Maha ShivRathri
(AT ISHA FOUNDATION, INDIA)
MahaShivRathri has always been a GREAT ANNUAL FESTIVAL at Isha Foundation, at the foot hills of Velliangiri in India. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is there all the Night, keeping lakhs of visitors awake and in wakefulness of a different kind.
This year, it was celebrated on the third of February – though, some other Hindu organizations celebrated it on the second. This year, the Shiv Rathri started on 2nd night and prolonged well into the third night. That is the main reason why it got celebrated on 3rd February Night at Isha Foundation.
At Isha, It is an all night celebration from 6 pm to 6 am.
Shiva loves, music, dancing and meditation. And so does Isha foundation. It also celebrates Shiv Rathri with music, dance and meditation.
‘Sounds of Isha’ – the music bonanza from Isha Inmates is a big attraction at these celebrations. It is so soulful and so enchanting. You can’t keep your foot down. It must dance. Even if you are sitting.
And then, you will find folk dancers from other parts of India performing their traditional dancing, to the sounds of drums. This time, it is from Mysore and it is a beautiful feast for the eyes and ears.
Nirvana Shatkam Chanting by the Brahmacharis of Isha is a great favourite at Isha foundation – just as it is, with me too.
The Isha Brahmacharis render it beautifully. Nirvana Shatkam is one of the shortest compositions by Adi Sankaracharya, and it highlights the Advaita philosophy in the most exquisite terms. Readers of this blog (wisespiritualideas.blogspot.com) can read detailed commentary on Nirvana Shatkam in some of the previous posts. Nirvana Shatkam is certainly a great aid for Meditation / Nidhidhyasanam.
When Sadhguru addressed the lakhs of people who attended the Shiv Rathri celebrations on this third of February, he told them - “Please stay awake. Let this night become a possibility of awakening, not just of wakefulness.”
There was beautiful Sufi music from the Wadali Brothers this time. It just proves that Siva loves Music – whether it is sounds of Isha or Sufi. But, It must just be soulful. And, Sadhguru loves to dance to either tune. So do the audience.
Sadhguru’s discourse is of course the much awaited star attraction always. This time also, he spoke of the many legends surrounding Shiva and Shiv Rathri.
When midnight comes – it is always time for a powerful meditation. As Sadhguru chanted ‘Shanbho’, the entire crowd went into a deep meditation.
It was deeply satisfying to all.
Then, there was the Pancha Bhutha Aradhana Arati by the Brahmacharis of Isha.
There was dancing, exquisite drumming…, and chanting by Sadhguru.
There was also an interesting Question-answer session in which Sadhguru chose to answer a few questions of interest to all the people.
There was the reputed percussionist Bikram Ghosh, with his blend of Hindustani classical music. And another music pioneer, Prem Joshua with a blend of east and west.
But, nothing seems to satisfy the people like the home grown ‘sounds of Isha’. It has to be there at the beginning and at the end too. Many times, it comes alive – ON DEMAND!
The ending of festivities is again by Sadhguru with his dancing, chanting and meeting of meditators and so on.
A beautiful night – but all things beautiful must also come to an end.
So did the enchanting Night of Shiv Rathri at Isha Foundation.
Now – people wait for the Next Shiv Rathri.
PS: On the next Sunday – Sadhguru was live on VIJAY TV – and was speaking on one of his favourite topics. He was saying some thing like this – what you breathe out, the tree breathes in and what you breathe in, is what the tree has breathed out.
It is like – one lung of you is inside you and another lung of you is on that tree. Will you cut out your other lung on the tree? Will you?
I do hope that some brains are stirred into some thinking. There is still a long way to go, though, on this way. Many blind eyes need to open.
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we human beings were aliens to earth!yes all the gods in hindu dharma were those aliens!
ReplyDeletewe are living on planet earth with a goal which we dont know.and this goal will be achieved
by work!our bhagvatgita also tells same that work is worship! even if we dont worship god its ok for
our gods!actually there no such thing as god!infact we call them gods because they created us!for us they
are everything but these (alien)gods also have some limitations and thats why wrong things happen!
lord shankar used meditate with "om" mantra! om is not just a word it is the sound of universe! even scientist
have proven this! all the matter(material) which exists in this universe including we human biengs has a particular
frequency & if we combine all such matter the resulted frequency will be sound om! in the movie koi mil gaya
hrithik roshan send same om sound frequency to find aliens and he suceeds in it also! when we humans biengs
will succede in understanding the universe fully we will become gods...!
Dear Neha,
ReplyDeleteYou are on the right track. Kindly read the Blog Posts on Atma Bodha and the current series on Patanjali Yoga Sutras - which will clear many points in your mind.
You and I are Potentially GOD - but presently Human - and this will continue until we totally experience our God-hood.
Dhyana Yoga is one tool for it. Karma Yoga is another, Bhakti Yoga is another. Jnana Yoga (Upanishadic way) is the fourth. The four Paths are suitable for 4 different types of persons - though, each person has to have some combination (of more than one of the above).
West knows only Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. The other two - Dhyana Yoga and Jnana Yoga - are powerful tools for more evolved persons to experience their Godhood.
In Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga you always try to go near a Godhood - but not become that. For such people , names and forms like that of Lord Siva, Vishnu, Jesus, are essential. Do they exist? They do.Call the Godhood with absolute faith - by any name and form - they will appear in that name and form. You can call the God as Varaha, Vamana, Narasimha, Rama, Krishna - whatever - and they are there.