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known by the names Sambhu, Sankara, Mahadeva, Sadasiva, Visvanatha, Hara, Tripurari,
Gangadhara, Sulapani, Nilakantha, Dakshinamurti, Chandrasekhara, Nilalohita, etc., who is the
bestower of auspiciousness, immortality and divine knowledge on His devotees, and who does
Tandava Nritya or the Dance of Death at the end of Time or Cosmic Pralaya, and who is the real
Regenerator but not the destroyer.
Maha Sivaratri means the great night consecrated to Lord Siva. Maha Sivaratri falls on
Trayodasi or the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kumbha month (February-March).
In the Santi Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma refers to the observance of the Maha
Sivaratri, by king Chitrabhanu, when he was giving the discourse on Dharma, resting on his bed of
arrows.
Once upon a time, king Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who was ruling over the
whole of Jambudvipa, and his wife were observing a fast on the day of Maha Sivaratri. The Sage
Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of the king.
The Sage asked: O king, why are you observing fast today? King Chitrabhanu explained
the reason for observing a fast on that day. He had the gift of remembering the incidents of his
previous birth.
He said to the Sage Ashtavakra: I was a hunter by name Susvar in my previous birth. I eked
out my livelihood by killing and selling birds and animals. One day, I was roaming in a forest in
search of animals. I was overtaken by the darkness of night. I was not able to return home and so I
climbed up a Bilva tree for shelter. I shot a deer that day but I had no time to take it home. As I was
tormented by hunger and thirst, I kept awake throughout the night. I shed profuse tears when I
thought of my poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously awaiting my return. I
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engaged myself in plucking and dropping down the Bilva leaves. There was a Siva Linga at the foot
of the Bilva tree. The tears and the leaves fell upon the Siva Linga.
The day dawned. I returned home and sold the deer. I got food for myself and for my
family. I was about to break my fast. A stranger came to me and begged for food. I served him with
food first and then I took my food. At the hour of death, I saw two messengers of Lord Siva. They
were sent down for the sake of conducting my soul to the abode of Siva. I learnt there for the first
time, of the great merit I had earned by the observance of the fast on the day of Maha Sivaratri,
though I did it unconsciously by an accident. I lived in the abode of Siva and enjoyed divine bliss for
long ages. I am now reborn on this earth as Chitrabhanu .
II
Sivaratri means night of Lord Siva . The important features of this religious function are
rigid fasting for twentyfour hours and sleepless vigil during the night. Every true devotee of Lord
Siva spends the night of Sivaratri in deep meditation, keeps vigil and observes fast.
The worship of Lord Siva consists in offering flowers, Bilva leaves and other gifts on the
Linga which is a symbol of Lord Siva, and bathing it with milk, honey, butter, ghee, rose-water, etc.
When creation had been completed, Siva and Parvati had been living on the top of Kailas.
Parvati asked: O venerable Lord, which of the many rituals observed in Thy honour doth please
Thee most? Lord Siva replied: The thirteenth night of the new moon, Krishna Paksha, in the
month of Phalguna (February-March) is known as Sivaratri, My most favourable Tithi. My devotee
gives Me greater happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths, and offerings of flowers,
sweets, incense, etc.
The devotee observes strict spiritual discipline in the day and worships Me in four different
forms in the four successive Praharas, each made up of three hours of the night. The offering of a
few Bilva leaves is more precious to Me than the precious jewels and flowers. He should bathe Me
in milk at the first Prahara, in curd at the second, in clarified butter at the third, and in honey at the
fourth and last. Next morning, he should feed the Brahmins first and break the fast after the
performance of the prescribed ceremonies. There is no ritual, O Parvati, which can compare with
this simple routine in sanctity.
Just hear, My Beloved, of an episode which will give you an idea of the glory and power of
this ritual.
Once upon a time, there lived in the town of Varanasi a hunter. He was returning from the
forest one evening with the game birds he had killed. He felt tired and sat at the foot of a tree to take
some rest. He was overpowered by sleep. When he woke up, it was all thick darkness of night. It
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