Mahashivaratri: The night of the rebel God

Shashank Chouhan

He loves ghosts for company and lets his hair down at crematoriums. His favourite drink is desi ‘bhang’ and He dances the deathly ‘tandav’. He prefers being almost naked- damn the culture police. No He is not a head-banging metal lover but our own almighty Lord Shiva, the rebel God.

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Is it any wonder then that while almost all Indian festivals are celebrated under a bright sun, Shivaratri is observed in the dead of night, without even the luminescence of moon. It has a deep meaning- in the dark all things seem to assume the same shade, shape & size as we all are in the eyes of God. It signifies divine protection in turbulent times.

There are many legends behind Shivaratri. While stories of Shiva’s marriage with Parvati and that of a hunter’s inadvertent worship of Shiv-lingum are repeatedly recited by grannies throughout the country, it is the appearance of Shiva in the form of an elliptical sphere – the lingum – that makes Him the rebel God in true sense. The lingum is supposed to be the symbol of creation & generation in the universe. In short it depicts the life-creating organ in man. However, some scholars contradict this interpretation by stating that the lingum is representing the timeless, formless, eternal aspect of God and is meant for meditation purposes.

In any case, Shiva goes beyond the Hindu faith as we know it. The Vedas do not mention Him directly and He is supposed to have made a back-door entry from the Indus valley civilisation culture. The early tribals worshipped Him as the Lord of wildlife (Pashupati) and as the life-generating organ for fertility, creativity and peace.

Taking a look at the trinity of which He is a part, Shiva does not come across as an everyday God. He does not sport a gold crown but likes matted hair (Jatadhari) that takes care of the roaring Ganges. The glittering necklaces are replaced by venomous snakes and the attire is only elementary. It is a message to His devotees to lead a simple life. His very form teaches simple living and high thinking.

The company of Shiva – ghosts, spirits etc. – represents the downtrodden, neglected people of world (Bhootnath). To embrace them all is to live the Shiva principle. The Shiva principle is the principle of welfare & sacrifice. The word Shiva means ‘welfare, bliss, happiness’. That is why the yogis chant ‘Shivoham, Shivoham’ to remind themselves of their true nature.

Even though He is the lord of ascetics, Shiva lives with His family & is worshipped along with them. This is a great coming together of the material and non-material aspects of life. With His consort Parvati and sons Ganesh & Karthik, Shiva’s is the ideal family. Those trying to juggle between work & home should look up to Shiva for inspiration!

Shiva is the lord of supreme ecstasy, which he creates while in meditation. To immerse Himself in meditation and leave aside worldly worries, Shiva takes to bhang – not the leisurely ‘soma ras’ for Him. Here again, intoxication is supposed to be mild and purely for concentrating on God rather then on the world. So no extra bhang ladoos on this Shivaratri please.

To worship Shiva is to not emulate His form, rather His style. That does not translate into keeping long locks or fancying venomous snakes – rather keeping far-reaching vision and being simple even amidst luxury. To worship Shiva is to be ‘Shiva’ i.e being ‘pure, happy, innocent and simple’ in disposition.

To break away from outdated customs, traditions, thoughts is the message that Shiva bestows upon the devout. The centrality of that message is- be yourself and you will be a rebel against all things redundant.