In this holy time, it feels as though Shiva himself creates the perfect atmosphere for connection. It is as though he opens a sacred doorway for every soul that is ready to form a deeper, perhaps even irreversible, bond with him. These practices may appear to be rituals, but somewhere along the way, many of us inherited the rituals without inheriting their meaning.
As I find myself moving closer to my inner Shiva, I feel a natural curiosity rising within me to know my truth. I want to understand why these rituals truly mean, what they truly represent, and how they can bring me closer to purity.
I have slowly come to realize that Shiva is not a deity, a yogi, or a divine being who gives guidance from a distance.
Shiva is consciousness.
Shiva is a state of being.
Shiva is stillness, awareness, truth, and the presence that remains when everything false begins to fall away.
It may take a lifetime, or perhaps many lifetimes, to fully receive the grace that only Shiva can bring. Maybe these rituals are not performed because Shiva needs them, but because we do.
Perhaps they help prepare the mind, soften the ego, and create a space within us where his presence can be felt.
“Eko hi Rudro na dvitīyāya tasthuḥ,”
meaning,
“Rudra is One; there exists no second beside Him.”
This verse brings me closer to the understanding that Shiva is not simply one being among many, but the one consciousness present in everything.
Perhaps this is why I feel safe with him. Perhaps he is the presence that protects me, guides me, and keeps me sthir. Perhaps he helps me trust him, trust the universe, and continue moving forward even when I do not understand where my path is leading.
Shiva brings me closer to truth by destroying what separates me from it by simply destroying my ego, attachment, fear, and illusion.
Maybe he is not adding anything new to me. Maybe he is removing everything I am not, so that I can remember what I have always been.
Sawan
Monsoon begins..The earth becomes fertile, water flows again. Our ancestors saw the outer rain as a reflection of inner cleansing. Sawan invites us to wash away the dust gathered within the mind and heart. Spiritually, it becomes a season of purification, renewal, and surrender.
Jala-abhisek
The story of Shiva drinking the Halahala poison during Samudra Manthan carries a profound meaning. When the poison emerged and threatened all of creation, Shiva chose to hold it in his throat - the NeelKantha He neither allowed it to spread through his being nor released it back into the world. That is why the devas continuously poured water over him to cool the effects of the poison. Externally, the water cooled him. Internally, the symbolism teaches us that compassion cools the fire of suffering through the simplicity of "water"
Life gives every one of us its own form of poison: pain, grief, anger, disappointment, rejection, fear, and loss. Shiva teaches us that we do not have to swallow every painful experience and allow it to become our identity.
Every stream of water flowing over the Shiva Linga becomes a prayer for the anger to cool, the pride to soften, the suffering to be held in awareness, and everything heavy within us to begin flowing away.
Bilva
Its three leaves are said to represent Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas; Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, or the body, mind, and soul. Offering these leaves can therefore become a complete act of surrender.
Nothing is hidden. Nothing is excluded.
Somwar
Soma is associated with the Moon - the Moon represents the mind. It reflects emotions, memory, thoughts, feelings, and the constantly changing inner tides of human experience. Shiva wears the crescent moon upon his head. The symbolism is extraordinary. He does not remove the mind. He masters it. The mind rests in Shiva.
The crescent moon as a symbol of mastery over time and the restless mind.
Perhaps this is why Monday is dedicated to Shiva. Not because Shiva needs one day, but because we need one day to return to stillness.
Om Namah Shivaya
Its five syllables, Na, Ma, Shi, Va, and Ya, are traditionally associated with the five elements. This divine mantra as a path of purification and union with Shiva in a state of pure balance.
Shiva Linga
Symbol of the Infinite- nirakaar. It has no beginning and no end, just like consciousness.The Shiva Linga is not an attempt to define Shiva. It is a reminder that Shiva cannot be fully defined.
Vijnana Bhairava Tantra
The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati, offers 112 methods of meditation. It teaches that the breath is everything and silence between the breath is pure consciosness.
Ritual is not the destination. It is preparation and purification. It gathers the scattered mind, gives the body a way to participate in devotion, and gives the heart a language for something it cannot fully express.
Sharwan is not merely a month on the calendar. It is an invitation. Every drop of Jal Abhishek asks us to let the ego flow away. Every Bilva leaf reminds us to offer our whole being. Every Somwar invites us to master the mind instead of being mastered by it. Every repetition of Om Namah Shivaya gently dissolves the illusion that we are separate from the Divine.
Shiva is helping me find the part of myself that I forgot.
