Maha Siva Ratri

Guruji:  Maha Siva Ratri commemorates the day when the great Lingam of Siva appeared before all the gods and demons. Since the Lingam extended from the netherworlds to the ends of far galaxies, all the gods and demons were utterly perplexed, as they could not discover it’s beginning or end. In a spirit of competition, Brahma set out to find the top of the Lingam, and Vishnu went to find the bottom, but however far they traveled, they could not find the ends of the Lingam. Then Brahma saw a leaf falling down, and he asked the leaf, “From where have you fallen?” The leaf replied, “I don't know.” Brahma requested the leaf to tell a lie that it had fallen from the top of the Lingam. When Brahma and Vishnu met again, Vishnu admitted that he had not found the bottom of the Lingam. Then Brahma told Vishnu, “Neither have I seen the top of the Lingam, but I have seen this leaf which has fallen from the top. Therefore, it is equivalent to seeing the top.” Vishnu agreed that he had been defeated. With his divine vision, however, Siva saw that Brahma had lied about the leaf’s falling from the top of his Lingam. Enraged at the lie, Siva cut off the top head of the five heads of Brahma. Since then, Brahma came to be known in his four-headed form. Brahma cursed Siva that he would not be entitled to receive puja in his total form, but should receive puja only in the form of his Lingam. After all this had occurred, all the gods and demons prayed to Siva, chanting the vedic mantras of Rudra Prasna. Pleased with their devotion, Siva spoke these words of assurance: “If anyone worships me with devotion at the time of my linga's arising, they will be freed from all the limitations and bondage of samsara, and they will be absorbed into my cosmic Lingam, which is ever blissful.”

 

This story is from the Linga Purana. The day commemorating this great occurrence is known as “Maha Siva Ratri,” and the time is called “Lingodbhava Kalam.” On this night, everyone worships the Lingam with vedic, non-vedic, or no mantras, keeping awake all night in the presence of the Lord. There is also the story of a lascivious person who worshipped Siva’s Lingam in the form of the breast of a prostitute. That person attained liberation, and the village in Andhra Pradesh where he lived came to be known as “Achanta,” which means “breast.” These stories of Siva as the procreative force and destroyer of evil are well-known.  

 

What is the meaning and moral of this story? Brahma represents the five-dimensional world, which was its original form. The four dimensions of time and space are commonly known. The fifth dimension of total awareness is denied to Brahma, because he violated the principle of truth by telling a lie. Henceforth, Brahma could only make creations of limited intelligence. Total truth can only be known by accepting the Lingam that goes from the depths of the netherworlds to the heights of space. This feeling is echoed in the Isavasya Upanishad, where it is said: By avidya (external worship), cross the bounds of death, and by vidya (internal worship), attain immortality. Both are needed. The Upanishad warns that if you follow only one way, either internal or external worship, you will enter a great abyss-like void of darkness. In this life, only Siva Puja on Maha Siva Ratri can take you out of the cosmic abyss.  Maha Siva Ratri is the day when people will be lifted from the void and made into “light” beings. Hence, the Jyotir (light) Linga Pujas are performed.