#festival: Do you want to make your shivaratri more shubh(pious) by knowing most logical and scientific reason behind it. Shivaratri is a big festival in India. Generally the unmarried girls celebrate it by fasting and worshipping Shiva and it is believed that, it leads to getting a good husband. Even married women observe the fasting. It ends after the MAHADEEP or the sacred light is brought up the temple. Every festival in our tradition has some scientific basis. It has three aspects, out of which the first is called ADHI BHOOTA. It is the material aspect. Nature provides everything that we need. But when something is not according to our need and we want it through other means, we imitate the natural process by using substitutes that symbolize alternative to natural ingredients. The second aspect is called ADHI DAIVA. It is the energy aspect. In this process we invoke the different energies in a regulated manner to achieve our desired object. The third is ADHYAATMA. This is the Sentient or Conscious aspect. Shiva is worshipped through LINGAM, which literally means symbol and actually means that which leads to creation of something. This Lingam is never found in isolation, but is always with a YONI (भोक्तृ-भोग्य सम्बन्धात्मक), which literally means the place of creation. The peculiarity of their arrangement is, the Lingam is coming out of the Yoni and not entering it. The Yoni is also placed in such a way that it points to North. When we look at the electromagnetic fields (ब्रह्मविष्णुमयो रुद्र अग्निषोमात्मक जगत्), we find that the magnetic field lines emerge from the south pole and curve up to enter through the north pole. The hot electric part (घोर-आग्निरस-अग्नि)is made benevolent (शिव-शान्त-भाव) through interaction with the cool magnetic part (सोमसम्बन्ध). Hence, while imitating it, we chant ‘ॐ अग्नये स्वाहा। इदमग्नये इदन्न मम’ and offer Havih (हविः - sacrificial offering) in the north direction and chant ‘ॐ सोमाय स्वाहा। इदं सोमाय इदन्न मम’ while offering Havih in the north direction. What has it to do with Shivaratri? To understand this, we have to go to Sankhya Darshan. It classifies the Nature (प्रकृति) into 24 fundamental entities (तत्त्व -literally meaning that-ness, because there is nothing else like them) that are inert and function mechanically. The 25th is Purusha (पुरुष), which is the Sentient concept (चेतन तत्त्व). This one has 12 divisions in Kalpa Sootram (कल्पसूत्रम्), which takes the list of fundamental entities to 36 (षट्त्रिंशत् तत्त्वानि विश्वम्). The first two of these 36 fundamental entities are Parama Shiva (परमशिव), also known as Shaantaateeta (शान्तातीत) and Shakti (शक्ति). They are inseparable complements. In unification they are un-differentiable (अर्धनारीश्वर). However, when they desire to start LEELAA (लीला), they evolve in various forms to create everything. Before creation, there was no motion. Hence there was no heat. That is symbolized by Himalaya. The creation began after Shakti tried to unite with Shiva. It was an intense desire that leads to creation. Hence it is symbolized by giving up all want – even food – and praying with utmost attention and concentration. That leads to fulfillment of desire depending upon the intensity of devotion. There is a saying: शशिना च निशा निशया च शशीःशशिना निशया च विभाति नभः ।पयसा कमलं कमलेन पयःपयसा कमलेन विभाति सरः ॥ It means, the night shines due to the moon and the moon shines in the darkness of night. The sky shines due to both night and moon. The water looks beautiful due to the lotus and the lotus looks beautiful in water. The pond looks beautiful due to both the water and the lotus. Similarly, the World looks beautiful when Shiva-Shakti are united equally. Let us pray for that unification symbolized by a DAMPATI (दम्पती) – a Couple in a household and not individual entities with bodily sovereignty, which introduces RUDRA and covers up SHIVA.

basudeba mishra more than 3 years ago

#festival: Do you want to make your shivaratri more shubh(pious) by knowing most logical and scientific reason behind it.
Shivaratri is a big festival in India. Generally the unmarried girls celebrate it by fasting and worshipping Shiva and it is believed that, it leads to getting a good husband. Even married women observe the fasting. It ends after the MAHADEEP or the sacred light is brought up the temple.

Every festival in our tradition has some scientific basis. It has three aspects, out of which the first is called ADHI BHOOTA. It is the material aspect. Nature provides everything that we need. But when something is not according to our need and we want it through other means, we imitate the natural process by using substitutes that symbolize alternative to natural ingredients. The second aspect is called ADHI DAIVA. It is the energy aspect. In this process we invoke the different energies in a regulated manner to achieve our desired object. The third is ADHYAATMA. This is the Sentient or Conscious aspect.

Shiva is worshipped through LINGAM, which literally means symbol and actually means that which leads to creation of something. This Lingam is never found in isolation, but is always with a YONI (भोक्तृ-भोग्य सम्बन्धात्मक), which literally means the place of creation. The peculiarity of their arrangement is, the Lingam is coming out of the Yoni and not entering it. The Yoni is also placed in such a way that it points to North. When we look at the electromagnetic fields (ब्रह्मविष्णुमयो रुद्र अग्निषोमात्मक जगत्), we find that the magnetic field lines emerge from the south pole and curve up to enter through the north pole. The hot electric part (घोर-आग्निरस-अग्नि)is made benevolent (शिव-शान्त-भाव) through interaction with the cool magnetic part (सोमसम्बन्ध). Hence, while imitating it, we chant ‘ॐ अग्नये स्वाहा। इदमग्नये इदन्न मम’ and offer Havih (हविः - sacrificial offering) in the north direction and chant ‘ॐ सोमाय स्वाहा। इदं सोमाय इदन्न मम’ while offering Havih in the north direction.

What has it to do with Shivaratri? To understand this, we have to go to Sankhya Darshan. It classifies the Nature (प्रकृति) into 24 fundamental entities (तत्त्व -literally meaning that-ness, because there is nothing else like them) that are inert and function mechanically. The 25th is Purusha (पुरुष), which is the Sentient concept (चेतन तत्त्व). This one has 12 divisions in Kalpa Sootram (कल्पसूत्रम्), which takes the list of fundamental entities to 36 (षट्त्रिंशत् तत्त्वानि विश्वम्). The first two of these 36 fundamental entities are Parama Shiva (परमशिव), also known as Shaantaateeta (शान्तातीत) and Shakti (शक्ति). They are inseparable complements. In unification they are un-differentiable (अर्धनारीश्वर). However, when they desire to start LEELAA (लीला), they evolve in various forms to create everything.

Before creation, there was no motion. Hence there was no heat. That is symbolized by Himalaya. The creation began after Shakti tried to unite with Shiva. It was an intense desire that leads to creation. Hence it is symbolized by giving up all want – even food – and praying with utmost attention and concentration. That leads to fulfillment of desire depending upon the intensity of devotion.

There is a saying:

शशिना च निशा निशया च शशीः
शशिना निशया च विभाति नभः ।
पयसा कमलं कमलेन पयः
पयसा कमलेन विभाति सरः ॥

It means, the night shines due to the moon and the moon shines in the darkness of night. The sky shines due to both night and moon. The water looks beautiful due to the lotus and the lotus looks beautiful in water. The pond looks beautiful due to both the water and the lotus. Similarly, the World looks beautiful when Shiva-Shakti are united equally. Let us pray for that unification symbolized by a DAMPATI (दम्पती) – a Couple in a household and not individual entities with bodily sovereignty, which introduces RUDRA and covers up SHIVA.

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