26 February 2025 – Vishwaguruji celebrated Mahashivaratri, one of the greatest festivals of Sanatan Dharma, at Jadan Ashram, Rajasthan, with devotees from India and all over the world.

Maha Shivaratri means the Great Night of Shiva, a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva and celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar on the 14th day of the waning phase of the Falgun moon (February-March). The ceremony and the celebration takes place on the night between the 14th and the 15th days, which in 2025 was from 26-27 February.

One belief is that this is the day when Shiva and Parvati got married. It is also believed that this is the night when Shiva performed Tandava – the dance of the primordial creation, maintenance and destruction. In the Linga Purana (holy scripture) it is said that on this day Shiva manifested himself in the form of a lingam.

There are many stories and legends related to Maha Shivaratri, and one of the most popular is the one about Lord Shiva drinking poison in order to save the world, and this is where the blue throat of Lord Shiva comes from – Nil Kant Mahadev, as depicted on many images. Devas and asuras were churning the ocean to get amrita – the Nectar of Immortality. They used the snake Vasuki as the stirring, churning rope.

When the amrit was almost at the point of being extracted, the first thing that came out of the mouth of the snake was a deadly poison. Control over the poison was lost, so it threatened to destroy the entire world with its vapours and immerse it into darkness.

Upon realising what happened, the devas ran for help both to Brahma and Vishnu, but nobody could help them. Finally Lord Shiva drank the all of the poison, in order to save the Universe. The poison remained in his throat. Even though he was strong enough to neutralise it, he had to stay awake the entire night, so in order to keep him awake,  the gods kept him company and entertained him with songs and dance. In memory of this, on that day the devotees of Shiva stay awake all night and remain close to their Lord.

This story has a deeper symbolic meaning. Devas and asuras represent different tendencies in people, the good and bad habits and behaviours. The ocean of milk represents the perfect world, full of peace and happiness for all. Amrit represents happiness, and the poison is human selfishness and greed. Shiva symbolises consciousness, the atma – the Self.

People do many things in order to be happy and often they are overpowered by their own selfishness and greed that destroy all efforts at maintaining peace and happiness. Therefore, the wise yogis teach us that the only way to attain peace and happiness and overcome greed and selfishness is to meditate on atma, the Divine Self and traditionally this is advised to do at night, because it is the time when a man is less disturbed by the material world.

However, now, in modern times, there are many more disturbances and distractions for people, at all times of day and night. So a regular daily practice of meditation at any time possible and a firm resolve to remain consciously aware of one's Self throughout the day, are vitally important for a happy and healthy life.