by sadhguru
The night before Amavasya or Amavasya in every lunar month is called Shivaratri. Of the twelve Shivratris occurring in a calendar year, the one that falls in the lunar month of Magha in February–March is called Mahashivratri as it is the most powerful of the twelve Shivratris.
Add Zee News as favorite source
The importance of Mahashivratri is seen in many ways in the tradition. For those who live in family situations, Mahashivratri is celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Shiva. For ambitious people, it is the day when Shiva conquered all his enemies. For the ascetics, this is the day when he becomes one with Kailash – he becomes like a mountain, absolutely silent. After living in meditation for millennia, one day, all movements stopped in him and he became completely silent. Therefore, ascetics observe Mahashivratri as a day of peace.
If seen scientifically, the importance of Mahashivratri is that on this day, especially in the northern hemisphere of the planet, the position of the planets is such that there is a natural surge of energy in the human system. It was to utilize this surge that we established this tradition of an all-night festival. A basic principle of this night-long celebration is to ensure that you remain awake and keep your spine straight so that this natural surge of energy can find its way. If you lie down on Mahashivratri at the time when the energies are trying to move upward, you will be obstructing them.
Energy, Perception and the Third Eye
No matter what work you’re doing, your ability to succeed doesn’t depend on how much information you have in your head. It basically depends on how clearly you understand the situations. Right now, our education systems have become such that we are flooding people with information and blocking perception with all kinds of ideas, teachings and philosophies.
What we call Shiva is nothing but the embodiment of ultimate realization. Shiva is always called Trimbak because he has a third eye. The third eye does not mean that someone’s forehead cracked and something came out. It simply means that another dimension of perception has opened up. Both eyes can see only what is physical. If I just cover them with my hand, they can’t see beyond that. How limited they are. If the third eye opens, it means that another dimension of perception, which looks inward and sees life in a completely different way, has opened and everything that can be seen can be seen.
Knowing in this tradition does not mean reading books, listening to someone or gathering information from here and there. To know means to open a new perspective in life. Therefore, if true enlightenment is to occur, your third eye must be opened. If your perception is to evolve and expand itself, the most important thing is that your energy itself must evolve and expand. The whole process of yoga is to develop and refine your energy in such a way that your perception increases and the third eye opens.
Mahashivratri is an opportunity for you to take your perception up at least a notch. This is an opportunity to not get caught up in the thoughts, feelings, or conclusions you have drawn about life. This is what Shiva is about and this is what yoga is about. It is my wish and blessings that you ride this bulge and utilize this wonderful gift that nature offers us on this day.
Sadhguru, ranked among the fifty most influential people of India, is a yogi, mystic, visionary and New York Times bestselling author. Sadhguru was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award for exceptional and distinguished service. He is also the founder of the world’s largest mass movement, Conscious Planet – Save Soil, which has impacted over 4 billion people.