INNER SIGNIFICANCE OF SIVARATHRI

What exactly is meant by Sivarathri and why is so much importance being given to its observance?

Baba has given us the explanation. He first reminds us that according to the Scriptures, the Moon is the presiding deity of the Mind.

As we all know, during the month the Moon waxes and wanes, taking 15 days for each process. The thirteenth day after the New Moon and the Full Moon is called Trayodasi. After Trayodasi comes Chaturdasi or the fourteenth day. Sivarathri commences at the end of Trayodasi and the beginning of Chaturdasi after the Full Moon.

We now come to the Inner or the Spiritual significance of the observance of this austerity after the conclusion of Trayodasi and the commencement of Chaturdasi just before Amavasya or the New Moon.

Again we turn to Baba. He says that on this night the Moon is hardly visible. Such a barely visible Moon represents the Mind of a true seeker. Through Sadhana he has almost conquered the Mind. And just as the Moon disappears a day or two later, the seeker, with a little extra effort, can completely extinguish the Mind, that is to say, master it. As Baba puts it so simply: MASTER THE MIND AND BECOME A MASTER MIND!

The astute reader would have noticed that something is missing in the above. Does not Sivarathri come once a month? How come then we celebrate it just once a year? Ah, therein lies a tale, and for that, we go back to an account written by Gandhikota Subramania Sastry a long time ago.