Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals :Ch-2. Part - 14.

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Ch-2.  Siva – The Mystic Night ( Sivaratri)


Part-14.


We may look at the whole thing from another angle of vision.

The Sanskrit word 'Sivaratri' means 'the night of Siva'.

On this holy day we are to fast during the day and keep vigil during the night.

You may be wondering why Siva is connected with the night and not with the day – otherwise we could observe vigil during daytime and fast during the night.

Instead of that, why has the whole thing been put topsy-turvy?

Siva being connected with night has a highly spiritual and mystical connotation.

It is not that divinity as manifest in the form of Lord Siva has any special connection with the period we call night.

If you study deeply the Upanishads and such mystical texts of high spiritual significance, you will realise that the Supreme Being, the Absolute, is designated in its primordial condition as a Supreme Darkness due to excess of light.

Swami Krishnananda

To be continued   ...


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