Skip to main content

Meaning of Maha Shivaratri: Significance of Tripurandaka, Vibhuti and Gangaajal

Maha Shivaratri is a festival of great spiritual significance to Hindus. Prayers are undertaken by devotees throughout the night. Yet how many of us understand what makes it a holy occasion? It doesn't have anyt marketing jazz or feel-great frenzy to it like many other festivals. Yet Maha Shivaratri is one of the most spiritually powerful festivals you just shouldn't miss.

According to Hindu scriptures, observing night long prayer has been declared by Lord Shiva himself. This is cited as His answer when Parvati Devi asked him which rituals performed by his devotees pleases him most. It is also believed that those who observe Maha Shivratri correctly will be greatly blessed and that they will attain moksha.



Here are some interesting points to explain the spiritual significance of Maha Shivaratri, .taken from various discourses rendered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

1. Shiva means 'auspiciousness.' Maha Shivaratri should be spent in the constant contemplation of God.

 2. According to Hindu scriptures, the moon is the presiding deity of the mind. It keeps waning. That is why all the Chaturdashis (14th days of the dark half of every month) are called Shivaraathris. The Chaturdashi of the Magha month is called Maha Shivaratri. This is a day of special dedication to Lord Shiva. 

3. On Chaturdashi day (14th day after the full moon), the moon sheds fifteen of its sixteen digits/aspects. This makes it a most auspicious time for contemplating on the Eternal Divine. 

4. Maha Shivaratri is an auspicious night because the mind can be made to lose its hold on man by night long prayer. The energy that is received by the devotee is tremendous and divine, particularly at midnight. 

5. The three horizontal ash lines across Lord Shiva's forehead has a spiritual significance for humanity. These lines are called Tripurandaka. As mentioned in the Brihajjabaalopanishad, the three lines represent the Trinity, the three fires and the three worlds.

6.  Vibhuti (sacred ash) is the mark of Lord Shiva. As per Hindu scriptures, Lord Shiva smeared himself with ash after he reduced Manmadha (demi god of Desire/Kama) to ashes.When one wears Vibhuti, the belief is that He (Lord Shiva) has applied it to our brow to remind us that we are Divine by nature and we should burn away material desires and ego.  

7. Also, wearing Vibhuti is a gentle reminder to give up desires, ego, sense of ownership over possessions/relationships and to prepare oneself for Moksha.

 8. The significance of Gangaajal is that it represents the controlled outpouring of life-sustaining holy waters for the benefit of all creatures in the Universe. 

♥♥  I thank you with all my heart for reading my post. I dedicate this post with love and gratitude to all those who chant the Mahamrirtyunjaya mantra with sincerity and faith. REQUEST: Please SHARE this article on your favorite social networks. Every share, like or tweet makes me reach out to more people who are in various phases of finding their own mantras to move and grow in life. I am grateful and I appreciate you for doing so. ♥♥
Labels:

Comments

Ajith said…
nice writeup .Last yr i attended webcast of Sivarathri celebrations over nite and stayed till 3 AM ...Even via the webcast it was a profound experience as they were doing overnite chanting starting from 8 PM till next day morning 6 AM


https://www.facebook.com/events/1416161218632190/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
February 27, 2014 at 9:00 AM
Ajith said…
Link for the web cast is https://www.facebook.com/events/1416161218632190/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
February 27, 2014 at 9:01 AM
Pooja said…
Beautiful blog. I love the way you have brought out everything about Bholenath and Mahashivratri in whole. In a world where people give very less thought to devotion and everything. Here you are writing about it all Swapna. Thought I would share a few words about how I carry out my pooja. Every pooja is incomplete without aarti and every aarti is incomplete without the essence of incense sticks that has been prevalent since the ancient times. I light incense sticks not only because of my devotion towards God but also because it keeps me positive spirited throughout! Try out chandanam essence as a routine while you pray, you'll feel the difference! Happy Mahashivratri Swapna. :)
February 27, 2014 at 2:49 PM
Asha said…
a very holy post, dear swapna. Loved the spiritual significance of vibhuti and the tripurandaka( did'nt know it was called so). I got to know so many things in this post. Thanks to you.

We make 'puttu' at home, we offer bilva leaves to god, visit temples and do puja. Generally, we go for the night concerts where bhajans and carnatic music is sung. But today we will avoid since the final exam of my children are starting from saturday.
February 27, 2014 at 6:06 PM
Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born
180 comments
Read more

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v
1 comment
Read more

Vidyarambham: How and why Malayalis celebrate writing the words ''Harisree Ganapathaye Namaha"

For Malayalis, Vidyarambham is an auspicious day on which the elders and children mark the day by writing the sacred words, "Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha." The observance of this ritual may differ from region to region, community to community and family to family. Whatever I share here is based on how vidyarambham is celebrated in my home.   [READ: What is Vidyarambham?] Vidyarambham: How Malayalis observe this sacred day In families where the children are gearing up to enter pre-school or play school and are not yet ready to join the formal schooling system, Vidyarambham marks an important occasion for an elder to introduce them to the world of "vidya" or "knowledge." The words ''Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha" are written on the child's tongue by the grandparent, an elder or parent.                                        [Image credit: Travel Manorama Online ] Vidyarambham: Why it matters  An interesting aspect of Vidyarambha
4 comments
Read more

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - Why it is spiritually relevant

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is a film that I was desperate to watch for two reasons. One, I am a Suriya fan and I had heard so much about his performance in this movie that I didn't want to settle for watching a CD of it and losing the actual cinematic experience. Second, I had read from various bloggers and their reviews that this film revolves around the story of Bodhidharman, a 16th century prince from Tamil Nadu who had mastered knowledge spanning multiple forms of art, and was sent to China to save the people from evil. Once he goes there, the transformation begins for himself and for the people there and he  goes on to become Damo, the father of Shaolin and Kung Fu and hypnotism and such other mystical yet spiritually relevant forms of mind mastery. 7 Am Arivu Goes Over the Top with the Dravidian Rhetoric In 7 Am Arivu, there has been a lot of controversy created by the fact that nearly every character eulogizes about the importance of being Tamil and yes, the Dravidi
9 comments
Read more

The Amazing Tale of Peddabottu: How she battled all odds, took leadership roles and defied conventional norms in a unique way

When we first come into the world, we mark our entry with a big cry.  The wise ones say that we loathe to leave the safety of the mother's womb. As we grow up, we learn to seek happiness in the things we do. We find different ways to be happy.  The wise ones says, ''Pain makes you strong.''   The truth about happiness is that it teaches us nothing, whereas pain nudges out of our complacent comfort zones.  It teaches us to reflect, look within and find the answers from a zone that we are not usually familiar dealing with. [Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: https://svara.substack.com/] Pain and sorrow manifest in our lives differently and across different phases but how we react to it defines our the direction of our life. A newborn child undergoes pain when vaccinated but will a mother stop her child from being vaccinated simply because she doesn't want her child to undergo pain? [ Must Read: A Dad's Advice to the Daughter He loves ] So, there
1 comment
Read more