Significance of Mahashivaratri

Mahashivaratri is celebrated every year on the thirteenth night and fourteenth day of the month of Phalgun in the Hindu calendar, which falls in February or March. Unlike most Hindu festivals, which are marked with gaiety and revelry and are celebrated during the day, Mahashivaratri is a solemn occasion observed at night with fasting, meditation and all-night vigil at Shiva temples.

Why is this so? This is because Mahashivaratri commemorates the divine descent of Shiva when the world is enveloped in the darkness of spiritual ignorance.


Shiva has a special place in the Hindu pantheon and is referred to as the Supreme Soul, as indicated by the prayer,


Brahma devaya namah,
Vishnu devaya namah…
Shiv parmatmane namah.


Unlike the deities, who have a physical form, Shiva is represented by a lingam because he is always incorporeal. Since Shiva has no creator, his name carries the suffix Shambhu, which is short for Svayambhu, or one who incarnates on his own. Since he is unchanging and eternal, he is also called ‘Sadashiva’.

He comes to this world when humans have forgotten their true identity, forgotten that they are souls. This lack of awareness gives rise to negative emotions such as lust, anger and greed, which are root causes of human suffering. Shivaratri thus refers to not just one night but the entire period of ignorance and unrighteousness that is brought to an end by Shiva.

This dark period is referred to as the night of Brahma in some Hindu texts. It covers the duration of the Copper and Iron Ages, when souls suffer because of having lost touch with their innate virtues. Due to the loss of their spiritual power, they are unable to resist vices, which drive them to act in harmful ways. When they have touched the nadir in their spiritual downfall, and impiety prevails everywhere, the souls call out for salvation.

In a world where levels of crime, corruption, immorality and violence are increasing, it is clear to more and more people that we are lost in spiritual darkness. There is a growing sense of foreboding among people as humanity confronts several crises — environmental, economic, and political.


But in the darkening horizon there is a ray of hope: the gathering gloom is a sign that a new day will dawn soon. This is the message of hope that Shivaratri offers, that God’s helping hand will reach out to His children and salvage them to end all their sorrow and suffering.

The incorporeal Shiva enlightens nescient minds by giving spiritual knowledge and instilling virtues in his children. He performs this task through a human medium, who is remembered as Brahma. This is alluded to in the Shivapurana, which says that Shiva had mercy on the beings of the world and incarnated himself in the forehead of Brahma and recreated the world through him.


He reminds humans that they are spiritual, not physical beings and that purity, peace, truth and love are their original qualities. In this way, Shiva creates a new consciousness that acts as the seed from which emerges a virtuous and righteous world order — a world that is referred to as heaven or paradise in many cultures.

This divine task of spiritual salvation performed by Shiva offers inspiration to all of us to carry out something similar in our personal lives, by destroying old, negative ways of thinking and adopting and nurturing a positive attitude. By doing so, we can individually contribute to make the world a better place for everyone.

■B K Brijmohan is chief spokesperson, Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu