Why Maha Shivratri is Celebrated & What is the history behind Mahashivratri
“Awaken your spirit, ignite your soul: Mahashivratri – a night of cosmic renewal and inner transformation, where the echoes of devotion resonate through the ages, uniting hearts in reverence and celebration.”
Maha Shivaratri: Celebration of Lord Shiva’s Glory
Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction. Shivaratri is celebrated in every month of the lunisolar calendar in accordance with the Hindu calendar but once a year in late winter. Mahashivratri, celebrated to commemorate the oncoming summer, literally translates as the great night of Lord Shiva. According to legends, it is on this night that Lord Shiva performs his heavenly dance or tandava, representing creation, preservation, and destruction. As per many, it is also the day when Shiva and Parvati got married, thus symbolizing the union of prakriti and purusha for the well-being of the world.
Legend of Sati and Daksha’s Sacrifice
Devi Sati was a daughter of the great king and the son of Lord Brahma, Prajapati Daksh. Sati, being an incarnation of Shakti, was destined to unite with Shiva for the welfare of the universe. However, Daksha did not want his daughter Sati to marry Shiva, as he considered Shiva to be a dirty ascetic unworthy of being a god or being married to his daughter from a noble family. Sati, however, disobeyed her father and married Shiva. After her marriage, she moved to her husband’s abode, the Kailash mountains. Once, Prajapati Daksh organized a sacrificial ceremony, also known as a yagya, and invited all gods and devas to attend his grand yagya. Due to his hatred towards Shiva, he did not invite both Shiva and his daughter Sati to the yagya.
You can also read: Maha Shivratri Short Essay & Facts in Hindi & English
When Sati came to hear of the yagya being organized by her father through Narada Muni, she longed to go home and attend it. Upon reaching, she felt deeply saddened to see that no one except her mother Prasuti was delighted to see her, not even her father Daksha. She realized that she was now unwelcomed in her own house. Daksha was furious by her uninvited arrival and humiliated her and mocked Shiva. Daksha began insulting Shiva in front of all his guests, and Sati could not bear any insults towards her husband. He created two ferocious creatures, Veerabhadra and Bhadra Kali, who wrecked mayhem at the sacrificial place. Nearly all those present were felt overnight. Daksha was decapitated by Veerbhadra. After the death of his first wife, Sati, Shiva withdrew himself from society and engrossed himself in deep meditation.
Taking advantage of the situation, the asura king Tarakasur secured a boon from Lord Brahma that he could only be killed by the son of Shiva, believing himself effectively immortal. Tarakasa terrorized the beings of the universe and defeated the gods. Meanwhile, Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati, was born to Himavan, the god of the Himalayas, and his wife Maina. When Parvati grew up, Sage Narada told her that she was born to marry Shiva. But she would have to follow the path of penance to please Shiva as he had withdrawn himself from the worldly affairs. Determined to marry Shiva in her new birth as well, Parvati embarked upon an extremely difficult regime of penance and devotion. For thousands of years, she only ate fruits and flowers. Thereafter, for hundreds of years, she ate only fallen leaves, eventually giving up on all food and living on air to survive. In the end, Lord Brahma appeared in front of Parvati and told her that no one in the entire universe had observed or done tapasya or penance the way she did, not even Shiva. He blessed her to soon be married to Lord Shiva and gave her the name Brahmacharyani for her immense determination and penance. Mabramhacharani is also the second form of Maa Durga celebrated on the second day of Navratri.
You Can also Read: Maha Shivratri Puja, Rituals, Vidhi & Material Guide for Celebration
Kama Deva’s Intervention and Shiva’s Test
On the other hand, in desperate need of help from Shiva to have his child who could bring an end to the demon Tarakasur, the god sent Kama Deva, the god of love, to disrupt Shiva’s meditation. Though Shiva was awakened by Kama Deva’s arrow, Kama Deva was burnt up by Shiva’s anger. Implored by the other gods to marry, Shiva agreed but decided to test Parvati’s devotion first. Shiva disguised himself as a hermit and reached the place where Parvati was engrossed in her penance. Upon being there, he began criticizing Shiva. He tried to influence Parvati into giving up her tapasya for Shiva, who he said was an embodiment of inauspiciousness, who carries skulls in his hand, and who lives in a crematorium. Parvati, angry by the comments of the hermit, asks him to leave her alone. Even upon many attempts at changing her mind, Parvati did not get affected. Her unwavering sense of devotion pleased Lord Shiva, and he appeared in his original form and blessed her to be married to him.
The Divine Marriage of Shiva and Parvati
On the day of the marriage, Shiva reaches King Himawan’s palace in the most terrifying form along with the strangest marriage procession, also known as Bharat. His body was covered with snakes smeared in ashes, and his hair was matted with unkempt locks. His marriage procession consisted of ghosts, ascetics, sages, aghoris, etc. Upon seeing the terrorizing form of Lord Shiva, Parvati’s mother and other relatives were left in a state of shock. Most of them fainted out of fear and terror. To avoid any embarrassment to her family or to her husband Shiva, Parvati transformed herself into a different form as well. In this form, she was golden, possessed ten arms, and was called Chandraghanta. In the form of Chandraghanta, she prayed and persuaded Shiva to take the form of a handsome prince and also turn his marriage procession nobler so the people can see their gentler side and not be fearful of them. Shiva and Parvati got married in their beautiful divine forms, and the day of their marriage is celebrated as Mahashivratri every year.
You Can Also Read: Amalaki Ekadashi Short Essay and Facts in Hindi & English
Earth’s Balance Restored: Sage Agastya’s Journey
Skandarpuran also narrates the story when the divine wedding of Shiva and Parvati took place in the Himalayas. All the living beings on earth headed to the north towards the great white mountains to witness the grand wedding. Because of this, earth began losing her balance. So, Lord Shiva asked Sage Agastya to go to the south to balance the earth’s equilibrium. Sage Agastya was pleased with this honor but was also saddened because he would not be able to witness the divine wedding. Perceiving the thoughts in the rishi’s mind, Shiva granted him a boon that he and Parvati would appear before Agastya whenever the latter happened to think of them. Pleased with the boon, Sage Agastya began his journey southwards.
Hope this Article help you to understand “Why is Maha Shivratri Celebrated and What is the history behind Mahashivratri in English“
You can check out our more articles.
