Maha Shivaratri and the Mystery of the Lingodbhava

Guruji's words

Guruji: Mahā Śiva Rātri commemorates the day when the great Liṅga of Śiva appeared before all the gods and demons. Since the Liṅga extended from the netherworlds to the ends of far galaxies, all the gods and demons were utterly perplexed, as they could not discover its beginning or end. In a spirit of competition, Brahmā set out to find the top of the Liṅga, and Viṣṇu went to find the bottom, but however far they traveled, they could not find the ends of the Liṅga.

Then Brahmā saw a leaf falling down, and he asked the leaf, “From where have you fallen?” The leaf replied, “I don’t know.” Brahmā requested the leaf to tell a lie that it had fallen from the top of the Liṅga. When Brahmā and Viṣṇu met again, Viṣṇu admitted that he had not found the bottom of the Liṅga. Then Brahmā told Viṣṇu, “Neither have I seen the top of the Liṅga, but I have seen this leaf which has fallen from the top. Therefore, it is equivalent to seeing the top.” Viṣṇu agreed that he had been defeated.

With his divine vision, however, Śiva saw that Brahmā had lied about the leaf’s falling from the top of his Liṅga. Enraged at the lie, Śiva cut off the top head of the five heads of Brahmā. Since then, Brahmā came to be known in his four-headed form. Brahmā cursed Śiva that he would not be entitled to receive pūjā in his total form, but should receive pūjā only in the form of his Liṅga.

After all this had occurred, all the gods and demons prayed to Śiva, chanting the Vedic mantras of Rudra Praśna. Pleased with their devotion, Śiva spoke these words of assurance:

“If anyone worships me with devotion at the time of my Liṅga’s arising, they will be freed from all the limitations and bondage of saṃsāra, and they will be absorbed into my cosmic Liṅga, which is ever blissful.”

This story is from the Liṅga Purāṇa. The day commemorating this great occurrence is known as “Mahā Śiva Rātri,” and the time is called “Liṅgodbhava Kālam.” On this night, everyone worships the Liṅga with Vedic, non-Vedic, or no mantras, keeping awake all night in the presence of the Lord.

There is also the story of a lascivious person who worshipped Śiva’s Liṅga in the form of the breast of a prostitute. That person attained liberation, and the village in Andhra Pradesh where he lived came to be known as “Āchanta,” which means “breast.” These stories of Śiva as the procreative force and destroyer of evil are well-known.

What is the meaning and moral of this story?

Brahmā represents the five-dimensional world, which was its original form. The four dimensions of time and space are commonly known. The fifth dimension of total awareness is denied to Brahmā because he violated the principle of truth by telling a lie. Henceforth, Brahmā could only make creations of limited intelligence.

Total truth can only be known by accepting the Liṅga that goes from the depths of the netherworlds to the heights of space. This feeling is echoed in the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad, where it is said: By avidyā (external worship), cross the bounds of death, and by vidyā (internal worship), attain immortality. Both are needed. The Upaniṣad warns that if you follow only one way, either internal or external worship, you will enter a great abyss-like void of darkness.

In this life, only Śiva Pūjā on Mahā Śiva Rātri can take you out of the cosmic abyss. Mahā Śiva Rātri is the day when people will be lifted from the void and made into “light” beings. Hence, the Jyotir (light) Liṅga Pūjās are performed.

Guruji, Maha Śiva Rātri, as posted on Guruji's blog by Vira Chandra on 25 April 2016. The story Guruji retells is from the Liṅga Purāṇa, and he cites the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad. Two photographs on the original post are not copied here.