Mahashivaratri means “Great Night of Shiva” or “Night of Shiva,” Lord Shiva is the one who destroys the old and impure to make way for the new creation of the pure and divine. Lord Shiva raises our awareness to keep a check on our egos, attachments, and ignorance. Many people fear Lord Shiva’s destructive power, but it is destruction for regeneration. Life cannot begin again without death. We cannot progress towards God’s realisation unless we destroy old habits, attachments, and ego.
Our “vessel” cannot be filled with divine qualities unless it has been cleansed of all that is old, negative, and impure.
Spirituality may have been at the heart of common man’s lives in Bharat. Still, it captivates many minds, forcing us to consider it beyond our physical and intellectual control. Nonetheless, it has a profound scientific and psychological side that profoundly influences our physical, mental and social being.
As a result, defining the science of Mahashivaratri becomes even more exciting on this occasion.
Energy is the driving force behind all living and nonliving things. Depending on how it is channelled, energy can be used for either constructive or destructive purposes. Raising positive energy levels in the body and directing it like a river that benefits everyone rather than a flood whose energy spreads everywhere, destroying everything. This day is dedicated to Shiva, the ultimate power of Yoga, meditation, and cosmic energy, to achieve the proper balance of energy in our bodies.
According to ancient Indian culture, certain days throughout the year provide better support for diving deep into meditation due to planetary positions.
Mahashivaratri is considered to be very important. The northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way on this night that there is a natural upsurge of energy in a human being, and nature is pushing one towards a spiritual peak. The wobble performed by the Earth around the Sun is celebrated according to the planetary system. The Moon’s gravitational pull is greatest on new and full moon days, causing full body fluid to rise upward towards the brain.
And it has been proven that when the brain receives sufficient oxygenated blood, it performs exceptionally well. Planetary positions also have an impact on the human circulatory system. Because of the planetary alignment, the kundalini energy, which is normally housed in the chakra at the base of the spine, has a natural tendency to rise and reach the chakra at the top of the head on the special night of Shivaratri. It is extremely beneficial to one’s physical and spiritual well-being to remain awake and aware in a vertical position throughout the night.
According to biologists, the transition from a horizontal to a vertical spine was one of the most significant steps in an animal’s evolutionary process. The flowering of intelligence occurred only after this step. Shiva has been described numerous times as the supreme consciousness that transcends the cosmos, infuses everyone, and exists in everyone. Shiva cannot be comprehended or described; Shiva is meant to be experienced rather than comprehended.
The reality we perceive in the large-scale world of matter and forms is created by our consciousness. Quanta or photons are massless, formless particles that fill the macro universe. The term “manifestation” refers to a sensory experience that occurs almost immediately. The ability of human consciousness to manifest space and matter in almost-instantaneous pictures and materialisation demonstrates its power. Shiva is the all-encompassing consciousness that pervades everything.
The Shiva lingam is made of precious metals and exceptional granite. Because of its architecture, the lingam generates cosmic vibrations. Bilva leaves are used as a preventative medicine for respiratory and cardiac problems. We are connected to aromatherapy by inhaling the smell. According to Agama Shastra, the temples are built in a unique architectural style to collect cosmic and geomagnetic energy.
Scientist Fritj of Capra explained the significance scientifically in his book ‘The Tao of Physics,’ as did scientist Aidan Randle-Conde from Belgium and scientist Carl Sagan.
How celebration aids in the purification of the mind and removing toxicity
Our minds are constantly preoccupied with thoughts, which prevents us from relaxing and enjoying the present moment and leads to unnecessary expectations, dissatisfaction, frustration, anger, self-doubt, over-dependence on others, stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and so on. People become addicted to alcohol, smoking, drugs, and other substances to eliminate these unnecessary and uncontrollable thoughts. Because these substances temporarily suppress memories and thoughts, they have significant side effects and pose a health risk. Meditation assists in training the mind to relax consciously while maintaining health.
Indeed, numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that meditation has numerous health benefits. A stress-free and relaxed mind is also far more productive in daily tasks. The ability to make decisions improves as well.
The night of Shivaratri is ideal for balancing the Vata in our bodies. As Yogis, we recognise five types of Vata.
1. Prana Vata is in charge of inhalation
2. Apana Vata is in charge of waste removal
3. Udana Vata is in charge of exhalation
4. Samana Vata is in charge of consolidation
5. Vyana Vata is in charge of locomotion
It is important to note that for Vata to move freely, the main Nadis must be perpendicular to the ground. This is only possible when you are sitting or standing, not sleeping. This is why one needs to stay awake during Shivaratri so that the body is vertical rather than horizontal.
Dual Energy
Parvati, a manifestation of the Divine’s feminine aspect known as Shakti (creative and energetic potency), and Shiva, a masculine aspect, represent the dynamic union that sparks creation. The masculine and feminine energies exist in the Divine consciousness and each individual. Apart from commemorating Shiva and Parvati’s marriage, Maha Shivaratri is a day to recognise the importance of each of these energies in our lives.
Be gratuitous
गभीरे कासारे विशति विजने घोरविपिने
विशाले शैले च भ्रमति कुसुमार्थं जडमतिः ।
समर्प्यैकं चेतः सरसिजमुमानाथ भवते
सुखेनावस्थातुं जन इह न जानाति किमहो
The above verse is from Sri Shankara’s Sivananda Lahari. It roughly translates as “How small-minded these people are!” They travel to lakes, mountains, and jungles to collect various lotuses from worshipping you, Shiva! If they only know to offer the lotus of their hearts, you will always protect them.”
In life, be grateful for everything you have. In gratitude, the mind expands, trust becomes more concrete, and Shiva, the supreme consciousness, directs and facilitates the achievement of higher goals.
