Maha Shivratri Legends Every Student Should Know. Maha Shivratri is one of the largest festivals of the year. It is celebrated every year, mostly in February. According to the legends, Lord Shiva performed the Shiva Tandava on Mahashivratri. Shiv Tandawa is a furious dance that is related to creation and destruction in the universe in order to save the world. It is the amalgamation of two strong forces in the universe—Shiva and Shakti. In this article, we will discuss the legends about Maha Shivratri that every student should know.
Maha Shivratri Legends Every Student Should Know
The meaning of Maha Shivratri roughly refers to the ‘great night of Shiva.’ It is celebrated with fanfare and enthusiasm by the Hindu community across India and some parts of Nepal. As per the Hindu calendar, Shivratri is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Maagha. This festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva; the festival owes its origins to many versions of them. One of them is a celebration of Shiva and Parvati’s marriage to each other.
On this pious day, many people observe the Shivratri fast and abstain from their regular food in honour of the Lord on this day. Many traditional rituals are followed on this special day, like going to the Shiv temple, performing pooja ceremonies, etc. This day represents the victory of good over evil and the power of Lord Shiva to safeguard and bless his followers. Here are the Maha Shivratri legends every student should know:
The Legend of the Poison
During the churning of the Samudra Manthan by the gods and demons, a highly toxic poison came out of the ocean. Then Lord Vishnu advised all the gods. Taking the advice, the gods went to Lord Shiva and prayed to him to protect life by consuming this poison. They were able to please Lord Shiva with their prayers. Lord Shiva, to save the living beings, drank the poison and held it in his throat by binding it with a snake. Due to consuming the poison, his throat turned blue. However, Lord Shiva remained unharmed. That’s the tale of how he is known as ‘Neelkantha.’
The prudent men gave advice to gods to keep Shiva awake during the night. The gods, in order to keep him awake, performed various dances and played music by taking turns. When the day began, Shiva was pleased with their true devotion and blessed them all and also said that whoever worshipped and meditated on him on this day would be blessed with the fulfilment of his or her desires.
The Union of Shiva and Parvati
This is a very popular legend related to Maha Shivratri. It is the story of the union of Shiva and Parvati. Parvati was the daughter of Himalaya, the king of the mountains. Parvati was dedicated to marrying Shiva but her father did not want this to happen. After suffering severe punishment, she was finally successful in her motive. The day on which they got married is celebrated as the day of Shivratri.
The Clash Between Brahma and Vishnu
This legend about Maha Shivratri is mentioned in the Shiv Purana. The two gods, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, were battling to know which one of them was more powerful and supreme. Other gods got frightened by this war and came to Lord Shiva to step in and convince them to resolve their fight. This incident made Lord Shiva so angry that he took the form of a massive fire that spread across the universe. Both Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu tried to stop the fire but were not able to. Brahma lied to everyone, which angered Shiva and he punished Brahma and cursed him by saying that no one would ever pray to him again.
The Dance of Shiva
According to the legends, Lord Shiva performed the Shiva Tandava on Mahashivratri. Shiv Tandava is a furious dance that is related to creation and destruction in the universe in order to save the world. The followers of Lord Shiva participate in this cosmic dance by chanting hymns and reading Shiva texts. A manifestation of Lord Shiva is Nataraja, who is the supreme god of dance.