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"Maha-Sivaratri" is a Hindu festival observed on the night of the four­teenth day of the dark half in the month of 'Magha', in Tamil 'Masi', corresponding to the English months 'February�March', in honour of Siva , one of the Hindu Trinity, representing the destructive aspect in the universe.

It is the day on which Siva takes the Linga Form, for the benefit of seekers. Siva is revered as the form which is to be adored for the acquisition of Jnana of Wisdom. Pray to Siva for enlightenment, through wisdom. So, do not treat this day lightly, and reduce the disciplines prescribed by the sages for its celebration, such as fast and vigil and uninterrupted recital of the name of God, into a routine ritual, or a change for picnic, revelry, rivalry or factious fun. Contemplate this day and this night, on the Atma Linga, which emanates from Siva, the Jyothi Linga, the symbol of the supreme light of wisdom, and be convinced that Siva is in every one of you. Let that vision illumine your inner consciousness.

Visiting Siva shrines, arranging for worship through priests of Siva Lingams, pouring sanctified waters, potfuls of them over consecrated idols, fasting, vigil and such other activities are resorted to on this day. But, these are not quite relevant to the real purpose of the festival. To fulfil these rites and vows, one need not wait one full year and consult the astrologer and his calendar of holy days. When man takes in food four times a day, in order that his body may keep functioning efficiently, is it too much to ask him to feed the mind with good thoughts and godly acts, at least once every day?. The mind too needs clean and sustaining food.

Iswara, a Name of Siva, means that He has all the glory that is associated with Godhead. Samkara, another name of Siva, means that He causes by His Grace, Sam that is, Ananda on the supremost level. Siva is the embodiment of Ananda; hence the Thandava dance, which He enjoys so much, with the cosmos as His stage. To set apart just one day among the 365 for the worship of this universal Omnipresence is an insult to His majesty and mystery.

Siva means, graciousness; auspiciousness; Mangalam. He is all graciousness, ever auspicious, Sarva Mangalam. That is the reason why the epithet, Sri, which indicates these qualities, is not added to the name Siva, Sankara, lsvara etc. It is added to the number of Avatars, for they have taken on perishable bodies for a specific purpose. They have to be distinguished from other humans, by the epithet, Siva is eternally gracious, auspicious, mangala and so the epithet is superfluous. Siva is adored as the teacher of teachers, Dakshinamurti. The form of Siva is itself a great lesson in tolerance and forbearance.

Consider the significance of the form that Siva has assumed for human adoration: In His neck, He has the holocaust---producing poison, Halahala, that can destroy all life in a trice. On His head, He has the sacred Ganga River, whose waters can cure all ills, here and hereafter. On His forehead, He has the eye of fire. On His head, He has the cool comforting moon. On His wrists, ankles, shoulders and neck He wears deadly cobras, which live in life--giving breath of air. Siva lives in the burial ground and the burning ghat, the Rudrabhumi, as it is called--the land of Siva or Rudra. The place is no area of dread; it is an auspicious area, for all have to end their lives there, at the close of this life or a few more lives. Siva is teaching you that death cannot be shunned or frightened away. It has to be gladly and bravely met. Siva, again, is said to go about with a begging bowl. He teaches that, renunciation, detachment, indifference to good fortune or bad, these are the paths to attain Him. Siva is known as Mrtyunjaya, He who vanquishes death. And He is also the Kaamaari, the destroyer of desire. These two names show that he who destroys desire can conquer death, for desire breeds activity, activity breeds consequence, consequence breeds bondage, bondage results in birth and birth involves death.Iswara is also symbolized in the Linga Form, Lings is derived from the Sanskrit root, Li, means Leeyathe, 'merges'; it is the form in which all forms merge. Siva is the goal who blesses beings with the most desirable gift of meaning in the universe. That is the end, the death, which one should strive for, the end which Siva can vouch-safe. Realize the God in you first; then, if you involve yourself with the material world, no harm can come to you, for you will recognize the objective world as but the body of God. But, if you try to involve yourself with the objective world first, and then try to discover God who is material only. Again, you can direct your spiritual efforts in either of two ways: endeavor to reach you. Follow the commands of God, and He will be pleased to raise you up. Follow the path of inquiry and discover where He resides, and realize Him there. You can follow either means. But, reaching Him is the inescapable task of man. The Halahala poison is hidden by Him in His Throat; the beneficent moon which all welcome, He has worn on His Head. This is a lesson for man to keep away from others all harmful tendencies and to use for their benefit all useful tendencies that he can command.

Once there was a hunter, and he one day went into the forest to procure meat for his family by hunting some animal. He wandered up and down in the forest from morning till night in search of game but was unable to shoot any. At last, when night overtook him, he climbed up a Bael tree to escape from a wild animal that was pursuing him, being roused from its lair by the hunter. The animal was lying down at the foot of the tree quite certain that the man would fall down either from sleep or from exhaustion, and that he might eat him. The hunter, exhausted as he was from his exertions and hunger, wished to scare away the animal by throwing handful of bael leaves. These leaves dripping with water on account of the recent shower, fell on a Siva-Lingam that was near. The night happened to be the Maha-Sivaratri night. He had fasted during the whole day since he could not find anything to eat. The drenching rain constituted a bath and his action of throwing the bael leaves on the Siva-Lingam, the wor­ship of Siva on the Sivaratri night. Though his actions were not intentional to worship Siva, yet he is said to have gained heaven as he had observed the Sivaratri - Vratha unwittingly.The basic principle underlying the observance of the Maha-Sivaratri Vratha appears to be to emphasize the fact that death is sure to follow birth, night is sure to follow day,Pralaya, active cosmic life and so on, and consequently people should always bear in mind while enjoying the one its opposite and regulate their life accordingly. They should not be elated at success nor should they allow themselves to be carried away by despair at failures but always have trust in God and worship him.

It is said that the whole world was under destruction once and the Goddess Parvati worshipped her husband Siva then and prayed to him that the Jivas (living souls) remaining in space like particles of gold dust in a lump of wax during that long period of pralaya (deluge) night, should, when they became active once again and are in the enjoy­ment of their short day and night, have his blessings if they but worshipped him just as she did then, and her prayer was accordingly granted.The night fixed for the worship of Iswara by mortals by Parvati was named Maha-Sivaratri or the great night of Siva, since pralaya is brought about by him and hence the period is really his night from the great night or pralaya which was the cause for the origin of this Sivaratri.The people who observe this Sivaratri- Vratha take only single meal during the day previous to the Vratha day and sleep in clean place during the night. In the morning of the Vratha day they take a bath in the waters of a sacred river, and then go to witness the divine worship in a Siva temple, and at night offer worship to Siva during every one of the four Yamams. Night long vigil on Sivaratri day,watching the sacred ablutions of Siva Linga at the temple,is the core of the Sivaratri festival.The Rudra Japa Abhisheka of Siva Linga resounds the multifacted glory of Lord Siva,who is also called Asutosh or One who is easily pleased by copius ablutions with water, the cheapest available commodity.We should remember that water in essence is Prana Sakti or life force. Such an observance of Siva Ratri will really bestow on the devotee the greatest grace of Lord Siva, the auspicious knowledge of Atma Jnana. Besides the devotee is also blessed with material prosperity the items of which are beautifully listed in the ChamakaMantra uttered on this occasion.