A Column of Light on Shivratri

Bk Sheela

India is home to countless Shiva temples, including Amarnath, Somanath, Vishwanath, and Mahakaleshwar. Each temple’s name reflects Shiva’s divine roles as the Supreme Soul. The Shivalinga represents Shiva’s incorporeal form—a point of Light—earning these 12 sacred temples the title of Jyotirlinga Math.

The three lines on the Shivalinga, known as Tripundi, symbolize Shiva’s threefold nature: Trinetri, the third eye of wisdom; Trikaldarshi, the knower of past, present, and future; and Trilokinath, the lord of the three worlds. Shiva is also known as Shambhu, Swayambhu, and Sada Shiva—the Supreme Soul.

According to legend, Rama worshiped Shiva at Rameshwaram, and Krishna prayed at Gopeshwar Vrindavan, emphasizing Shiva’s role as the Supreme Father of all deities. Shiva’s divine functions—creation, sustenance, and destruction—facilitate the world’s cyclical renewal.

Shivratri symbolizes humanity’s moral decline, during which Shiva initiates transformation. Destruction is essential for renewal, as a new world cannot emerge atop the old. This process occurs through human-made weapons, natural calamities, and civil wars, accelerating the transition to a new world order. Shiva, as Shivshankar, represents the destruction of all that is impure, liberating humanity from sin and sorrow.

Once destruction is complete, Satyuga or the Golden Age dawns, marked by purity, peace, and prosperity. Humanity becomes virtuous and divine, with nature flourishing in harmony. The rulers of this era, depicted as Vishnu, embody divine qualities.

God’s role is unique—purifying the world while remaining beyond the bondage of action and its consequences. Known as akarta (the non-doer) and abhogta (beyond the effects of action), God’s selfless service transforms humanity.

Om Shanti

(The writer is director, Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar).