Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of The Night of Goodness and Godliness

Mahashivaratri:
The spiritual Significance of the

Night of Goodness and Godliness
Compiled by
TUMULURU KRISHNA MURTY
Tumuluru Krishna Murty

Anasuya
C-66 Durgabai Deshmukh Colony
Ahobil Mutt Road
Hyderabad 500007
Ph: +91 (40) 2742 7083/ 8904
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Desaraju Sri Sai Lakshmi
Figure 1: Lingodbhava
Significance of Lingodbhava
Understand the true meaning and inner significance of Shivaratri.
Hiranyagarbha Lingam is present in everybodys hridaya
(spiritual heart) and is on the right side of the body.
The principle of Hiranyagarbha permeates My whole body. It
assumes a form when I will it. Whoever has seen this Lingam at
the time of its emergence will not have rebirth. One should see its
form as it emerges. In order to sanctify your lives, such sacred
manifestations have to be shown to you every now and then. Only
then can you understand the divinity in humanity.
This Lingam will not break even if it is dropped from a height
with force. This is amruthatwam (symbol of immortality). It is
changeless. You cannot see such a manifestation anywhere else in
the world. It is possible only with Divinity. This is the
manifestation of changeless Divinity.
Three types of Lingams emerge. They are bhur, bhuvah, and
suvaha. Bhur refers to materialisation (body), bhuvah to vibration
(prana), and suvaha to radiation (Atma). I often say, you are not
one, but three: The one you think you are (physical body), the one
others think you are (mental body), the one you really are (Atma).
-
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Table of Contents
Mahashivaratri .................................................................................... 11
Seasonal festivals...................................................................................................................12
Inner Significance of Festivals ......................................................................... 13
Festivals mark the destruction of demonic forces ....................................... 14
Shivaratri ...................................................................................................................................14
What is the significance of Ratri? ..................................................................................16
Shivaratri is an auspicious night ...................................................................... 17
Shiva .................................................................................................... 19
Who is Shiva? ..........................................................................................................................20
Shiva is all Graciousness, ever Auspicious ................................................... 21
Form of Shiva ..........................................................................................................................24
Linga is the Form in which all forms merge ................................................. 26
Man has to realise that he is Shivam ............................................................... 30
Smog of hatred and greed tarnish the temple towers .................................. 30
Siva Consciouness Is Transcendental ............................................................. 31
God Is Attributeless, Realise His Oneness .................................................................33
The Trinity and Omkaara .................................................................................. 35
Significance of Cosmic dance of Lord Shiva ............................................................36
Role of Rudras in man's life ............................................................................. 37
Rudras and sense-control .................................................................................. 38
Terrible and tender .............................................................................................. 40
It is the mind that decides the desire ............................................................... 41
Ardhanareeswara: Shiva-Shakti Principle ................................................................42
Recognise the Principle of Ardhanareeswara ............................................... 43
Stories of Shiva ..................................................................................... 45
Unity of Purusha and Prakrithi ...................................................................................... 45

Parents Are Living Divinities .......................................................................................... 50
The story of a Divine Plan ................................................................................................ 52
The role of a tool in the Divine Plan ............................................................... 53
Traditional legend connected with Mahashivaratri ............................................. 54
Every experience is a lesson, every loss a gain ............................................ 55
The yaga performed by sage Bharadwaja ................................................................. 56
All past assurances accomplished by one incident ...................................... 57
Purity and Truth alone can open the gates of Bliss .............................................. 58
A story of Shivaratri festival at Srisailam ................................................................. 60
How Shiva accepted Parvathi as Ardha ..................................................................... 62
The Story of Markandeya .................................................................................................. 64
One Can Achieve Anything With Gods Grace ........................................... 65
Forms of Worship and Sadhana ............................................................ 67
Vedas lead man into Vision of Truth ............................................................................ 67
The three forms of worship Shiva likes ....................................................................... 72
Few forms of worship: ....................................................................................... 73
The proper way to observe Shivaratri ......................................................................... 75
The night of goodness and Godliness .......................................................................... 77
Symbol of Time-Space manifestation of divinity ........................................ 77
Awareness of Divinity ........................................................................................ 78
Six mental states ............................................................................................. 79
The evolutionary process .............................................................................. 79
The most effective form of meditation ......................................................................... 81
Visualise God in the all-pervasive Light ....................................................... 82
Advanced Meditation on Soham ...................................................................... 83
The Shiva in all .................................................................................................... 83
Meaning of worship of the Snake .................................................................... 84
Every appellation of God has deep significance .......................................... 85
Strengthen the belief that all objects belong to God ................................... 86

Sadhana......................................................................................................................................88
Peace Brings Love ............................................................................................... 91
Do Not Indulge In Excessive Talk .................................................................. 92
The Message of Mahashivaratri ............................................................ 93
The Message of Shivaratri .................................................................................................93
Prayers should rise from the heart, not from the lips .................................. 94
The three criteria for the Saathwik quality .................................................... 95
Purpose of fast and vigil on holy days ........................................................... 96
Know the purpose of fasting ........................................................................ 97
Understand the main purpose of holy days .............................................. 98
Do not allow the mind to dwell on others' faults ......................................... 99
Mind of man should undergo transformation ............................................. 100
Cultivate love, faith and humility .................................................................. 101
Get rid of action and be freed from Maya ................................................... 102
Cure the boil of "I" in the body ...................................................................... 103
Conduct yourselves as true human beings .................................................. 104
Wisdom exists in the midst of ignorance ..................................................... 105
Develop purity and sacredness ....................................................................... 106
Spiritual significance of Shivaratri ............................................................................ 107
Duality in life cannot be escaped ................................................................... 108
The cosmic process ........................................................................................... 109
The trinity in man .............................................................................................. 110
Unity in diversity ............................................................................................... 111
Concord .......................................................................................................... 112
Index .................................................................................................. 115
Bibliography ...................................................................................... 117
Mahashivaratri
A festival or gala is an event ordinarily staged by a local
community, which centres on and celebrates some unique aspect
of that community and the Festival.
Among many religions, a feast is a set of celebrations in honour
of God or gods. A feast and a festival are historically
interchangeable. However, the term "feast" has also entered
common secular parlance as a synonym for any large or
elaborate meal. When used as in the meaning of a festival, most
often refers to a religious festival rather than a film or art
festival. There are numerous types of festivals in the world.
Though many have religious origins, others involve seasonal
change or have some cultural significance Also, certain
institutions celebrate their own festival (often called "fests") to
mark some significant occasions in their history. These occasions
could be the day these institutions were founded or any other
event which they decide to commemorate periodically, usually
annually1.
Festival is:
1. A day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp. one
of religious significance
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
11
Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness
2. Any occasion for celebration, esp. one which commemorates

an anniversary or other significant event
3. An organized series of special events and performances,
usually in one place a festival of drama
4. Archaic a time of revelry; merrymaking
5. (modifier) relating to or characteristic of a festival2
There are numerous types of festivals in the world. Though many
have religious origins, others involve seasonal change or have
some cultural significance. Also, certain institutions celebrate
their own festival (often called "fests") to mark some significant
occasions in their history. These occasions could be the day these
institutions were founded or any other event which they decide to
commemorate periodically, usually annually3.
Seasonal festivals
Seasonal are determined by the solar and the lunar calendars and
by the cycle of the seasons. The changing of the season was
celebrated because of its effect on food supply. Important types
of seasonal festivals are those related with the agricultural
seasons4. In India, Makar Sankranti, a major harvest festival
celebrated in various parts of India is an example for this.
People celebrate different festivals with great enthusiasm.
Festivals are intended to make people cultivate auspicious and
2
3
4
Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins

Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ibid
12
Mahashivaratri
Godly qualities. The Bharatiya festivals have been designed to

control the tendencies of the mind.
It is easy to correct the mind.
A tree can be made to grow straight,
A stone can be shorn of its roughness,
But can one straighten the mind?
Everyone should understand the rationale of every sacred
festival. (SSS Vol.27) 11-3-1994. Mahashivaratri is a Hindu
festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva.
Inner Significance of Festivals

Bharatiya festivals and holy days are designed to reveal the
greatness and integrity of Indian culture. Failing to recognise the
inner significance and power of this immemorial culture, the
nation has drifted into a purposeless existence. All these festivals
have a profound meaning and purpose. But no earnest effort is
made to understand their inner meaning and deeper objectives.
These holy days and festivals are intended to celebrate the
birthdays of Avatars and saints and to mark the destruction of
evil and wicked forces. The ancients observed these occasions to
honour the memory of the great souls and to remember how the
demoniac forces were vanquished. The advent of Sri Rama, the
embodiment of Dharma, occurred on the Shuddha Navami in the
Chaitra month. That day is observed as the sacred birthday of
Rama. The Bahula Ashtami in the month of Sravana is observed
as the sacred day on which Sri Krishna made his advent for the
establishment of Dharma and propagating Dharma as the
Gitacharya (the teacher of the Bhagavad Gita).
Festivals mark the destruction of demonic forces

The Navaratri festival, Shivaratri and Sankranti (festival
dedicated to Sun God) are observed as memorable days marking
the destruction of demonic forces by the Divine. Vijayadasami is
the day when the evil-minded Ravana, who was well versed in
all the sciences and was very powerful, was destroyed. The
Suddha Paadyami in the Aasayuja month was the day in which
the combined powers of the three goddesses, Durga, Lakshmi
and Saraswathi, (Ichcha Shakthi, Kriya Sahkthi and Jnana
Shakth) put an end to the evil forces represented by Mahishasura
(the buffalo-headed demon). Vijayadasami is also the day when
the Asura King, Ravana, was destroyed and Sri Rama was
crowned at Ayodhya. It is the day on which the great Emperor
Vikramaditya ascended his bejewelled throne acquired as a boon.
It is also the anniversary of the passing of the founder of Jainism,
Mahavira. Bharatiyas have been observing, in this manner, the
birthdays of the Avatars and the days marking the destruction of
the wicked. (SSS Vol.21), 9 Nov 1988
Shivaratri, the Night of

Auspiciousness, of Mangalam.
Fearlessness,
of
Many stories are told in the Shastras, to explain the origin and
significance of the Mahashivaratri Festival (The Night of the
Emergence of Linga form of Shiva5). Bharat, the name for this
land used from ancient times, means 'the land of those who have
rathi (Love) towards Bha (Light or Bhagawan). So, for the
people of this land, all days are sacred; every moment is
precious. The Ganga is holy from source to sea, but, yet there are
5
(SSS Vol.1) 7-2-1959
14
Mahashivaratri
some places on its banks, associated with some sage or temple,

the confluence of a tributary, or a historical incident, which are
revered more by generations. Such places are Hardwar, Varanasi,
Prayag, and Rishikesh. (SSS Vol.9) February 1969 So too,
among the days of the year, some are treated as holier, when a
special effort is made by the devotees to approach God through
special puja (ritual worship) or japa (pious repetition of holy
names or sacred formula) or dhyana (meditation). Shivaratri is
such a day. (SSS Vol.6) 18-2-1966
Some ascribe the holiness of the Day to the fact of its being the
Birthday of Shiva, as if Shiva has birth and death, like any
mortal.
The story that it commemorates the salvation attained by a hunter
who sat on a bilva tree on the look-out for animals to kill, and
without any intention to worship, unknowingly dropped some of
its leaves on a Linga that lay beneath, does not make clear why
this Day is especially sacred. (SSS Vol.9) February 1969
Another story is that this is the day on which Shiva danced the
Tandava (cosmic dance) in His Ecstasy, with all the Gods and
Sages taking part in the Cosmic Event. When He consumed the
Haalahala (death-dealing) poison that emanated from the ocean
of Milk, in response to the prayers of the Worlds, which it
threatened to destroy, the heat of the fumes was well-nigh
unbearable, even for Him. So, it is said, Ganga was poured
uninterruptedly on His matted locks---this is the explanation for
the Abhisheka (ceremony of pouring consecrated water, oil, milk,
etc., on the idol) which is offered in all Shiva temples for hours
on end, and in some places, uninterruptedly---but Shiva was only
partly relieved. So the cool Moon was placed on the head; that
gave some relief. Then, Ganga was placed on the matted locks.
That was of great help. After this, Shiva danced with all the
Gods, the tandava dance. That is the story but all this did not
happen on a particular day and so Shivaratri cannot be said to
commemorate that day. (SSS Vol.1) 7-2-1959
What is the significance of Ratri?

We have not only the Mahashivaratri once a year; we have a
Shivaratri every month, dedicated to the worship of Shiva. And,
why is the ratri (the Night), so important? The night is
dominated by the Moon. The Moon has 16 kalas (fractions of
divine glory), and each day or rather night, during the dark
fortnight, one fraction is reduced, until the entire Moon is
annihilated on New Moon night. From then on, each night, a
fraction is added, until the Moon is full circle on Full Moon
Night. The Chandra (Moon) is the presiding deity of the mind;
the mind waxes and wanes, like the Moon. Chandramaa-manaso
jaathah--Out of the manas of the Purusha (Supreme Being), the
Moon was born.
It must be remembered that the chief aim of all sadhana (spiritual
striving) is to eliminate the mind, to become A-manaska. Then
only can maya (illusion) be rent asunder and the Reality
revealed. During the dark fortnight of the month, sadhana has to
be done to eliminate each day a fraction of the mind, for, every
day, a fraction of the Moon too is being taken out of cognisance.
On the night of Chaturdasi, the 14th day, the night of Shiva, only
a fraction remains. If some special effort is made that night,
through more intensive and vigilant sadhana, like puja or japam
16
Mahashivaratri
or dhyana (ritual worship, one-pointed repetition & holy names,

and meditation), success is ensured. Shiva alone has to be
meditated upon that night without the mind straying towards
thoughts of sleep or food. This has to be done every month; once
a year, on Mahashivaratri a special spurt of spiritual activity is
recommended, so that what is shavam (corpse) can become
Shivam (God), by the perpetual awareness of its Divine Indweller. (SSS Vol.9) February 1969
In fact, every moment in our life can be taken to be Shivaratri.
We need not wait for Shivaratri on a particular day in a year.
(SSS Vol.38, p. 28)
Shivaratri is an auspicious night

Shivaratri is an auspicious night. How is it auspicious? There are
sixteen aspects for the mind. The moon is the presiding deity for
the mind. Of the sixteen phases of the moon, today in the
fourteenth day of Maargasheersha month, fifteen of the phases
are absent. On this day it is possible to get full control of one's
mental faculties. Hence it is considered an auspicious day.
Auspiciousness consists in diverting the mind towards God. This
calls for getting rid of the inherited animal tendencies in man.
This is the occasion to recognise the omnipresence of the Divine
in all beings and in all objects. It follows that whomsoever you
adore or condemn, you are adoring or condemning God. You
must follow the injunction: Help ever, hurt never.
Every human being has sacred qualities, based on his
Shivathwam (Divine essence). Hence man should realise his
inherent divinity, though his body is made up of the five
elements. Thereby humanness is transformed into divinity. The
human birth is intended for the pursuit of Dharma.
Dharma implies harmony in thought, word and deed. When

every person realises his essential divine nature, the entire world
will be transformed. The body and the mind are mere
instruments. Man's reality is the Atma (Self). Man should use the
instruments given to him to perform his duties well and realise
his oneness with God. (SSS Vol.29), 1 7-2-1996.
Shivaratri is a word that connotes the dual nature of man and his
duty to discriminate between the higher and the lower. Shiva
means Jnaana (the Higher Wisdom, the Unifying Universal
Vision); it also means, the lasting, the timeless, and the
beneficial, the holy, the auspicious. And the second word, ratri,
means darkness of ignorance, the blind pursuit of tawdry
pleasures, the bewildering will-o'-the-wisp of sensory joys. It
also means the transitory, the fleeting; it connotes the maleficent,
the inauspicious, the sacrilegious. So, the message of Shivaratri
is: discriminate between Shiva and ratri---the Praana (life energy)
and the Body, the dehi (indwelling of spirit) and the deha
(body), the spiritual and the material, the Kshethrajna and
Kshethra, called in the Geetha as Vibhaaga-yoga (the yoga of
discrimination between matter and spirit). (SSS Vol.9), 15-21969
18
Shiva
Vagarthaviv Sampruktau Vagartha Pratipattaye
Jagatah Pitarau Vande Parvati Parameshwarau6
In this verse it is clear that Parvathi and Parameshwara are in the
position of parents to the entire world and they look after the
welfare and prosperity of the entire world. When we said
Pitarau Vande, we have to regard Parvathi and Parameshwara
as the father and mother of the whole world. We should
understand the true nature of Parvathi and Parameshwara when
we refer to them as the parents of the entire creation. Here the
word Easwara refers to one who possesses all kinds of Aiswarya
or prosperity. He is one who possesses Aiswarya of knowledge
or wisdom. How do we recognise the meaning of the aspect of
Easwara or Aiswarya of all types? The word Shankara signifies
one who confers happiness. We may ask ourselves what kind of
happiness. This does not refer to a particular variety of happiness
like that of the body or that relating to the world. It represents all
kinds of happiness that is the basis of the bliss we enjoy. (SSB
1974 Part II, pp. 111, 113)
Kalidsa, Raghuvansham, 2nd revised edition, Motilal Banarasilal

Publishers, Delhi: 1987
19
Who is Shiva?
Siva (Shiva). Destroyer in the trinity of Brahma (the Creator),
Vishnu (the Preserver), and Siva. The embodiment of spiritual
wisdom and God of Gods, Mahadeva. (Sutra Vahini)
Does it mean Lord Shiva was born on Mahashivaratri?7 No.
Shiva means auspicious and ratri means night. Thus,
Shivaratri means auspicious night. (SSS Vol.38, p. 28)
Then the question arises, Who is Siva? The divine
consciousness pervading all the living beings is none other than
Siva. This Shivatwa (divine consciousness) permeates not only
human beings, but the birds, beasts and animals as well. (SSS
Vol.38, p. 28).
The Siva principle is omnipresent.
Sarvatah Panipadam Tat Sarvatokshi Siromukham,
Sarvatah Srutimalloke Sarvamavrutya Tishttati
(Sanskrit verse)
(with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading
everything.)
Whatever is seen by the eyes and heard by the ears, even the
words that are spoken everything is Brahman. There is nothing
in the universe which is not Brahman.
That is why it is described as Sabda Brahmamayi, Characharamayi,
7
(SSS Vol.42, pp. 134-135)
20
Shiva
Jyotirmayi, Vangmayi, Nityanandamayi,

Paratparamayi, Mayamayi, Sreemayi
(Sanskrit verse)
(Embodiment of sound, mobility and immobility, light,
speech, eternal bliss, perfection, delusion and wealth).
(SSS Vol.42, pp. 134-135)
Shiva is all Graciousness, ever Auspicious

Easwara, a Name of Shiva, means that He has all the glory that is
associated with Godhead8. Shankara, another name of Shiva,
means that He causes by His Grace, Sham, that is, Ananda (bliss)
at the supremest level. Shiva is the embodiment of Ananda;
hence the Tandava 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.
Digambara is one of the names of Lord Siva. Digambara in
common parlance refers to the one who is naked. But if you
enquire into the inner meaning, you will know that Digambara
is the One who has dikkulu (four sides East, West, North,
8
Shiva is known also as Easwara, the 'repository of all the resources

essential for Prosperity. The most important resource is Jnaana
(Spiritual Wisdom). Three kinds of Jnaana are demarcated: Jeevaprajna
(concerning the individualised Divine), Easwaraprajna (concerning the
Cosmic-Manifestation of the Divine) and the Atmaprajna (Concerning
the Universal Absolute of which the individual is the temporaryparticular). This is also mentioned in some other texts as Delta-prajna,
Jeeva-prajna and Atma- prajna, but, the meaning of the words is the
same as in the other list. Easwara confers the Aishwarya of Jnaana.
(SSS Vol.12), 20-2-1974
21
South) as His ambara (vesture)9. (SSS Vol.39, pp. 53-54), 26-22006

Shiva means, Graciousness, Auspiciousness, Mangalam. He is
all Graciousness, ever Auspicious, and Sarva Mangalam. (SSS
Vol.12) 5-3-1973 He is also known as Shankara and sages have
experienced Shiva as conferring Sam or auspiciousness of all
kinds, Happiness in all ways. Shiva is eternally auspicious; He
does not come embodied in other forms, with other names, as
often as Vishnu. So, He is not described as Sri Shiva or Sri
Shankara or Sri Easwara. Sri is inherent in His very Person and
so it is superfluous to add Sri to His Name. (SSS Vol.12), 20-21974 It is added to the number of Avatars (divine incarnations),
for they have taken on perishable bodies for a specific purpose.
They have to be distinguished from other humans, by the epithet,
but Shiva is eternally gracious, auspicious, mangala and so the.
epithet is superfluous. Shiva is adored as the Teacher of
Teachers, Dakshinamurthy. The Form of Shiva is itself a great
lesson in tolerance and forbearance.
The Haalahala poison10 is hidden by Him in His throat11; the
beneficent Moon which all welcome, He has worn on His head.
9
10
11
There is a possibility that people misunderstand this word and think that
Shiva does not wear anything on His body
Legend has it that when Siva, in order to save the world, swallowed
Haalahala (poison), He lost consciousness and fell down. The resultant
heat affected the world. In order to cool down the world, Shiva created
the Himalayas. Then He placed the Himalayas on His stomach. As a
result, the Himalayas absorbed all the heat from His body and He got up.
People celebrate this event as Shivaratri.
He is called Neelakanth
22
Shiva
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. If one uses his skills for his own advance, and
his evil propensities for putting down others, he is only taking
the road to ruin.
Man is inherently Divine; he ought therefore demonstrate in
thought, word and deed the Divine attributes of love, tolerance,
compassion and humanity. God is Truth; man too must live in
Truth. God is Love; man too must live in Love, eschewing anger.
Master hatred through Love; master anger through sweet
Tolerance. There are many who bargain with God, and offer Him
gifts, of money or articles if He would confer Grace. If one
believes that God can be mollified by the gift of a coconut or a
purse of 116 rupees, I wonder what kind of God he has in his
mind? Is his conception of God so mean, so contemptible? Those
who plan to have their desires granted through riches can never
deserve the name, Devotee. Those who encourage the payment
of money for spiritual gains or for gaining Divine favour are also
to be condemned. This is the reason why the Geetha lays down
that God will be pleased by offering leaf, flower or fruit or even
a drop of water. But even these four articles are materials. (SSS
Vol.12) 5-3-1973
When you realise Shivoham (I am Shiva), then, you have all the
happiness, all the auspiciousness that there is. Shiva is not to be
sought on the peak of a distant range of mountains, or in some
other special place. You must have heard that sin and merit are
inherent in the acts that men do; so too, Shiva is inherent in every
thought, word and deed, for He is the Energy, the Power, the
23
Intelligence that is behind each of them. (SSS Vol.12), 20-21974
Form of Shiva
Every form conceived in the Shastras and scriptures has a deep
significance. (SSS Vol.9), February 1969 Consider the
significance of the Form that Shiva has assumed for human
adoration: In His throat, He has the holocaust-producing poison,
Haalahala, 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 lifegiving breath of air. Shiva lives in the burial ground and the
burning ghat, the Rudrabhumi, as it is called---the land of Shiva
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. Shiva is teaching you that death cannot be
shunned or frightened away. It has to be gladly and bravely met.
(SSS Vol.12) 5-3-1973
This Divine form of Lord Siva is beautifully portrayed thus:
Lo! Behold The Lord of the icy peak
Crowned with crescent moon,
Glistening matted locks,
Be drenched by heaven descending Ganga
Flaming eye in the forehead,
Venomous potion - poison - Haalahala Purpling the
beauteous neck
24
Shiva
Live bracelets of wriggling Serpents and a belt of

Cobra holding up the Elephant hide, his sole garment.
Pearly ash smearing the chest
A blinding white Spot of vermilion on the Forehead
beside the searing eye Ruddy lips smeared by Fresh
chewed betel,
Diamond studded earrings of purest gold, dancing like
Stars twinkling in the sky,
Vision negating form
The fair person of the Lord Radiating Effulgence
Divine.
(Telugu Poem) (SSS Vol.36, pp. 30-31)
Shiva is praised as Thryambakam, that is, three-eyed; the eyes
are held to be eyes that see into the past and the future, as well as
the present; but, they represent also the three urges namely,
desire, activity and knowledge---thirsts that move men and
decide his fate. These three urges make all beings kin in the
Divine bond; those who serve beings with love and reverence
can contact this core of being and save themselves. They will see
in all, the unmistakable reflections and images of the God whom
they have enshrined in their hearts. (SSS Vol.10)
Easwara or Shiva (the facet of disintegration and dissolution) has
the Soola or Trident (symbolising in its three prongs, the Past,
the Present and the Future). (SSVahini, p. 239)
Shiva does not ride an animal called in human language, a bull.
The bull is the symbol of Stability standing on four legs, Sathya,
Dharma, Shaanthi and Prema (Truth, Virtue, Peace and Love).
25
Shiva is described as having three eyes, eyes that see the Past,
the Present and the Future. Shiva alone has all three. The
elephant skin which forms His cloak is a symbol of the bestial
primitive traits which His Grace destroys.
He makes them powerless and harmless. In fact, He tears them to
pieces, skin them, and they become totally ineffective. His Four
Faces symbolise Shantham (Equanimity), Roudhram (Terror),
Mangalam (Grace) and Uthsaaham (elevating energy). While
adoring the Lingam on this one must contemplate on these truths
of Shiva that the Linga represents. (SSS Vol.9), February 1969
Linga is the Form in which all forms merge

Shiva, again, is said to go about with a begging bowl. He teaches
that renunciation, detachment, indifference to good fortune or
bad, are the paths to attain Him. Shiva is known as Mrityunjaya12
12
One of the names attributed to Lord Shiva is Mrityunjaya, which means

one who has transcended death. This is from the worldly point of view.
But if one wants to understand the true and eternal nature of Divinity,
one has to understand the relationship between Lord Shiva and Mother
Parvathi. Once there was a slight difference of opinion between them
about giving an appropriate name to their child. Parvathi wanted to
name the child by a particular name from among the several names
Lord Shiva had. Lord Siva, however, chose to name the child as
Amrutaputra (son of immortality). In fact, every human being is an
amrutaputra. Even the Upanishads declare him so. The Upanishads reveal
the true identity of a human being by addressing as Srunvantu viswe
amrutasya putrah (Oh the children of immortality! Listen).
You are also amrutaputras, not anrutaputras (sons of immortality, not
falsehood). One who is an amrutaputra is not affected by change and
death. You verily are the embodiments of the changeless, eternal
principle. Once Mother Parvathi was putting child Ganapati to sleep by
26
Shiva
(He who vanquishes death). And, He is also the Kaamaari (the

destroyer of Desire). These two Names show that he who
rocking the cradle and singing a lullaby, Oh Amrutaputra! Sleep my
dear! Sleep. If you are awake, the whole world will be awake.
Lakshmidevi, the consort of Lord Vishnu came there and witnessed the
scene. She felt that it was rather a strange lullaby. She enquired about
the name of the child and Parvathi told her that His name was
Amrutaputra. Lakshmidevi further enquired from where did she get that
name. Parvathi replied that it was Lord Shiva who gave that name to the
child. One who had descended from Easwaratwa was Easwara Himself.
You are not reading the sacred texts of yore. Unless you read those
texts also, you will not be able to understand what is being related to
you. Dear Students! You are all amrutaputras. People would naturally
expect that you should live up to that great appellation. In fact, the
names given to children by elders in our country have a lot of
significance and meaning. They are not given just casually or for fun. In
order to understand the underlying meaning and sanctity of these
names, we must read the sacred texts like Puranas. Unable to realise the
eternal reality of the values of Sathya and Dharma, we are taking to
wrong ways. We are simply repeating the words Sathya, Dharma, Shanti
and Prema like a parrot. But, we are not making any effort to
understand the true import and significance of these great human
values. All of you are amrutaputras, not anrutaputras.
Try to understand the true nature and significance of the names. It is a
fact that nobody has ever seen Lord Easwara in person. People call Him
Kailasavasi (the Lord who resides in Kailasa). Where is Kailash? It is
only when you contemplate on Him in the depth of silence that you can
visualise Lord Easwara in Kailash. Therefore, one has to practise
mouna (silence). And that silence implies total stillness of thought and
word.
You are all amrutaputras. Hence, constantly remain under that
awareness. Proclaim yourself to be amrutaputras. Whatever name has
been already given to you, prefix that name with amrutaputra. If you
consider yourself as anrutaputra, it is a great mistake and a misnomer.
Hence, realise your true nature and call yourself amrutaputra. (SSS
Vol.38, pp. 38-40),8-3-2005
27
destroys desire can conquer Death, for desire breeds activity,

activity breeds consequence, consequence breeds bondage,
bondage results in birth and birth involves death.
Easwara is also symbolised in the Linga Form. Linga is derived
from the Sanskrit root, Li, which means Leeyathe13, 'merges'; it is
the Form in which all forms merge. Shiva is the God who blesses
beings with the most desirable gift of meaning in the Universe.
That is the end, beyond death, which one should strive for, the
end which Shiva can vouchsafe. Realise the God in you first;
then, if you involve yourself with the material world, no harm
can come to you, for you will recognise 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, you will see
the material world only. Again, you can direct your spiritual
efforts in either of two ways: 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 realise Him there. You can
follow either means. But, reaching Him is the inescapable task of
man. (SSS Vol.12) 5-3-1973
Lingam means simply "the sign," "the symbol"; it is just a mark,
which indicates merging (laya); that is to say, the passing away
of the mind and all mental agitations and all mental pictures,
which means, this objective world. Shivaratri is the day on
which the Moon, the presiding deity of the mind, is as near laya
as possible and so, just a little extra effort that day leads to full
success: the Sadhaka can thereby achieve complete
13
Lingam means, that in which this jagath (world of change) attains laya
(mergence or dissolution), Leeyathe. (SSS Vol.9)
28
Shiva
Manonaashana (destruction of the mind). The realisation is that

everything is subsumed in the Lingam (the symbol of the
Formless). (SSS Vol.3), March 1963
Shiva is the Principle of the Destruction of all Names and Forms,
of all entities and individuals. So, the Linga is the simplest sign
of emergence and mergence. (SSS Vol.9), February 1969
The Linga is the form of God, emerging from the Niraakara
(formless) to the Sakara (form-filled). Other Aakaras (Forms)
are all subsumed in the Linga Form. Prakrithi, the objective
world, is the base; it signifies that the Lord is established in that
manifestation of His, which is the concrete presentation of His
play, His potentiality and His Shakti (Power). That is why the
Lord is described as Shiva Shakti Atmaka Swaruupam:--"the
Supreme which became the Shiva and the Shakti," the latent and
the patent.
You will notice that the base has a horizontal superstructure,
over which the cylindrical Linga isplaced. The base is Sathyam,
the structure over it is Shivam and the Linga is Sundaram. One is
the flower, the second is the perfume and the third is the wind,
the Formless that wafts the fragrance, which is the symbol of
mangalam (auspiciousness) which is Shivam. Sathyam or (Truth)
is the base on which the Universe and all that it implies rest.
Man is the embodiment of Sathyam, Shivam and Sundaram. He
has to realise the Truth and demonstrate in thought, word and
deed that Truth is the very basis of his existence. Know the Truth
and the Truth shall make you strong, steady kin with all, and free
29
from the bonds of lust and hate. Man has to learn the lesson of
Shivam: swallow the poison of anger and greed, and make it
ineffective in its effort to harm the world. Spread consolation and
comfort through speech and action. (SSS Vol.11), 25-10-1972
Man has to realise that he is Shivam

Shiva wears the crescent on His crown so that the soft moonlight
might mark out the pilgrim route to God, and make the journey
less toilsome. He spreads joy and peace. But, the fiery, ferocious
poison, Shiva hides behind the blue patch on His throat. That is a
lesson for man: keep under restraint, within you, the qualities and
tendencies that are anti-social, the poisonous hatreds and
competitive greeds. The Shivam does not mean any particular
God or unit of the Trinity. It includes all mankind, for man has to
realise that he is Shivam. Then, the Sundaram too is a reminder
that Truth is beauty, and Beauty is Divine, not mere physical
beauty but, moral and spiritual beauty. Give up ugly thoughts,
unpleasant speech and disgusting acts. Have the ideal of beauty
ever in mind. (SSS Vol.11), 25-10-1972
Siva stands for humility. A person with humility is one of
Shivam (auspiciousness). On the other hand, a person with ego is
verily a Shavam (corpse). (DD on 12.03.2002, p. 5)
Smog of hatred and greed tarnish the temple towers

The beauty of Nature is but a reflection of the Beauty that is
God. But, like all images, it is not substantial. Flowers fade,
clouds scatter into new patterns, physical charm is but a flash
that disappears in a moment---but, Divine Beauty is eternal, full,
free. That Sundaram, is Sathyam, unaffected by the passage of
Time, unchanging with the location; that Sundaram is the real
30
Shiva
Shivam, the only Good that is. Pursuing paltry physical beauty
leads man astray; it is as calamitous as the pursuit of trivial joy.
Shivam is Goodness; the Body is for realising Godness, which is
total goodness. But, the body is not itself goodness or godness; it
is an instrument that breaks down every moment and that is
rebuilt every moment getting weaker in the process. The father
says proudly, My son is growing fast, but really, his life is
ebbing fast. The body is valuable, only on account of its use in
realising God. (SSS Vol.11), 25-10-1972
Siva Consciouness Is Transcendental

The Siva-consciousness is all-pervading. How can we limit it to
a particular time and place? Sarvatah panipadam tat
sarvathokshi
siromukham,
sarvatah
sruthimalloke
sarvamavruthya tishthati (with hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth
and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire
universe).
If we carefully analyse this aspect once, it will be obvious that all
that we witness around is Shiva consciousness; nothing else.
Shiva does not mean a particular form with matted hair and tiger
skin. Wherever we look and whichever form we come across
whether a child or an elderly person, whether a woman or a man,
in every form the Shiva consciousness is resplendent. How can
you describe that all-pervading Siva-consciousness or limit it to a
particular time and place? People display a particular dance form
to portray the Shiva Tandava (the Cosmic dance of Lord Shiva
and Parvathi). But, this is only symbolic and does not portray the
31
real Shiva Tandava. How can one describe the transcendental

Shiva consciousness which words cannot describe or the mind
cannot comprehend? Lord Shiva is described by some as
Mukkanti (the Lord with three eyes). All of us have only two
eyes. But, the Lord has a third eye as well. We are aware of only
the past and the present. We cannot visualise the future. Only
God can. Lord Siva, who can visualise the future with His third
eye, i.e., Jnana Netra, is therefore referred to as Mukkanti. God
is described by different people in several ways. He is described
to be donning several forms. Nevertheless, all those descriptions
fail to describe Him in full. Each one describes God and ascribes
Him a particular name and form, depending on his imagination.
The nameless, formless God is omnipresent and all-pervading.
He is avanmanasagochara (neither words can describe nor the
mind can comprehend Him) and aprameya (immeasurable). Who
can describe such divinity? There is only one sign for divinity,
that is, consciousness. In whichever form this divine
consciousness permeates, it will assume that form it may be the
form of a dog, a crow, a crane or a human being. Easwarattwa,
therefore, can be described as Divine Consciousness. This divine
consciousness is permeating all the human beings, nay, even the
insects, birds and beasts and animals. One of the names given to
this divine consciousness is Sivatwa (Siva Consciousness). It is
not therefore correct to describe Sivatwa by such appellations
like Mukkanti, Trinetra, etc. Sivatwa means the all-pervading
divine consciousness. In fact, all the devotees sitting in this hall
are embodiments of Lord Siva. Sarvam Sivamayam (all that you
witness in this objective world is a manifestation of Siva). It is
pervading all the three worlds, the earth, the space and the
netherworld. It exists in all the three periods of time, the past,
32
Shiva
present and future. It is indescribable. Any length of time is

insufficient to describe the Sivatwa. Several people are
worshipping such an omnipresent and all-pervading divine
names and consciousness by describing it through different
names and forms. Just as the all-embracing divine love does not
make a distinction between living beings, so also the divine
consciousness does not differentiate. It is only we who make
distinction between people as my father, my mother, my brother,
my sister, etc., based on our earthly relationships with them. In
fact, every living being is an embodiment of Divinity. God
assumes all names and forms. You are God. Once Parvathi, the
consort of Lord Shiva enquired of Him, How can people
recognise the divine consciousness which is said to be allpervasive? Easwara replied that the same consciousness that is
immanent in Him is permeating all the living beings. He also
explained that it was permeating every cell even of her body.
One cannot explain; one has only to experience it. Once Parvathi
could not find her own son Vinayaka though he was very much
near Lord Easwara. She was searching for Vinayaka everywhere,
except in the divine proximity of Lord Easwara. How strange!
Similarly, man today is searching for God everywhere, not
knowing that he himself is an embodiment of divine atma.
Sathya Sai Speaks Volume -38 p.28-29
God Is Attributeless, Realise His Oneness

Lord Easwara never tended His hair. He left them in their natural
position as matted locks. His matted locks, His third eye, His
ash-smeared body all were left in their natural position and
colour. But, they appeared differently to different people. Who
can describe the colour and effulgence of Lord Sivas body?
33
Once, there arose a controversy between Lakshmi and Parvathi

about the physical appearance of Lord Easwara and Lord Vishnu.
Lakshmi, in the course of arguments enquired, Parvathi! How
did you court this strange person who does not keep His body
neat and who smears the ash from the cremation ground all over
his body? Parvathi was offended. She retorted, Amma! Your
husband Vishnu reclines on the serpent, Sesha. He is blue in
colour. Why dont you mend His ways and try to change the
colour of His body? When they were arguing thus, Saraswati
entered the scene. She tried to counsel them saying, There may
be some differences in their physical appearance. So far as I am
concerned, I do not find any difference between them. The same
divine consciousness permeates both these forms. I am able to
realise it. Since you are not able to realise it, you are entering
into argumentation. Hence, forget all the outward differences.
This type of transcendental nature is immanent only in Saraswati.
All such differences in physical appearance are only in the minds
of human beings, but God is attributeless. It is the devotees who
ascribe different names and forms and attributes to God. Based
on their imagination, they picturise God in different forms like
the great artist Ravi Varma. As you think, so shall be the form of
God. People describe the form of God as Rudra and
Santhiswarupa. But, God is always Santhiswarupa (embodiment
of peace) only. He is always pleasant and smiling. To imagine
such an embodiment of peace in a different form is only the making of the devotee. If at all there are any such illusions, one has
to get rid of them. One has to realise divinity by cultivating love
for God. It is only love that can bind God. Through such divine
love, the oneness of God has to be realised. If the attributeless
God has to be described, the description would be Ekam, Nityam,
34
Shiva
Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam Bhavateetam

Trigunarahitam (One without a second, eternal, pure,
unchanging, witness to all functions of the intellect, beyond
ones imagination, beyond the three gunas (satwa, rajas and
tamas). We are attributing differences to such an attributeless
God and feel very happy. This is not correct. The oneness of God
has to be realised. (SSS Vol.38, pp. 30-31)
The Trinity and Omkaara

This is the Aiswarya that permeates and fills this world. This is
the very embodiment of Easwara itself. For this principle of
Easwara there are two aspects. One is Saguna (attributeful) and
Sakara (formful) and the other is Nirguna (attributeless) and
Nirakara (formless). Associated with the mind and thoughts, and
responding to the joys and sorrows, the pain and sufferings of
human beings, various forms of Divinity have been visualized.
These are the Saguna and Sakara aspects of Easwara.
In this context we have the Trinity---Brahma, Vishnu and
Maheswara. These are associated with the three Gunas or
attributes--Rajas, Satwa and Tamas. Rajas is associated with
Brahma, Satwa with Vishnu and Tamas with Shiva. The rajasic
attribute, associated with Brahma, is represented by the sound
'A'. The sound 'U' is the manifested form of Vishnu. And 'M' is
the form of the Shiva principle.
These three forms, composing the Trinity, are not permanent.
They are not permanent because they have taken form. Anything
which has a form cannot be permanent. In the worship of the
Dime with attributes the Trinity exist in each individual as
35
auspicious witnesses. But there is one syllable consisting of 'A',

'U' and 'M', which is the One underlying al1 the three forms; that
is the Omkara. It is an expression of the Nirguna Akara the
attributeless Divine Principle. (SSS Vol.18), 17-2-1985
Significance of Cosmic dance of Lord Shiva

According to numerology, the first three syllables of the word
Shivaratri---shi, va and ra---connote the numbers 5, 4 and 2, and
the fourth syllable, thri, means 'three.' 5, 4 and 2 make one
whole, one composite picture of the' eleven. (SSS Vol.14), 7-31978 This eleven represents the eleven Rudras (negative or
destructive principles).
Rudra means, "the one who makes man weep." The eleven
Rudras are: the five senses of perception, the five senses of
action, and the mind. These, by leading him astray in pursuit of
trivial and transitory pleasures, ruin him and make him weep.
But the Atman, if it is sought and relied upon, sheds its rays on
the eleven and makes them meaningful partners in the progress
of man towards self-realisation. The rays from the Atman
illumine the intelligence, the illumined intelligence alerts the
mind and the alerted mind gets control of the senses, making the
path clear for the person to proceed through knowledge to
wisdom.
Another significance of Shivaratri is this: Shiva, or the
Paramapurusha (the Eternal Absolute Person), in His desire to
attract Prakrithi (objective world), engages Himself in the
tandava (the Cosmic dance). The dance is a divine plan to attract
36
Shiva
the material creation, for all divine miracles like those of Rama
(He who pleases and delights) and Krishna (He who attracts), are
for drawing people to the Divine Presence for the purpose of
correcting or cleansing them, or for confirming their faith and
then leading them on to the sadhana (spiritual effort) of service
so that they may merge in ecstasy, in the source of all ecstasy--chamathkaar (miracle) resulting in samskaar (transformation),
leading to paropakaar (helping others) and finally conferring
saakshaathkaar (direct vision of truth).
The tandava dance is so fast that fire emanates from Shiva's
body because of the heat generated by activity. In order to cool
Shiva and comfort him, Parvathi, his consort, places the Ganga
on his head, makes the crescent Moon rest amidst the coils, of his
hair, applies cold sandalwood paste all over his body, winds
round the joints of his hands and feet cold-blooded snakes, and
finally, being herself the daughter of the Himalayas (the
mountains with eternal snow), she sits on his lap and becomes a
part of Him. At this Shiva rises, and both Purusha and Prakrithi
dance together to the immense delight of the Gods and of all
creation. This happens, according to the Puranas (mythological
legends), on the Shivaratri day. (SSS Vol.14), 7-3-1978
Role of Rudras in man's life

What are the functions of these Rudras? The Rudras, in
association with the Buddhi (the intellect), enter the. minds of
people and cause them various types of difficulties and worries.
Of these difficulties, three types are predominant in the world.
They are Aadhibhouthika, Aadhyaathmika and Aadhidhaivika.
37
Aadhibhouthika refers to difficulties caused by the five elements

(ether, air, fire, water and earth) and the five sheaths (relating to
food, life, mind, awareness and bliss). These sufferings are
caused by human beings, animals, insects or other creatures.
Aadhyaathmika refers to sufferings caused by Vaatha (wind),
Pittha (bile), and Kapha (phlegm).
Aadhidhaivika refers to the calamities caused to man by floods
and drought, storms and earthquakes and similar natural
disasters.
Of all the sufferings endured by human beings, those coming
under these three categories are most prominent. All other
calamities are encompassed by these three. For all these
sufferings the eleven Rudras are the cause. The whole world is
permeated by the Rudras. Only Aadhidhaivika has an element of
security.
Whatever emanates from Rudra is fraught with fear. The name
itself testifies to the dangerous power implicit in it. Rudram
means that which induces fear. The eleven Rudras are dreadful
in form. These dreadful entities enter the minds of human beings
and subject them to all kinds of afflictions.
Rudras and sense-control

The Mahashivaratri festival has been designed to subdue these
eleven Rudras. This means that by the control of the senses the
Rudras can be controlled. Indriya nigraha (control of the senses)
is not that easy. Even if evil impulses coming from external
38
Shiva
sources are controlled, those arising from within cannot be easily

controlled.
But if, at least on one night out of 365 days in a year, the senses
are brought under control, then peace may be experienced and
the quest for liberation may be initiated. When the entire night is
dedicated to the chanting of the Lord's name, one's mind, speech
and senses all get centred on God. This is itself a form of sense
control. At least on one day in a year all our thoughts and words
should be centred on God. When this is done, people can realise
the Supreme as described in the terms, Sathyam, Shivam,
Sundaram. Socrates' disciple, Plato, used the terms, Truth,
Goodness and Beauty to describe this state of Self-Realisation. In
the experience of oneness with the Divine, there is Shanti (peace)
Chit (Awareness) and Ananda (Bliss).
The Lord is experienced as Sat-Chit-Ananda. What is Sat? Sat is
Being, that which is eternally present. This means that even
when an object is not there, its qualities are present. In Vedaantik
parlance, these qualities are described as Asthi, Bhaathi and
Priyam (principles of Existence, Cognisability and Utility). Asthi
means existence (the quality of permanence). This may be
likened, say, to sugar. In whatever manner sugar may be used, by
dissolving it in water or mixing it with flour, its quality of
sweetness remains. It is Sat in the sense that it has the
unchanging quality of sweetness.
Chit is awareness (or consciousness). Chit is like water. When
Sat (as sugar) is combined with Chit (as water) you have neither
sugar not water, but syrup. The combination of Sat and Chit
39
results in Ananda (Bliss). When the unchanging, eternal Divinity

unites with the changing and inert Prakrithi (Nature), you have
Ananda. The significance of Mahashivaratri is that it is an
auspicious occasion when Sat-Chit-Ananda can be experienced.
While the Rudras are inflicting sufferings on mankind in various
ways, by the control of the senses, if humans turn their minds
towards God and devote themselves to Godly pursuits, they will
find their path to Moksha (liberation). Moksha means getting rid
of Moha (the delusions relating to the physical). (SSS Vol.27),
11-3-1994.
Terrible and tender

YAATHE Rudra Shiva thanoo raghora paapa Kaasini---The
Prajaapathi, who is the Divine Inspirer of the Vedas has two
natures and names, two forms and features---the terrible known
as Rudra, and the tender known as Shiva. When the Narasimha
Incarnation of God, human with the head of a lion, emerged from
the pillar in the Audience Hall of Hiranyakashyapa, Prahlada, his
little son, saw Him as tender, charming and compassionate. For,
he was saturated with devotion to God. But, the father who
ignored God and dared to insult Him and injure His devotees,
saw before him a terror-striking .form of total destruction. While
'Prahlada sang and danced in ecstasy, Hiranyakashyapa shivered
and shook in fear. It is therefore clear that man visualises in the
One God the two opposites of terror and tenderness, reflections
of his own mental make-up.
The One God manifests Himself in these two aspects, so that the
world may be sustained and fostered, improved and cleansed.
40
Shiva
These two---the terrible and the tender---are the characteristics

found together in every single thing on earth, for, are not they all
parts of the self-same God?
It is the mind that decides the desire

Take the articles of food. It has the Shivam aspect, when taken
in, intelligently and in moderate quantities. It can also be
Rudram, or devastating in its effects, if taken unintelligently and
in excess. Everything or thought that obstructs t-he surge of
Ananda (divine bliss)---every such situation, experience, idea--is Rudra; every step towards limitation, regulation, control,
progress, sublimation, is tender, Shivam, auspicious, fruitful,
beneficial.
It is the desire which haunts man that is responsible for making
the one item, food, either a boon or a bane. It is the mind that
decides the desire and directs it. A sharp knife can be used for
slicing fruit or for stabbing: in the hands of a surgeon, it can save
a life, rather than destroy one.
The mind can liberate you from bondage or bind you more
tightly with the objective world. God is Omnipresent, the inner
motivator in every being. So, we have to' posit Him as resident
in, and manipulating the mind too. When He manipulates it to
our benefit we can call Him, Shivam; when He playfully or
purposefully turns it against our best interests, we can call Him,
Rudra.
One point has to be emphasised here. We should not identify
God as Shivam when we get happiness and Rudram when we fall
into misery. For, happiness and misery are not two distinct
41
experiences. The absence of one is the presence of the other.

Each is inextricably intertwined with the other. Undiluted
happiness is a chimera; pleasure is the interval between two
moments of pain; pain is the gap between two moments of
pleasure. (SSS Vol.12), 30-5-1974
Ardhanareeswara: Shiva-Shakti Principle

The aspect of Shiva Shakti is responsible for all creation in the world.
(SSB 1974 Part II, p. 117)
Siva is present in everyone as ardhanareeswara (half-male and

half-female). (SSS Vol.31, p. 159)
Bhavani Shankara stands for the embodiment of Siva and
Sakthi. (SSS Vol.34, p. 354) Bhavani symbolizes sraddha
(steadfast devotion), and Shankara stands for viswas (faith). You
can achieve anything in life if you have steadfast devotion and
faith. Since this world is the very form of Bhavani-Shankara, it is
called ardhanareeswara Swarupa (androgynous). It is on this
basis that we use Srimati to address women and Sri to address
men. The ancient sages and seers said, Sraddhavan labhate
jnanam (only the devout can attain wisdom.) You should
consider viswas (faith) as your swasa (life breath).
God has many names and forms. Sambhartha and Bhartha are
two of these names of God. Sambhartha is one who creates
everything taking nature (Prakrithi) as the means, and Bhartha is
one who sustains and protects the creation. Telugu-speaking
people use this word Bhartha for husband, but actually Bhartha
42
Shiva
means master, sustainer and protector. (SSS Vol.32 Part II, pp.
191-192)
Recognise the Principle of Ardhanareeswara

When Goddess Bhavani symbolising Sraddha is present, there
dances Siva who stands for faith. Life becomes useless without
sincerity of purpose and faith. But today man lacks faith though
both Bhavani and Shankara reside in him. The entire creation
is the principle of Ardhanareeswara the embodiment of both
masculine and feminine principles. Every person should try to
recognise the divinity within himself. There is no spirituality
higher than this. Adoring this Bhavani Shankara principle is
the primary duty of every man. (SSS Vol.34, pp. 354-355)
43
Man has to master two foes, Kaala (time)

and Kaama (desire)---the ravaging tactics
of time and the undermining strategy of
desire.
He must not allow time to rob him of
strength and vitality, too soon; he must not
allow desire to lead him astray from the
search for Shiva, who mastered both Kaala
and Kama. He subdued kala or yama in the
Markendeya episode; He burnt Kaama
when he dared drawing Him into his bond.
-
Sathya Sai Baba
Stories of Shiva
Unity of Purusha and Prakrithi
Once Lord Easwara was absorbed in intense tapas (penance).
Parvathi wished to marry Him. But, her parents tried to dissuade
her. They started to reason with her describing Sivas form thus:
Oh Gowri, you are very young and
Sambasiva is old;
He has matted locks and
wears a tiger skin;
He rides a bull and
is constantly on the move;
He is adorned with snakes;
How did you court Him?
Dont you know all this?
He has no house of His own and
sleeps in the cremation ground.
(Telugu poem)
Parvathi paid no heed to all these reasoning and ignored it. Lord
Easwara knew her nature and Parvathi knew Sivas nature. They
are, in fact, not different from one another. Lord Shiva is Sivasakti-atmaka-swarupa (embodiment of Shiva and Sakti). So too
is Parvathi. How can the ordinary mortals understand such
45
mystic nature of Lord Easwara and Parvathi! Where there is a

feeling of duality, there arises doubt. It is said that a man with
dual mind is half blind. In fact, there is no difference between
Lord Shiva and Parvathi.
Meanwhile, Saraswati arrived on the scene to counsel Parvathi
about Lord Sivas unsuitability as her bridegroom. She
explained, Dear Parvathi, society will not accept such an odd
combination. There is no compatibility between you and Lord
Siva. You yourself know everything. I need not elaborate on the
point further. I am sorry that knowingly you have fallen into that
illusion. Parvathi replied firmly, Oh Saraswati. I am interested
only in Lord Shiva and none else. I have no other interest in life
except becoming the consort of Lord Siva. No one can change
my decision.
Isavasyam idam sarvam (the entire universe is permeated by
God). The power of Lord Shiva permeates the entire universe.
The foremost duty of a human being is to love Easwaratwa (the
divinity of Lord Easwara). Actually, the same divine power is
immanent in every human body also. Just as the human body is
covered with a cloth, Divinity is enveloped in maya (illusion).
Hence, though Easwaratwa is omnipresent it is not visible. In
accordance with the maxim Easwara sarva bhutanam (God is
the indweller of all beings), Easwaratwa is permeating every
living being. Parvathi explained that this Easwaratwa transcends
age and it is in no way related to external appearance.
Mother Lakshmi too tried to dissuade Parvathi from marrying
Lord Siva. She explained, My dear, you are quite young and
46
Stories of Shiva
beautiful. You have great power in you. It is unbecoming that

you seek to wed someone who goes begging from house to house
for alms. Parvathi was very upset14 and she sternly replied, My
14
Parvathi was deeply disturbed by these remarks and approached Lord

Shiva and enquired, You do not have a house of your own. You do not
belong to a particular caste or lineage. Further, you are
Ardhanaareeswara (androgynous). How then can you call yourself
God? Lord Shiva replied that God is beyond names, caste and lineage.
He then turned to Lakshmi and enquired, Oh! Mother Lakshmi! Are
you aware of your own husbands antecedents? He is constantly on the
move to protect His devotees and has no time for food and sleep. If at all
He settles down to take food, at that moment some devotee like
Droupadi prays, Oh! Lord Krishna! I am in great trouble. Please save
me. Immediately, He rushes to rescue her, leaving His food. Thus, He is
constantly on the move to protect His devotees like Narada or Prahlada.
How then did you court such a Lord who has no time even for food and
rest?
The Formless God Manifests As Per The Wishes Of The Devotees
Siva then clarified that God has no name and form; He is changeless; He
has neither birth nor death; neither beginning nor end; He is eternal and
Atmaswarupa. He also emphasised that it is mans illusion to ascribe a
name and form to God. The formless God manifests with a particular
form and name as per the wishes of the devotees, to fulfil their
aspirations. God is formless and attributeless. It is the devotees who
attribute some names, forms and attributes to God and feel satisfied. All
the names and forms are anitya and asathya (evanescent and false). The
only eternal and true form of God is Atma. Everything in the world may
change; but the Atma will never undergo a change. The entire universe is
contained in the Atma. This is also called as Divine consciousness or
Aham or Brahman. People misunderstand this eternal truth, ascribing
several names and forms to it. When the formless God assumes a form, it
is natural for human beings to meditate and worship that form. People
derive great satisfaction and experience bliss by doing so. It is alright as
long as that form remains. Once that divine form ceases to exist, what
will you do? The happiness and bliss derived from the worship of a
particular form of God are born out of your illusion only. (SSS Vol.42,
pp. 57-58)
47
bridegroom is no beggar. In fact, He is the one who gives alms to

the entire world. It is not proper for you all to indulge in this
campaign of slander against Him. Several others also were
averse to the choice of Parvathi. They enquired, He is adorning
Himself with snakes. How did you court such a person? Dont
you know about it? Parvathi retorted, The snakes have poison
only in their fangs. But, a human being has poison in the entire
body. His vision, his hearing and his actions are all full of
poison. You consider such a poisonous human being as a good
person. If the fangs are removed, the snake cannot harm
anybody. But, the human being with his two fangs of ahamkara
(ego) and mamakara (attachment) is roaming about nonchalantly
and causing great harm to fellow human beings and to the world
around. He is considering himself great. Man is full of poison.
How can such a human being be corrected?
One with pride will not be successful in any of his
endeavours.
He will commit sins and will be ridiculed by
one and all.
His own people will abandon him.
He will lose all wealth and respect.
His pride will ruin him completely.
(Telugu poem)
God is loved by one and all. Every human being lives by love
alone. In fact, one who has no love in him is not a human being
at all. The love that exists between God and human being is
comparable to that between a father and a son. What a great sin it
is to attribute ill-will to such pure and unsullied love? In fact, it is
48
Stories of Shiva
the result of evil qualities that has permeated society. When the
innate divine nature of every human being is recognised, there
will be no scope for any kind of differences. All are one, be alike
to everyone. We have to achieve such transformation in our
lives. You study several texts. Mere reading is not enough. It will
not help you in any way. The truth contained in those texts has to
be realised and experienced.
Laila and Majnu were great lovers. Theirs was selfless love,
which became immortal. Unable to understand the true nature of
their sacred love, people attributed all sorts of motives to their
love and created a lot of confusion. The mind must be filled with
pure love. One should not develop attachment to sense objects
and poison ones own mind. It is only then can real happiness be
experienced. Every human being in this world must analyse for
himself what is to be changed and corrected and what is to be
accomplished. Accordingly, he should conduct himself. It is only
then that he would have realised real humanness. The Divinity
called I is immanent in every human being. This Divinity I is
not to be construed as Brahma, Vishnu or Siva. These are all
names ascribed by man to Divinity for the purpose of
recognition. The names are not that important. The real Divinity
is I. I am I. We consider Brahma as the creator, Vishnu, the
sustainer and Siva, the destroyer. God grants darshan to each one
in the same form on which each one contemplates. (SSS Vol.40,
pp. 64-68)
49
Parents Are Living Divinities

Once Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi were strolling in the
ethereal world. They saw, on the earth, one person cutting the
branch of a tree on which he was resting. The branch was almost
cut and was about to fall any moment. Parvathi was very
anxious. She prayed to Lord Siva, Oh Lord, Please save him
immediately from falling on the earth below. Easwara replied,
It is you who saw him first. You only realised that he may fall
down by cutting the branch on which he was sitting. Hence, it is
your responsibility to save him. Parvathi then laid down a
condition, Swami, normally, any person falling from a height
will express his agony by uttering the words Amma or Appa If
this man cries Amma I will rescue him. On the other hand, if he
cries Appa You have to rescue him. Easwara agreed for this
suggestion. Meanwhile, the branch that was being cut finally
broke. The person sitting on it fell down. Mother Parvathi was
ready to save him. Lord Shivawas also ready. But, the person
prayed to neither Amma nor Appa He just wailed Ayyo
Though Lord Shivaand Mother Parvathi were both waiting to
rescue him, the man did not call them! This story is a reminder to
one and all that we must always remember our parents wherever
we are and in whichever situation we are placed. They are the
living divinities constantly guarding and guiding us. The
Upanishads exhort, Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava,
Acharya devo bhava, Atithi devo bhava (revere your mother,
father, preceptor and guest as God). You may be highly
educated. You may be an adept in all branches of knowledge in
this world. Yet, to your mother you are only a child. Your
mothers blessing will always be with you. The life of a son who
neglects such a mother is worthless.
50
Stories of Shiva
It is only Mother Parvathi who has a compassionate heart to

protect a man in distress. Hence, we must constantly contemplate
upon that Saktiswarupini. Lord Easwara is the Father and Mother
Parvathi is Saktiswarupini. Easwara cannot independently move
forward to save a devotee. It is only after Sakti takes a step
forward, Lord Easwara follows her. Hence, one has to worship
the Saktiswarupini in the first instance. She is the mother, verily.
That is the reason why it has been said Matru devo bhava. It is
the mother who has been given the first place. Even ones own
country is compared to the mother. We say, India is my
motherland. Everyone refers to his country as motherland and
not as fatherland. It is a common practice in the country of
Bharat that a girl after her marriage goes to her in-laws house to
live there with her husband and in-laws. The lady of the in-laws
house is referred to as mother-in-law in the English language.
But Mother Parvathi is Mother-in-love for the whole world.
Law is a word relating to the world, whereas love refers to
ones heart. Hence, first and foremost develop love. Consider
love as your everything. It is only then that you would have led a
fruitful life. Your mother may be very simple and not worldlywise. She may be very weak physically and intellectually. Yet, a
mother is a mother. You should not neglect your mother simply
because she is weak or has fallen sick. A mother is always full of
love for her children. That is the reason why Bhakta Ramadas
prayed to Mother Sita, Oh Mother Sita, Please represent my
case to Rama and help me. When you are engaged in happy
conversation with Rama in solitude, kindly make a mention
about my pitiable condition. Bhakta Ramadas worked as a
Tahsildar under Nawab Tanisha. He spent all the revenue
collected from the people in building a temple of Lord Rama,
51
Lakshmana and Mother Sita and decorating the idols with gold
jewellery. He was imprisoned on charges of misappropriation for
not depositing the money in the treasury. Unable to bear the
agony in jail, he lamented, Swami, I have dedicated all the
money collected by me in your service only. In a beautiful
kirtan (song), he sang thus:
Oh Ramachandra! I have spent ten thousand gold coins
to adorn Mother Sita with a gold necklace and another
ten thousand sovereigns to decorate your brother
Lakshmana with a gold belt. That crest jewel which
adorns You cost me another ten thousand gold coins.
Unmindful of my travails, You are flaunting the
jewellery as if You have got it with Your own money!
(Telugu poem)
One cannot achieve anything in life, unless one gets rid of ego
and attachment. Anything can be achieved with humility and
obedience. In all spheres of life moral, spiritual, physical and
even political, one should conduct oneself with devotion. Only
then will the task achieved shine in glory. (SSS Vol.40, pp. 6871)
The story of a Divine Plan

Nothing can stop its realisation Ishwara Sankalpa (Will of the
Supreme Lord). Shiva was every day discoursing on Kailash to
sages and saints and Devas in the evening hours. One day,
Parvathi suggested that a Hall be constructed for accommodating
them all, so that they could all listen without being affected by
52
Stories of Shiva
the constant fog and mist and cold winds. Shiva did not have the
Sankalpa to put it up; still, Parvathi insisted that her idea must be
implemented. The astrologer who was consulted before the
foundations were dug said that "The stars forecast that the Hall
will be consumed by fire, since Shani (Saturn) is not propitious
from the very beginning." The Hall was completed, nevertheless.
Now, that set a problem for the Couple. Shiva proposed to ask
Shani for the favour of saving the Hall from his anger, though He
doubted whether the Planet, reputed for his inevitable ire, would
ever agree. Parvathi felt deeply hurt and she resolved not to give
the tiny tyrant, Shani, the credit for destroying the Hall that She
had got built. She swore that instead of giving him the chance to
declare arrogantly that he had set fire to the Hall, she would
herself set fire to it. But Shiva asked her to first await the
outcome of His appeal to Shani, for He was Himself proceeding
to his headquarters! He told Her, "If Shani agrees to exempt the
Hall from his anger, I shall come back and report the good news
to you; but if he is adamant, I shall raise My Hand and twirl this
Dhakka (double drum). On hearing that signal, you may set fire
to the Hall and rob Shani of the credit for doing so."
The role of a tool in the Divine Plan

Parvathi was ready with a burning torch in anticipation of the
signal, so that there may not be a moment's chance for the
wicked Planet to execute his nefarious plan of revenge. Shani,
however, agreed to the request made by Shiva; he said that he
would not bum down the Hall in Kailash and Shiva was happy at
his reply. So, when Shani prayed that he may be granted one
small boon, Shiva agreed and asked him what it was. It seems
53
Shani had never before seen the famous Dance of Shiva which
all the stellar divinities were extolling and Shani craved that
Shiva may show him a step-or two. Shiva readily assented and
started the Tandava (frantic dance of Shiva), raising His hand
and sounding the Dhakka! Listening to the signal, Parvathi
applied the torch and the Hall was, as per the Sankalpa of Shiva,
burnt to ashes! Divine Sankalpa must be fulfilled! Shani was just
a tool in the Divine Plan15. (SSS Vol.2), 17-10-1961
Traditional legend connected with Mahashivaratri

Bhagawan says: the legend is but a vehicle to teach you the path
of dharma. The deers beseeching the hunter not to kill them,
promising to return later when they could be killed and telling
him that if they break their word they know they would incur the
penalty for many a heinous sin---the story is only to propagate
the principles of dharma. Every story illustrates a moral, and this
15
Bhagwan Baba gave an example during the discourse of the fears of

people saying About the Ashtagrahakoota (conjunction of eight
planets) that is scaring you all now, if you have Anugraha (Divine
Blessings), what can the Grahas (planets) do? If you have gold, that is
enough; you can get made all varieties of jewels Ask for and secure
gold--that is all that you need. The astronomical junction of planets
between Feb. 2 and 5 next year is being made much of by the astrologers
and calendar minded Brahmins and they are reaping a rich harvest by
creating panic and suggesting various counter measures. Of coupe, it is
good to give things in charity, to pray to the Gods and to perform
yaagas; but do it for its own sake, not with a view to escape the Eight
Planets! Do it, as you should, at all times, not because of this temporary
fear. Do not give way to panic. Nothing will happen between Feb.2 and
5. You will all be coming happily and full of joy for Shivaratri to
Puttaparthi, let Me assure you. All talk of Pralayam (annihilation) is just
a scare; do not lose courage. (SSS Vol.2), 17-10-1961
54
Stories of Shiva
Shivaratri Mahaathmya Katha (story of the Greatness of

Shivaratri) is no exception. When it comes to describing the
merits of dharma, even animals become eloquent---"Mookam
karothi vaachaalam." Their speech is veritably the Voice of God.
They are not deers, they are the tongues of the Lord.
The deers, one after another, declare that they will come back to
be killed; they have to go, each one, because it has some dear
one to tend or feed or obey. They then say that truth is their vow
and they dare not break it, for it is indeed a heinous sin to play
'false.' They say that the sin is equal to a number of other sins
they list. The hunter lets them go on their plighted word. He has
himself committed the sins they list and he knows by experience
during many births that they are heinous and that they bring
about dire tragedy in a remorseless manner. There is an iron law
of cause and effect operating in this field.
Every experience is a lesson, every loss a gain

The saddest part of the story is that man, though he sees and
hears, suffers and falls, does not get quite convinced that sin is a
dangerous experiment; that it unmistakably brings on its harvest
of tears. The thamoguna of ignorance and delusion draws a veil
over the truth and hides the mouth of the pit into which the
unwary sinner falls again. Of course, when grief overtakes you,
and pain has you in its grip, the Lord does not always announce
the exact sin for which that particular experience is the
punishment. You are left to deduce in a general way that every
experience is a lesson and every loss is a gain.
55
You have got to learn that you bind yourself and you liberate
yourself. You entangle yourself in the three gunas and by your
struggles, you only pull the world and tighten it round yourself.
You are endowed with viveka, even the most illiterate among
you; you have a conscience, whispering dharma into your ear; so
you yourselves must choose and select.
A great painter once came to a king and he was asked to execute
a huge fresco on the wall of the Durbar Hall, a scene from the
Mahabharata battle. A painter, till then unrecognised, rose up and
asked for permission to execute a fresco on the opposite wall. He
said that he would, within the same period prepare on his wall an
equally grand fresco; in fact, an exact replica of the other, in
spite of a thick curtain between the two walls! When at last the
King came and drawing the curtain to the very end looked on the
opposite wall, he was amazed to find an exact copy, down to the
minutest detail of line, curve, tint and tilt, the same Mahabharata
scene! For the local artist had, throughout the intervening period
of time when the painting was being done by the other man, only
been polishing the wall assigned to him. He had used no brush or
paint; he had just polished the wall into a mirror. Polish your
mind and the Lord, and His sublime grandeur will be reflected in
your heart.
The yaga performed by sage Bharadwaja

Bharadwaja decided on performing the yaga; Indira taught him
how to do it; all preparations were completed. The sage wanted
that Shakti must preside and bless the yaga. So he went to
Kailash but, the time was not opportune for presenting his
56
Stories of Shiva
petition. Shiva and Shakti were engaged in a competitive dance,

trying to find out who could dance longer. Eight days passed
thus, before Shakti noticed Bharadwaja standing in the cold. She
just cast a smile at him and danced along as before! The sage
mistook the smile as a cynical refusal to notice him; so he turned
his back on Kailash and started to descend. To his dismay, he
found his left leg, hand and eye put out of action by a stroke.
Shiva saw him fall; He came up to him and consoled him;
Bharadwaja was told that Shakti had indeed blessed him and his
yaga. Then, Shiva revived him and cured him, sprinkling water
from the Kamandalu. Both Shiva and Shakti granted the Rishi
(sage) boons: They would both attend the yaga, they said.
All past assurances accomplished by one incident

After the yaga was over, they were so pleased that they conferred
even more boons on the sage. Shiva said that they would take
human form and be born in the Bharadwaja Gotra (lineage)
thrice: Shiva alone as Shirdi Sai Baba, Shiva and Shakti together
at Puttaparthi as Sathya Sai Baba and Shakti alone as Prema Sai,
later. Then Shiva remembered the illness that had suddenly come
upon Bharadwaja at Kailash on the eighth day of the waiting in
the cold on the ice. He gave another assurance. "As expiation for
the neglect which Shakti showed you at Kailash for 8 days, this
Shakti will suffer the stroke for 8 days, when We both take birth
as Sathya Sai and, on the 8th day, I shall relieve her from all
signs of the disease by sprinkling water, just as I did at Kailash to
cure your illness."
It was the working out of this assurance that you witnessed
today, just now. This had to happen, this stroke and the cure. The
57
assurance given in the Treta Yuga had to be honoured. I may tell

you now that the poor forlorn Bhakta who had to get the stroke
which I took over, was a convenient excuse, which was utilised.
You see, a railway engine is not made available to haul just one
bogey; they wait until a number of bogeys are to be taken along
and then, they put the engine into action. So too, the disease had
to be gone through, the Bhakta had to be saved, the assurance to
be carried out, the mystery had to be cleared, the Divinity had to
be more clearly announced by the manifestation of this Grand
Miracle. All these were accomplished by this one incident. (SSS
Vol.3), 6-7-1963
Purity and Truth alone can open the gates of Bliss

Parvathi turned to her Lord and asked, "Look at these millions of
human beings; they are all certain to win Heaven, for they are
full of devotion and they are here on this sacred day; I wonder if
heaven can accommodate all of them." Shiva laughed at her
innocence. He said, "If everyone who comes to Varanasi on
Shivaratri Day can secure heaven, then, Varanasi will be heaven.
No. We both are in heaven because we have no egoistic desire,
no selfish attachments. These people are all so saturated with
selfish desire that no one of them can ever hope to have access to
heaven. Can a thief who steals and purchases a ticket to Varanasi
with the stolen money climb to heaven? Purity, love and truth
alone can open the gates of Bliss. Come on, I shall prove my
thesis that very few of these can ever enter heaven. Let us go into
this city as an old decrepit beggar pair."
58
Stories of Shiva
And, in one of the lanes that led to the temple, in full sight of the
hundreds who filed along, with the holy Ganga water in their
hands, for being poured ceremonially on the Linga in the
Vishweshwara Temple, the bony centenarian lay on the lap of his
aged wife, lolling his tongue in the agony of extreme thirst, and
the woman was appealing piteously for water to her dying
husband. "Water, water; give this man a mouthful and save him
for me", was the cry. No one of the devout came near to relieve
his distress. Many cursed her for her shrill importunity; some
asked her to keep off the road; a few said they will give him
water after finishing worship in the temple; a large number swore
that beggary must be made a crime and the police must clear the
lanes of this nuisance; one or two people laughed and remarked
that the lady was putting up a good show to attract attention. No
heart melted at the woes of the old helpless pair.
At last, one man came near them, moved by sympathy. He was a
pickpocket who had come to Varanasi's ghats to ply his wicked
trade; he knelt by the side of the old man and pulled out a dried
gourd full of water; that was his water bottle. But, Parvathi
wanted to test whether he had other virtues too. So, she said,
"Thank you, dear brother. But, my husband will drink the water
you give only when you describe some good deed you have done
so far, while pouring the water into his parched mouth. He is
about to die, so, tell him of some good deed you have done in
your life and offer the merit of that to him when you give him the
water". The hardened thief replied, "No; I have done no good
deed so far; this is the first time my heart has melted at another's
misery. Let the Lord of Varanasi, Vishweshwara in the temple
yonder, be my witness", he said and poured the precious water.
59
At that, the Lord appeared in His real Form and Parvathi too rose
as the Goddess; they blessed him as the only person entitled to
Heaven out of that motley throng of millions of empty hearts.
Truth and Love won for him the Grace of God. (SSS Vol.5), 2211-1965
A story of Shivaratri festival at Srisailam

Shivaratri is celebrated in all Shiva temples, Srisailam is a
particularly famous temple of Shiva. There is a fine story told
about this festival at Srisailam. At the foot of the Srisailam range
of hills there is a village, where a boy of nine years named Bala
Ramanna, attended primary school. He learned from his friends
at school that their sisters and brothers-in-law were coming to
their homes in order to attend the Shivaratri celebrations on the
Srisailam Hills.
Ramanna came home and wanted that his mother should send his
sister and brother-in-law too to the festival. His mother told him
that he had no sister and, therefore, no brother-in-law. But he
would not listen. He said he must have a sister and a brotherinlaw like his friends. So his mother just to quieten him, said, "You
have a sister and a brother-in-law, but they are in the temple on
the Srisailam. Their names are Bhramaramba and Mallikarjuna."
She gave him the names by which Shiva and His consort are
known---Bhramaramba meaning 'bee' and Mallikarjuna meaning
the 'white jasmine.' These names are very apt, because the
consort draws inspiration, instruction and wisdom from the Lord
even as the bee draws its sustenance from the jasmine flowers.
60
Stories of Shiva
When he was told that his sister was in the temple on the
Srisailam, Ramanna insisted that he would go and invite his
sister and brother-in-law to come home and stay there for some
time. He wanted to take some presents for them, but his mother
said that they were far too rich and that younger members of the
family should not present anything to the elders. The mother sent
the boy with a neighbour who was going to the temple to see the
festival. She gave him some money so that he could get presents
for the boy.
Ramanna hastened up the hill and rushed into the temple, crying
"Sister...Brother-in-law," and fell at the feet of the idol of
Bhramaramba. He held the idol in embrace and began dragging
it, wanting it to accompany him. He clasped the idol of
Mallikarjuna and would not leave it. At last the priests in the
temple drove him away as a mad boy. 7-3-1978 Vol. 14
Shiva and His consort appear before Ramanna
Then in despair, he climbed a high rock and threatened to jump
from that height unless his sister and her husband came with him.
Just then he heard a loud voice from the temple "Brotherinlaw!... Ramanna! .... Don't jump! .... We are coming with
you..." and soon Lord Shiva and His consort presented
themselves before him and accompanied him to his cottage in the
valley below. The mother and son were so overwhelmed with
Divine Bliss that they merged in the Divine phenomenon and
were seen no more. This story has added to the sanctity of the
shrine of Bhramaramba and Mallikarjuna at Srisailam.
61
Children in those days, and elders too, had innocent minds,

simple hearts, and high ideals. Nowadays cynicism and disbelief
have become rampant. There is a wave of negligence and sloth
sweeping over our people. For one word uttered they ascribe ten
meanings to it and not one of them is correct. When a subject is
mentioned, they start a series of arguments and counter
arguments and in the dust that is raised, the truth is ignored.
Their life is largely artificial and ideals shallow, so Divinity is
beyond their reach.
Bala Ramanna had unadulterated faith, so he was able to
dedicate his pure self to the Lord and reach the Goal. You must
always exalt low things to a higher level by infusing them with
higher meaning. Ramanna believed the stone image to be God;
he did not bring God down to the level of a stone image. You
may worship a picture as God, but you should not posit God as a
picture. Wood, stone or mud may be assumed to be Divine, but
Divinity should not be limited to wood, stone or mud. (SSS
Vol.14), 7-3-1978
How Shiva accepted Parvathi as Ardha

Both in the Vishnupurana and the Sivapurana, Parvathi is
described as the most beautiful goddess. Conscious of her own
exceptional charms, Parvathi desired to win Shiva as her spouse.
But all her efforts proved fruitless. Learning a lesson from this
experience and shedding her ego, she embarked on a severe
penance. Facing the rigours of heat and cold, wind and rain, she
allowed her body to waste away by her penance. Her mind was
solely concentrated on Siva. Seeing that she had completely got
62
Stories of Shiva
rid of her ego, Shiva agreed to accept Parvathi as Ardhaangini

(one half of Himself).
What is the inner meaning of this episode? Nature is symbolic of
Parvathi. It is exceptionally beautiful. Feeling proud about its
charms, it seeks to attract everybody. As it succeeds in its
attractions, its ego grows. Man, who is a child of Nature, also
develops the ego and leads a life filled with egoism. The ego gets
puffed up on the basis of knowledge, physical strength, power
and position, handsome looks and such other accomplishments.
Even the pride of scholarship takes one away from God.
Persons filled with such conceit can never realise God. Only
those free from self-conceit can be God-realised souls. Valmiki,
Nanda, Kuchela, Sabari, Vidura, and Hanuman are examples of
devotees who realised God, but who could boast of no great
lineage, wealth or scholarship. Their supreme quality was
freedom from ego. Hanuman, for instance, was content to
describe himself as a servant of Rama, despite his great prowess
and knowledge. All the accomplishments and acquisitions in this
world are transient and impermanent; lured by them, men get
inflated and ultimately court ruin. Hence, giving up the notions
of one's own doership, man must regard God alone as the doer.
He is the giver, He is the recipient and He is also the object that
is given.
Time is the very form of God. Birth and death are encompassed
by Time. Everyone, therefore, should regard Time as Divine and
utilise it for performing sacred actions. You should not waste a
single moment. Time wasted is life wasted. The fruits of your
63
actions are determined by Time. All your experiences are the

results of your actions, whether it is happiness or sorrow,
affluence or poverty. Hence, good and bad depend on what you
do. As are your actions, so are the fruits thereof. The way you
utilise your time determines the outcome. (SSS Vol.24)
The Story of Markandeya

One should obey the divine command with total faith and
without any disputation for or against. Markandeya was born out
of a boon granted by Easwara to his parents. Easwara asked his
parents whether they wanted a virtuous son with a short life-span
or a son not so virtuous but who would live long. The parents
opted for a virtuous son. Accordingly, Markandeya was born. He
was one of good thought, good behaviour and good conduct.
Easwara informed his parents that he would live only for sixteen
years. Nevertheless, the parents were joyous as they had been
blessed with a virtuous son. Years rolled by and Markandeya
entered his sixteenth year. Remembering the words of Easwara,
his parents became grief-stricken. His mother would often shed
tears thinking of the impending death of her son. Markandeya
could not understand the cause of her grief and wondered why
she was shedding tears. One day, he found his parents steeped in
sorrow. On enquiry, they revealed that his death was very near as
willed by the divine and that was the cause of their sorrow.
Markandeya felt sorry that Easwaras will was not revealed to
him till then because of which he had wasted the precious time
allotted to him. He did not want to waste any more time. He had
an early bath, went to the temple of Easwara and started chanting
the sacred Shiva Panchakshari mantra, Namah Sivaya, with all
64
Stories of Shiva
sincerity and devotion. He lost himself in the contemplation of

Easwara. He did not expect any reward for his prayers. He
considered it as his primary duty to contemplate on God. The
following day was supposed to be the last day of his earthly sojourn. Hence he remained in the temple. As he had not returned
home, his parents went to the temple and sat at the entrance.
They were shedding tears thinking of the impending end of
Markandeyas life. As ordained by the Lord, Markandeya left his
mortal coil the moment he completed his sixteenth year. His
parents were in deep sorrow. As Markandeya left his mortal
body in the external world, his jiva (soul) reached Lord Shiva in
the divine world.
One Can Achieve Anything With Gods Grace

The Lord was immensely pleased with the sincere devotion of
Markandeya. He said, Markandeya! Today marks the
completion of your sixteenth year. You have come to Me in a
happy frame of mind. You have bowed down to My Will with
implicit faith and obedience. I am pleased with your devotion.
As Easwara was speaking to Markandeya in this manner, Mother
Parvathi intervened and said, Oh Lord! Why dont You send
him back to his parents as he has obeyed Your command
implicitly. Easwara wanted Parvathi also to accompany Him.
Together they restored life into the body of Markandeya. The
parents joy knew no bounds when they noticed some movement
in Markandeyas body. He got up and said, My dear mother and
father, Lord Easwara and Mother Parvathi have brought me back
to life.
It is only God, who can save the life of a human being. Some
doctors claim that they can give good medicines or perform
65
surgery to save the life of a person. They make several such

promises, but they fail. Except God, none else can save or
prolong the life of a person. He only can interfere in the law of
Karma. With Gods grace, one can achieve anything in this
world. Dear students! You must strive to earn the grace of God
right from your childhood. When you pray for His grace and
strive for the same, you will be protected by God. (SSS Vol.38,
pp. 38-40), 8-3-2005
66
Forms of Worship and

Sadhana
Vedas lead man into Vision of Truth
The Veda is the most ancient as well as the most lasting
knowledge (or Shastra) discovered by man. That is to say, man
has not invented it. He has only recollected it in the serene
silence of the soul. So, the Veda can lead man into the Vision of
the Truth, unreachable by the senses and unrelated to the
material world.
It is inaccessible to human reason because it is transcendent. So,
it is described as Paramam Vyoma, the Great Protector, also
Indestructible, Thath, Truth. These words denote all the four
Vedas, beginning with the Rig Veda. The term Veda was
originally applied to the Supreme Lord, Parameswara, the Allknowing. Veththi ithi Vedah (He who knows is Veda). Then it
was applied to the principle of understanding Vedayathi ithi
Veda, (that which makes known is Veda). The Rig and other
Vedas have the all-knowing characteristic. So this meaning too is
appropriate.
67
Later the word was applied to activities in consonance with the

Vedasactivities promoting the goals laid down, namely,
Righteous, Economic, Volitional and Spiritual.
The Supreme Lord is All-seeing. He is the Person on whom all
the hymns of the Vedas converge. The Vedas enable man to get
the vision of that Lord and those who have earned that Vision are
the Rishis. They were guided by the Vedas. Many psalms, hymns
and declarations emerged from them. As a result, the Supreme
Lord Himself is referred to as the Great Sage (Maharshi) in the
Brahma Sutra. Among the 108 Names of Shiva, the Supreme
Lord, we find Maharishi and Mukhyarishi (the Chief Sage, the
Foremost Sage). Even the Veda is personified and referred to as
Rishi, for the same reason. Brahmam (the Vast Expanse) is
another word which denotes the Supreme Lord as well as the
Veda.
Hence, all acts, undertaken with no other desire than the
attainment of Brahmam, are also known as Brahma activitya
Brahma Yajna. A Rishi Yajna is a sacrificial actwith no desire
to earn the fruit ensuing therefromdesigned to gain the Vision
of Truth.
While performing such sacrificial acts and Yajnas, the
expression, Swaaha, is used. Yajnas are pure, auspicious, sacred
acts. This exclamation Swaaha, used while offering oblations or
reciting the Veda, is full of significance, Kesavaaya Swaaha
(Offer it to Lord Keshava [Krishna]), Praanaaya Swaaha (Offer
it to the vital airs), Indraaya Swaaha (It is offered to Indra): the
expression is used in this manner. The meaning generally given
68
Forms of Worship and Sadhana
is Let this be duly consumed. May these materials we are now

placing in this holy fire be fully accepted and consumed, so that
through this Fire they can reach the Deity for which it is
intendedKesava, Prana, Indra. Doubts may arisewhy pray
to Fire for something which is inevitable, because it is the very
nature of Fire to burn all that is put into it. But the scriptural
meaning is different. Kalidasa in the poem Kumara
Sambhavam describes the Himalayas as Deva-thaatma (Divine
Souled), that is to say, the Embodiment of the Divine.
The scriptures distinguish the Divine Body and the Material
Body, which each entity and being possesses. The Divine Body
of everyone cannot be cognised by the senses. When an oblation
is given to it, it becomes sanctified. The Aahuthi (oblation) is
transubstantiated into Havis (A special offering of food during
Vedic ceremonies).
The oblation or Aahuthi is thus described in the Veda. The
offering and offeree become one through the acceptance. (The
Attha (offerer) and the Adya (Offeree).
Who in this case is the offeree, and acceptor? It is Agni, the
Divine Power inherent in Fire, in the Sun, in the Warmth of the
Vital Air that sustains Life. When with the recitation of the
appropriate ceremonial formulae, material oblations are placed in
Agni with the phrase Swaaha, it is not a mere exclamation. It is
expiation; it is realisation of the prayer, which the ritual
represents.
69
The Veda is known as Chhandas also. This name means pleasant,

joyous. It is also associated with the kindred meaningsstrong,
vital, shielded. Since all the attributes and characteristics can be
predicated of the Vedas, the name referred to above is very
appropriate. The sacred ceremonies and rituals which the Vedas
expound confer joy not only on the participants but on the entire
world and even on worlds beyond. The Supreme Lord who is the
source of Bliss, is known in the scriptural texts as Yajnaanga
(having the Vedic ritual as His Limbs), Yajna-vahana (using the
Vedic ritual as His Vehicle). When Godhead assumes Form the
first manifestation is Hiranyagarbha (the Golden Womb). This
too is embodied Bliss, having as vehicle the Bird with wings of
Beauty, or Garuda. The Supreme Lord is also known as Vrsharatha, He whose chariot is the Bull, the symbol of Dharma
(Righteousness). This is the reason why in temples we find the
bird Garuda carved or kept as an idol before the shrine of Vishnu
and the figure of the Bull or its idol placed before shrines of
Shiva.
Chha or Chhaadana has as its root meaning another important
aspect of the Vedasshielding, fostering or promoting,
promoting the welfare, the ultimate liberation of humans
engaged in the unceasing round of worldly affairs.
Humans are ever caught up in activities pursued with the profit
available as the purpose. They have to be moulded as righteous
men and women at the same time. The Tree of Life has to be
guarded to offer them fruits and shade. The Veda has to shield
from destruction the activist doers (Karma lovers) from the
evil temptation to court unrighteousness, and the inquiry-fond
70
thinkers (Jnana seekers) from the evil temptation to pursue the

pleasure bound senses. Since the Veda both guides and shields,
these verses are called, in totality, Chhandas. Through their role
as armour or shield, they shower Bliss on all who rely on them.
Chhaadanaath chhandaasi. By shielding they become
chhandas. There is a myth about the Vedic rituals, collectively
known as Yajna. Once, Yajna fled from the gods taking the form
of a black antelope. The gods went in pursuit, but they succeeded
only in retrieving its skin. That skin became the Yajna, the
symbol of the rite. The white, dark and tawny colours on that
skin represent the Vedas, Rig, Yajur and Sama, and it was adored
as sacred for this very reason. It was honoured as symbolising
the Triple Knowledge, that is to say, Mastery of the three Vedas.
The skin is used by the officiating priests and other participants
in all Vedic ceremonials in order to invoke the protecting hymns,
called Chhandas. The three colours are believed to represent the
three worlds too, and therefore, he who is seated on the skin or
wears it benefits the three worlds by his Vedic recitations and
oblations. The master of the ceremonials at the Vedic Yajna is
described in the Vedic scripture as the Foetus in the Womb.
As the foetus is safe and secure, with its fingers clasped and
body prostrate enveloped in the mother, the priest-initiate must
be enveloped in the antelope skin symbolising Mother Veda. To
human eyes, it is just a skin but during Vedic rites, it becomes a
shield. This is the reason why, before wearing it, the initiate
prays, addressing it, You are the shield, Charma, shield me as
Charma. Charma since it shields man from grief, injury, and
wrong has come to mean happiness and bliss. Vishnu, the second
71
of the Trinity, is the embodiment of Bliss. And Vedic sacrifices

confer bliss.
Vishnu is praised as Yajna itself (Yajno vai Vishnuh). The Lord
Vishnu is the embodiment of the Triple Veda. Upasana means
the acquisition of the Presence of the Divine, the achievement of
the Bliss of adoration. Vedic tradition sanctions four paths as
legitimate and fruitful to win this achievement. They are called
Sathyavathi, Angavathi, Anyavathi and Nidaanavathi. (SSVahini,
pp. 233-236)
The three forms of worship Shiva likes

It is not a big problem or a laudable achievement to feed the little
stomach and find a few feet of space to sleep. One can manage to
live until the call of death releases one from bondage to the body;
the greater problem is how to live like a hero, as master of the
inner enemies---lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and hate;
how to train the mind, how to listen to the dictates of the
Intelligence rather than the senses, and accept Dharma and
Brahman (Righteousness and the Absolute Reality) as the two
guide-lines of life.
Shiva has the trident, three-pronged spear, as His weapon; He is
worshipped with the bilva leaf16, which is tri-foliate. The
16
Shiva is worshipped with the three-leaved bilva, for, He is immanent in

the three worlds, in the three phases of Time, in the three attributes of
Nature. He removes the three types of grief; He has no basis outside
Him; He is the source of Bliss; He is the embodiment of the sweetness
and efficacy of Nectar. Since every being is Shiva-Swarupa (of the nature
72
significance is that Shiva likes the three forms of worship,

namely, Bhakthi, Jnaana and Vairaagya (Devotion, Spiritual
Wisdom and Detachment). You should not pray to God for
secular advantages. You should pray only for Grace. That onepointed devotion can be got only by long practice of sadhana,
especially, the Sadhana of Naamasmarana (Remembering God
through his Name). Thank the Lord for giving you this life, this
much intelligence, this much detachment; do Naamasmarana
with this gratefulness in the background of your mind.
You toil day and night for this Loka (world); how many minutes
do you devote for Lokesha (the Master of the world)? The
Lokesha is the witness of all the worlds. He is to be remembered
with gratitude and reverence and wonder. Vyaasa spread the
glory of Lokesha and made men aware of the debt they owed to
God. His day is fixed as a holy day, on the Full Moon Day, for
he fills the dark heart with cool, comforting light, the Light that
is transmitted from God. It does not emanate direct from him. So,
it is moonlight and his Day is on a Full Moon Day. (SSS Vol.7),
23-5-1967
Few forms of worship:

Saivopaasana is also a notable path. This emphasises the
worship of Shiva as formulated in the Lingam or Symbol.
Lingam Sarva Kaalam. The Infinite Lingam is the symbol of
the primal energy which forms the basic cause of the origin,
condition and progress of the elements that compose the
of Shiva)---for without Shiva, it is mere 'shava' (corpse)---man has to live

up to that Divine status. (SSS Vol.12), 20-2-1974
73
Cosmos. The Lingam is the Form of Shiva Himself and realising

it as such is asserted as the ultimate goal, liberation.
Virasaivopaasana advocates the worship of Shiva, the Lord or
Easwara, as the one and only, everywhere and always. The
merging of the individual in the splendour of the Linga or
Easwara is the acme of all sadhana, the achievement of
Liberation.
Paasupathopaasana: The individual entity (Jiva) is tied by the
bond (paasa) of the qualities or modalities arising from nature.
Pasupathi (Shiva) is worshipped in order to earn freedom from
bondage.
Saakthopaasana: Sarva Deva mayee Devee (Devee is all
Gods). The Primeval Universal Energy, Aadi Paraa Sakthi, is
conceived as the matrix of all forms of Divinity. The Cosmic
Urge, the Prakriti, is the cause of the variety and multiplicity of
expression, the manifold forms.
The Maheswara (Supreme Divinity) has this capacity to manifest
and is therefore so named. Maheswara and Parasakthi are two
aspects of the same force. This dual-faceted force motivates the
Universe, from the vast expanse of the sky to the entire earth.
The unmanifest Supreme Person manifests as the Feminine
Universal, the Maya, the Paraa Sakthi. In each individual, it is
experienced as knowledge, strength and activity. (SSVahini, pp.
244-246)
The holy day of Shivaratri must be spent in the constant
contemplation of God chanting the holy name of Shiva right
74
from early in the morning till you go to bed. The Lords name
must dance on your tongue. Divinity is eternal. It cannot be
achieved so easily. Nobody has been able to explain Divinity so
far, though some vague definitions like eternal, changeless, etc.,
have been given. The proper definition of Divinity would be
Ekam, Nityam, Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam
Bhavateetam Trigunarahitam (One without a second, eternal,
pure, unchanging, witness to all functions of the intellect, beyond
ones imagination, beyond the three gunas (satwa, rajas and
thamas). (SSS Vol.38), 8-3-2005
The proper way to observe Shivaratri

Festivals like Shivaratri are intended to make people cultivate
auspicious and Godly qualities. To listen to a Divine discourse
on Shivaratri day and forget all about its message after leaving
the hall is not the way to observe Shivaratri. It may well be
called "Shavarathri" (a Night of Death).
The difference between "Shiva" (what is auspicious) and
"Shava" (a lifeless corpse) can be understood from the process of
breathing and cessation of breathing. The process of inhaling and
exhaling conveys the message of union with God--So-Ham (He
is I). It is the consciousness of this oneness that is auspicious.
When this consciousness is absent, inauspiciousness (or death)
sets in.
There has to be a complete absence of body consciousness. It
was by forgetting the body completely while chanting the Name
of Rama that Ratnakara, the dacoit, became Valmiki the supreme
poet (who gave the Ramayana to the world). He was so
75
completely absorbed in chanting the name that he was oblivious

to the anthill that had grown over him.
Shivaratri is the day that is devoted to the contemplation of God.
It does not come only once a year. Every night can be a
Shivaratri. Even if you are not able to contemplate on God all
through the night, it is enough if you think of God before going
to bed and when you wake up in the morning.
Again, whatever manner in which you may think of God, the
results will be good. There is a story to illustrate this. Once a
father took his son to the temple and advised him to keep vigil all
night in the sanctum sanctorum. After some time, both the priest
and the father dozed off. But the young lad, who was keeping
vigil, observed a mouse repeatedly nibbling at the fruit and other
edibles kept as offering to the deity. He felt sad that the mouse
should be nibbling away at what was intended for God. Because
he was thinking in this manner about God all night his life
became sanctified. But neither the priest nor the others in the
temple got the benefit of Divine grace. What is important is that
devotion should be expressed in some form.
Different devotees are bound to differ in their ways of
worshipping God. But whatever the method of worship, there
must be one-pointed devotion. Develop the love of God. Love
towards God is devotion. Love towards the world is attachment.
Devote this entire night to chanting the name of God. Life can be
immensely sanctified through bhajans. (SSS Vol.25), 2 Mar
1992
76
The night of goodness and Godliness

Shivaratri is the Ratri (night) of Shivam (Goodness, Godliness,
and Good Fortune). It is an auspicious Night because the mind
can be made to lose its hold on man by devoting the night to
prayer. The Moon is the presiding deity of the mind, according to
the scriptures. The mind is kindred to the Moon as the Eyes are
to the Sun. Shivaratri is prescribed for the fourteenth night of the
dark half of the month, the night previous to the New Moon
when the Moon suffers from total blackout. The Moon and the
mind which it rules over are drastically reduced every month on
the fourteenth night. When that night is devoted to vigilant
adoration of God, the remnant of the wayward mind is overcome
and victory ensured. This month's Shivaratri is holier than the
rest and so, it is called Mahashivaratri. (SSS Vol.20), 26-2-1987.
Mahashivaratri is dedicated to the disintegration of the
aberrations of the mind, and so, of the mind itself, by dedicating
oneself to Shiva, God. The Moon as well as the Mind whose
Deity it is, have each 16 phases. On the Shivaratri, fifteen of
these have disappeared; and, there is just a streak of the Moon in
the sky. The New Moon that follows will have not even that
streak visible. (SSS Vol.12), 21-2-1974
Symbol of Time-Space manifestation of divinity

The mind too must be mastered every day until, on the fifteenth
day, fifteen phases have disintegrated and only a streak remains
to be removed by a final flourish of effort. That is the sadhana
that you did through the night, bhajan, vigil, fast. When the mind
goes, there is more moha (deluding desire and attachment) and
the kshaya (decline) of moha is moksha (liberation). Smarana is
77
the surest means of mastering the wiles of the mind.

Vol.12), 21-2-1974
(SSS
With firm faith and a cleansed heart, the night should be spent in
glorifying God. No moment should be wasted in other thoughts.
Time flees fast. Like a block of ice, it melts soon and flows
away; like water held in a leaky pot, it disappears drop by drop.
The time allotted for one's life ticks off quite soon, and the span
ends sometime somehow. So, be vigilant. Be warned. Be alert
and aware. Seek the shelter of the Lord and transform every
moment into a sacred celebration. (SSS Vol.20), 26-2-1987.
Awareness of Divinity
There are some clearly defined methods for achieving this aim.
Man's vision, which is now turned outward towards the
phenomenal universe, should be turned inwards towards the
Indwelling Spirit. One should manifest the Divine consciousness
inherent in him. He should submit himself to that consciousness
as a spiritual discipline. This is called "Conscious Realisation of
the Inner Divine."
The first task is to develop awareness of the Divinity within. The
next stage is the realisation of the truth that the divinity that is
within one's self is equally present in all others. One must
recognise that the veil or barrier that appears to separate him
from others is born of delusion and every effort should be made
to remove it. Only then will it be possible to experience the
oneness of all living things. "Aham eva idam Sarvam," says the
Sruti (I am indeed all this). The realisation dawns: "All this is
contained in me." And then there is the consciousness, "I am
78
Divine. The Divine is me. I am Brahman. Brahman is myself.

There is no distinction between Brahman and me."
Six mental states
After attaining this stage there is a third stage, which has been
characterised as the Aarohana-Avarohana (the Ascent-and-the
Descent) stage. Man has six different kinds of mind. They are:
(1) The Ordinary Mind; (2) The Super-mind; (3) The Higher
Mind; (4) The Illuminated Mind; (5) The Intuitive Mind; (6) The
Over-mind or Beyond the Mind.
The starting base for the six levels of minds is the ordinary mind.
At the summit level is the Over-mind. In the mental processes
what goes on is an ascent from the ordinary mind to the Overmind as well as a descent from the Over-mind to the lowest
level. It is when the ascending process and the descending
process meet that there is fullness in the human being.
There is no difference between one kind of consciousness and
the other. All consciousness is alike because it is a manifestation
of Brahman (the Absolute). It is Brahman that has manifested
Itself as the Cosmos. The doctrine of evolution is being
discussed widely and widely accepted. But one should try to
understand how evolution takes place in Nature. Evolution in
Nature is really the gradual un-foldment of the inherent powers
of Nature.
The evolutionary process
For instance, life has evolved from matter and mind has evolved
from life. What is meant by matter? Matter is that which is
encased in life. Consider the example of paddy. As long as the
79
rice grain is covered by husk it is called paddy. When the husk is

removed it becomes rice.
Paddy has the power to germinate as long as the husk remains.
Likewise, the vital principle is contained in matter. It may thus
be seen that life came from matter. Likewise, the mind evolved
from life. Today men are prepared to recognise that mind
evolved from life and life from matter.
But they are not ready to go beyond this stage in human
evolution. Human evolution cannot be complete unless it goes
beyond the mind.
The next step in the human evolution is the Super-mind. But man
has to go forward even from supramental to the ultimate stage of
Sath-Chit-ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss) to realise his final
destiny. The day when man is able to experience the Divine state
of Sath-Chit-ananda is really the holy day of Shivaratri.
When a person is attached to the body and considers the physical
alone as real, he is bound to remain ignorant. The gross body is
sustained by food and is limited by its material basis. But them is
a subtle body which transcends the physical. This is called
Lingadeha. After understanding the nature of the subtle body,
men should try to proceed further to know the nature of the
Karana Deha (Causal body, which is subtler than the
Lingadeha), which is the experience of Ananda (Divine Bliss).
Everything has its origin in Bliss and is dependent on Bliss. Bliss
is present in a subtle form in every object in creation. (SSS
Vol.21), 16 Feb 1988
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The most effective form of meditation

Shiva has his eyes opened partly. If the eyes open fully, it will
cause the destruction of the world. If the eyes are closed, one
gets sleep. So his eyes are half-open, concentrating on the tip of
the nose. You find that most of the pictures show Easwara
(another name for Siva) in a meditative pose, seated in
padmasana (lotus posture), with his partly-opened eyes
concentrating on the tip of the nose. This is the right type of
posture in meditation. (SSS Vol.31, p. 159)
As regards the technique of dhyaana (meditation), different
teachers and trainers give different forms of advice. But I shall
give you now the most universal and the most effective form.
This is the very first step in spiritual discipline. Set aside for this
at first a few minutes every day and later go on extending the
time as and when you feel the bliss that you shall get. Let it be in
the hours before dawn. This is preferable, because the body is
refreshed after sleep and the peregrinations of daytime will not
yet have impinged on you. Have a lamp or a candle with an open
flame, steady and straight, before you. Sit in the padhmaasana
(lotus posture) or any other comfortable posture in front of the
candle. Look on the flame steadily for some time and, closing
your eyes, try to feel the flame inside you, between your
eyebrows. Let it slide down into the lotus of your heart,
illumining the path. When it enters the heart, imagine that the
petals of the lotus open out one by one, bathing every thought,
feeling and emotion in the Light, and so removing darkness from
them. There is no space for darkness to hide. The light of the
flame becomes wider and brighter. Let it pervade your limbs.
Now those limbs can never more deal in dark, suspicious and
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wicked activities; they have become instruments of light and

love. As the light reaches up to the tongue, falsehood vanishes
from it.
Let it rise up to the eyes and the ears and destroy all the dark
desires that infest them, leading you to perverse sights and
puerile conversation.
Visualise God in the all-pervasive Light

Let your head be surcharged with light and all wicked thoughts
flee therefrom. Imagine that the light is in you more and more
intensely. Let it shine all around you and let it spread from you,
in ever widening circles, taking in your loved ones, your kith and
kin, your friends and companions, your enemies and rivals,
strangers, all living beings, the entire world.
Since the light illumines all the senses every day, so deeply and
so systematically, a time will soon come when you can no more
relish dark and evil sights, yearn for dark and sinister tales, crave
for base, harmful, deadening toxic food and drink, handle dirty
demeaning things, approach places of ill-fame and injury, or
frame evil designs against anyone at any time. Stay on in that
thrill of witnessing the light everywhere. If you are adoring God
in any form now, try to visualise that form in the all-pervasive
Light. For Light is God; God is Light.
Practise this meditation as I have advised regularly, everyday. At
other times repeat the Name of God (any Name fragrant with any
82
of His many Majesties), always taking care to be conscious of

His Might, Mercy and Munificence.
Advanced Meditation on Soham

Resolve on this holy Shivaratri to visualise the Shiva who is the
Inner Power of all. With each breath you are averring, 'Soham,' (I
am He). Not only you, every being avers it. It is a fact which you
have ignored so long. Believe it now. When you watch your
breath and meditate on that Grand Truth, slowly the 'I' and the
'He' will merge, Soham will become transformed into Om, the
Primal Sound (Pranava) which the Vedas proclaim as the
symbol of the Niraakaara Parabrahman (Formless Supreme
Reality). That Om is the Swaswaruupa (own natural state)---the
Reality behind all this 'relative un-reality.'
This is the genuine sadhana, the final lap in the progress of the
seeker. But there are many preliminary laps, each one of which
requires much stamina and steadfastness. For example, I would
advise you to dwell always on one Name of God, one
personification of one of His innumerable Attributes of. Glory.
'Then there is the expansion of your love, the removal of hate
and envy from your mental composition, seeing the God whom
you adore in every other person as intently as you see Him in
yourself. Then you become the embodiment of love, peace and
joy. (SSS Vol.14), 21-11-1979
The Shiva in all

Shivoham, Shivoham---was the exclamation that rose from the
souls that knew the Truth in a flash of illumination, after long
years of cleansing the mind through the process of thapas
(penance). I am Shiva; Shiva am I---Though denoted by many
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names and recognised in many forms, the Divine Principle is

One, without a second. It is Shivam and it is latent in each being,
including man. Holy days are to be spent in the contemplation of
this Truth and in special exercises to make oneself fully
conscious of one's Divinity.
God is the seed, which has expressed itself as all this. But, this
fact, so deeply implanted in the hearts of every Indian for
centuries, has been overlaid by veils of doubt and man has lost
the courage and the energy that the faith had given him so long.
This was the very core of Indian culture, but, children of India
have neglected and very nearly lost this precious heritage. The
fascination for Western fashions of thought weakened the belief
in one's religion; that led to the giving up of the disciplines
which shaped one's daily life; this in turn led to deterioration in
moral standards; this has bred misery, disunity, hatred and
disgrace. It is time to open one's eyes to the tragedy and retrace
the steps.
Meaning of worship of the Snake

The saints and seers of this land never spoke lightly or acted
irrelevantly. They had the good of the generations always in
view. When they invested some places as holy and named some
days as sacred, they also prescribed the rules and ceremonials to
be observed by pilgrims and Sadhakas (spiritual aspirants), so
that time, expense and effort could be used for the expansion of
Love and the education of the instincts and impulses. The object
of every rule was to bring the realisation of the Atma, as one's
Reality, a few steps nearer. For, the Atma in the individual is the
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Atma in all; Shivoham is the Truth; and the Truth alone can make
man free and full of Bliss.
Take one prescription, the worship of the Snake. Those afflicted
with barrenness or serious illness or skin diseases of virulent
types vow to proceed on pilgrimage to shrines of Subrahmanya
(conceived in the form of a Snake). People laugh at this practice.
"Indians offer adoration to snakes, because, in their opinion, they
have poison in their fangs!" The Truth is quite otherwise. The
inner meaning of snake worship is quite different. The spinal
column of man ending with the 'thousand-petalled lotus' in the
brain is very much like a serpent poised on its tail with hood
widely spread.
In the science of Kundalini Yoga, the vital energy of man lying
dormant like a coiled snake, at the bottom of this column in the
lowest Mulaadhaara Chakra (the Basal Plexus) is awakened and
aroused, so that it courses up through six more wheels (centres of
superior consciousness) until it reaches the Sahasraara
(thousand-petalled Lotus Energy Centre) at the very top of the
skull. The passage for the Kundalini is through the Sushumna
nerve in the centre of the spinal column. The worship of the
Snake, ridiculed as superstition, is the symbolic counterpart of
this great Yogic Sadhana which confers vigour and vitality.
Every appellation of God has deep significance

Take the demarcation of Tirupati as a holy place of pilgrimage;
Lord Venkateshwara, the deity worshipped there is called the
Lord of the Seven Hills, for Seven Hills have to be climbed
85
before the Temple is reached. Obviously the six Chakras (energy

centres) and the Sahasraara are indicated here, for in Raja yoga,
the supreme is revealed, only when the individual raises the Vital
Energy---the Kundalini Shakti---up to the seventh stage. One of
the hills is named Seshagiri, meaning, Snake Hill. From the
plains, the range gives the appearance of a snake with a raised
hood.
And, what exactly does Subrahmanya mean? Spend a little
thought on that. It means, 'He who has attained the realisation of
Brahman the Universal Absolute, the Primal Cause, the Cosmic
Consciousness.' Every appellation of God has deep significance.
In the Vedas, Vishnu, for example, is named Parama. It means
Paramanu, the Atom: He is omnipresent, as omnipresent as the
atom, found as the substance and substratum of the Universe.
Vishnu is the cause as well as the effect, for, there was nothing
else when Time began. The One became many; the many
disappear, the One remains.
Cattle are different from horses; true. But, when four-footed
animals are considered, they are both the same. Under 'animals' a
vast variety of beings are included. Thus it goes on, until only
One is.
Strengthen the belief that all objects belong to God

To teach the Unity behind the appearance of multiplicity, that is
to say, to help realise the Adhwaitha (Non-dual nature of
Existence), Shankara, the greatest expounder of that school of
thought, established four seats of practical philosophy called
Mutts in the four regions of India.
86
The very first step in the endeavour to realise this Unity was,
according to him, Upaasana or Worship of the concrete symbol
of God, which gives one the experience of the ecstasy of Union.
One day, Shankara was seated in meditation on the bank of the
Ganga River. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Lord! I am yours; but,
surely, you are not mine." His pupil, Thotakacharya was by his
side then; he was astonished at this statement, which, according
to him, went against the Adhwaithic stand. So, he asked him how
he could ever declare any distinction between I and you.
Shankara replied, "The waves belong to the Ocean; but, the
Ocean does not belong to the wave. The wave is the ocean, but,
the Ocean is not the wave." The main point to be attended to is,
the elimination of the ego, the elimination of the identification
with the body and its needs, satisfiable through the senses. For,
you get joy when these needs are fulfilled; grief when they are
not, anger when something comes in the way, pride when you
win over that opposition.
To eliminate the ego, strengthen the belief that all objects belong
to God, and that you are holding them on trust. This would
prevent pride; it is also the truth. Then, when you lose a thing,
you would not grieve. God gave; God took away. Of course you
hear almost all talking in this strain and advising this reaction.
But very few follow that advice themselves. This is the sin of all
sins; saying one thing and acting quite the opposite, denying in
practise what you assert as precept. Vol.12, 20-2-1974
87
Sadhana
There are three aspects in sadhana concentration, contemplation
and meditation. You are at the moment fixing your gaze on this
form that is concentration. When this form moves away after
sometime, you still look at this form with your mental eye; that is
contemplation. As a result of this exercise, this form gets
imprinted in your heart permanently.
That is meditation. As you go on meditating thus, the form
remains in your heart permanently. At present, you are confining
your sadhana to concentration and contemplation only. These
two stages are only transitory. It is true that the first step in your
sadhana is concentration. The concentration has to be
transformed into contemplation and later into meditation. In this
final stage of meditation, you will continue to visualise the
form of God even if you close your eyes. The ancient rishis
adopted this form of meditation. That is the reason why God
manifested before them whenever they wished, talked to them
and fulfilled their desires.
The Nirakara, Nirguna Parabrahma (formless, attributeless
Supreme Self) is changeless and eternal. It represents the
ultimate reality. It is known by different names like Rama,
Krishna, Sai, etc. You do not make any distinction between the
names, for it is beyond names and forms. You install that
ultimate reality on the altar of your sacred heart and constantly
meditate upon it. Some people tend to misinterpret the Shastras
and Puranas to suit their convenience and selfish ends.
88
A small story. Once an impostor posing as a renunciant stood

before a house and begged for food saying, Bhavati bhikshaam
dehi! (I am hungry, kindly give me food!). The housewife heard
his plea and came out. She told him, Sir! Please go to the river
and have a bath and come back. Meanwhile, I will keep the food
ready for you. Then the Sanyasi quoted a line from the Puranas,
Govindeti Sada Snanam (constant chanting of the name of
Govinda is as good as taking a bath). The housewife immediately
realised that the person standing in front of their door begging
for food was not a true renunciant and replied, Dear Son!
Govindeti Sada Bhojanam (constant chanting of the name of
Govinda is as good as a meal). You may go. It is said that the
face is the index of mind. It reflects our inner thoughts and
feelings. If the so called renunciant in this story really believed in
the glory of the divine name, he should have taken a bath before
asking for food. He was a lazy person. He wanted food to satisfy
his hunger, but was reluctant to have a bath before the meal. You
should never believe in such impostors.
Some people sit silently, closing their eyes. They say they are
doing meditation. That is not meditation. They may be sitting
silently, but their mind may be wandering thinking about all and
sundry. The stage wherein the mind is unwavering and firmly
fixed on the higher reality alone can be called meditation.
Meditation is the stage next to contemplation. A small example:
you may have scored first class marks in the half yearly
examination, but you will not be eligible to get a degree. It is
only after passing the final examination that you will become
eligible to receive a degree. Contemplation and meditation are
comparable to the half yearly and final examinations. Thus,
89
spirituality represents a higher stage in life. Today, people are

engrossed in the pursuit of physical and worldly objects,
forgetting moral and spiritual goals. How then can they attain
spiritual progress? If one wishes to have a spiritual experience,
one has to acquire the necessary strength to face the final
examination.
To say that this is my body, my house, my property, etc.,
represents the physical aspect. When you say, this is my body it
means my is separate. That is, you are separate from your body.
Similarly, when you say my mind, my buddhi (intellect), my
chitta (subconscious mind), etc., it means they are all separate
from you. Hence, your true nature is I, which is separate from
all that you call as my body, my mind, my buddhi, etc. You
have to sacrifice all your karmas (i.e., the fruits of your actions).
That means, you have to perform your Karmas with an attitude
of Sarva Karma Bhagavad Preetyartham (all actions to be
performed in a spirit of surrender to God). Then only you will
become immortal. If you wish to attain the true and eternal state,
you must realise the Atma Tattwa. It is only the Upanishads that
delineate on the Atma Tattwa extensively and not the epics like
Bhagavata and Ramayana. The same Atma Tattwa, that is, the
supreme reality incarnates from age to age to restore Dharma
whenever it is on the decline as stated in the Bhagavad Gita:
Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanir Bhavati Bharata,
Abhyutthanamadharmasya Tadatmanam Srujamyaham.
(Sanskrit verse)
(Oh Arjuna! Whenever there is a decline in Dharma nd
rise in Adharma, I incarnate from age to age for the
establishment of Dharma.)
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Peace Brings Love

Install God on the altar of your sacred heart and meditate on Him
constantly. In spite of sorrow, difficulties, calamities that you
may encounter, hold on to Him firmly. They trouble your body,
not you; for, you are separate from your body. The body is like a
box in which the mind, intellect, chitta, indriyas and
Antahkarana are packed. We are cultivating qualities like anger,
jealousy, envy, pride, etc., due to our contact with the outside
world. It is only when we get rid of these qualities that we enjoy
peace. Therefore, we have to start our sadhana with Sathya
(truth) and Dharma (righteousness). When truth and
righteousness go together, Shanti (peace) will reign.
Peace brings love. Where there is peace, there cannot be hatred.
When we develop hatred against someone, it means the spring of
love is dried up in our heart. When there is love in our heart, we
do not get angry, even if someone accuses us. Normally, we do
not care for anyone when we are angry. Many people speak ill of
Me, accuse Me and even heckle Me. But, I am not disturbed. I
am always happy and blissful. That is real love. Where there is
anger, hatred and jealousy, it means that there is no love. Hence,
we should always follow the motto of Love All, Serve All!
The basis for following this principle is Sathya and Dharma
(truth and righteousness). Always speak truth and follow
righteousness. As against this principle, people are now lecturing
so much about Dharma without themselves treading the path of
Dharma. Dharma cannot survive in such circumstances. It is
said, Sathyannasti Paro Dharmah (there cannot be a greater
Dharma than speaking truth). Sathya and Dharma are like the
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two hands, two legs and two lips in a human body. It is only
when the two lips work together that a human being can speak.
Similarly, it is only when Sathya and Dharma go together that
peace reigns. Where there is no Dharma, there love cannot be.
Do Not Indulge In Excessive Talk

Always meditate on the divine name; not just contemplation, but
meditation. That meditation should be with love for God.
Without love, your meditation will not achieve the desired
result. Your love for God should be continuous through day
and night. It is possible that when you pray to God to fulfil some
desire and things go contrary, you may get angry and develop
hatred against Him. But, it has nothing to do with spirituality.
Your innate nature and love for God should never undergo a
change. You should continue to attach yourself to the Divine
name. That is real meditation. When you are in deep meditation,
nothing in the external world should be visible to you even if you
open your eyes.
Another aspect about which you need to be careful is your
speech. Too much talk is very bad. Do not indulge in excessive
talk. Try to mend your nature. Observe silence as far as possible
and be quiet. Talk as much as is needed. Just answer to the point.
If you talk more, you will be branded as a chatter-box. Too much
talk is not good, even from the health point of view. This is very
important, especially in the case of children. You have to keep
your mind steady right from the young age. (SSS Vol.42, pp. 6167), 23-2-2009.
92
The Message of
Mahashivaratri
The Message of Shivaratri
Having achieved the rare fortune of a human body, one should
ever strive to manifest the excellence which is its credential and
to gain, as a result of that manifestation, Divinity Itself. When
that is gained, nothing else need be gained. When the vision of
That is won, there is nothing more to be visualised. When that is
loved, nothing else would appear as worthy of love. All else
would be trash and dust. When that is known, all is as good as
known.
The 'Chaathaka' bird is all alert to drink the first few nectarine
rain-drops that fall from the cloud. It does not allow either the
fearsome typhoon, or the reverberations of thunder or the
blinding flashes of lightning or even disastrous bolts from the
clouds, to distract its concentration. The Sadhaka (spiritual
aspirant), too, should in the same manner fill his heart with the
yearning for God and await His nectarine grace of Love, not
being distracted or disturbed by the joy and grief, profit and loss,
honour and dishonour, that pummel him from all sides, or by the
ridicule, the opposition or even hatred directed on him by his
parents, kinsmen, and companions. (SSS Vol.17), 29 February
1984
93
Prayers should rise from the heart, not from the lips
But, most Sadhakas today are only acting the part and pretending
to be spiritually progressing. Their prayers and petitions to the
Lord rise, not from the heart, but only from the lips. If the Lord
takes them at their word and presents Himself before them
offering them the Liberation they demand, they start stuttering
and shivering. "Lord! I asked for Liberation, only as a repetitive
formula. I do not desire Liberation, if it involves deserting my
wife and children and my hard-earned wealth. Confer this gift on
me, after my death. That would be more welcome".
There was a woodcutter once who collected and bundled a heavy
load of fuel one day, since he needed extra money that day. On
the jungle track, he waited long for someone who could help to
lift the load on his head. Pining over his tragic poverty he cursed
his fate. He prayed pathetically to Yama, the God of Death.
"Why have you forgotten me. Take me into your custody. End
this miserable life". And Yama appeared in answer to the call..
"Come, I shall take you to my Kingdom", Yama said. The
woodcutter replied, "Not so soon, my dear friend. But, you can
do me another service. Please lift this bundle of fuel and place it
on my head".
These Sadhakas bargain with God. They try to use the Lord to
solve their problems and promise to adore Him when He brings
them prosperity. They believe they can tempt Him with gifts of
money, coconuts or cranial hair, as if they possess them by their
own unaided skill! No. Offer Him steadfast faith, pure unselfish
Love. Man has not tried to understand the magnificence of Love,
its precious possibilities. It is far more valuable than tons and
94
Message of Mahashivaratri
tons of erudition and miles-long titles before one's name. Place

these on one pan of the balance called 'Life' and place one single
drop of Love Divine in the other. The drop will outweigh the
junk. (SSS Vol.17), 29 February 1984
The three criteria for the Saathwik quality

The Sadhaka must adhere to Satwa ideal - serenity, purity and
equanimity. His inborn nature and social nurture might help him
in this, but he must consciously and steadily cultivate this
perseverance to attain purity of thought, word and deed. It is
wrong to attribute the ups and downs in one's life to the will of
God; they are due to the cultivation or neglect of this quality of
perseverance. Expansive Love, purity of intention and an
eagerness to sacrifice--these three are the criteria for the
Saathwik quality. They are the chief limbs of the spiritual body
which require attention.
Mental health and spiritual well-being depend on these limbs.
The assertion, "I take refuge in Buddha" must be based on an
illumined intellect. "I take refuge in Sangha" must therefore urge
the Sadhaka to utilise the intellect as an instrument for the
service of sangha (society). When the third statement, "I take
refuge in Dharma (righteousness)" is made, it directs the
Sadhaka to utilise it for strengthening and promoting
righteousness, morality and virtue. The path of Love is the path
of Dharma. Love results in enthusiastic service. Who deserves
Love most? Nothing on earth deserves pure Love more than
God, if one is aware of God in man, embodiment of Divinity.
Everyone has .passed through numberless lives in the past, lives
spent in utter selfishness. So, egoistic impulses enslave him very
95
drastically even now, preventing unselfish Love from sprouting

and spreading. God seeks in man Love and Law. Love has to be
regulated by Law. Without Law, Love cannot expand. It will be
narrow and crooked. They are the negative and the positive. (SSS
Vol.17), 29 February 1984
Purpose of fast and vigil on holy days

The nature of man is a mixture of progressive and regressive
characteristics. He must take note of this and foster the former, to
the exclusion of the latter. The will to renounce, to share, to give
up, is a precious virtue. Curiosity, the longing to know, is
another quality which must be used to know the Reality which
appears as many and momentary. This knowledge can be
attained only when the consciousness is purified, by the grace of
God. Holy days like Shivaratri are marked out in order to
impress upon man's mind his duty to impose a 'fast' on the senses
and a 'vigil' on his intelligence to keep away polluting impulses
and inclinations. This is the Day when Shiva consumed the
deadly poison that threatened to destroy the world and saved
mankind from perdition.
The aspirant for Divine grace has to remember this day with
gratitude. He must not exult when his happiness is promoted, nor
be disheartened when misery becomes his lot. "Thy will, not
mine" shall be his constant assertion to himself. This is seldom
the case. Few seekers seek to unravel the intention of God, to
tread the path that leads to Him, to follow the ideals He lays
down. They follow their own instincts and judgements and get
distress and despair as reward.
96
They are not aware of the sacrilege they commit. They proclaim
that God is the inner motivator and that He is present everywhere
but they behave as if He is absent in the places they do not like
Him to be. They fritter away precious time in dry discussions and
controversies about God.
Each one can explore the Truth of God only as far as his
capacity--moral, intellectual and mental--an delve into the
mystery. One can collect from the ocean only as much water as
his vessel holds. God is immeasurably vast; He is beyond the
reach of the most daring imagination. A pupil of a particular
standard in school has to study the texts prescribed for pupils of
that level of intelligence. Annamaachaarya, the mystic poet,
realised the limitation imposed by one's own failings, He sang:
"To what extent our minds do reach
To that extent your vision we get".
(SSS Vol.17), 29 February 1984
Know the purpose of fasting
There are many among you, I know, mostly women, who

practise fasts. But, there is a limit to austerity, which they do not
respect! There is a meaning in fasting which they do not
understand! They fast on Monday for it is the day of Shiva, on
Tuesday for it is sacred to Lakshmi, on Wednes, day for some
other God, on Thursday for Me(!) on Friday again for Lakshmi,
on Saturday, to propitiate Shani and on Sunday, for the Sun! Lal
Bahadur Shastry, that good and simple man, pleaded that you
miss a meal on Monday nights, but, these misdirected aspirants
spoil their health and well-being by overdoing the vow of
fasting.
97
Periodical fasting is prescribed in order to help the system

overhaul itself and to give much needed rest to the processes.
Again during the fast, you must not be aware of hunger at all!
Are you sure that it is so? You must free yourself from all
thought of food and concentrate on the thought of God. If
thoughts of food bother you, if pangs of hunger disturb you, then,
it is much better to eat and then start Sadhana. (SSS Vol.6),
March 1966
Relying on the merely literal meaning of the words, people wait
a whole year for this particular holy day to come, in order to miss
a meal and call it a fast, to miss a night's sloop and call it a vigil!
The fast is called in Sanskrit as Upavaasa and it means
something far more significant than missing a meal! It means
(Upa-near; Vaasa-living) Living with, or Living near. With
whom? Near whom? Near and with God. Upavaasa means living
in the unbroken constant presence of the Lord, by
Naamansmarana (remembrance of Divinity); that is the real fast,
holding fast to Him. (SSS Vol.9), 15-2-1969
The vow is meant to liberate you from the worry and bother of
preparing and eating food, so that you might dwell more
intimately with God. Remember that the purpose of Fast is
spending time in the contemplation of God and not simply
punishing the body by cutting a meal or a series of meals. (SSS
Vol.6), March 1966
Understand the main purpose of holy days
Man is wasting precious time, ignoring his status among all

living beings, his equipment for the grand spiritual pilgrimage to
Divinity, and his one fundamental task' achieving liberation from
98
the cycle of birth and death. The sages of the past have realised
the value and dignity, the worth and responsibility, of human life
and they have laid down disciplines like the vigil and fast on
Shivaratri Day, in order to inspire man and instruct him, on the
upward path to God.
And, Jaagarana (Vigil) ! It means keeping awake, shaking off
the sleep of the senses and being fully aware of the Light of Love
that is the Divine essence, in all. It means, shaking off the
drowsiness and laziness, and deep concentration in meditation
and sadhana. Look at the word for heart in Sanskrit: hrudhayam.
It means, Hrudhi-ayam, that is to say, "the divine heart"; the
place where He resides, where He is installed. By vigilance and
the practise of the constant presence of God, you must install
Him in your heart and see Him as installed in all other beings as
well. That is the main purpose of these holy days and the
regulations laid down for their observance. (SSS Vol.9), 15-21969
Vows, vigils, fasts, etc. along with all kinds of voluntarily
imposed or involuntarily suffered hardships are to be looked
upon as promoting spiritual strength, not as weakening physical
stamina. They dig around the roots and make the plant grow fast.
They clip the wayward twigs and make the tree tall and truly
trim. (SSS Vol.6), March 1966
Do not allow the mind to dwell on others' faults

God appears to each one in the Form and the magnitude of glory
which he can contain. The feeling of separation from God, the
Source and Sustenance, is a laudable quality. Nursing it and
99
fostering it can help to consecrate one's heart. Do not allow the

mind to dwell on the faults and vices of others; it will be
contaminated thereby. Fix it on the fairness and virtues of others;
it will be sanctified thereby.
I know that during moments of emotional frenzy, you set aside
your real nature and you indulge in abusing others or wish that
they come to harm or exult over their distress. Such evil thoughts
get implanted in your own minds and grow wild, yielding for
your consumption, distress and dishonour in return. Why worry
about others? Speak to them if you like them. If you. do not like
them, leave them alone. Why seek faults in them and talk iii of
them? To do so is to invite spiritual downfall. Such people lose
all the gains they hope to secure by japa, puja, dhyana, or
darshan (repetition of Lord's Name, ritual worship, meditation
and divine vision). They will remain bitter despite all these
sadhana (spiritual disciplines), like the bitter gourd which a
pilgrim carried with him, intending to make it sweet by dipping it
in holy waters. (SSS Vol.17), 29 February 1984
Mind of man should undergo transformation

The mind of man has to undergo transformation. It must promote
not bondage but liberation. It must turn Godward and inward, not
world ward and outward. Then only can attempts at economic,
political and social transformation succeed in uplifting man's
destiny. The mind plays many tricks to please you and give you a
great opinion about yourselves. It revels in hypocrisy, riding on
two horses at the same time. You may prostrate before Swami
and declare that you have surrendered. But, once you are away,
you may behave otherwise and allow faith to fade away. Even
100
the thought that you have not benefited from the puja or japam
you do, should not pollute your faith. To practise Sadhana is
your duty, your innermost urge, your genuine activity. Leave the
rest to the Will of God. This must be your resolve on holy
Shivaratri. (SSS Vol.17), 29 February 1984
Cultivate love, faith and humility

Shivaratri is a day when one tries to establish friendship between
the mind and God. Shivaratri makes one aware of the fact that
the same Divinity is all-pervasive, that It is to be found
everywhere.
In our daily experiences, there are a number of instances which
reveal the existence of Divinity in every person. Consider a
cinema; on the screen we see rivers in flood, engulfing all the
surrounding land. Even though the scene is filled with flood
waters the screen does not get wet by even a drop of water. At
another time, on the same screen we see volcanoes erupting with
tongues of flame, but the screen is not burnt. The screen which
provides the basis for all these pictures is not affected by any of
them. Likewise in the life of man, good or bad, joy or sorrow,
birth or death, will be coming and going, but they do not affect
the Atma In the cinema of life, the screen is the Atma It is Shiva,
it is Shankara, it is Divinity. When one understands this
principle, one will be able to understand, enjoy and find
fulfilment in life.
Shankara (Easwara) refers to the one who is endowed with all
types of Aiswarya (wealth). The types of wealth that we enjoy in
the worldly sense are not what we mean by Aiswarya.
101
Everything in the phenomenal world, every person, every bit of

matter that you see, has this principle of Aiswarya in it. This
Aiswarya is nothing other than Easwara. In other words, the
entire phenomenal world is made up of Easwara. This has also
been described as Sathaamaatra Chaitanya (Pure Consciousness).
This principle of Chaitanya cannot be directly seen; it exists
unseen. It is eternal, it is permanent, it is all-pervasive. (SSS
Vol.18), 17-2-1985
Get rid of action and be freed from Maya

Whatever number of births we may take and however long we
may go on worshipping these three forms, we will never be able
to free ourselves from the cycle of birth and death. If one wants
to get rid of birth forever, one has to worship the Nirguna
Nirakara, the formless and attributeless principle, which is
represented by the Omkara. Only when we get rid of action, will
we be free from the delusion that the world is real. When we are
rid of delusion, then we will also be free from the illusion of
Maya. And only then will we be free from sorrow and will
finally be able to reach the Paratatva, the transcendent principle.
This may also be described as Paramatma, the transcendent
principle within us. As long as we have the mind and the
tendencies, we can only be described as Jivatma.
Jivatma and Paramatma are not two different entities. The
characteristic of Jivatma is to waste the entire life in worldly
things and associate the mind with this phenomenal world. This
is the externalised vision, which is full of illusion and delusion.
If you turn your mind inwards, it will be free from delusion.
When it is associated with delusion, it is Jiva Tatva. When it is
102
free from delusion and illusion, then it is one with the principle
of Paramatma.
Cure the boil of "I" in the body

If there is a boil on the body, we put some ointment on it and
cover it with a bandage until the whole thing heals. If you do not
apply the ointment and tie the bandage around this boil, it is
likely to become septic and cause great harm later on. Now and
then we will have to clean it with pure water, apply the ointment
again and put on a new bandage. In the same way, in our life,
there is this particular boil which has come up in our body in the
form of 'I', 'I', 'I'. If you want to really cure this boil of 'I', you
will have to wash it every day with the waters of love, apply the
ointment of faith on it and tie the bandage of humility around it.
The bandage of humility, the ointment of faith, and the waters of
love will be able to cure this disease that has erupted with this
boil of 'I.'
With the help of the mind a man can rise from the level of the
human to the highest level of divinity. But he can also descend to
the animal nature or demonic level. Once you turn the mind
towards worldly objects it tends to become animal and demonic
in nature. If the mind is turned upwards towards God and freed
from the thought process, it tends to merge with the Nirguna
Nirakara and thus become liberated.
The most important reason for bondage is giving too much
freedom to the mind. For example, when an animal is tethered to
a post, it will not be able to go to another place and spoil it. It
will not be able to show anger or violence or do harm to any
103
person. But if it is unwed and let loose, then it can roam over
various fields, destroy the crops and cause loss and harm to
others. It gets beaten for the mischief done by it. Similarly, the
mind must be bound by certain regulations and limits. As long as
man lives within certain limits and disciplines, certain rules and
regulations, he will be able to maintain a good name and lead a
happy and useful life. Once he crosses these limits he will go
astray.
Conduct yourselves as true human beings

You want to study well. You want to pass and get a first-class.
After that you want to get a good position and you want to get
married and live a happy family 1ife. And then you want to have
children and you want them to be intelligent and do well in life.
For these kinds of desires there is no limit. They will keep on
multiplying. The reason for this multiplication of wants is that
you think you are simply a man. But that is not sufficient to keep
you free from suffering.
In addition to considering yourself a man, you have to put a
number of questions to yourself: "To what caste do I belong? Am
I an educated person or not? Where am I staying?. Am I
conducting myself in keeping with this sacred privilege of
staying in this most sacred Prasanthi Nilayam, in the immediate
presence of Swami?" Only when you put all these questions to
yourselves, will you be able to conduct yourselves as true human
beings. If one merely thinks he is a man and is entitled to pursue
all kinds of desires and enjoyments, he is likely to behave like an
animal or even like a demon. "My caste is the caste of humanity.
I live in the sacred land of Bharat. I am born of a good family. I
104
am an educated person, not an ignorant one. And I am here in

this sacred Prasanthi Nilayam in the presence of Swami." When
you have such answers and use them as guideposts for
conducting yourselves, you will not go astray.
Wisdom exists in the midst of ignorance

Shivaratri, 'Ratri' means night. What is the significance of night?
Night is another word for darkness. 'Shiva' means
auspiciousness. So, Shivaratri speaks of an auspicousness which
is inherent in darkness. It refers to the wisdom which exists in
the midst of ignorance. Ignorance and wisdom are not two
different things; they are basically the same. They are associated
with Dwaita; they are the opposite polarities of the same
underlying principle. The state that transcends both wisdom and
ignorance is Paratatva. It is a stage which is not associated with
any comings or goings, where birth and death do not occur. So
long as there is birth for the body, death has to follow. What is it
that has taken birth? Is it the Atma? No. It is only the body which
has taken birth. You are Atma. You are the permanent entity. We
consider this body as inert, but truly speaking, this body is not
inert. Even in the physical matter making up this body there is
the Divine Consciousness.
The form of the body is constantly changing. That is why the
phenomenal world is described as Jagat. In the word Jagat, 'Ja'
means taking birth; 'Gat' means dying. "Jagat" means that which
has birth and death, a process which repeats itself over and over
again. In this world there is nothing which is free from this birth
and death, be it a body, any object or thing. All are continually
undergoing changes. (SSS Vol.18), 17-2-1985.
105
Develop purity and sacredness

Shivaratri is a day when one tries to establish friendship between
mind and God. Shivaratri makes one aware of the fact that the
same Divinity is all-pervasive and is to be found everywhere. It
is said that Shiva lives in Kailash. But where is Kailash? Kailash
is our own joy, our own bliss. It means that Easwara lives in the
Kailash of delight. If we can develop that sense of joy and
delight in our mind, that itself is Kailash. How can one get this
joy? It comes when we develop purity and steadiness and
sacredness. Then the heart becomes filled with peace and bliss.
Then your heart itself will be Kailash and Shiva will be there in
the sanctum sanctorum of your heart, within the temple which is
your body. At first look, everyone appears to be a devotee, but
individuals respond differently to different circumstances. If you
keep a ball of iron and dry leaf side by side, when there is no
wind both of them will be firm and steady. But when a breeze
blows the dry leaf will be carried away for miles together. The
iron ball will remain firm and steady. If one has true love and
firm faith in God, one will be like an iron ball, steady and
undisturbed. If one is like a leaf running away on account of
difficulties and problems, it is a travesty to call such a person a
devotee. We should develop pure and steady love and faith. (SSS
Vol.18), 17-2-1985.
It is not this night alone that you should spend in the thought of
Shiva; your whole life must be lived in the constant presence of
the Lord. Endeavour: that is the main thing; that is the
inescapable consummation for all mortals. Even those who deny
God will have to tread the pilgrim road, melting their hearts out
106
in tears of travail. If you make the slightest effort to move along

the Path of your own liberation, the Lord will help you a
hundred-fold. That is the hope that Mahashivaratri conveys to
you. Man is called so, because he has the skill to do manana;
manana means inner meditation on the meaning and significance
of what one has heard. But, you have not yet emerged out of the
stage of Shraoanam (listening) ! All the joy you crave for is in
you. But, like a man who has vast riches in the iron chest, but,
who has no idea where the key is, you suffer. Hear properly the
instructions, dwell upon them in the silence of meditation,
practise what has been made clear therein; then, you can secure
the key, open the chest and be rich in Joy. (SSS Vol.9), February
1969
Spiritual significance of Shivaratri

Moham hithvaa priyo bhavathi
Krodham hithvaa na sochathi
Kaamam hithvaa arthavaan bhavathi
Lobham hithvaa sukhee bhavathi.
"Moham hithvaa priyo bhavathi" (As long as one is proud, men
will not like him). Only when he suppresses his pride will he be
liked by one and all. "Krodham hithvaa na sochathi" (The man
filled with anger will have no happiness). He will be immersed in
misery. When he subdues his anger, he will be free from grief.
"Kaamam hithvaa arthavaan bhavathi" (When a man has
insatiable desires he will never fell contented). When he controls
his desires, he will be truly rich. "Lobhamhithvaasukhee
bhavathi" (A miserly person will never feel happy). When he
107
gives up greed he will realise happiness. Divinity is not easily

perceived or realised. It is easy to talk about the Divine. It is easy
to comment on the miracles and sports of the Divine. But to
understand them in their fullness is very difficult. To look at
something evil and shout about it like crows is not a good thing.
It is better to sing like the cuckoo over something good. Tastes
differ from person to person. One man's sweet is another man's
poison. With such diverse tendencies, how can men recognise
the Divine?
The ancient sages of Bharat carried out many spiritual
investigations and through the study of the scriptures proclaimed
their experience of the Divine. The Upanishads declared: "Raso
vai saha." That is, the Divine is present in all things as their
essence like sugar in sugarcane and butter in milk. God is present
both in the good and the bad, in truth and untruth, in merit and
sin.
That being the case, how is one to determine what is false and
what is unrighteous? The Gita declares: "My Spirit is the
indwelling spirit in all beings." The individual who realises this
truth will experience samathvam (equal-mindedness). (SSS
Vol.29), 1 7-2-1996.
Duality in life cannot be escaped

But, for people living in the mundane world and concerned with
worldly affairs, right and wrong, truth and untruth and similar
opposites are unavoidable. Hence, as long as one is involved in
leading a worldly life one cannot escape from duality. One's
peace and security have to be found in the context of pleasure
108
and pain. One's joy is linked with suffering. Pleasure is an

interval between two pains. Life is a combination of light and
shadow. Without sorrow there can be no happiness. Only when
you walk in the hot sun can you experience the pleasure of a
shady place. In such a life, it is not possible to experience
pleasure alone all the time. (SSS Vol.29), 1 7-2-1996.
The cosmic process

The entire cosmos is governed by three states: srishti, sthithi and
layam (creation, sustenance and dissolutions). The truth of this is
beyond dispute by anyone at any time. A Divine truth is
conveyed by this concept. Srishti (creation) is the expression of
the Eeshvara Sankalpa (Will of God). It is called Prakrithi
(Nature). Every object in creation should have the characteristics
of Nature. Man has come into existence to manifest the powers
of Nature. The powers of Nature are not present in all in equal
measure. The man who is conscious only of the physical has a
perverted view of these powers. The spiritually-oriented person
sees their benign nature.
Prakrithi (Nature) and Chaithanya (Spirit) are one. But in
accordance with their varied feelings and attitudes, things appear
good or bad to Loka is one of the names applied to the world.
Loka is that which has the power of aalochana (thought). In this
assembly there are a large number of persons. They are all
gathered in one place. But each lives in a world of his own. What
is the reason? One will be thinking about an educational
problem. Another will be thinking about a job.
109
Yet another may be worried about his business. Another may be

concerned about agriculture. Others may be thinking about some
scientific problem. All these different realms of thought are all
exercises of the mind. (SSS Vol.29), 1 7-2-1996.
The trinity in man

Thus the cosmic process shrishti (creation), sthithi (sustenance)
and layam (dissolution) goes on in every human being. Srishti is
the outcome of sankalpa (thought). Sthithi is protection of
creation. Layam is the merger of creation in its source. Srishti,
Sthithi and Layam are also identified with the three qualities-Satwa, Rajas and Tamas. Man is the embodiment of the three
gunas. The three gunas represent the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu,
and Maheshvara). The Trinity represent the Thrilokas (three
Worlds). The three worlds and the trinity are present in every
human being. The three are to be regarded as one and
worshipped as Shivam. What is Shivam? It is the embodiment of
Auspiciousness. When man recognizes the unified form of the
Trinity his humanness acquires auspiciousness.
In a government there are different departments like education,
finance, etc. Likewise in the spiritual field also there are different
departments. They are: Srishti, Sthithi and Layam. Each
department has a head. Each head has to govern his department
on right lines.. There is an overlord presiding over all
departments. He is like the Prime Minister in a cabinet. He is
God. He is called Allah. By attributing different names and
forms to God, Divinity is fragmented in various ways. The one
Divine is responsible for the threefold cosmic process. This three
aspects of God can be seen in the English word GOD. G
110
represents Generation--Srishti. O represents Organizations------Sthithi. D represents Dissolution--Layam. GOD represents the

unity of the three aspects.
There is a misunderstanding about these three. Layam is
considered as destruction or dissolution. Its real meaning is
mergence. O represents organization. It means protection. G
stands for generation (creation). Brahma, Vishnu and Eeshvara
are three potencies lmmanent in man. To understand this it is
essential to follow the spiritual path. Spirituality does not mean
leading a lonely ascetic life. Spirituality means getting rid of
attachment and hatred and looking upon the whole humanity as
one. Everyone should understand this inner meaning of
spirituality. (SSS Vol.29), 1 7-2-1996.
Unity in diversity
All the phenomena in Nature proclaim the glory of the Divine.
Why foster religious differences? Let everyone carry out the
dictates of the Divine, who governs the universe. The principle
teaching of the Vedas is that all men should strive together in
harmony and share their joys together in amity. Through unity,
humanity can achieve purity, leading to divinity. The three great
enemies of man are lust, anger and greed. These have to be
eliminated. The greatest quality in man is love. Love is God.
Live in love.
Bharat has been hailed as the teacher for all lands. It is the
country which regarded God as one and recognized the unity that
underlies all diversity. God is one, the goal is one and all life is
111
one. This unity underlies all diversity. This basic Divine unity is
missed in the perception of diversity. (SSS Vol.29), 1 7-2-1996.
Concord
Easwara has Nandi or Bull and Parvathi the Universal Mother

the lion, as their carriers. The head of her son is like the head of
an elephant. His carrier is a mouse. Her second son has for his
carrier a peacock. Thus, the four members of the family,
Parvathi, Parameswara, Vinayaka(Ganesha) and Subrahmanya
represent the four purusharthas: Dharma, Artha, Kama and
Moksha. In this family, consisting of four members, we can
recognise the unity that exists in spite of the fact that their
respective carriers are in conflict with each other. We know that
the lion and the bull do not go together at all. While the lion is
the vahana for the mother, the son Vinayaka (Ganesha) has an
elephant for his head. The lion and the elephant cannot bear to
even see each other. The elephant will die of fear if it sees a lion
even in the dream. The vehicle of Vinayaka is a mouse. All the
ornaments which his father wears are serpents. There is enmity
between the mouse and the snakes. The carrier of Subramanya is
a peacock. The serpent, peacock and mouse are totally inimical
to each other.
Easwara wears Agni or fire in his forehead and water Ganga on
his head. Water and fire do not go together at all. While their
carriers and the ornaments they wear and their appurtenances are
all mutually contradictory and inimical to each other, yet this
closely-knit family of Easwara and Parvathi has been
demonstrating to the entire world how a family, though
consisting of contradictory elements, should live in concord.
(SSB 1974 Part II, p. 114)
112
Even in the form of Lord Siva Himself, there are apparent

contradictions. He has Ganga on His head and the crescent moon
in His matted locks. These are signs of coolness. In contrast to
these, He has literally fire in the third eye in His forehead. Thus,
there is cool water on His head and fire below on His forehead.
These two are conflicting forces. Yet they maintained perfect
harmony and set an example to the world. Thus, there was not
even slightest difference of opinion or discordant note in the
universal family of Lord Siva. It is a perfectly ideal family,
which the entire world should emulate. (SSS Vol.36, p. 31)
Importance of Shivaratri
Among these festival days, Mahashivaratri is of exceptional
importance. Today God is in close proximity to man. At
midnight (on Shivaratri), Divine vibrations are close to every
human heart. At such a time, when people are engaged in holy
tasks, they get suffused with the Divine vibrations.
People should realise that there is nothing closer to them than the
Divine. Even one's mother may occasionally be remote from the
child, but the Divine is never far from anyone at any time. This
means that everyone is Divine. But each one must strive to
recognise this indwelling Divinity that is the eternal Reality.
Most people waste their lives in the observance of external
rituals and forms of worship. Together with external
observances, people should also try to achieve internal purity.
How long should one waste his life in external forms? All
knowledge and skills are of superficial value and effect no
internal change. (SSS Vol.27), 11-3-1994.
113
Lord Siva has donned this divine form in order to teach a

renunciant outlook to the world, including his consort,
Parvathi. His another habit is to beg for alms.
The opulent form essaying
Total detachment, begging bowl
In hand, seeking alms
For a frugal meal
At the heavenly abode, Kailasa.
Parvathi, however, did not develop any aversion or
disgust toward her husband, Lord Siva, on account of His
strange attire or habits. She did not run away from Him
saying, "How can I lead a family life with such a person?"
She faithfully followed Him, submitting herself to His
wishes and happiness. Both of them lived in peace and
harmony.
-
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Index
festival .....8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 38, 59, 60,
113
A
Aiswarya ................................. 19, 35, 101
Ananda ........................ 21, 39, 40, 41, 79
Ardhaangini ........................................... 61
ardhanareeswara ................................... 42
Haalahala.................................. 15, 22, 24
Bhartha .................................................... 42
Bhavani ............................................ 42, 43
bilva .................................................. 15, 71
bull ........................................... 25, 44, 112
Jaagarana ................................................ 99
K
Kailash ............... 27, 51, 52, 55, 56, 106
Kumara Sambhavam ........................... 68
Kundalini Yoga .................................... 84
C
Chaturdasi ............................................. 16
Lingam ...................................... 26, 28, 72

lion .................................................. 40, 112
Easwara . 19, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 33, 35,

44, 45, 49, 50, 63, 64, 73, 80, 101,
106, 112
M
Mahabharata .......................................... 55
Mahashivaratri .....3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14,
16, 17, 20, 38, 40, 53, 76, 93, 107,
113
F
fast ...... 9, 31, 37, 76, 77, 96, 97, 98, 99
115

Makar Sankranti ................................... 12
Markandeya ............................... 8, 63, 64
Mrityunjaya ............................................ 26
Shavam ................................................... 30
Shiva .... 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 40, 42, 44, 45,
46, 49, 51, 52, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60,
61, 63, 67, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76,
80, 82, 96, 97, 101, 105, 106
Shivaratri ..... 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
20, 22, 28, 36, 37, 53, 54, 57, 59,
73, 74, 75, 76, 79, 82, 93, 96, 99,
101, 105, 106, 107, 113
Siva principle ........................................ 20
Srisailam ......................................8, 59, 60
Subrahmanya ......................... 84, 85, 112
N
Navaratri ................................................. 14
Nirakara ........................ 35, 87, 102, 103
Nirguna .................. 35, 36, 87, 102, 103
P
Panchakshari mantra ............................ 63
Parabrahma ............................................ 87
Parvathi ... 8, 19, 26, 31, 34, 37, 44, 45,
46, 49, 50, 51, 52, 57, 58, 61, 64,
112
peacock ................................................ 112
Prakrithi . 7, 29, 36, 37, 40, 42, 44, 109
T
tandava ...................................... 16, 36, 37
Thryambakam ....................................... 25
Trinity ......................... 7, 30, 35, 71, 110
Rudra .................... 24, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41
Upavaasa ................................................ 98
Sadhaka ..................................... 28, 93, 95

Sadhana ......... 8, 66, 72, 84, 87, 98, 101
Sambhartha ............................................ 42
Shakti ...................... 7, 29, 42, 55, 56, 85
Shankara ......19, 21, 22, 42, 43, 85, 86,
101
vahana ............................................ 69, 112

Veda...................... 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71
vigil ......................... 9, 75, 76, 96, 98, 99
Vinayaka........................................ 33, 112
116
Bibliography
Divine Discourse [Book] = DD on 12.03.2002. - 12.03.2002.
Sathya Sai Speaks: Discourses Of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai
Baba [Book] = SSS Vol.1. - Prasanthi Nilayam, Anantapur District :
Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust. - Vol. 1.
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and Publications Trust.. - 2nd : Vol. 6.
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Baba [Book] = SSS Vol.20. - Prasanthi Nilayam Anantapur District, :
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and Publications Trust, 1994. - Vol. 27 : 42.
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Nilayam Anantapur District : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications
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Sathya Sai Speaks: Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai
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Nilayam, : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, 2001. - First
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Nilayam, Anantapur District : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications
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Nilayam, Anantapur District : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications
Trust, July 2010. - First Edition : Vol. 42.
Baba Delivered from July 1999 to December 1999 [Book] =
SSS Vol.32 Part II. - Prasanthi Nilayam, Anantapur District : Sri Sathya
Sai Books & Publications Trust, August 2001. - First Edition : Vol. 32
part 2. - 81 - 7208 - 287 8.
SATHYA SAI VAHINI: Spiritual Message of Sri Sathya Sai
[Book] = SSVahini. - Prasanthi Nilayam, : Sri Sathya Sai Books &
Publications Trust. - First Enlarged Edition : June 2002. - 81-7208-2959.
Summer Showers In Brindavan [Book] = SSB 1974 Part II. Prasanthi Nilayam : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, 1974. First Enlarged Edition : Vols. Part - II : p. 272. - 81 - 7208-356-4.
Sutra Vahini: Stream of Aphorisms [Book] = Sutra Vahini. Prasanthi Nilayam, : Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, 2004.
120

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of The Night of Goodness and Godliness

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Mahashivaratri:

The spiritual Significance of the

Tumuluru Krishna Murty

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Unity of Purusha and Prakrithi ...................................................................................... 45

Strengthen the belief that all objects belong to God ................................... 86

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Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

2. Any occasion for celebration, esp. one which commemorates

Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins

Godly qualities. The Bharatiya festivals have been designed to

Inner Significance of Festivals

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Festivals mark the destruction of demonic forces

Shivaratri, the Night of

(SSS Vol.1) 7-2-1959

some places on its banks, associated with some sage or temple,

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

What is the significance of Ratri?

or dhyana (ritual worship, one-pointed repetition & holy names,

Shivaratri is an auspicious night

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Dharma implies harmony in thought, word and deed. When

Kalidsa, Raghuvansham, 2nd revised edition, Motilal Banarasilal

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

(SSS Vol.42, pp. 134-135)

Jyotirmayi, Vangmayi, Nityanandamayi,

Shiva is all Graciousness, ever Auspicious

Shiva is known also as Easwara, the 'repository of all the resources

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

South) as His ambara (vesture)9. (SSS Vol.39, pp. 53-54), 26-22006

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Intelligence that is behind each of them. (SSS Vol.12), 20-21974

Live bracelets of wriggling Serpents and a belt of

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Linga is the Form in which all forms merge

One of the names attributed to Lord Shiva is Mrityunjaya, which means

(He who vanquishes death). And, He is also the Kaamaari (the

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

destroys desire can conquer Death, for desire breeds activity,

Manonaashana (destruction of the mind). The realisation is that

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Man has to realise that he is Shivam

Smog of hatred and greed tarnish the temple towers

Siva Consciouness Is Transcendental

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

real Shiva Tandava. How can one describe the transcendental

present and future. It is indescribable. Any length of time is

God Is Attributeless, Realise His Oneness

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Once, there arose a controversy between Lakshmi and Parvathi

Vimalam, Achalam, Sarvadhee Sakshibhutam Bhavateetam

The Trinity and Omkaara

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

auspicious witnesses. But there is one syllable consisting of 'A',

Significance of Cosmic dance of Lord Shiva

Role of Rudras in man's life

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

Aadhibhouthika refers to difficulties caused by the five elements

Rudras and sense-control

sources are controlled, those arising from within cannot be easily

Mahashivaratri: The Spiritual Significance of Night of goodness and Godliness

results in Ananda (Bliss). When the unchanging, eternal Divinity