The Nepal Weekly 
February 25, 2025
By Shirish B. Pradhan
The Mahashivaratri is not just a religious rite or fete dedicated to Lord Shiva or worshipping his great Godly power or praying for his blessing or shedding light on his multiple dimensional PERSONALITY – the manifestation of creation, protection and destruction or transfer of the universe. It is the occasion when all, while chanting OM NAMHA SHIVAYA (I bow down to great God), seek truth – the atomic vision – in themselves.
The moment people mention the word Shiva, a figure -featured with Trishul–trident- in hand, matted long hair, dressed in tiger skin, crescent moon dangled in head, snake around neck, ashes in body, river Ganges flowing from head, lost in meditation – appears in front of all devotees.
All these are symbolic expressions: crescent moon denoting mind with imagination, river Ganges representing ever continuing knowledge, Trishul indicating three types of gunas (Satwo, Raja, Tama) or three types of worldly suffering, the snakes represent alertness, the ashes in the body point out destruction. Shiva by himself does not do any thing but with the help of Shakti or Devi Shiva can do many things contribute to creation, protection for development and ultimate destruction.
Vedanta Guru Shankaracharya also believes: Shiva power when combined with Shakti could emerge as dynamic energy to create, protect, develop and destroy.
Or a simple form of lingam crops up in human memory. All these are symbolic. In actuality, Shiva is neither a person, nor a being, he is the universal consciousness, the inner awareness which is present in all creatures including human beings. But that inner consciousness is something people have to struggle to feel, discover and get engaged in. Systematic yogic practice combined with meditation could act as enabler for people to realize the inner truth or Brahma symbolized by Shiva.
Shiva, according to Kashmiri Shaivaism, is the subtlest form of energy among 36 elements on earth. The earth is considered to be the most tangible one which could be touched. Other elements that can be sensed include water, fire, air and ether (space).
The unique power generated by the union between Shiva and Shakti could be sensed in various Vedic narratives related to Mahadeva and Parvati, their love life, domestic life marked by presence of two sons – Ganesh and Kartik. The abode of Shiva is considered to be in the Himalyas the ecologically hygienic and therefore holy place. The famous SwasthaniBrata Katha talks of romantic dedication of Shiva to Sati Devi.
Yog and yogic Aasanas – seating postures – were taught by Shiva to Parvati who in turn passed on the posture skill to Mashyendranath from him to Gorakhnath from whom mankind came to know about the great technique which help people maintain health fitness – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
As the Mahashivaratri 2025 is observed in Nepal, people revisit various interesting and knowledge expanding saga of Shiva and Shakti and immerse themselves into it throughout night vigil amidst worship, fasting, keeping oil-fed lamp burning and non-stop- praying. The Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, history tells, continues to become the focal point of observing Mahashivaratri right from the fifth century.
