Mahashivaratri 2021: Thursday, 11 March

 

Each month there is a day known as Sivaratri and once a year there is Mahashivaratri (maha=great) ... i.e. the Great Festival of Shiva. The dates of these occasions correspond to certain phases of the new moon when it is believed that the mind (which is adversely affected by the power of the moon) is less susceptible to low, animalistic forces and thus more tractable to the power of meditation and prayer.

It is for this reason that Mahashivaratri is believed to be the one 24-hour period in the year which is of the greatest benefit. It has been stated in the scriptures that if a man fasts, stays awake and meditates for the whole of Mahashivaratri, it will give him his best chance to achieve mastery of the mind and attain liberation.

Mahashivaratri always falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna (February-March), and is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. (Mahashivaratri in 2021 falls on Thursday March 11). On this day it is recommended that devotees sing Shiva bhajans, recite verses from scripture, offer prayers in the morning and evening, and observe fasting throughout the day and visit Temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. In the case of Arunachala, premier Shiva site of South India, circumambulation of Arunachala Hill is observed by many.

To read more about the significance of this grand Festival please visit my website at this link here

Please enjoy the below rousing audio "Mahadev" by Armonian entitled "Mahashivratri".

2017 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Day 3. Night—Lord Chandrasekharar Simha Vahana

During this 10-day Arunachala Karthigai Festival, the panchamoorthies are daily taken out in procession and circumambulation of the mada veedhis around Arunachaleswarar Temple. Sometimes, the Deity is shown mounted on or riding the vahana, while at other times, the vahana is shown by the Deity's side. Many times, this vahana (vehicle) represents and symbolises a Divine attribute and even though the vahana appears to be independent, it is actually part and parcel of the Deity's presence and has an meaning to it.

In the case of the Lord on the Simha (lion) vehicle; the creature represents lordly power in general and lordly power of wild beasts in particular.The lion is regarded as a Royal beast and thus represents the best in animal creation. However it may also represent greed for food and hence greed for other objects of enjoyment, which invariably leads to lust. The Lord mounted on this Simha vahana represents His ascendancy and control of animal instincts manifested in the human being.

The lion is an archetypal symbol for the golden-rayed sun, the lord of the day, whose appearance kills the demonic forces of the night. The lion has always been important in Indian mythology as it symbolises the solar and luminous principle of life and knowledge.

The lion also expresses the heroism and prowess necessary to defeat asuric forces and represents the heroism and strength required to enter the spiritual path.

Aarti offered to the panchamoorthies inside the Kalyana Mandapam, 3rd Prakaram

Panchamoorthies performing circumambulation around the Siva Sanndihi, 3rd Prakaram

Lord Chandrasekharar on Simha Vahana

The Goddess on her Vahana, following the Lord on Simha

The panchamoorthies performing their procession of the mada veedhis

2016 Arunachala Deepam Festival. Day Nine—Day: Chandrasekhara on Purusha Meruga Vahana

On the morning of the 9th day of the 10-day Karthigai Deepam Festival Lord Chandrasekharar is mounted on the Purusha Miruga Vahana. 

This vahana known in Tamil as Purushamirugam (man-beast) has the body of a lion and the head of a human being. The sphinx-like creature supposedly has the power to avert evil influences and bad luck. It is also believed to be able to take away the sins of devotees when they enter a Temple and for this reason is often found in a strategic position at Temple gateways and near entrances to the inner shrine. 

The form of the purushamirugam adorns lamps used in puja ceremonies (diparadhanas) and plays an important role in daily and yearly rituals in Shiva temples. 

After giving darshan, Lord Chandrasekhara on Purusha Meruga Vahana starts off on the beginning of His procession around the Temple perimeter streets

As is usual in morning processions, Lord Chandrasekhara is accompanied by Vinayaka on His procession around the Temple

Lord Chandrasekhara on Purusha Meruga Vahana

2016 Arunachala Karthigai Festival: Day 6. Day—Chandrasekhara on Silver Elephant: 63 Nayanars

In the festivities of the morning of the sixth day, a glorious Silver Elephant, leads a procession of the great Shiva devotees, the 63 Nayanars. 

The Nayanars are remembered as a group of 63 saints (poets) of the 6th to 8th century who were devoted to Lord Shiva. It was they who influenced the Bhakti movement in Tamil Nadu. The names of the 63 saints were first compiled by Sundarar and the list was expanded by Nambiyandar Nambi during his compilation of material for the famed Tirumurai. 

Message of the Nayanars 

“There have been many ‘intellectuals’ even in India who have looked down upon the path of Bhakti (devotion) as something inferior to Jnana (wisdom). Their short-sightedness becomes at once apparent when we study the lives of the great Four Teachers (Appar, Sundarar, Manickavachagar and Sambandar) and realise that these great Jnanis, too, were great Bhaktas who loved to visit Temples and sing the glories of the Lord. 

Love of the Lord cuts at the very root of our attachment to this world, and snaps all worldly ties, to father, mother, son, wife or relatives. As the stories of the Nayanars illustrate, the devotee is ever ready to renounce all, in favour of devotion to Lord Siva. 

Let us also never forget that in the case of all the Nayanars devotion invariably meant expansion of the heart, and, therefore, service and charity. We have to take the individual tales of the Nayanars as allegories exhorting us to rout out the inner obstacles to our Sadhana. 

If we approach these saints with faith and devotion in our hearts, we shall grasp the message they have for us. We shall also understand why they gave such a great place to externals like the sacred ash, Rudraksha, etc. These symbols remind one constantly of God: and, when they are said to remove our sins, they remove our sinful tendencies, too, by constantly reminding us of God, and keeping evil out of our mind.” 

[By: Venkatesananda] 

The Lord on his beautiful silver Elephant

Moving away from the front of the Alankaram Mandapam, and proceeding  around the mada veedhis (perimeter streets) of Arunachaleswarar Temple

Palanquins each carrying individual Nayanars

The Saiva Samaya Acharyas

Out of the 63 Nayanars, the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas; (left to right) Tirugnasambandar, Tirunanvukkarasar (Appar), Sundarar and Manikkavasagar are remembered best of all. 

The principal teachings of the four Saiva Samaya Acharyas is of love and surrender to God; and of service to God and godly men. That love, devotion, and service to God is the only way one can obtain His Grace. God is One and He is Shiva. That man must get over his bonds which keep him in ignorance and obtain inseparable union with Shiva through the Lord's Grace. 

Beautiful Rukku, our own Arunachala elephant, making sure that in spite of ornate, ceremonial silver elephants, she ALWAYS takes pride of place!

Deepam and Ramana Maharshi

One Deepam Day a disciple wrote the following and laid it at the Feet of Sri Bhagavan with the request that he should write another verse showing the significance of the Beacon that is yearly lighted on the top of Arunachala.

SELF is the centre, e’en the Heart it is
That thus reveals itself, while intellect
And ego both bewail.
This the true meaning of Annamalai,
Amidst Brahma and Vishnu blazing bright,
Who languish because they don’t know the way
To realize Him.

The Hill Arunachala is identified with the spiritual heart of creation of God. This appeared to the Gods, Brahma and Vishnu as a blazing column of fire. They wondered what it could be and started in competition with each other to find out its source. Brahma flew up as a swan and Vishnu started to burrow down in the form of a boar. But the search was endless. Vishnu came up again admitting his defeat. On his way Brahma caught a flower that was falling and taking it down to Vishnu pretended that he had reached the top and had there picked this flower. Suddenly Lord Siva, who had taken the form of the column of fire, appeared to them. He condemned Brahma for his deceit and said that as a punishment he should have no temple dedicated to his honour. As a reward for his honesty Vishnu was told that he should receive universal worship.

Striving to reach the end of the column of fire signifies the search in the Heart for the realization of the Self and all the difficulties thus entailed.

Bhagavan said in explanation that the ‘I’-sense was Vishnu and the intellect Brahma, they both turned outward and that is where they failed.

The Significance of the Beacon

Sri Bhagavan wrote: -

To make the intellect rid of the sense
‘I am the body’, and to introspect
By fixing it securely in the Heart,
And so perceive the true light of the SELF,
The one ‘I-I’, which is the ABSOLUTE,
This the significance of witnessing
The Beacon Light of Arunachala,
The centre of the earth.

Bhagavan used to declare that Arunachala was the spiritual axis of the earth. So definite was he that he once made someone get an atlas and see if there was not some other mountain, the other end of the axis, corresponding to this Hill on the other side of the world.

Significance of Vibhuti

Although Shiva is worshipped primarily in the form of Arunachala, at this premier Shiva Sthalam, He is also worshipped in other significant forms, such as: Lingodbhava, ‘inside the Lingam', Ardhanisvara ‘the androgynous deity’, Dakshinamurti, ‘the one facing south’ and Bhikshtana, ‘the enchanting mendicant’. However, in whatever form Lord Shiva is worshipped, Vibhuti (sacred ash) is an integral part of that worship.

Vibhuti is the residue from sacrificial fires where special woods (mostly sandal or shami) along with ghee and other herbs have been offered as worship. Vibhuti represents Lord Siva and denotes destruction of illusion by reminding one of the transience of all created things. Sacred ash indicates time and reminds the devotee to reach the Lord who is the destroyer of time

Sacred ash has several symbolic meanings: When eaten, Vibhuti imparts the blessings of the Divine. Placed on the forehead of devotees, it serves as a sectarian mark (tilaka). In worship connected with Lord Shiva it is a symbol of purity and a main prasad given at pujas in Saivite temples and shrines.

Vibhuti also serves as a reminder to the believer to cast away selfish and worldly desires that wrap the self in maya, and calls to mind the story of how Shiva burned Kama (the god of desire) to ashes when Kama attempted to break Shiva's focus on the Divine Truth

Shiva Kolam at Arunachaleswarar Temple



According to Hindu mythology Vibhuti is said to be highly favoured by Lord Shiva and that's why He is often called Vibhuti Bhushan (the one having ash as his ornament). Shiva devotees apply Vibhuti as tripundra (a form of three lines). When applied with a red spot in the centre, the mark symbolises Shiva-Shakti (the unity of energy and matter that creates the entire seen and unseen universe).

Sadhu wearing Vibhuti


Fire which is inherent in all objects becomes visible only in objects consumed by fire. It is Formlessness manifested amidst forms. In the Arunachala Mahatmyam, it is said the Lord gives his form to one who attains Him in the fire of meditation and merging in Him remains as infinite Wisdom.

Sri Shankaracharya of Kamakoti Peetam says of sacred ash, that:

“Vibhuti is held as most sacred and one should necessarily have it smeared over the whole of the body. In Sanskrit, Vibhuti also refers to the glorious attributes of the divine, and (in this context) is translated as 'all pervading', 'superhuman power', and 'wealth', and gives all types of wealth to the one who wears it.

The very colour of Vibhuti, which is white, signifies nothing less than the Supreme Self. As the Bhagavad Gita states: ‘Just as fire reduces firewood to ashes, jnana destroys all karma.’ Vibhuti symbolises the jnana (wisdom) which remains after all karma is burnt out. Anything put into a fire may turn black for a while but eventually it has to turn white. So whiteness is the ultimate state. God is the great Vibhuti and has the same quality as the Vibhuti we smear over the body. Hence the Vibhuti we smear over the body will take us to Him.

The wearing of Vibhuti emphasises the reality of the Self and the unreality of the world and its objects. The smearing of sacred ash reminds us of the great principle: that whether one is a prince or pauper, one will end up as a handful of ash.”