Maha Shivaratri : Shiva and Yoga
21 Feb 2020 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA – HAPPY MAHA-SHIVA-RATRI DAY
Maha Shivaratri, which literally means ‘Great Night of Shiva’, is a Hindu festival, the day of Worship largely celebrated in Nepal and in India as well. But in Nepal is more valuable and popularized because of Pashupati Temple, one of the greatest Hindus Temple or Shiva Temple located in Kathmandu Nepal. In this Day , more than million of Hindus from all over the world, visit to this Temple here in Kathmandu and celebrated to venerate Lord Shiva, an important deity in Hindu Culture. This is celebrated on the NEW MOON in the month of Maagha according to Nepali calendar.
Mahashivaratri is a major festival for the millions of Hindus devotes and is celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm in Nepal and India. On the Shivaratri Day, people start thronging the numerous Shiva temples to offer the traditional worship. Many devotees keep fast on the day and stay awake for the whole night chanting Shiva mantras and devotional songs. People also greet each other and send their good wishes.
Shiva and Yoga : Maha Shivaratri
Shiva is the original light of existence and the immortal Prana (Lifeforce) with supreme Yoga Bal (Power). Siva is associated with lightness in darkness and the destroyer of evil. Though Shiva, consideration is the great deity among the three great deities of Hindusm. Before this he is Yogi, so called Adiyogi, Adinatha, Mahayogi, Yogeshwara, and the great Yogi who personifies the practice of yoga and rules over all forms of yoga relative to body, energy, mind, emotion, and cosmic intelligence.
To understand the origins of Yoga and the role of all Yoga practices today, we must first remind to Shiva as the eternal presence of Yoga as the supreme consciousness or cosmic intelligence behind the universe under the cosmos. Shiva first initiated Yoga Chaturtha, were full of yoga concept from beginning levels to higher levels i.e Hatha Yoga (Body Purity/Power), Mantra Yoga (Mind Purity/power), Laya Yoga (Body Rhythm/speed), and Raja Yoga/Dhyana Yoga (Eternal /supreme Consciousness).
Shiva is the father of Asana Practice with 8.4 million (84 Lakhs) derived from his research throughout his Sadhana/ practice. This shows the direct connection of Shiva with the numerous Yogasanas known unknown today. Nataraj, as the Asana of Shiva as well dance of Shiva reflect yoga postures. Now a day, 84 Asanas are considered as standard need of practitioners, and Siddhasana is highly recommended for Dhyana.
Shiva symbolizes the immortal prana, the undying force of eternal existence and pure being and honoured as Mritunjaya ( conquers the death), Tantric Yoga practice about prana /kundalini relate to Shiva who holds the inner power of Pranayama. Pranic Mantras, So Ham that relate to Shiva, is caleed to day Aajapa Japa Dhyana / Meditation.
Natrajasana : Shiva Dance PoseShiva is the source of all Mantras, so his one creation is Mantra Yoga as well. He is himself Omkara, the primordial cosmic sound/divine sound, and from his drum all the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet arise and reverberate. It is so called “Mantra Moolam Gurur Vakyam” that means the main mantra is the words of Guru, who is the first Guru, Maha- Guru or Adiguru. Literally, Shiva is said to be all the vowels but he encompasses every aspect of primal sound, nada (Sound) and music.
Shiva is the supreme source/ Lord of Dhyana (Meditation), always researched and felt minutely seated in deep meditation, by reciting the pranava or watching the breath, watching the thoughts, being thoughtless and uniting the entire universe into himself for wakening kundalini motive to endless exploration and expansion of cosmic intelligence i.e isolation.
Youthful Form (Dakshinamurti) of Shiva, as a Master of Jnana Yoga, the Yoga of Knowledge, through the power of the silent mind, by manan (reminding), Nidhidhyasana (eternal presence of Practice of inner journey), teaching his first student who is his wife named Parvati, enlightening the Sapta Rishis and all the God and Goddess, sages and seers as well. SO he is calle Adi Shankar, who taught in depth and details about the great theory of Adwaita or non-dualist Vedanta is regarded as a Manifestation of Shiva.
By Swami Yoga Subodh