The Shiva Consciousness and The Unison of Shiva and Shakti – By Author Rakhi Kapoor
The shiva consciousness flows uninterruptedly and in full force on the night of Mahashivaratri. This festival is celebrated in every Shiva temple in India and also celebrated by every individual worshipper of Lord Shiva in the very sanctuary of their home culminating in the local shiva temple in their city. Keeping awake the whole night, sitting in meditation, fasting, chanting and praying is a beautiful way to celebrate this sacred event. It is said that keeping the spine erect throughout the night and not sleeping the whole night and chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’ is announcing to all your fears, inner demons and obstacles that they have no power over you and that you will overcome these. This festival also commemorates the unison of Shiva and Shakthi. Shiva and Shakthi together complete each other. The coming together of the two energies support creation and nurtures existence. The Shakthi is the female energy which is the life giving force. Creation of life is done by balancing the male and female energy. These energies exist within each individual. This auspicious day is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati and shiva performs the Taandav dance.
Mahashivarathri is also celebrated as the auspicious event of lord Shiva drinking the poison which came out of samudra manthan which is the churning ofthe ocean. Shiva drinks the poison to save the world. the poison signifies gloom, ignorance and darkness from the mind of every individual. As Lord Shiva drinks up this poison his neck becomes blue and he is called ‘Neel kantha’. Mahashivarathri is about harnessing this consciousness and bringing light and awareness into an individual mind. On this auspicious night this powerful energy rains upon the world and hence to be spent sleeping or reclining disrupts this energy from flowing into an individual’s consciousness. It simply means missing out on this phenomenon because one is sleeping. The practice of fasting helps an individual to keep awake and be alert instead of falling asleep. The chanting and sitting in meditation keeps the mind alert and focused on the thought of the shiva consciousness of overcoming fear, ignorance and living life with awareness undeterred by trials and tests.
Lord Shiva is the first Yogi, the first Guru, the foremost epitome of enlightenment who is happy, blissful, dancing and swaying in his own free not disturbed by anything external. He is simple, has no attachments, lives in the moment, the master of his own free will, not allowing external forces to control him. He is complete unto himself and needs no external validation.
Article by Rakhi Kapoor
Author of Five Amazon bestsellers and winner of two golden book awards 2023 and 2024
Instagram: kapoor_rakhi
www.rakhikapoor.com
