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as Mahashivratri every year.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA!

Shiva is the invisible source of all creation, as well as the root cause of all delusions in various worlds. Shiva is also known as Alinga (incomprehensible).

The night from February 13 to 14, 2018 is called “Mahashivratri” or the Great Night of Shiva, the time of liberation from suffering and the bonds of the mind.

In one of the Vedic legends, the Lord promises his protection to everyone who devotes the night of Shivaratri to spiritual practice. This promise sets the night of Maha Shivaratri apart from all other nights. By emphasizing the aspect of transformation, Shiva helps to overcome obstacles on the path and experience inner bliss and peace. This is a great time for self-development and changing your destiny.

Special significance of the night of Mahashivratri

Om Digambaraya namah - Om, bow to the sky-clad one

Shivaratri is the best time for prayers and rituals that will help overcome or understand the cause of psychological, spiritual or material obstacles that lead to suffering and lack of freedom.

Any spiritual practice, any aspiration directed towards God, the beginning of sadhana or fasting, like seeds planted in favorable “soil”, will give good results during the coming year.

Mahashivratri is also a new moon night. The Moon symbolizes the mind and is the ruler of "manas" - the restless, primitive mind (not to be confused with the intellect). Our mind is constantly subject to desires, but even having achieved what we want, it rarely receives satisfaction.

Surely you have more than once experienced a state of “active mind” that leads to exhaustion, depriving you of sleep and peace. Sometimes it seems impossible to stop the movement of thoughts, and worries and fears about the future or constant replaying of pictures of the past in the imagination turns everything inside into a hot desert.

Our mind is like a stormy ocean, constantly moving, generating ebbs and flows of thoughts. We constantly conduct an internal dialogue: we talk, discuss, think, worry. There is very rarely silence within us.

On the night of Shivaratri, the Moon completely disappears from the sky, and the mind controlled by the Moon becomes silent. His wanderings are suspended. On the night of Shivaratri, a unique opportunity appears to “catch” the moment of the present.

How to spend the night of Mahashivratri

Om Apavargapradaya namaha - Om to the Giver of liberation

Topics for working on yourself

• Achieving liberation
• Achieving peace of mind
• Contemplation of the divine image in the heart
• Getting rid of destructive habits
• Getting rid of mental and psychological problems
• Overcoming obstacles to spiritual practice
• The beginning of a spiritual practice that you will practice throughout the year.
• Transformation of the area of ​​life that you would like to change.
• First of all, this is a post. There are several post options, you can choose the one that is most convenient for you.

Post on "Mahashivratri"

To fulfill what you want or to free yourself from desires (whatever you like best), during the period of “Mahashivaratri” one fasts, does not eat or drink (you can’t watch TV either, this day can be spent without a computer, this is a good fast for a modern person), it is recommended to abstain from intimate relationships and maun a (silence).

Form an intention, write on a piece of paper a problem that you cannot solve on your own. To fulfill this intention, you will fast on the night of Mahashivaratri. In addition to a one-day fast, you can start a special fast on this day - for 108 or 9 Mondays (without gaps) you need to abstain from food and recite the mantra to Shiva. Begins on the night of “Mahashivartari” from February 13th to 14th, the next post is on February 19th, etc.

Traditional fasting- You can drink water, but you cannot eat food from sunset on February 13th until dawn on February 14th. On February 13th, you can eat one meal, before sunset in your city.

• The fast begins at sunset on February 13 and lasts until sunrise on February 14 (fasting starts on February 13, 2018 at 5:29 p.m. and ends on February 14, 2018 at 7:56 a.m. for the 3rd time zone). For other time zones, see the sunrise and sunset calendar in your city (information is available on the Internet).

Strict fasting- if your health allows, you can keep a strict fast (without water and food).

• It lasts from 02/13/2018 (the beginning of the fast at sunset in your city) - 02/14/2018 (22:16) - the end of the fast.

Shiva is the patron of ascetics, so this night suggests that you give up any attachment, even if only for a while. If you cannot give up food, you can take a vow of silence, give up an addiction or a favorite product (for example, do not eat canned foods or sweets. You may be prone to fits of anger and are rude to other people, give up aggression on this day and spend the day in peace. Breaking fast is eating. prasada, food that you offered to the Higher Powers as a gift.

Mahashivaratri rituals to improve your life

He, Rudra, is the only object of meditation for achieving all results (sarva-siddhi).

In addition to fasting, you can perform a small ritual on this night. You will need:

• red flower
• Milk (do not use milk from a tetra pack, it is better from a package or “from your grandmother”).
• New mug without a design, choose the most beautiful one in the store. The main requirement is that the mug must be new and without a picture. Then you will be able to use it, and it will become your amulet for this year.
• Fruits
• Candle
• Incense
• A place for an altar if you don't have a permanent one.

Find a place for the altar in advance. If you do not have a permanent altar, you can build one in a window or any other convenient place, without your feet pointing towards the altar while sleeping.

On the evening of February 13, after you have completed all your business, take a bath and put on clean yellow or white clothes. Place flowers and fruits on the altar. Light incense and candles. Open the bag of milk and, pouring it into a mug, read the mantra “OM NAMAH SIVAYA” 3 times. Place the mug on the altar. During this sacred night (from 13 to 14 February) milk will acquire healing properties amritas(drink of immortality), and the mug will become your amulet. Throughout the year, the mug will work like a battery, filling you with energy and peace. If you have any difficulties or health problems, you can drink tea from a mug. Going out onto the balcony and reciting the mantra “OM NAMAHA SHIVAYA”, sprinkle a few drops of milk in the air (touch the milk only with your right hand). Drink the rest of the milk yourself or divide it among family members, it gives healing and a boost of energy.

The direction of my life

If you are not a fan of reading mantras or a supporter of meditation, perform a simple ritual of getting rid of obstacles. Having laid out everything on the altar, sit in a comfortable position and think about your life. Where are you going and what would you like to achieve in life? What prevents you from doing this, write about it. Turn in prayer to the Higher powers with a request to help you get rid of your own illusions that prevent you from seeing the right solution or do not allow you to resolve problems. Then go out onto the balcony and burn this piece of paper. The ashes must be scattered into the air, since sacred ashes or vibhuti one of the attributes of Shiva.

May the divine vibration of this night help us all find well-being, find our path, and give us the strength to walk this path to the endless radiance of divinity.

For health and victory over diseases (physical and psychological)

Repeat throughout the day