Arudra Darshinam

During the Arudra star in the Tamil month of Margazhi (Dec 15 – Jan 15) is believed to be the time when Lord Shiva’s energy is very close to the earth; hence it has been given the importance of being His birthday. Lord Shiva is worshipped as Nataraja in this month which is also observed as Lord Nataraja Urchavam at Arunachaleswarar Temple.

The month of Margazhi is also known as the ‘Twilight’ in Heaven (the time that the sun is in Sagittarius), and is considered the most appropriate time in which the Gods can rest and rejuvenate. This year, 2012, Arudra Darshan was observed today December 28.  

Lord Shiva is worshipped in the cosmic dance form as Lord Nataraja, and the full moon night of Margazhi is also the longest night of the year. After this date, days get longer and nights get shorter. To read more about the way seasons and rhythms affect our bodies go to an earlier posting at this link here. 

The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva represents five activities – Creation, Protection, Destruction, Embodiment and Release. In essence, it represents the continuous cycle of creation and destruction.

"Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter...For the modern physicists, Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter . . . Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics." 

[Fritjof Capra]

For more information on Arudra Darshan go to any posting at this link here.

Arudra Darshan

Arudra Darshan, also known as Thiruvathira festival, is another occasion celebrated in a grand manner on Arudra star day at Arunachaleswarar Temple during the Tamil month of Margazhi. The month of Margazhi is also known as the ‘Twilight’ in Heaven (the time that the sun is in Sagittarius), and is considered the most appropriate time in which the Gods can rest and rejuvenate. This year Arudra Darshan fell on January 8th.






It is during this auspicious period that Lord Shiva’s birthday is celebrated. The day has been given this importance as Arudra Darshan is believed to be the period in which Lord Shiva’s energy is closest to earth.








Lord Shiva is worshipped in the cosmic dance form as Lord Nataraja, and the full moon night of Margazhi is also the longest night of the year. After this date, days get longer and nights get shorter. Lord Nataraja is the presiding deity of the famed Saivaite Temple at Chidambaram, one of the famed five Pancha Bootha Sthalams, and which represents akasha (ether).








The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva represents five activities – Creation, Protection, Destruction, Embodiment and Release. In essence, it represents the continuous cycle of creation and destruction. And it elaborately acted out and represented in most major Saivite Temples.






Dancing with Shiva

The world is seen as it truly is – sacred -- when we behold Siva's cosmic dance. Everything in the universe, all that we see, hear and imagine, is movement. Galaxies soar in movement; atoms swirl in movement. All movement is Siva's dance. When we fight this movement and think it should be other than it is, we are reluctantly dancing with Siva. We are stubbornly resisting, holding ourselves apart, criticizing the natural processes and movements around us.

It is by understanding the eternal truths that we bring all areas of our mind into the knowledge of how to accept what is and not wish it to be otherwise. Once this happens, we begin to consciously dance with Siva, to move with the sacred flow that surrounds us, to accept praise and blame, joy and sorrow, prosperity and adversity in equanimity, the fruit of understanding. We are then gracefully, in unrestrained surrender, dancing with Siva. The Vedas state, "The cosmic soul is truly the whole universe, the immortal source of all creation, all action, all meditation. Whoever discovers Him, hidden deep within, cuts through the bonds of ignorance even during his life on earth."

[By Satguru Sivaya Subrmauniyaswami]