Maha Shivaratri with Sri M
"The essence of our consciousness is Shivam. Therefore, when it is said, “Chidananda roopam, shivoham shivoham”, it means that that Supreme reality, whose spark is inside me, is Supreme auspiciousness. I am of the real form of Shiva, which is auspicious all-pervading reality. After midnight, begins a new day. Shiva finishes his dance of destruction. The dance of destruction is actually a renewal, where the old is destroyed and the new takes place. When Shankara, who is the representative form of that Supreme Being, dances this dance of destruction, the Tandava Nritya, it is said that the entire Universe shakes and shivers and everything falls to pieces. This is the renewing and destructive aspect of divinity that you see every day in the outside world and the inner world. When this turmoil takes places within, when the dance of destruction of Shiva takes place in our hearts, then much of the old is destroyed. All the aspects of the ego, are churned up, broken and thrown to bits by the Tandava Nritya. When they are broken to bits, only peace and blissfulness remains, which is the essence of consciousness."
Inner significance of Shivaratri
On the Shivalinga, water should always be dripping from the top, as a constant abhisheka is going on. The real meaning of this, according to Raja Yogis, is that inside the sahasrara chakra, in the center is the point which is called, the “Brahma randra” – the door way of the Brahman. When one enters through that, one comes face to face with that which we call Shivam – the lingam. In the highest state of meditation, amrita drips on to that linga constantly. And what the yogi tastes is the nectar that flows down. Anyone who has touched the amrita, even a drop of it, or a half a drop of it, becomes so intoxicated and filled with the joy of Shivam, that nothing else is an attraction to him.
It doesn’t mean he needs to run away from the world. He could continue to be in the world but he realizes that he is free of all this and is a part of that all-pervading Shivam.
All this is the inner significance of Shivaratri.
So, the auspiciousness that we seek, the Shivam that we seek, is to be sought inwardly. And the destruction that takes place is our connection to the outward. This is the dance of Shiva.
Shiva & Shakti
Shiva sitting cross legged, with his eyes closed is the symbol of the yogi in meditation.
The snake that sits around Shankara is the ancient symbol of wisdom. The symbol that signifies the tremendous energy called Para Shakti. It’s also called Kula Kundalini, Bhavani, Tripura Sundari, who lies latent, coiled without action in most people, in the Mooladhara. And the whole of the process of awakening, the experience of the night of Shiva, is the awakening of that energy. And it’s a gradual progress through the different chakras, till it reaches the Sahasrara chakra and becomes one with that supreme Shivam.
Shivam is nowhere other than in our own system. From our point of view, Varanasi, where Shiva sits, is the point between the eyebrows. Where the Varuna and the Asi River flow and join together. From there, it is but one step to Nirvana.
So this is the significance of Shivaratri.
Guru Dakshina / Offerings
Please note that all contributions are purely voluntary.
To Contribute, please click on this link
(Choose Guru Dakshina from the list)
OR
Cheques can be drawn in favour of ‘The Satsang Foundation’ and sent to the following address. Please write Guru Dakshina / Maha Shivaratri Event on the back of the cheque.
The Satsang Foundation
No.33/5, 2nd Floor, Mount Kailash Building,
Meanee Avenue Road, Ulsoor,
Bengaluru 560042
Telephone number: +91-80-25480062
Explore
Global Dialogue on Water Scarcity and Sustainable Water Management at C20 Conclave Steered by The Satsang Foundation
The urgent issue of water scarcity and sustainable water management took centre-stage at the C20 Conclave hosted by The Satsang Foundation in Pune, India.
Join C20 Conclave: Revival of Rivers and Water Management on 11 March 2023 at 9.15 am IST
The Satsang Foundation is delighted to invite you to join global leaders in civil society, policy making, academia, and industry at the C20 Conclave to address the urgent issue of water scarcity and share innovative solutions for sustainable water management in the face of climate change.
AKAM Celebrations mark high point of Manav Seva : Beyond Barriers
On the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, The Satsang Foundation marked the high point of a series of initiatives to help prisoners across India to free their minds and embark on a journey of inner transformation through yoga to coincide with the 150th birth anniversary of one of its most illustrious freedom fighters, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh.
Breaking Barriers across 11 Indian Prisons
Sri M led celebrations of the International Yoga Day on June 21st this year, by inaugurating the ‘Manav Seva – Beyond Barriers’ initiative at the Poojapura Central Jail, Thiruvananthapuram (TCJ) with a yoga session for 50 inmates.
The Sacred Grove : Centre for Exploring Consciousness
One may wonder how a Goshala, farming, and tree plantation are going to integrate with a library and wellness center at a Center for exploring consciousness!
The Indian Express | In PM’s work, echoes of a Maratha queen’s legacy
Since my early years, I have been seeking the “truth”, the “eternal” and the power of spirituality. In my quest for truth and enlightenment, I choose the Himalayas as my abode.