Why is Shiva Ratri celebrated?

Maha Shiva Ratri is celebrated on the 14th night of the new moon during the dark half of the month of Falgun. On a moonless night in February occurs the night of Shiva, the destroyer. This is the night when He is said to have performed the Tandava or the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. As described in the story below, moksha is attained by devotees who worship Him on this day and night. Devotees fast during the day, and maintain a long vigil during the night. In Shiva temples across the world, bells ring, mantras are recited, bhajans are sung and Shiva Dhun is repeated throughout the night. Traditional offerings of bel leaves and milk are made to the Shiva lingum.

Who is Shiva?

The Shvetashvetera Upanishads say of Shiva, “He is more minute than the minutest. In the midst of confusion, He is the world creator. By knowing Him as the auspicious being one attains peace forever.” Shiva is worshipped in the form of an oval shaped image called Shiva Lingum. Shiva means world benefactor, the seed, and the point. Lingum means a symbol, emblem or sign. Li comes from Laya, which means destruction, and Gaum comes from Agaman, which means recreation. Therefore it is the entity, which destroys and recreates. Shiva, the world benefactor whose form is the point of life energy, the supreme soul, destroys negativity, and recreates a golden aged world. This He does when the world is at the darkest point, in chaos and in confusion (no moon day of Falgun).

Shiva is the truth. He is the Mahakal. Out of the five elements (paanch dhoota), any kind of evil cannot touch Him. He is neither destroyed by death, time, knowledge, fate, jealousy or attachments. Nor is He involved in any worldly ailments to experience its pain or gain, nor He is connected with lust or desires. The past, present and future have nothing to do with Him. No one is His guru nor is anyone His creator. He has neither beginning nor any end. He is not bound by the duties of humankind. He has no relatives nor any friends or enemies. No one is greater than Him, nor anyone above Him. He is beyond birth and death. Nothing is beyond His capacity. He is beyond law and regulation. He is out of all kinds of evils and sins, but He holds all the beneficent powers, and He is the only supreme. This whole universe is within Him, and without Him is no existence.

According to our scriptures, three attributes (Sat, Raj and Tam) appeared from the supreme energy. They are represented by Brahma, the birth or creator, Vishnu the life as preserver and Shiva the death or destroyer. Death is the only truth of this illusory world. Truth is always beautiful. So Lord Shiva is the only truthful beauty. Everything finally has to merge in death or in Shiva. Even the death stays within Him. So He is the Mahakal, He is the beginning and He is the end.

Why is He worshipped in the form of a lingum?

Once Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were involved in a fight for supremacy. As the fight took a furious shape, it seemed like the universe was heading towards destruction. All the deities were worried and went to Lord Shiva. Only He could stop the war between Brahma and Vishnu.

Lord Shiva went towards the location where the fight was going on. He hid Himself behind the clouds to understand what was going on. He noticed that to destroy each other they were using His weapons (Maheshwar and Pasupatya). He could not tolerate any more. So He took the form of a huge Lingum and stood between both of them like a pole. Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar (sukar) and went downwards to find the base. Brahma took the form of a swan and flew to find the top of the pole. Vishnu went deep in patal but was unable to find the root or the beginning point of the pole. He came back totally disappointed. Brahma had seen the Ketki flower, and came to Vishnu with an assertion that He had seen the end of the pole. Vishnu believed Him and touched His feet. Seeing the fraud of Brahma, Shiva got upset and appeared in front of them in His full image or form. Vishnu immediately touched His feet in full humility and politeness. Shiva was impressed, and gave Him a position equal to His own. Then He turned His attention towards Brahma. He was angry and created Vairav to punish Brahma. Vairav took away Brahma’s fifth head. Brahma also fell down at Shiva’s feet. Even Vishnu pleaded for mercy for Brahma. But Shiva told Brahma that since He had cheated to seek supremacy, and so would be deprived of position and worship. But when Brahma asked for forgiveness, He said: “I give you a boon. Though you cannot get position and respect in religious services, you are going to be Acharya of Ganas, and so will be required in Yagyas.”

This happened during chaturdashi of falgun, which is now celebrated as Shiva Ratri. Shiva said that on this day everyone who will fast and follow chastity, and do Puja of His Lingam would achieve Moksha. “I appeared in the form of Lingam, so people will know my formless form as Lingum.”

There are many other explanations of the lingum too. It is said that Shiva stood on one foot for several hundred thousand years transforming Himself into Aja Ekapada, the one-footed lord, the axis of the revolving cosmos. This axis has neither beginning nor an end; this is considered to be the great lingum of Shiva.

According to the Mahabharata and the Matsya Purana, Shiva’s lingam is the divine phallus, the source of the soul-seed, which contains within it the essence of the entire cosmos. All life is created from it. And when life is destroyed, it returns to the primal phallus of Shiva.

Together with the yoni-bhaga which forms its base, the lingam represents the union of man and woman, Shiva and Shakti, the cosmic spirit combined with the cosmic substance that makes existence possible.

According to the Padma Purana, the sage Bhrigu came to Mount Kailas and found Shiva and Parvati so lost in love that they refused to acknowledge His presence. In His fury, the sage cursed Shiva that people would worship Him without a form, as a lingum trapped by a yoni.

Why do we have a serpent with the lingum?
The serpent represents the coiled energy of kundalini, the power that enables seeds to germinate and animals to conceive. The serpent is also said to be Ananta Sesha, the great serpent of eternity, within whose coils rests the universe. Shiva is always depicted wearing venomous serpents as if wearing jewelry. In this case, serpents represent our desires. And Shiva is imploring us to control our desires and wrap it around our neck totally under our control. Incidentally, Shiva’s sons are also associated with serpents. Kartik holds one under His feet while Ganapati ties one around His waist.

Why do we have Nandi in a Shiva Mandir?

Nandi is Shiva’s vahana or vehicle. A bull also has a lingum shaped hump by coincidence. The bull also symbolizes restrained power.

Why do we offer Bel-patra to Shivji?

The leaves and fruit of the bel or bilva tree are very dear to Shiva. Some say that this tree grew out of Parvati’s sweat. According to a folk story, once a tribal lost His way in the jungle and took shelter on top of a bel tree. The cries of wild animals, jackals and cheetahs kept Him awake all night. The night happened to be Shiva Ratri, and the bel leaves were accidentally offered to a Shiva lingam underneath. The tribal was blessed by Shiva with Moksha.

Why is Shiva covered with ashes?

Shiva covers Himself with ash, which symbolizes the rejection of the material world and identification with the permanent supreme soul.

Is Shiva worshipped in other cultures?

In Greece, this image of Lingum is worshipped and called Phallos. Phallos is a derivative of the Sanskrit word, Phalesh meaning the giver of boons. In Greece this symbol is also worshipped on the darkest night as in India. This image of Shiva Lingum is not isolated in India and Greece only. Recent research has revealed that this has been a form of worship in the Sumerian valley, Java, Sumatra, Rome, Germany, Egypt, France, Syria, America, Brazil, Hawaii and aboriginal Australia. Jews used to take an oval shaped stone in their hands when taking a solemn oath. Abraham, regarded equally by Jews, Christians and Moslems as a messenger of God, built for His wife and son the place of worship called Kaba in Mecca, where a black oval shaped stone was kept. Prophet Mohammad took possession of Kaba and destroyed all other idols. It is now the pilgrimage place for Moslems. The people wear white and encircle the stone just as Hindus wear a white dhoti and do pradeekshana of the Shiva Lingum. All religions represent God in the form of light, the sun or an oval shaped image symbolic of the supreme energy. Rather than debate about image worship and the surrounding rituals, there is an undercurrent of similarity in all religions.